scholarly journals Mapping Problematic Drinking Trends over Time in Urban, Semi-Urban, and Rural Populations

2022 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 589
Author(s):  
Stefan Bozic ◽  
Don Vicendese ◽  
Michael Livingston ◽  
Bircan Erbas
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Policy ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Public Health Policy ◽  
Rural Populations ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Problematic Drinking ◽  
Over Time

Current alcohol public health policy in Australia is not uniform but is generally focused on restricting access and early prevention of problematic alcohol use. Semi-urban and rural populations are at greater risk of disease and other poor health outcomes due to a variety of factors. Little is known about problematic drinking patterns over time in semi-urban and rural populations. This study aims to assess patterns of problematic drinking defined as both long-term risky and heavy episodic drinking over time by age, sex, and mental health status among urban, semi-urban and rural populations). Four waves (2004 to 2016) of the Australian NDSHS (National Drug Strategy Household Survey) were analyzed to assess problematic drinking of participants over 18 years of age. We used regression models and predictive margins to identify trends in problematic drinking over time based on age, sex, and mental health status. Our results show young adults across all regions, males, and mentally well individuals in urban areas have reductions in the risk of problematic drinking over time. Middle-aged adults across all regions, females, and those with varying mental health presentations in rural areas have some increases in risk of problematic drinking over time. The general conclusion is that targeted alcohol-related public health policy may need to change and focus on females, middle-aged individuals, and those living in rural areas. Programs to support problematic drinking in people with mental health disorders may also need to be a priority.

scholarly journals The ‘Icarus effect’ of preventative health behaviors

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon Carrignon ◽  
R. Alexander Bentley ◽  
Matthew Silk ◽  
Nina H. Fefferman
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Policy ◽  
Social Learning ◽  
Public Health Policy ◽  
Disease Risk ◽  
Critical Importance ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Preventative Health ◽  
Individual Observation ◽  
Over Time

1AbstractOngoing efforts to combat the global pandemic of COVID-19 via public health policy have revealed the critical importance of understanding how individuals understand and react to infection risks. We here present a model to explore how both individual observation and social learning are likely to shape behavioral, and therefore epidemiological, dynamics over time. Efforts to delay and reduce infections can compromise their own success, especially in populations with age-structure in both disease risk and social learning —two critical features of the current COVID-19 crisis. Our results concur with anecdotal observations of age-based differences in reactions to public health recommendations. We show how shifting reliance on types of learning affect the course of an outbreak, and could therefore factor into policy-based interventions.

scholarly journals The association between screen time and psychological distress in Norwegian adolescents

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
A L Kleppang ◽  
A M Steigen ◽  
H S Finbråten
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Policy ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Public Health Policy ◽  
Screen Time ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Health Policy And Practice ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background The use of screens, especially mobile devices like tablets and smartphones have increased over the last years, and have become an integrated part of modern life. Adolescents today spend a lot of their time using screens both at school and outside school. The concerns about the impact of screens on adolescents are growing, and some expert groups have suggested controlling screen time for children and young adults. Because research is limited and screen-based utilization technologies and their patterns are changing rapidly, it is important to examine their impacts on mental health. This can help to guide public health policy on consequences of, and potential limits on screen time. The purpose of this study is to study the association between screen time and psychological distress among adolescents. Methods This study is based on self-reported cross-sectional data from the Ungdata survey conducted in 2018. The target group comprised 6777 adolescents from secondary schools in Norway. Ten items on depression and anxiety symptoms were used to create a composite measure of psychological distress. Binomial logistic regression was used to analyse the association between screen time and psychological distress. Results Preliminary results showed that the odds for psychological distress were higher for those who used screens more than 2 hours per day after school (OR: 1.83, 95% CI: 1.60-2.09), compared to those who used screens 2 hours and less per day. Further, the odds of having psychological distress were higher in girls compared to boys (OR: 3.49, 95% CI: 3.14-3.87), and in upper secondary school compared to lower secondary school (OR: 1.41, 95% CI: 1.25-1.58). Conclusions Two hours or more used on screens per day was associated with significantly higher odds for psychological distress. Hence, public health policy and practice should pay attention to consequences of screen time use in adolescence. Additional research is needed to further explore these associations. Key messages Public health policy and practice should pay attention to screen time in adolescence and its association with psychological distress. This knowledge is important to enhance mental health in adolescence.

scholarly journals Emotions, reasoning, and mental health as predictors of behavior during three phases of the COVID-19 pandemic

