scholarly journals A Scoping Review of Policies Related to the Prevention and Control of Overweight and Obesity in Africa

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 4028
Author(s):  
Theodosia Adom ◽  
Anniza De Villiers ◽  
Thandi Puoane ◽  
André Pascal Kengne
Keyword(s):  
Scoping Review ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
World Health ◽  
Environmental Drivers ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Food Industries ◽  
Nutrition And Diet ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
And Control

To address the issue of obesity, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a set of comprehensive programmes aimed at changing the obesogenic environments to provide opportunities for healthy food options and increased physical activity in the school, home, and at the population level. The objectives of this study were to examine the nature and range of policies related to overweight and obesity prevention in Africa, and to assess how they align with international guidelines. An existing methodological framework was adapted for this scoping review. A search of publicly available national documents on overweight/obesity, general health, and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) was undertaken from relevant websites, including WHO, ministries, and Google Scholar. Additional requests were sent to key contacts at relevant ministries about existing policy documents. The documents were reviewed, and the policies were categorised, using the Analysis Grid for Environments Linked to Obesity (ANGELO) framework. The framework categorises the environmental drivers of obesity into four domains (physical, economic, legislative, and socio-cultural) and two scales: macro (national, regional, sectors, food industries, media, etc.) and micro (household, institutional, and community). This review included documents from 41 African countries. The policy initiatives to prevent overweight/obesity target the school, family and community settings, and macro environments, and broadly align with global recommendations. The NCD documents were in the majority, with only two on obesity. The majority of the documents detailed strategies and key interventions on unhealthy diets and physical inactivity. The physical, legislative, and sociocultural domains were largely featured, with less emphasis on the economic domain. Additionally, nutrition- and diet-related policies were in the majority. Overlaps and interactions of policies were observed in the application of the ANGELO framework. This study has provided information on national policies and programmes in Africa and can be useful as a first point of call for policymakers. The overlapping and interaction in the initiatives demonstrate the importance of multi-sectoral partnerships in providing supportive environments for healthy behaviours.

scholarly journals Addressing NCDs: Challenges From Industry Market Promotion and Interferences

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 256-260 ◽  
Author(s):  
Viroj Tangcharoensathien ◽  
Orana Chandrasiri ◽  
Watinee Kunpeuk ◽  
Kamolphat Markchang ◽  
Nattanicha Pangkariya
Keyword(s):  
Good Governance ◽  
World Health ◽  
Legislative Process ◽  
Unhealthy Food ◽  
Regulatory Capture ◽  
Food Industries ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Active Implementation ◽  
Market Promotion ◽  
And Control

Addressing the determinants of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is challenged by aggressive market promotion by tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy food industries in emerging countries with fast economic development; and interference by these industries in government policies aimed at containing consumption of unhealthy products. This editorial reviews market promotion and industry interference and classifies them into four groups of tactics: (a) interfering with the legislative process; (b) using front groups to act on their behalf; (c) questioning the evidence of tobacco harm and the effectiveness of harm-reduction interventions; and (d) appearing responsible in the eyes of the public, journalists and policy-makers. Despite active implementation of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), the tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy food industries use similar tactics to aggressively interfere in policies, with the tobacco industry being the most aggressive. Policy interference by industries are effective in the context of poor governance, rampant corruption, conflict of interest among political and government actors, and regulatory capture in all levels of countries from low- to high-income. In addressing these interferences, government requires the practice of good governance, effective mechanisms to counteract conflict of interests among political and policy actors, and prevention of regulatory capture. The World Health Organization (WHO) Framework of Engagement with non-State Actors can be applied to the country context when engaging private entities in the prevention and control of NCDs.

Non-Communicable Diseases and Global Health Politics

2019 ◽  
pp. 626-659
Author(s):  
Roger Magnusson
Keyword(s):  
Respiratory Diseases ◽  
Communicable Diseases ◽  
World Health ◽  
Global Response ◽  
Non Communicable Diseases ◽  
Health Politics ◽  
Chronic Respiratory Diseases ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
High Level ◽  
And Control

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes, are responsible for around 70 percent of global deaths each year. This chapter describes how NCDs have become prevalent and critically evaluates global efforts to address NCDs and their risk factors, with a particular focus on the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations (UN) system. It explores the factors that have prevented those addressing NCDs from achieving access to resources and a priority commensurate with their impact on people’s lives. The chapter evaluates the global response to NCDs both prior to and since the UN High-Level Meeting on Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases, held in 2011, and considers opportunities for strengthening that response in future.

