Articles

A comparative analysis of socioeconomic inequities in stunting: a case of three middle-income African countries

Despite increased economic growth and development, and existence of various policies and interventions aimed at improving food security and nutrition, majority of countries in sub-Saharan Africa have very high...

Authors: Coretta M. P. Jonah, Winnie C. Sambu and Julian D. May

Exploring the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of health care professionals on viral hepatitis notification in Gauteng, South Africa, 2015

Data on viral hepatitis in South Africa is scarce. Although viral hepatitis A, B and C are notifiable conditions in South Africa, discrepancies have been noted in the number of viral hepatitis cases notified b...

Authors: Eva D. Mathatha, Jack M. Manamela, Alfred Musekiwa and Nishi Prabdial-Sing

Implementation of human biomonitoring in the Dehcho region of the Northwest Territories, Canada (2016–2017)

Human biomonitoring represents an important tool for health risk assessment, supporting the characterization of contaminant exposure and nutrient status. In communities where country foods (locally harvested f...

Authors: Mylène Ratelle, Kelly Skinner, Matthew J. Laird, Shannon Majowicz, Danielle Brandow, Sara Packull-McCormick, Michèle Bouchard, Denis Dieme, Ken D. Stark, Juan Jose Aristizabal Henao, Rhona Hanning and Brian D. Laird

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices about homelessness and willingness-to-pay for housing-first across 8 European countries: a survey protocol

Most European countries report rising numbers of people experiencing homelessness. For those with mental disorders, interventions are centered on achieving mental health and drug rehabilitation alongside housi...

Authors: J. M. Petit, S. Loubiere, M. J. Vargas-Moniz, A. Tinland, F. Spinnewijn, R. M. Greenwood, M. Santinello, J. R. Wolf, A. Bokszczanin, R. Bernad, H. Kallmen, J. Ornelas and P. Auquier

Barriers and enablers in the use of respite interventions by caregivers of people with dementia: an integrative review

Due to the increase in the number of people with dementia, relatives often provide in-home care. This care constitutes a cornerstone of the healthcare system, and maintaining these caregivers’ well-being is th...

Authors: Marie-Conception Leocadie, Marie-Hélène Roy and Monique Rothan-Tondeur

Prevalence and factors associated with incomplete immunization of children (12–23 months) in Kwabre East District, Ashanti Region, Ghana

Childhood immunization is one of the most cost effective health interventions but its rate has been declining recently in Ghana. Information on immunization coverage and determinants is needed to improve immun...

Authors: Anthony Wemakor, Gideon Kofi Helegbe, Alhassan Abdul-Mumin, Shadrack Amedoe, Jessica Adjoa Zoku and Ahimah Ivy Dufie

Assessment of knowledge and practices of healthcare workers towards infection prevention and associated factors in healthcare facilities of West Arsi District, Southeast Ethiopia: a facility-based cross-sectional study

The prevention of healthcare associated infections is central to the provision of safe, high quality healthcare. Infections acquired in healthcare facilities are a major public health concern, contributing to ...

Authors: Biniyam Sahiledengle Geberemariyam, Geroma Morka Donka and Berhanu Wordofa

Investigating self-reported health by occupational group after a 10-year lag: results from the total Belgian workforce

Belgium lacks a systematic overview of health differences by occupation. This is the first study to examine self-reported health among 27 occupational groups in Belgium with a lag time of 10 years.

Authors: Laura Van den Borre and Patrick Deboosere

Developing a workplace lactation promotion model in Indonesia using Delphi technique

Working mothers have a higher risk to terminate breastfeeding earlier than stay-at-home mothers. Researchers reported that support from the workplace by creating lactation facilities and develop supportive pro...

Authors: Ray Wagiu Basrowi, Sudigdo Sastroasmoro, Astrid W Sulistomo, Saptawati Bardosono, Aryono Hendarto, Dewi S Soemarko, Ali Sungkar, Levina Chandra Khoe and Yvan Vandenplas

Incorporating environmental variables as precursor background variables of the theory of planned behavior to predict quitting-related intentions: a comparative study between adult and young adult smokers

As previous studies suggest that the theory of planned behavior (TPB) is open to the inclusion of further predictors, identifying a number of additional background variables within the context of the TPB may h...

