Thierry Perreault-Carranza, Vivian Ni, Jonathan Savoie, Jacob Saucier, Joey Frenette, Jalila Jbilou
{"title":"Core Competencies of the Public Health Workforce in Climate Change and Extreme Weather Events Preparedness, Response, and Recovery: A Scoping Review","authors":"Thierry Perreault-Carranza, Vivian Ni, Jonathan Savoie, Jacob Saucier, Joey Frenette, Jalila Jbilou","doi":"10.3390/ijerph21091233","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21091233","url":null,"abstract":"Climate change poses a significant threat to public health and safety, necessitating an urgent, coordinated response. Public health officials must be well-trained to effectively prepare for, respond to, and recover from extreme weather events. Despite emerging frameworks, a gap remains in their systematic application, risking future unpreparedness. This review aimed to identify the necessary competencies for public health professionals to manage climate change and the best methods to teach these skills. An academic librarian helped develop a keyword chain for a PubMed search, which included original articles and reviews concerning our research questions published in English or French between 1 January 2013 and 31 January 2024. Out of 255 potential articles, 31 were included in this scoping review. The results aligned with our objectives, revealing three main themes: core competencies, training and pedagogy strategies, and assessment approaches for public health professionals’ preparedness, responses, and recovery in the context of climate change and extreme weather events. This scoping review enabled us to provide a set of clear recommendations for future research and practice in training the public health workforce for managing extreme weather events and climate change.","PeriodicalId":14044,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health","volume":"118 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142261908","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Flavia Rabello, Mariana Laís Silva Celestino, Natália Cristina Ruy Carneiro, Jennifer Reis-Oliveira, Heloísa Vieira Prado, Mauro Henrique Nogueira Guimarães de Abreu, Ana Cristina Borges-Oliveira
{"title":"Oral Problems in Brazilian Individuals with Rare Genetic Diseases That Affect Skeletal Development","authors":"Flavia Rabello, Mariana Laís Silva Celestino, Natália Cristina Ruy Carneiro, Jennifer Reis-Oliveira, Heloísa Vieira Prado, Mauro Henrique Nogueira Guimarães de Abreu, Ana Cristina Borges-Oliveira","doi":"10.3390/ijerph21091227","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21091227","url":null,"abstract":"The present study aimed to compare the prevalence of oral problems between individuals with rare genetic diseases that affect skeletal development and individuals without rare diseases. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 210 individuals between two and fifty-four years of age: 105 with rare genetic diseases (27 with mucopolysaccharidosis [MPS] and 78 with osteogenesis imperfecta [OI]) and 105 without rare diseases. The rare genetic disease group was recruited from hospital units that provide care for patients with MPS and OI in five states of Brazil, and the other group was recruited from the same location. The participants were examined with regards to malocclusion, dental anomalies, dental caries, and gingivitis. A questionnaire was administered addressing individual, sociodemographic, and behavioral characteristics as well as dental history. A descriptive analysis was performed, followed by unadjusted and adjusted binary logistic regression analyses. The mean age was 14.1 ± 12.2 years. Individuals with a rare disease were 12.9-fold more likely to have some type of oral problem (95% CI: 3.7–44.7) compared to the group without rare diseases. The prevalence of oral problems was higher among Brazilians with MPS and OI compared to normotypical individuals.","PeriodicalId":14044,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health","volume":"44 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142262062","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Michelle D. Hand, Mo Yee Lee, Michelle L. Kaiser, Cecilia Mengo, Holly Dabelko-Schoeny
{"title":"Sexual Violence against Adults Aged 50 Years and Older and Implications for Prevention: A Thematic Analysis of Service Providers’ Perceptions","authors":"Michelle D. Hand, Mo Yee Lee, Michelle L. Kaiser, Cecilia Mengo, Holly Dabelko-Schoeny","doi":"10.3390/ijerph21091220","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21091220","url":null,"abstract":"At-risk older adults and older survivors of sexual violence (SV) remain largely absent from SV prevention and intervention, owing to ageism and sexism, as well as other intersectional forms of prejudice, including among service providers (e.g., social workers, healthcare professionals, practitioners in SV organizations, and practitioners who serve older adults). This study explored perceptions, knowledge and experiences with SV against adults 50 years and older. Service providers who work with older adults and/or survivors were recruited, owing to where SV in later life is reported (e.g., healthcare, long-term care, and social service organizations, and to police in addition to SV service organizations), to contribute to the limited research in this area and to advance prevention and intervention. A survey was conducted on SV in later