Dialogues in healthPub Date : 2026-06-01Epub Date: 2025-12-23DOI: 10.1016/j.dialog.2025.100271
Yi Xiao , Wei Wang , Xiping Hu
{"title":"An emerging theoretical lens post global epidemic and turmoil: Psychological immunity","authors":"Yi Xiao , Wei Wang , Xiping Hu","doi":"10.1016/j.dialog.2025.100271","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dialog.2025.100271","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The concept of psychological immunity is not a new idea. In response to the escalating conflicts and chaos that characterizes this era, we conducted this study and reviewed psychological immunity theory from the perspective of psychiatry, psychology, and philosophy. We found that growing evidence has demonstrated the connection between biological and psychological immunity process. This indicates an integrated immunity system that has developed over time for survival in both physical and metaphysical sense. The process-oriented conceptualization of psychological immunity is presented, as well as its intra- and inter-mechanism. We also discussed research, practice, and policy potentials of this field and advocated for its protective application at individual and societal level. Limitations and future research were addressed accordingly.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72803,"journal":{"name":"Dialogues in health","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100271"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145926209","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Dialogues in healthPub Date : 2026-06-01Epub Date: 2026-05-23DOI: 10.1016/j.dialog.2026.100312
Frida E. Sparaciari , Karen Saylors , Malen Chan , Sofia Perez , Cadhla Firth , Paul F. Horwood , Erik A. Karlsson
{"title":"Operationalizing metagenomic data from environmental surveillance for one health decision-making in live animal markets: Findings from a multisectoral workshop in Cambodia","authors":"Frida E. Sparaciari , Karen Saylors , Malen Chan , Sofia Perez , Cadhla Firth , Paul F. Horwood , Erik A. Karlsson","doi":"10.1016/j.dialog.2026.100312","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dialog.2026.100312","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Live animal markets (LAMs) are recognized as hotspots for zoonotic disease emergence. Environmental surveillance (ES), particularly when paired with metagenomic sequencing, offers an advanced and actionable approach to pathogen detection in high-risk settings. However, the complexity of metagenomic data and the lack of user-friendly communication tools hinder its integration into routine public health decision-making.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We conducted an exploratory qualitative participatory workshop study with descriptive analysis. A three-day multisectoral workshop was held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in May 2024, bringing together stakeholders from health, agriculture, and environment sectors to explore how metagenomic ES data can be visualized, understood, and applied. Through simulation exercises, surveys, and interviews, the workshop evaluated user preferences for data formats, thresholds for action, and decision-making strategies.</div></div><div><h3>Findings</h3><div>In total, 52 participants attended the workshop and ten completed semi-structured interviews. Participants discussed their preferred familiar visualizations (bar, pie, and line charts) and intuitive color-coded thresholds (e.g., traffic-light schemes). While digital dashboards were welcomed, analog, printer-friendly formats remained essential due to infrastructure constraints. Key barriers to ES integration included limited bioinformatics capacity, lack of inter-ministerial coordination, and minimal ES prioritization at the provincial level.</div></div><div><h3>Interpretation</h3><div>Metagenomic ES data can inform public health actions when visualization tools are tailored to end-user needs and embedded in multisectoral governance. This exploratory participatory workshop generated preliminary stakeholder-informed insights and an initial draft roadmap for future implementation planning in Cambodia. Further expert-led and funded work is needed to validate visualization tools, pathogen-specific thresholds, escalation pathways, and operational use under real-world surveillance conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72803,"journal":{"name":"Dialogues in health","volume":"8 ","pages":"Article 100312"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148177865","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Preserving the tribal identity: A policy imperative for indigenous well-being and conservation of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve in South India","authors":"Geetha Veliah , Padma Venkatasubramanian , Irene Sambath","doi":"10.1016/j.dialog.2025.100234","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dialog.2025.100234","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Purpose</h3><div>This short communication explores how identity erosion among Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) in the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu, India, impacts their wellness and ecological stewardship. It aims to highlight culturally specific disruptions across generations and recommend policy responses that are identity-affirming and context-sensitive.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This exploratory qualitative study used an epistemological approach to understand tribal perceptions through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with elders and youth from select members of the PVTGs in the Nilgiris. A semi-structured interview guide covering six wellness domains was developed through deductive and inductive methods. Data were collected over four months, transcribed, translated, and thematically analyzed using manual coding. Institutional ethical clearance was obtained, and informed consent was secured from all participants and community leaders.