Authors: Chung Gun Lee, Susan E Middlestadt, Dong-Chul Seo, Hsien-Chang Lin, Jonathan T Macy and Seiyeong Park

Social and material determinants of health in participants in an active labor market program in Barcelona

Unemployment affects the physical and mental health of affected individuals, which can be explained by its direct effect on worsening finances due to the lack of income as well as by its negative psychosocial ...

Authors: Patricia González-Marín, Vanessa Puig-Barrachina, Imma Cortès-Franch, Xavier Bartoll, Lucía Artazcoz, Davide Malmusi, Eva Clotet, Ferran Daban, Elia Díez, Àfrica Cardona and Carme Borrell

Magnitude of prelacteal feeding practice and its association with place of birth in Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis, 2017

Prelacteal feeding is one of the commonest inappropriate child feeding practice which exposes to malnutrition, infection, and neonatal mortality. However, there is no systematic review and meta-analysis that e...

Authors: Wubet Worku Takele, Amare Tariku, Fasil Wagnew, Daniale Tekelia Ekubagewargies, Wondale Getinet, Lema Derseh and Degefaye Zelalem Anlay

A qualitative assessment of business perspectives and tactics of tobacco and vape shop retailers in three communities in Orange County, CA, 2015–2016

In response to the growing awareness and use of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), or e-cigarettes, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration asserted its regulatory authority over ENDS in May 2016. Fede...

Authors: Joshua S. Yang and Esther Lee

Associations between environmental quality and infant mortality in the United States, 2000–2005

The United States (U.S.) suffers from high infant mortality (IM) rates and there are significant racial/ethnic differences in these rates. Prior studies on the environment and infant mortality are generally li...

Authors: Achal P. Patel, Jyotsna S. Jagai, Lynne C. Messer, Christine L. Gray, Kristen M. Rappazzo, Stephanie A. Deflorio-Barker and Danelle T. Lobdell

Integrating human rights approaches into public health practices and policies to address health needs amongst Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh: a systematic review and meta-ethnographic analysis

The Rohingya people of Myanmar are one of the most persecuted communities in the world and are forced to flee their home to escape conflict and persecution. Bangladesh receives the majority of the Rohingya ref...

Authors: Nidhi Wali, Wen Chen, Lal B. Rawal, A. S. M. Amanullah and Andre M. N. Renzaho

Determinants of health- related quality of life (HRQoL) among deaf and hard of hearing adults in Greece: a cross-sectional study

Hearing loss is an important public health issue, since it has a very negative impact on peoples’ lives, irrespective of the age at which it develops. However, globally there is a noticeable lack of epidemiolo...

Authors: Dialechti Tsimpida, Daphne Kaitelidou and Petros Galanis

Reducing amount and frequency of meal as a major coping strategy for food insecurity

Food insecurity is a global problem affecting many people worldwide, including approximately 220 million people in sub-Saharan Africa. Ethiopia is among the countries severely affected by hunger. However, evid...

Authors: Adino Tesfahun Tsegaye, Amare Tariku, Abebaw Gebeyehu Worku, Solomon Mekonnen Abebe, Mezgebu Yitayal, Tadesse Awoke, Kassahun Alemu and Gashaw Andargie Biks

Evidence-based campaigning

When promoting public health measures, such as reducing smoking, there are many different approaches, for example providing information, imposing legal restrictions, taxing products, and changing cultures. By ...

Authors: Brian Martin

Predictors of mortality among under-five children with severe acute malnutrition, Northwest Ethiopia: an institution based retrospective cohort study

Globally, approximately 19 million children under 5 years are suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM). It is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in low-income countries including Ethiopia. However,...

Authors: Fasil Wagnew, Debrework Tesgera, Mengistu Mekonnen and Amanuel Alemu Abajobir

Impact of trayless dining intervention on food choices of university students

Students live outside of their family homes for the first time in college and are expected to make their own decisions regarding dietary choices. College food environment could be a major determinant of dietar...