life, exploring knowledge, perceptions and experiences with SV in later life along with potential solutions for prevention and intervention among 126 service providers who worked with survivors and/or older adults. Their responses were thematically analyzed. Five themes were identified: (a) misconceptions of SV in later life and unique barriers to preventing it; (b) needs for knowledge, awareness, research and education; (c) policy and resource development; (d) victim blame and internalized stigma, and (e) ageism, intersectional prejudice and rape culture. The findings offer an in-depth understanding of barriers to prevention, and intervention, and multi-level recommendations for addressing them, which are provided by a diverse group of service providers who have worked with older adults and/or with survivors, reflecting multidisciplinary practice wisdom and experience.","PeriodicalId":14044,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health","volume":"21 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142261906","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ahmad Motawi, Andrea Crafa, Taha Hamoda, Rupin Shah, Ashok Agarwal
{"title":"The Andrological Landscape in the Twenty-First Century: Making Sense of the Advances in Male Infertility Management for the Busy Clinicians","authors":"Ahmad Motawi, Andrea Crafa, Taha Hamoda, Rupin Shah, Ashok Agarwal","doi":"10.3390/ijerph21091222","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21091222","url":null,"abstract":"Male infertility represents a significant global problem due to its essential health, social, and economic implications. It is unsurprising that scientific research is very active in this area and that advances in the diagnostic and therapeutic fields are notable. This review presents the main diagnostic advances in male infertility, starting from the changes made in the latest WHO Manual of semen analysis and discussing the more molecular aspects inherent to “omics”. Furthermore, the usefulness of artificial intelligence in male infertility diagnostics and the latest advances in varicocele diagnosis will be discussed. In particular, the diagnostic path of male infertility is increasingly moving towards a personalized approach to the search for the specific biomarkers of infertility and the prediction of treatment response. The treatment of male infertility remains empirical in many regards, but despite that, advances have been made to help formulate evidence-based recommendations. Varicocele, the most common correctable cause of male infertility, has been explored for expanded indications for repair. The following expanded indications were discussed: elevated sperm DNA fragmentation, hypogonadism, orchalgia, and the role of varicocele repair in non-obstructive azoospermia. Moving forward with the available data, we discussed the stepwise approach to surgical sperm retrieval techniques and the current measures that have been investigated for optimizing such patients before testicular sperm extraction. Finally, the key points and expert recommendations regarding the best practice for diagnosing and treating men with infertility were summarized to conclude this review.","PeriodicalId":14044,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health","volume":"27 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142261911","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Kingsley Kalu, Gulzar H. Shah, Elizabeth Ayangunna, Bushra Shah, Nandi Marshall
{"title":"The Role of Social Determinants of Health in Self-Reported Psychological Distress among United States Adults Post-COVID-19 Pandemic","authors":"Kingsley Kalu, Gulzar H. Shah, Elizabeth Ayangunna, Bushra Shah, Nandi Marshall","doi":"10.3390/ijerph21091219","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21091219","url":null,"abstract":"Psychological distress, an emotional condition with symptoms of anxiety and depression, leads to impaired function, behavior, and personal traits. The current study examined the association between social determinants of health and the severity of psychological distress among adults in the United States after the COVID-19 pandemic. Using multinomial multivariable logistic regression, we analyzed data from 5106 (n = 5106) participants in the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) 6. Compared to non-Hispanic Whites, African Americans (AOR = 0.62, CI = 0.42–0.93) had lower odds of reporting mild psychological distress rather than no stress. Other variables associated with a higher likelihood of reporting moderate to severe psychological distress, rather than no distress, are being in the 50–64 years age group (AOR = 2.77, CI = 1.45–5.28), divorced (AOR = 2.50, CI = 1.70–3.69), and widowed (AOR = 3.78, CI = 2.15–6.64). Respondents living in an urban area had lower odds of reporting moderate to severe psychological distress (AOR = 0.56, CI = 0.39–0.80) compared to those living in rural areas. Our findings identify several risk factors for psychological distress by sociodemographic characteristics such as age, race, marital status, and urban living, providing empirical evidence for interventions in behavioral health. These findings suggest there is an utmost need for a multi-sectoral approach to address the social determinants of health associated with psychological distress post-COVID-19 pandemic.","PeriodicalId":14044,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health","volume":"18 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142261902","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Rasaki Kolawole Fagbenro, Riza Yosia Sunindijo, Chethana Illankoon, Samuel Frimpong