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The study found that well-intentioned mainstream developmental interventions, such as non-contextual education and biomedical health models, have disrupted cultural transmission, resulting in identity erosion and loss of sacred landscapes. Many participants expressed concern over mental health issues, substance use, climate vulnerability, and inadequate community representation in governance. Mobile technologies and media consumption have contributed to cultural disorientation among tribal youth.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Preserving tribal identity is essential to ensuring community wellness and conserving the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. Policy efforts must shift from generalized welfare to culturally grounded, participatory frameworks that integrate traditional knowledge systems and support Indigenous autonomy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72803,"journal":{"name":"Dialogues in health","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100234"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144908283","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Dialogues in healthPub Date : 2025-12-01Epub Date: 2025-10-10DOI: 10.1016/j.dialog.2025.100250
George Agana Akuriba , Dadson Awunyo-Vitor , Camillus Abawiera Wongnaa , Richard Owusu-Afriyie , Margaret Aba Sam Hagan , Benjamin Sarfo
{"title":"Perceived risk factors and their influence on compliance with meat safety guidelines among butchers and fresh meat retailers in Ghana","authors":"George Agana Akuriba , Dadson Awunyo-Vitor , Camillus Abawiera Wongnaa , Richard Owusu-Afriyie , Margaret Aba Sam Hagan , Benjamin Sarfo","doi":"10.1016/j.dialog.2025.100250","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dialog.2025.100250","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Meat safety is critical for safeguarding public health, as contaminated meat poses serious risks, and compliance with safety guidelines largely depends on meat handlers' risk perceptions. This study assessed how butchers and fresh meat retailers in Ghana perceive risk factors contributing to unsafe meat production and examines the extent to which these perceptions influence their compliance with meat safety guidelines. The study used primary data obtained from 87 butchers and 299 fresh meat retailers. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including means, standard deviations, and F-statistics, as well as Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings on the perceived risk factors reveals a positive risk perception index of 0.88 and 0.86 for butchers and retailers respectively. This indicates a high level of awareness or concern about risks. The most highly perceived risk factors were institutional risks (1.30), financial risks (1.29), and microbiological/chemical risks (1.27). The PLS-SEM results revealed that butchers' compliance with safety guidelines was positively influenced by perceived environmental risk (β = 0.192, <em>P</em> = 0.10), and perceived financial risk (β = 0.257, <em>P</em> = 0.05) and negatively influenced by perceived market risk (β = −0.202, <em>P</em> = 0.066) while retailers' compliance was positively influenced by perceived microbiological risk (β = 0.351, <em>P</em> = 0.03), and perceived market risk (β = 0.117, <em>P</em> = 0.07). The study concludes that while butchers and fresh meat retailers in Ghana demonstrate generally high risk perceptions, their compliance with meat safety guidelines is shaped by different risk factors. The study recommends a collaborative monitoring and enforcement framework in which butchers and fresh meat retailers work closely with regulatory bodies to translate high institutional risk perceptions into compliance. This can be achieved through quarterly stakeholder meetings, streamlined licensing, and on-the-ground support, which together enhance practical adherence while minimizing bureaucratic challenges.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72803,"journal":{"name":"Dialogues in health","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100250"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145324683","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Dialogues in healthPub Date : 2025-12-01Epub Date: 2025-10-01DOI: 10.1016/j.dialog.2025.100245
Chowdhury Abdullah Al Asif , Md. Abul Kalam , Nayla Ferdousi Haque , Sabrina Karim , Lima Rahman , Muhammad Imran , Paul Bouey , Rounak Khan , Mohammad Rifat Haider
{"title":"Role of comprehensive HIV knowledge as a mediator between receiving HIV information during antenatal care visits and positive attitudes toward people living with HIV among reproductive-age women in Bangladesh","authors":"Chowdhury Abdullah Al Asif , Md. Abul Kalam , Nayla Ferdousi Haque , Sabrina Karim , Lima Rahman , Muhammad Imran , Paul Bouey , Rounak Khan , Mohammad Rifat Haider","doi":"10.1016/j.dialog.2025.100245","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dialog.2025.100245","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>Comprehensive knowledge of HIV transmission and positive attitudes toward people with HIV (PWH) are key to HIV prevention and care. This study assessed the potential mediational role of comprehensive HIV knowledge between receiving HIV information during antenatal care (ANC) visits and positive attitudes toward PWH among reproductive-age women in Bangladesh.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We analyzed the 2019 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey data (<em>N</em> = 5118). Comprehensive HIV knowledge scale (9-item; Cronbach's alpha = 0.706) and Attitudes toward PWH scale (2-item; Cronbach's alpha = 0.84) were constructed. Receiving HIV information was a dichotomous variable (yes/no). A multivariable structural equation model was controlled for age, ethnicity, education, rural/urban residence, media exposure, marital status, wealth index, and division. All analyses were performed using Stata 18.0.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>After adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, receiving HIV transmission knowledge during ANC was not associated with positive attitudes toward PWH (B = 0.06, <em>p</em> = 0.101). Receiving HIV information was positively associated with comprehensive HIV knowledge (B = 0.39; <em>p</em> < 0.0.001), and comprehensive HIV knowledge was positively associated with positive attitudes toward PWH (B = 0.13; <em>p</em> < 0.001). The indirect effect of comprehensive HIV knowledge on the relationship between receiving HIV information during ANC and positive attitudes toward PWH was statistically significant (B = 0.05, <em>p</em> < 0.001).