Authors: Janani Rajbhandari-Thapa, Katherine Ingerson and Kristina H. Lewis

Association between self-reported hearing impairment and diabetes: a Brazilian population-based study

Some studies have already explored the relationship between diabetes and hearing loss; however, this relationship has still not been well established, especially due to methodological limitations related to la...

Authors: MO Soares, NSX Oenning, PK Ziegelmann and BNG Goulart

Gender disparity in epidemiological trend of HIV/AIDS infection and treatment in Ethiopia

The HIV/AIDS epidemic has been fuelled by gender inequality and disparity resulted in violation of women reproductive right. The “feminization” of the pandemic is more apparent in Sub-Saharan Africa where the ...

Authors: Tadele Girum, Abebaw Wasie, Kifle Lentiro, Ebrahim Muktar, Teha Shumbej, Mesfin Difer, Mulugeta Shegaze and Abdulsemed Worku

Civil servants' demand for social health insurance in Northwest Ethiopia

Absence of reliable health insurance schemes is a key challenge to meet the universal health coverage target of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Ethiopian health system is characterized by under finan...

Authors: Sahilu Yeshiwas, Mengistu Kiflie, Atinkut Alamirrew Zeleke and Mihiretu Kebede

Self-check with plaque disclosing solution improves oral hygiene in schoolchildren living in a children’s home

The effectiveness of an oral hygiene program for children living in a children’s home has been reported. However, to the best of our knowledge, no studies have evaluated the possible effects of self-checking o...

Authors: Yukiko Nagashima, Hideo Shigeishi, Eri Fukada, Hideaki Amano, Masahiro Urade and Masaru Sugiyama

Roadbook for the implementation of next-generation sequencing in clinical practice in oncology and hemato-oncology in Belgium

In the field of oncology research, next-generation sequencing has contributed significantly to the discovery of DNA mutations associated with diagnosis and prognosis. It also aids in the development of targete...

Authors: Els Van Valckenborgh, Aline Hébrant, Aline Antoniou, Wannes Van Hoof, Johan Van Bussel, Patrick Pauwels, Roberto Salgado, Waltruda Van Doren, Anouk Waeytens and Marc Van den Bulcke

Primary health care seeking behaviour of people with physical disabilities in Bangladesh: a cross-sectional study

People with disabilities constitute about 10% of the total population of Bangladesh. They are more likely to experience poor health than those without disabilities. However, there is a lack of evidence on thei...

Authors: Jhalok Ronjan Talukdar, Ilias Mahmud and Sabina Faiz Rashid

Fidelity monitoring in complex interventions: a case study of the WISE intervention

Researchers face many decisions in developing a measurement tool and protocol for monitoring fidelity to complex interventions. The current study uses data evaluating a nutrition education intervention, Togeth...

Authors: Taren Swindle, James P. Selig, Julie M. Rutledge, Leanne Whiteside-Mansell and Geoff Curran

Equitable health: let’s stick together as we address global discrimination, prejudice and stigma

Tackling discrimination permanently in healthcare is not insurmountable. It is achievable. Discrimination is costly in lives, in healthcare delivery and waste, in human capital, in financial resource and even ...

Authors: Julie Babyar

Mid-Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC) shows strong geographical variations in children with edema: results from 2277 surveys in 55 countries

Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) is defined by a mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) less than 115 mm or a weight-for-height z-score (WHZ) less than − 3 but also by the presence of bilateral pitting edema, also ...

Authors: Jose Luis Alvarez, Nicky Dent, L. Browne, Mark Myatt and André Briend

Haemolytic uremic syndrome surveillance in children less than 15 years in Belgium, 2009–2015

The Haemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS) is the most severe manifestation of infection with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC). In Belgium, the surveillance of paediatric HUS cases is conducted by a sentin...

Authors: S. Jacquinet, K. De Rauw, D. Pierard, N. Godefroid, L. Collard, K. Van Hoeck and M. Sabbe

European Core Health Indicators - status and perspectives

The European Core Health Indicators (ECHI) are a key source of comparable health information for the European Union (EU) and its Member States (MS). The ECHI shortlist contains 88 indicators which were develop...