Household and Population-Level Behavioural Changes Due to COVID-19 Pandemic: A Smart Thermostat Based Comparative Data Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Kirti Sundar Sahu ◽  
Arlene Oetomo ◽  
Niloofar Jalali ◽  
Plinio P. Morita
Keyword(s):  
Data Analysis ◽  
Population Level ◽  
World Health ◽  
Motion Sensors ◽  
Household Level ◽  
Work From Home ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Smart Thermostat ◽  
The Impact

The World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak as a pandemic on March 11, 2020. To inhibit the spread of COVID-19, governments around the globe, including Canada, have implemented physical distancing and lockdown measures, including a work-from-home policy. Canada in 2020 has developed a 24-Hour Movement Guideline for all ages laying guidance on the ideal amount of physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and sleep (PASS) for an individual in a day. The purpose of this study was to investigate changes on the household and population-level in lifestyle behaviours (PASS) and time spent indoors at the household level, following the implementation of physical distancing protocols and stay-at-home guidelines. For this study, we used 2019 and 2020 data from ecobee, a Canadian smart Wi-Fi thermostat company, through the Donate Your Data (DYD) program. Using motion sensors data, we quantified the amount of sleep by using the absence of movement, and similarly, increased sensor activation to show a longer duration of household occupancy. The key findings of this study were; during the COVID-19 pandemic, overall household-level activity increased significantly compared to pre-pandemic times, there was no significant difference between household-level behaviours between weekdays and weekends during the pandemic, average sleep duration has not changed, but the pattern of sleep behaviour significantly changed, specifically, bedtime and wake up time delayed, indoor time spent has been increased and outdoor time significantly reduced. Our data analysis shows the feasibility of using big data to monitor the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the household and population-level behaviours and patterns of change.

scholarly journals Secular Trends of Underweight, Overweight, and Obesity in Children and Adolescents from Ukraine

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 3302
Author(s):  
Katarzyna Dereń ◽  
Justyna Wyszyńska ◽  
Serhiy Nyankovskyy ◽  
Olena Nyankovska ◽  
Marta Yatsula ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
The Body ◽  
World Health ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Significant Public Health ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Obesity In Children

Overweight and obesity, as well as underweight in children and adolescents, pose a significant public health issue. This study aimed to investigate the secular trend of the incidence of underweight, overweight, and obesity in children from Ukraine in 2013/2014 and 2018/2019. The studies were conducted in randomly selected primary and secondary schools in Ukraine. In total, 13,447 children (6468 boys and 6979 girls) participated in the study in 2013/2014 and 18,144 children (8717 boys and 9427 girls) participated in 2018/2019. Measurements of body weight and height were performed in triplicate. Underweight, overweight, and obesity were diagnosed according to the standards of the World Health Organization (WHO). In the group of girls, a significant difference between 2013/2014 and 2018/2019 measurements was found only among 7-year-olds. The percentage of girls at this age exceeding the body mass index (BMI) norm was lower in the 2018/2019 study. In boys, a significant difference was also found in 7-year-olds, and, as in girls, a lower share of overweight and obesity was found in 2018/2019. But for the ages of 12, 13, and 15, the significant differences had a different character—more overweight or obese boys were found in the 2018/2019 study. The proportion of underweight children was similar for the majority of age groups in both genders and did not differ in a statistically significant way.

scholarly journals Urban health nexus with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) preparedness and response in Africa: Rapid scoping review of the early evidence

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 205031212199436
Author(s):  
Robert Kaba Alhassan ◽  
Jerry John Nutor ◽  
Aaron Asibi Abuosi ◽  
Agani Afaya ◽  
Solomon Salia Mohammed ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Health ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
Spillover Effects ◽  
Health Systems Strengthening ◽  
World Health ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Response Strategies ◽  
Early Evidence

Introduction: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 also called coronavirus disease 2019 was first reported in the African continent on 14 February 2020 in Egypt. As at 18 December 2020, the continent reported 2,449,754 confirmed cases, 57,817 deaths and 2,073,214 recoveries. Urban cities in Africa have particularly suffered the brunt of coronavirus disease 2019 coupled with criticisms that the response strategies have largely been a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. This article reviewed early evidence on urban health nexus with coronavirus disease 2019 preparedness and response in Africa. Methods: A rapid scoping review of empirical and grey literature was done using data sources such as ScienceDirect, GoogleScholar, PubMed, HINARI and official websites of World Health Organization and Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. A total of 26 full articles (empirical studies, reviews and commentaries) were synthesised and analysed qualitatively based on predefined inclusion criteria on publication relevance and quality. Results: Over 70% of the 26 articles reported on coronavirus disease 2019 response strategies across Africa; 27% of the articles reported on preparedness towards coronavirus disease 2019, while 38% reported on urbanisation nexus with coronavirus disease 2019; 40% of the publications were full-text empirical studies, while the remaining 60% were either commentaries, reviews or editorials. It was found that urban cities remain epicentres of coronavirus disease 2019 in Africa. Even though some successes have been recorded in Africa regarding coronavirus disease 2019 fight, the continent’s response strategies were largely found to be a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. Consequently, adoption of ‘Western elitist’ mitigating measures for coronavirus disease 2019 containment resulted in excesses and spillover effects on individuals, families and economies in Africa. Conclusion: Africa needs to increase commitment to health systems strengthening through context-specific interventions and prioritisation of pandemic preparedness over response. Likewise, improved economic resilience and proper urban planning will help African countries to respond better to future public health emergencies, as coronavirus disease 2019 cases continue to surge on the continent.