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Given the mediational role of comprehensive HIV knowledge between receiving HIV information and positive attitudes toward PWH, providing HIV information during ANC should be a routine practice to capture the teachable moments to prevent HIV transmission.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72803,"journal":{"name":"Dialogues in health","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100245"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145264889","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Dialogues in healthPub Date : 2025-12-01Epub Date: 2025-10-06DOI: 10.1016/j.dialog.2025.100243
Florent Nkouaga
{"title":"Socio-economic and insurance factors in preventive care: A two-stage weighted structural analysis","authors":"Florent Nkouaga","doi":"10.1016/j.dialog.2025.100243","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dialog.2025.100243","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates the key determinants influencing the utilization of preventive health services among insured individuals in the United States following the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Leveraging nationally representative data from the 2024 Financial Inclusion Survey, the research employs weighted logistic regression and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to analyze how perceived insurance coverage quality, access to a primary care physician, financial knowledge, and experiences with healthcare costs are associated with the uptake of no-cost preventive care. The findings reveal that individuals who report higher satisfaction with their insurance coverage, maintain ongoing relationships with primary care providers, and demonstrate greater financial literacy are more likely to engage in preventive health behaviors. Notably, while cost-related barriers are initially associated with increased utilization, their direct influence diminishes when financial knowledge is accounted for, highlighting the mitigating role of financial literacy. The SEM approach further clarifies the complex interplay between latent constructs such as perceived coverage quality and cost experiences, showing that these factors interact with each other and with other determinants to shape preventive care decisions. Importantly, once these structural and informational dimensions are considered, traditional demographic variables — such as race and gender — lose statistical significance, underscoring the greater impact of systemic and educational factors. These results suggest that policies aimed solely at eliminating financial barriers may be insufficient to maximize preventive care participation. Instead, fostering trust in insurance coverage, strengthening primary care relationships, and enhancing financial literacy are critical strategies for increasing preventive service utilization. By addressing the informational, relational, and economic dimensions of healthcare access, policymakers and stakeholders can more effectively promote preventive health engagement and advance population health outcomes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72803,"journal":{"name":"Dialogues in health","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100243"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145264888","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Dialogues in healthPub Date : 2025-12-01Epub Date: 2025-11-27DOI: 10.1016/j.dialog.2025.100260
Isaac Nyarko Kwakye
{"title":"Exploring the interpretive processes of symptom perception among diabetes patients in eastern region of Ghana","authors":"Isaac Nyarko Kwakye","doi":"10.1016/j.dialog.2025.100260","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dialog.2025.100260","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background and aim</h3><div>Illness perception has emerged as a critical factor influencing self-care behaviours, psychological distress, and health outcomes among patients with diabetes. However, there is limited understanding of how individuals with diabetes in Ghana cognitively interpret their symptoms. Therefore, this study explored the interpretive processes of symptom perception among diabetes patients in the Eastern Region (Koforidua) of Ghana.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Using a qualitative design grounded in interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 15 purposively selected participants attending the diabetes clinic at Koforidua Regional Hospital. The interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) approach was used to analyze the qualitative data.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Two main themes with their subthemes were identified: symptoms identification (increased urination and sweet-smelling urine, persistent thirst and hunger, noticeable weight loss; routine check-up/blood pressure; blisters, foot sore, non-healing wounds), and patients' perception (perception of diabetes as “disease of the rich”; belief in spiritual or supernatural causation; diabetes as a life-threatening and unpredictable condition). Symptom interpretation was shaped not only by personal experiences but also by sociocultural beliefs and community narratives. These interpretations highlight how cultural frameworks influence illness representation and health-seeking behaviours, consistent with the Common-Sense Model of illness perception.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The study concludes that patients do not interpret symptoms in isolation but integrate them into broader belief systems, which significantly shape their responses to illness. To improve diabetes outcomes, public health interventions should prioritize culturally sensitive education that addresses misconceptions, enhances symptom recognition, and strengthens health literacy at the community level. Such strategies can empower patients to seek timely care, reduce late diagnosis, and improve self-management, particularly in resource-limited settings.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72803,"journal":{"name":"Dialogues in health","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100260"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145622764","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Dialogues in healthPub Date : 2025-12-01Epub Date: 2025-06-16DOI: 10.1016/j.dialog.2025.100222