Authors: Angela Fehr, Mariken J. Tijhuis, Sabrina Hense, Dominika Urbanski, Peter Achterberg and Thomas Ziese

Individual and household risk factors of severe acute malnutrition among under-five children in Mao, Chad: a matched case-control study

Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in Chad. The reasons behind persistently high prevalence of SAM in the Kanem region are still poorly understood, leaving ...

Authors: Jovana Dodos, Chiara Altare, Mahamat Bechir, Mark Myatt, Brigitte Pedro, Francois Bellet, Jean Lapegue, Joachim Peeters and Mathias Altmann

Health-related costs in a sample of premenopausal non-diabetic overweight or obese females in Antwerp region: a cost-of-illness analysis

People with overweight or obesity are at increased risk for disease later in life which cause important health costs.

Authors: W. Hens, D. Vissers, L. Annemans, J. Gielen, L. Van Gaal, J. Taeymans and N. Verhaeghe

Utility of passive malaria surveillance in hospitals as a surrogate to community infection transmission dynamics in western Kenya

Malaria continued to be the major public health concern in sub-Sahara Africa, thus for better planning of control activities, periodic surveillance of both clinical and asymptomatic cases remains important. Ho...

Authors: Anthony Kapesa, Eliningaya J. Kweka, Guofa Zhou, Harrysone Etemesi Atieli, Erasmus Kamugisha, Humphrey D. Mazigo, Sospatro E. Ngallaba, Andrew K. Githeko and Guiyun Yan

Lessons learned of emerging Chikungunya virus in two populations of social vulnerability of the Colombian tropics: epidemiological analysis

Notwithstanding the strong epidemiological impact of the Chikungunya in the Colombian Caribbean, in 2014, not the entire population were affected in the same way. This study describe the demographic, socio-eco...

Authors: Misael Oviedo-Pastrana, Nelson Méndez, Salim Mattar, Germán Arrieta and Luty Gomezcaceres

Socio – economic determinants of abortion among women in Mozambique and Ghana: evidence from demographic and health survey

Despite the variances in abortion laws accounting for differences in incidence of abortion among African countries, it appears there is absence of literature on other factors that may also account for the diff...

Authors: Kwamena Sekyi Dickson, Kenneth Setorwu Adde and Bright Opoku Ahinkorah

Factors affecting long acting and permanent contraceptive methods utilization among HIV positive married women attending care at ART clinics in Northwest Ethiopia

Globally, unintended pregnancy has been very high accounting for 27% of maternal deaths. Different studies noted that nearly half of HIV positive women who gave unintended birth were using contraceptive method...

Authors: Abebaw Addis Gelagay, Digsu Negese Koye and Hedija Yenus Yeshita

Children who are both wasted and stunted are also underweight and have a high risk of death: a descriptive epidemiology of multiple anthropometric deficits using data from 51 countries

Wasting and stunting are common. They are implicated in the deaths of almost two million children each year and account for over 12% of disability-adjusted life years lost in young children. Wasting and stunti...

Authors: Mark Myatt, Tanya Khara, Simon Schoenbuchner, Silke Pietzsch, Carmel Dolan, Natasha Lelijveld and André Briend

Impact of alcohol disorder and the use of illicit drugs on tuberculosis treatment outcomes: a retrospective cohort study

Alcohol and illicit drugs are associated with the discontinuation of tuberculosis (TB) treatment and can compromise the immune system. We estimated the impact of alcohol disorder and the use of illicit drug on...

Authors: Daniele M. Pelissari and Fredi A. Diaz-Quijano

Do adolescents understand the items of the European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire (HLS-EU-Q47) – German version? Findings from cognitive interviews of the project “Measurement of Health Literacy Among Adolescents” (MOHLAA) in Germany

In Germany, there are no measurement tools to assess the general health literacy of adolescents. The aim of the study “Measurement of Health Literacy Among Adolescents” (MOHLAA) is to develop such a tool for u...