Effectiveness of a New Fluoride Varnish for Caries Prevention In Pre-School Children

2013 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
V Pitchika ◽  
C Kokel ◽  
J Andreeva ◽  
A Crispin ◽  
R Hickel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Economic Status ◽  
Model Potential ◽  
World Health ◽  
Fluoride Varnish ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Carious Lesions ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
And Control ◽  
Caries Lesions ◽  
Initial Statistical Analysis

Objective: To investigate the effectiveness of a new fluoride varnish (Clinpro White Varnish, 3M Espe, Seefeld, Germany) with regard to the caries incidence within a 2-year period. Study design: A non-randomized sample of 400 children from the Kyffhäuser district (Thuringia, Germany) was divided into a fluoride group (FG, biannual application of fluoride varnish) and control group (CG, no intervention). (Non-)cavitated caries lesions were recorded using World Health Organization (WHO) and Universal Visual Scoring System (UniViSS) criteria. Parents were given questionnaires to gather information about their socio-economic status (SES). Non-parametric methods and binomial logistic regression were used for data analysis. Results: There was a significant increase in caries incidence in both groups. The number of non-cavitated carious lesions was significantly lower in the FG (mean 2.2; sd 2.3) compared with the CG (mean 2.9; sd 1.9). Initial statistical analysis revealed that fluoride varnish might prevent non-cavitated carious lesions. When including SES as a confounder into regression model, potential preventive effect was lost. Conclusions: This study underlines the importance of the multi-factorial etiology of caries and illustrates that the effectiveness of biannual fluoride varnish application was evident in non-cavitated carious lesions only.

scholarly journals Overweight and obesity of children in a brazilian elementary school: a comparison of three references

2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 341
Author(s):  
Marcella Evangelista Melo ◽  
Giovanna Lima Miguéis ◽  
Mikaela Silva Almeida ◽  
Tatiane Dalamaria ◽  
Wagner De Jesus Pinto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Elementary School ◽  
Task Force ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Overweight And Obesity ◽  
World Health ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Kappa Index ◽  
International Obesity Task Force ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Health Organization

Introduction: In the diagnosis of overweight and obesity based on body mass index in children and adolescents, several national and international anthropometric references are recommended. However, there is a divergence in the estimated prevalence of overweight and obesity among the references. Objective: To identify the prevalence of overweight and obesity and to analyse the magnitude of agreement among the three references. Methods: A cross-sectional study with 975 students from the early grades of elementary school. The prevalence of overweight and obesity were estimated according to the criteria of the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) and Conde and Monteiro. The Kappa weighted index was calculated to assess the agreement magnitude among the three references. Results: The highest prevalence of overweight and obesity was estimated by the Conde and Monteiro and WHO references, respectively. Overall, the IOTF revealed lower a magnitude of prevalence than the two other references. The agreement among the references identified by the Kappa index had a range of 0.66 to 0.94. Conclusion: Despite the satisfactory agreement among the three references, this research highlighted the differing magnitudes of the prevalence of overweight and obesity. This fact limits the ability to make comparisons among populations and impairs the development of overweight and obesity prevention actions.

scholarly journals Partisipasi Dalam Pencegahan Dan Penanggulangan Covid-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 941-953
Author(s):  
Dyan Kunthi Nugrahaeni ◽  
Novie Elvinawaty Mauliku ◽  
Budiman Budiman ◽  
Gunawan Irianto ◽  
Arina Novilla
Keyword(s):  
World Health Organization ◽  
Diagnostic Test ◽  
Rapid Diagnostic Test ◽  
Community Service ◽  
Prevention And Control ◽  
Community Services ◽  
World Health ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
And Control