Jessica Ly , Christopher Blair , Helen Badge , Michael Camit , Khoi Do , Timmy Pham , Nicola Chappelow , Dennis J. Cordato , Mark W. Parsons
{"title":"Corrigendum to “A culturally-specific education strategy to improve stroke health literacy in Vietnamese communities in South Western Sydney” [Dialogues in Health: Volume 6 (2025)- 100211]","authors":"Jessica Ly , Christopher Blair , Helen Badge , Michael Camit , Khoi Do , Timmy Pham , Nicola Chappelow , Dennis J. Cordato , Mark W. Parsons","doi":"10.1016/j.dialog.2025.100222","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dialog.2025.100222","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":72803,"journal":{"name":"Dialogues in health","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100222"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144291334","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Dialogues in healthPub Date : 2025-12-01Epub Date: 2025-07-05DOI: 10.1016/j.dialog.2025.100228
Norman Tafirenyika Nhede, Adrino Mazenda, Dymon Gondwe
{"title":"Beyond poverty alleviation: The impact of child support grants on healthcare access and contraception use in South Africa","authors":"Norman Tafirenyika Nhede, Adrino Mazenda, Dymon Gondwe","doi":"10.1016/j.dialog.2025.100228","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dialog.2025.100228","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study examines the impact of Child Support Grants (CSGs) on access to medical care and contraception use in South Africa, investigating whether social assistance can enhance healthcare access beyond its primary aim of alleviating poverty. While previous research highlights CSGs' poverty reduction and welfare enhancement effects, little is known about their effects on healthcare and reproductive healthcare access, especially given South Africa's healthcare disparities. Using data from the first wave of the 2020 National Income Dynamics Study—Coronavirus Rapid Mobile Survey (NIDS-CRAM), this study employs mediation analysis to analyse the effects of CSG receipt on healthcare and contraception access while controlling for socio-economic factors. The findings indicate a complex relationship. CSGs have a positive but insignificant indirect effect on healthcare and contraception access and a significant negative direct effect, suggesting that the current grant structure may not adequately address existing barriers. The results highlight the need for policy changes, indicating that while CSGs are vital as a social safety net, their effectiveness in improving healthcare access could be enhanced through increased grant amounts and targeted interventions to address healthcare costs and structural barriers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72803,"journal":{"name":"Dialogues in health","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100228"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144587597","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Dialogues in healthPub Date : 2025-12-01Epub Date: 2025-09-24DOI: 10.1016/j.dialog.2025.100241
Gustavo A. Viani , Carlos E. Cardoso , Ana Carolina Hamamura , Helio A. Salmon , Gustavo O. Amaral
{"title":"Proton radiotherapy outperforms medulloblastoma irradiation with photons in economic savings in Brazil (PROMISE)","authors":"Gustavo A. Viani , Carlos E. Cardoso , Ana Carolina Hamamura , Helio A. Salmon , Gustavo O. Amaral","doi":"10.1016/j.dialog.2025.100241","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dialog.2025.100241","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of proton therapy compared to photon therapy for pediatric medulloblastoma treatment from the payer's perspective in Brazil, assessing its economic viability and potential to improve long-term outcomes by reducing late complications.</div></div><div><h3>Materials and methods</h3><div>A Markov chain model simulated outcomes for a cohort of 5-year-old children with medulloblastoma over a 30-year horizon. The base case involved craniospinal irradiation (36 Gy) with a 54 Gy posterior fossa boost, tracking 11 health states, including hearing loss, cognitive deficit, and coronary artery disease (CAD), with CAD and congestive heart failure (CHF) onset after 10 years. Annual transition probabilities were derived from systematic reviews. Costs (photons: US$3000; protons: US$50,000) reflected Brazilian and international data, with a willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold of US$50,000/QALY. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER), net monetary benefit (NMB), and probabilistic sensitivity analysis (PSA) via Monte Carlo simulations (1000 iterations, 25,000 patients) were calculated using Python 3.11.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Proton therapy yielded 20.45 QALYs at US$102,933, versus 16.87 QALYs at US$141,971 for photons, with an ICER of -US$22,857/QALY, indicating dominance. PSA showed a mean NMB of US$70,290 (95 % CI: US$42,377–US$98,662), with protons cost-effective in >95 % of simulations. Survival at 30 years was 40.5 % (protons) versus 27.1 % (photons), driven by reduced late effects (e.g., 68 % vs. 45 % cumulative events).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Proton therapy is a cost-effective, dominant strategy for pediatric medulloblastoma in Brazil, offering superior outcomes and cost savings. These findings support its adoption through innovative funding models like public-private partnerships.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":72803,"journal":{"name":"Dialogues in health","volume":"7 ","pages":"Article 100241"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145324523","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}