{"title":"Importance of Prefabrication to Easing Construction Workers’ Experience of Mental Health Stressors","authors":"Rasaki Kolawole Fagbenro, Riza Yosia Sunindijo, Chethana Illankoon, Samuel Frimpong","doi":"10.3390/ijerph21091218","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21091218","url":null,"abstract":"Construction is widely acknowledged for its socioeconomic contributions, although it is also always considered as a dangerous and incident-prone industry. As a new method of working, prefabrication presents better work environments and other benefits that can potentially improve the safety and mental health of construction workers. This study compares the extent of stressors in traditional and prefabricated construction. Eighty-four construction site and factory-based workers in Australia were surveyed. Prefabricated construction respondents reported less experience of industry-related, management/organisational, and personal stressors. Specifically, the stressors found to be weakened by prefabrication were mental fatigue, work injuries, poor working conditions, unfavourable shift rosters, work overload, and poor work–life balance. Furthermore, the degree of the experience of potential mental health improvement factors such as labour effort efficiency, reduced on-site trade overlap, increased mechanised construction, and less dependence on weather conditions, among others, was significantly higher in prefabrication than in traditional construction. The influence of prefabrication on measures of poor and positive mental health is recommended for further studies, particularly by finding its links with the different groups of construction workers.","PeriodicalId":14044,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health","volume":"116 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142262069","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A Multi-Mediation Analysis of the Association between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury among South African Adolescents","authors":"Steven J. Collings, Sachet R. Valjee","doi":"10.3390/ijerph21091221","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21091221","url":null,"abstract":"The available research findings suggest that non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) constitutes an important public health issue, with identified risk factors for NSSI having been found to include exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and comorbidity with various mental disorders. However, the available findings have, for the most part, been based on the experiences of individuals living in predominantly high-income countries located in the Global North, and it is not clear whether these findings can be confidently generalised to individuals living in low-resourced countries. As such, this cross-sectional study assessed risk factors for NSSI in a non-clinical sample of 636 South African adolescents (12–18 years old), with the data being analysed using a multi-mediation analysis. ACEs were assessed using a revised version of the ACEs Questionnaire, and NSSI was assessed using items adapted from the Self-Harm subscale of the Risk-Taking and Self-Harm Inventory for Adolescents, with emotion dysregulation, depression, and PTSD being considered as possible mediators. High prevalence rates for NSSI and exposure to five or more ACEs were reported by the participants, with the mediation analysis indicating that significant direct effects of adverse childhood experiences on NSSI were partially mediated by emotion dysregulation. These findings are discussed with respect to their implications for primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention.","PeriodicalId":14044,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health","volume":"2 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142261903","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Raquel Raimundo, Sofia Oliveira, Magda Sofia Roberto, Alexandra Marques-Pinto
{"title":"Effects of a Social–Emotional Learning Intervention on Social–Emotional Competencies and Behavioral Problems in Elementary Students Amid COVID-19","authors":"Raquel Raimundo, Sofia Oliveira, Magda Sofia Roberto, Alexandra Marques-Pinto","doi":"10.3390/ijerph21091223","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21091223","url":null,"abstract":"This study investigated whether a social–emotional learning program, implemented over a one-year period, could lead to gains in social–emotional competencies and to a reduction in internalizing and externalizing problems in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the program analyzed how students (boys vs. girls) with varying levels of social–emotional competencies and externalizing and internalizing problems, and from different socioeconomic backgrounds, were differently affected. The program was applied to 358 Portuguese third- and fourth-grade students (51.4% boys, Mage = 8.56; SD = 0.82). Self-report (students) and hetero-report (teachers) questionnaires were administered before and after the intervention. Linear mixed-effects models were computed to test intervention impacts. Significant