Authors: Olga Maria Domanska, Christiane Firnges, Torsten Michael Bollweg, Kristine Sørensen, Christine Holmberg and Susanne Jordan

Patterns and epidemiology of acute poisoning in Ethiopia: systematic review of observational studies

Acute poisoning is a common reason for emergency department visit and hospitalization worldwide with major morbidity and mortality. The burden of poisoning exposures in Africa is a significant public health co...

Authors: Legese Chelkeba, Abera Mulatu, Dessalegn Feyissa, Firomsa Bekele and Behailu Terefe Tesfaye

Correction to: Mid-upper-arm circumference based case-detection, admission, and discharging of under five children in a large-scale community-based management of acute malnutrition program in Nigeria

The author requests to correct errors in the original article [1]. Area where it needs amendment are as follows.

Authors: Stanley Chitekwe, Sibhatu Biadgilign, Assaye Tolla and Mark Myatt

European health examination surveys – a tool for collecting objective information about the health of the population

Representative and reliable data on health and health determinants of the population and population sub-groups are needed for evidence-informed policy making; planning and evaluation of prevention programmes; ...

Authors: Hanna Tolonen, Päivikki Koponen, Ala’a Al-kerwi, Nada Capkova, Simona Giampaoli, Jennifer Mindell, Laura Paalanen, Maria Ruiz-Castell, Antonia Trichopoulou and Kari Kuulasmaa

Small steps towards an EU health information system

Authors: Hans van Oers and Herman van Oyen

Headline indicators for monitoring the performance of health systems: findings from the european Health Systems_Indicator (euHS_I) survey

Cross-country comparisons of health system performance have become increasingly important. Clear evidence is needed on the prioritization of health system performance assessment (HSPA) indicators. Selected “le...

Authors: Nataša Perić, Maria M. Hofmarcher and Judit Simon

Cardiovascular diseases monitoring: lessons from population-based registries to address future opportunities and challenges in Europe

Population-based registries implement the comprehensive collection of all disease events that occur in a well-characterized population within a certain time period and represent the preferred tools for disease...

Authors: Luigi Palmieri, Giovanni Veronesi, Giovanni Corrao, Giuseppe Traversa, Marco M. Ferrario, Giovanni Nicoletti, Anna Di Lonardo, Chiara Donfrancesco, Flavia Carle and Simona Giampaoli

The use of the global activity limitation Indicator and healthy life years by member states and the European Commission

In 2005, the European Union (EU) started to use a disability-free life expectancy, known as Healthy Life Years (HLY), to monitor progress in the strategic European policies such as the 2000 Lisbon strategy. HL...

Authors: Petronille Bogaert, Herman Van Oyen, Isabelle Beluche, Emmanuelle Cambois and Jean-Marie Robine

Environmental health surveillance in a future European health information system

To date Health information (HI) in the European Union does not comprise indicators or other information related to impacts of hazardous chemicals in consumer products, food, drinking water or air on the health...

Authors: Anke Joas, Miriam Schöpel, Madlen David, Maribel Casas, Gudrun Koppen, Marta Esteban, Lisbeth E. Knudsen, Martine Vrijheid, Greet Schoeters, Argelia Castaño Calvo, Gerda Schwedler, Marike Kolossa-Gehring and Reinhard Joas

Sensitivity and specificity of point-of-care circulating Cathodic antigen test before and after praziquantel treatment in diagnosing Schistosoma mansoni infection in adult population co-infected with human immunodeficiency virus-1, North-Western Tanzania

The effect of Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 (HIV-1) on CD4⁺ Th₂ cells is hypothesized to affect parasitological diagnosis of Schistosoma mansoni using Kato Katz technique. Thus, the use of more sensitive techniq...

Authors: Humphrey D. Mazigo, Stella Kepha and Safari M. Kinung’hi

Use of health promotion manga to encourage physical activity and healthy eating in Japanese patients with metabolic syndrome: a case study

The present case study investigated the feasibility of using manga (Japanese-style comic books) to promote physical activity and healthy eating behavior in Japanese patients with metabolic syndrome.

Authors: Takashi Shimazaki, Munehiro Matsushita, Misa Iio and Koji Takenaka