ABSTRAK The World Health Organization menetapkan outbreak SARS-CoV-2 sebagai Kedaruratan Kesehatan Masyarakat yang Meresahkan Dunia dan dinyatakan sebagai pandemik. Penyebaran dan penularan penyakit Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) sangat tinggi, dengan jumlah penderita lebih dari 117 juta di seluruh dunia. Diperlukan berbagai strategi dan tindakan yang dapat dilakukan untuk pencegahan, penanggulangan dalam rangka mengatasi COVID-19. Tujuan Pengabdian masyarakat yang dilakukan oleh Stikes Achmad Yani adalah ikut berperan serta dalam pencegahan dan penanggulangan COVID-19 di wilayah Kota Cimahi dan Kota Bandung. Metode yang digunakan adalah partisipatori dalam berbagai aktifias pencegahan dan penanggulangan COVID-19. Kegiatan Pengabdian Masyarakat yang dilakukan selama pandemic COVID-19 diantaranya adalah demontrasi pembuatan handsanitizer, penyemprotan disinfektan, mengirimkan tim relawan pemeriksaan Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) antibodi Cluster Lembang dan relawan Check Point pada kegiatan Pembatasan Sosial Berskala Besar di Kota Bandung. Pemberian donasi kepada masyarakat terdampak pandemik COVID-19 dan donasi Alat Pelindung Diri (APD) ke fasilitas pelayanan kesehatan seperti Rumah Sakit dan Puskesmas. Pelaksanaan Rapid Test Diagnostic (RTD) antibodi dan RTD antigen bagi mahasiswa, dosen dan Karyawan. Stikes Achmad Yani juga berperan serta dalam gebyar Vaksin COVID-19 bagi tenaga kesehatan dan mengirimkan relawan sebagai vaksinator yang diselenggarakan oleh Rumah Sakit Hasan Sadikin berkerjasama dengan PPNI. Partisipasi Stikes Achmad Yani Cimahi dalam berbagai kegiatan yang terkait dengan COVID-19 diharapkan dapat memberikan kontribusi dalam rangka pencegahan penularan, pengendalian dan penanggulangan COVID-19. Kata Kunci: COVID-19, disinfeksi, relawan, Rapid Diagnostic Test  ABSTRACT The World Health Organization recognize the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak as a public health emergency of Internasional Concerns and declared it as a pandemic. The spread and transmission of Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) are very high and reported that over 117 million people have been sufferers worldwide. Several strategies and actions can be carried out to prevention, controlling and overcoming COVID-19. The purpose of community service carried out by Stikes Achmad Yani is to participate in the prevention and control of COVID-19 in Cimahi and Bandung district. The methode used in community services are participatory methods in several activities for prevention and control of COVID-19. Community Service activities carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic included demonstrations of making hand sanitizers, spraying disinfectants, sending a team of volunteers to examine the Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) antibody for the Lembang Cluster, and volunteer Check Points at Large-Scale Social Restrictions activities in Bandung. Providing donations to people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and donations of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to health service facilities such as hospitals and health centers. Implementation of Rapid Diagnostic Test (RTD) antibody and RDT antigen for students, lecturers, and staff. Stikes Achmad Yani also participated in the COVID-19 Vaccine for health workers and sent volunteers as vaccinators organized by Hasan Sadikin Hospital in collaboration with PPNI. The participation of Stikes Achmad Yani Cimahi in various activities to contribute prevention of disease transmission and controlling COVID-19. Kata Kunci: COVID-19, disinfection, volunteer, Rapid Diagnostic Test

scholarly journals Rehabilitation Care at the Time of Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) Pandemic: A Scoping Review of Health System Recommendations

2022 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed M. Negm ◽  
Adrian Salopek ◽  
Mashal Zaide ◽  
Victoria J. Meng ◽  
Carlos Prada ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Scoping Review ◽  
Full Text ◽  
Data Extraction ◽  
Health Care Systems ◽  
Social Systems ◽  
World Health ◽  
Rehabilitation Services ◽  
Rehabilitation Care ◽  
The World ◽  
Health Organization

Purpose: The coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020. COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2 has imposed a significant burden on health care systems, economies, and social systems in many countries around the world. The provision of rehabilitation services for persons with active COVID-19 infection poses challenges to maintaining a safe environment for patients and treating providers.Materials and Methods: Established frameworks were used to guide the scoping review methodology. Medline, Embase, Pubmed, CINAHL databases from inception to August 1, 2020, and prominent rehabilitation organizations’ websites were searched.Study Selection: We included articles and reports if they were focused on rehabilitation related recommendations for COVID-19 patients, treating providers, or the general population.Data Extraction: Pairs of team members used a pre-tested data abstraction form to extract data from included full-text articles. The strength and the quality of the extracted recommendations were evaluated by two reviewers using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach.Results: We retrieved 6,468 citations, of which 2,086 were eligible for review, after duplicates were removed. We excluded 1,980 citations based on title and abstract screening. Of the screened full-text articles, we included all 106 studies. A summary of recommendations is presented. We assessed the overall evidence to be strong and of fair quality.Conclusion: The rehabilitation setting, and processes, logistics, and patient and healthcare provider precaution recommendations identified aim to reduce the spread of SARS-CoV-2 infection and ensure adequate and safe rehabilitation services, whether face-to-face or through teleservices. The COVID-19 pandemic is rapidly changing. Further updates will be needed over time in order to incorporate emerging best evidence into rehabilitation guidelines.

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