intervention gains were noted in social–emotional learning competencies, namely emotional knowledge, social competence, peer relations, self-management, and academic behavior, and in externalizing (social problems) and internalizing (anxiety) problems. No effects were found in aggressiveness. Students with lower social–emotional competencies and higher externalizing and internalizing problems at baseline profited more from the program. Gender moderated both emotional knowledge and social problems, and socioeconomic status only moderated social problems. Findings highlight the effectiveness of this social–emotional learning program, especially for students facing initial challenges. Recommendations for future research, acknowledging limitations and strengths, are discussed.","PeriodicalId":14044,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health","volume":"45 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142261904","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Karin Hannes, Pieter Thyssen, Theresa Bengough, Shoba Dawson, Kristel Paque, Sarah Talboom, Krizia Tuand, Thomas Vandendriessche, Wessel van de Veerdonk, Daniëlle Wopereis, Anne-Mieke Vandamme
{"title":"Inclusive Crisis Communication in a Pandemic Context: A Rapid Review","authors":"Karin Hannes, Pieter Thyssen, Theresa Bengough, Shoba Dawson, Kristel Paque, Sarah Talboom, Krizia Tuand, Thomas Vandendriessche, Wessel van de Veerdonk, Daniëlle Wopereis, Anne-Mieke Vandamme","doi":"10.3390/ijerph21091216","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21091216","url":null,"abstract":"Background: Crisis communication might not reach non-native speakers or persons with low literacy levels, a low socio-economic status, and/or an auditory or visual impairments as easily as it would reach other citizens. The aim of this rapid review was to synthesize the evidence on strategies used to improve inclusive pandemic-related crisis communication in terms of form, channel, and outreach. Methods: After a comprehensive search and a rigorous screening and quality assessment exercise, twelve comparative studies were selected for inclusion in this review. Data were analyzed and represented by means of a structured reporting of available effects using narrative tables. Results: The findings indicate that a higher message frequency (on any channel) may lead to a lower recall rate, audio–visual productions and tailored messages prove to be valuable under certain conditions, and primary healthcare practitioners appear to be the most trusted source of information for most groups of citizens. Trust levels were higher for citizens who were notified in advance of potential exceptions to the rule in the effect of preventive and curative measures promoted. Conclusions: This review contributes to combatting information inequality by providing evidence on how to remove the sensorial, linguistic, cultural, and textual barriers experienced by minorities and other underserved target audiences in COVID-19-related governmental crisis communication in response to the societal, health-related costs of ineffective communication outreach.","PeriodicalId":14044,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health","volume":"30 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142261915","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Julia Jansen-van Vuuren, Hibo Rijal, Nicole Bobbette, Rosemary Lysaght, Terry Krupa, Daniella Aguilar
{"title":"Exploring the Connection between Social Housing and Employment: A Scoping Review","authors":"Julia Jansen-van Vuuren, Hibo Rijal, Nicole Bobbette, Rosemary Lysaght, Terry Krupa, Daniella Aguilar","doi":"10.3390/ijerph21091217","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21091217","url":null,"abstract":"Adequate housing is a social determinant of health and well-being, providing stability from which people can engage in important life activities, including self-care and productivity. Social housing is a system-level intervention that aims to provide affordable housing to people vulnerable to experiencing social and economic marginalisation. Given the importance of employment to social-economic status and overall health and well-being, we sought to better understand the available knowledge and research related to employment and living in a social housing environment. We used scoping review methodology to explore peer-reviewed research published between 2012–2022 regarding social housing and employment, identifying 29 relevant articles. Using the Psychology of Working Theory and neighbourhood effects as interpretive theoretical frameworks, we analysed the extracted data. Overall, the results affirmed that social housing residents have low employment rates conceptualised as related to the complex interplay of a range of personal and environmental factors. Most published literature was quantitative and originated from the United States. Policy and research implications are discussed, including the need for more multifaceted, person-centred interventions that support employment and ultimately promote health and quality of life for social housing residents.","PeriodicalId":14044,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health","volume":"15 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142261910","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"综合性期刊","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}