BMC Public Health

BackgroundUniversal Free School Meals (UFSM) were introduced by the Welsh Government in 2022 to provide every primary school child (aged 4-11) with a free meal at lunch time by 2024, aiming to improve nutrition and reduce inequality. While evidence suggests UFSM can support dietary quality and social inclusion; uptake remains inconsistent, and concerns have been raised regarding meal quality and portion sizes. Aims/ObjectivesThis study explored the perceptions of children and parents regarding ...

ObjectivesHuman trafficking is a priority concern in the U.S, but few research studies have investigated the nature and extent of its occurrence on U.S. college campuses. The objective of this research was to identify the nature and extent of human trafficking/sexual exploitation among college students in San Diego County and Imperial Valley, California, where some of the highest documented rates of human trafficking occur nationally. MethodsCollege students (n = 971) from 12 campuses in Southe...

BackgroundViolence across the life course is a persistent global problem with well-documented health and social consequences. Less is known about its relationship with labour market outcomes in high-income countries with strong social protections, such as Canada. This study examines whether lifetime exposure to physical or sexual violence is associated with labour force participation (LFP), reasons for economic inactivity, sectoral and occupational sorting, and income. MethodsWe analyzed data f...

AbstractWe know little about how women in Africa perceive and manage food safety risks for fruits and vegetables, and how these perceptions and practices influence their food choices. To investigate this, we employed a sequential mixed-methods analysis using data from 33 villages across the Arusha and Kilimanjaro regions of Northern Tanzania. Quantitative household surveys were conducted with 2,577 women to document their perceptions of food safety risks associated with fresh fruits and vegetabl...

Students who frequently miss school are at greater risk for academic difficulty. High levels of absenteeism as early as kindergarten have been associated with long-term consequences, such as low reading proficiency in Grade 3 and low academic achievement in Grade 5, both of which have been associated with lower rates of high school graduation and enrollment in post-secondary education. The prevalence of school absenteeism has increased significantly since the COVID-19 pandemic and there have bee...

BackgroundMigrant domestic helpers are vulnerable to obesity and mental disorders, yet few interventions target this population. To address the research gap, we designed healthy lifestyle intervention tailored to this population and evaluated its effectiveness on healthy behaviors and mental well-being among Filipino domestic helpers in Hong Kong. MethodsThe intervention included dietary education and yoga practice, delivered onsite or online. Questionnaire surveys were conducted at baseline, i...

BackgroundHealth behaviors established during young adulthood significantly shape the long-term risk of non-communicable diseases and mental health disorders. Although behaviors such as diet, physical activity, sleep, and substance use are often targeted individually, growing evidence suggests these behaviors function as an interconnected system. However, the organization of lifestyle behaviors at the system level, and which behaviors exert the greatest structural influence, remains poorly under...

BackgroundRecreational cannabis legalization has expanded rapidly across US states. The regulatory approaches states adopt vary widely, with varying implications for public health. This study aimed to characterize heterogeneity in recreational cannabis laws (RCLs) across US states and to identify state-level characteristics associated with these regulatory models. MethodsWe conducted Latent Class Analysis (LCA) of state-year RCL provisions from 2013 to 2024 (n=612) to identify distinct RCL appr...

BackgroundSecondhand smoke (SHS) exposure remains a major public health concern among adolescents, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Evidence from Zambia is limited, despite increasing tobacco use and existing tobacco control policies. This study examined the prevalence and correlates of SHS exposure among adolescents in Zambia. MethodsWe analyzed data from the 2021 Zambia Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS), a nationally representative, school-based survey. The sample included 6...

BackgroundArticle 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control requires Parties to protect policies from tobacco industry interference, yet implementation remains weak internationally. Aotearoa New Zealands (Aotearoa NZ) is seen as a leader in tobacco control, yet little is known about its implementation of Article 5.3 protections. This study examines these protections as well as existing transparency measures in light of the 2024 repeal of world-leading tobacco control policies. Meth...