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanick Leblanc-Sirois ◽  
Marie-Ève Gagnon ◽  
Isabelle Blanchette
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Policy ◽  
Public Health Policy ◽  
Individual Factors ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
Specific Factors ◽  
Reasoning Style

The COVID-19 pandemic has required people worldwide to adjust their behavior for several months in response to a crisis of rare proportions. Little is known about the specific factors that affected the progression of the public’s reactions during the pandemic. Individual factors associated with pandemic-related behavior in general, and compliance with public health measures in particular, are not firmly established. We undertook a survey of behavior, emotions, reasoning style, and mental health in the province of Quebec at the beginning, the peak, and the aftermath of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. We recruited 530 responders from a convenience sample; 154 responders participated in all three surveys. Emotions were most intense at the beginning of the first wave of the pandemic, not at its peak. Responders’ compliance with three public health measures decreased between the peak and the aftermath of the first wave of the pandemic; however, mask wearing also became more common. Pandemic-related behavior in general, and compliance with public health measures specifically, were predicted by avoidance-related emotions evoked by the pandemic. Approach-related emotions linked to the societal response contributed specifically to the prediction of compliance with public health measures. In contrast, reasoning style and mental health did not as consistently predict behavior during the pandemic. Our research may help inform public health policy during other waves of the COVID-19 pandemic and future global health crises.

scholarly journals MENTAL HEALTH. THE INCIDENCE RATE OF PSYCHOGENIC DISORDERS. THE NEED FOR A CHANGE IN PUBLIC HEALTH POLICY

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Teodor Furdui ◽  
Valentina Ciochina ◽  
Vlada Furdui ◽  
Aliona Glijin ◽  
Ion Mereuta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Policy ◽  
Incidence Rate ◽  
Public Health Policy ◽  
Psychogenic Disorders

scholarly journals The Role of Social Determinants in Mental Health and Resilience After Disasters: Implications for Public Health Policy and Practice

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wanying Mao ◽  
Vincent I. O. Agyapong
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Policy ◽  
Childhood Abuse ◽  
Social Determinants ◽  
Public Health Policy ◽  
Life Stress ◽  
Social Determinant ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Health Policy And Practice

In this general literature review, we will explore the impacts and contribution of social determinants to mental health and resiliency following both natural and man-made disasters. Natural disasters, such as wildfires, earthquakes, tsunamis, and hurricanes, as well as man-made disasters, such as civil wars, have been known to inflict significant damage to the mental health of the victims. In this paper, we mainly explore some most studied vulnerability and protective social determinant factors such as gender, age, ethnicity, socials support and socioeconomic status for the mental health and resiliency in survivors of such disasters. Several other possible factors such as previous trauma, childhood abuse, family psychiatric history, and subsequent life stress that were explored by some studies were also discussed. We conducted a literature search in major scientific databases, using keywords such as: mental health, social determinants, disasters, wildfires, earthquakes, terrorist attacks, and resilience. We discuss the implications for public health policy and practice.

scholarly journals Population Health Status of the Republic of Kazakhstan: Trends and Implications for Public Health Policy

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (22) ◽  
pp. 12235
Author(s):  
Gabriel Gulis ◽  
Altyn Aringazina ◽  
Zhamilya Sangilbayeva ◽  
Kalel Zhan ◽  
Evelyne de Leeuw ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Policy ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Life Expectancy ◽  
Population Health ◽  
Child Mortality ◽  
Public Health Policy ◽  
Life Years ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Political Economic

The Republic of Kazakhstan began undergoing a political, economic, and social transition after 1991. Population health was declared an important element and was backed with a substantial commitment by the central government to health policy. We examine key trends in the population health status of the Republic of Kazakhstan and seek to understand them in relation to the ongoing political, economic, and social changes in society and its aspirations in health policy. We used the Global Burden of Disease database and toolkit to extract and analyze country-specific descriptive data for the Republic of Kazakhstan to assess life expectancy, child mortality, leading causes of mortality, disability-adjusted life years, and causes and number of years lived with disability. Life expectancy declined from 1990 to 1996 but has subsequently recovered. Ischemic heart disease, stroke, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease remain among the leading causes of death; child mortality for children under 5 years has declined; and cardiovascular risk factors account for the greatest cause of disability. Considering its socioeconomic development over the last two decades, Kazakhstan continues to lag behind OECD countries on leading health indictors despite substantial investments in public health policy. We identify seven strategic priorities to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the health care system.

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