BackgroundCommunity safety is a key determinant of mental well-being, yet racially and ethnically minoritised communities in the UK often face higher exposure to violence alongside barriers to formal protection and support. In these contexts, informal support networks may play a critical role in shaping how safety is experienced and how distress is managed. Although such networks are widely recognised as protective for mental well-being, there is limited qualitative research examining how they o...

BackgroundPacked lunches are a common feature of early childhood food provision, yet evidence describing their nutritional composition in early years settings remains limited. Understanding the foods provided during this developmental period is important, given the potential influence of early dietary exposures on later health. AimTo characterise the composition, nutritional quality, cost, and dietary patterns of packed lunches brought from home in Early Childhood Education and Care settings, a...

ObjectivesPeople impacted by the criminal-legal system face significant challenges to securing and sustaining permanent housing. This study was designed to assess housing outcomes of an integrated intervention that offered housing, medical, and behavioral health services to individuals with criminal-legal system involvement. MethodsAfter a baseline needs assessment, participants were linked to services and completed quarterly study visits for up to 12 months. We used descriptive statistics to a...

BackgroundIn 2016, Chile mandated that products high in sugar carry warning labels. Following this policy, use and consumption of non-nutritive sweeteners (NNS) increased, raising concerns about intake among children. Chile is now considering adding a new warning to its labeling system stating: "CONTAINS NON-NUTRITIVE SWEETENERS, AVOID CONSUMPTION AMONG CHILDREN." However, this and other NNS labeling approaches - e.g., Colombias "CONTAINS NON-NUTRITIVE SWEETENERS" stop signs - have never been em...

IntroductionTobacco smoking among school-going adolescents poses a major global public health challenge, contributing significantly to future disease burden. Understanding the prevalence and determinants of cigarette smoking in this group is critical for effective interventions. MethodsThis study analyzed data from the Global Youth Tobacco Surveys collected between 2001 and 2021, covering 439, 322 school-going adolescents aged 11 to 19 across 45 African countries. Descriptive statistics estimat...

IntroductionAdolescence is a vulnerable period for tobacco initiation, yet evidence on exposure to anti-tobacco messaging in Zambia is limited. Understanding who is reached by media and school-based campaigns is fundamental to designing effective strategies for preventing tobacco initiation and reducing use, in line with tobacco control goals. MethodsWe analyzed data from 6,499 in-school adolescents (11-17 years) in the 2021 Zambia Global Youth Tobacco Survey. Exposure was defined as having see...

Objective: Minimum unit pricing (MUP) aims to reduce use of cheap, high strength alcoholic beverages that drive harm, yet concerns remain about inequitable effects for structurally vulnerable groups. As part of the Costs, Harms, Expenditures and Alcohol Prices (CHEAP) study, we linked individual-level, product-specific alcohol consumption data from a customized survey with provincial retail price data to estimate prices per standard drink (PPSD) and examine their association with alcohol-related...

ObjectiveYouth mental health is shaped by interacting individual, relational, and structural factors that vary across communities, yet few tools integrate these drivers into youth-specific, geographically granular measures for decision-making. This study describes the development and preliminary validation of ThriveAtlasTM, a geographically granular index designed to identify factors that prevent youth from thriving. MethodsThriveAtlas was developed through a multi-step process to identify, ope...

ObjectiveIn the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), non-communicable diseases (NCDs) cause 73% of deaths, with high body mass index (BMI) as the leading risk factor. Among adolescents, 79% reported physical inactivity (PA), 30% and 10% were living with overweight/obesity and prediabetes, respectively. Little is known about the influence of school environments in shaping healthy eating (HE) and PA behaviours. This study addressed this gap through two steps: (1) Documentary review of obesity prevention...

BackgroundAs cigarette smoking continues declining among youth and young adults, smoking rates among older Americans remain unchanged. Historically, cigarette and, more recently, e-cigarette tax policies influenced smoking behavior in younger smokers. Understanding how older smokers respond to tax changes can inform public health strategies. MethodsWe assembled a quarterly panel of state cigarette and e-cigarette tax rates using the CDC STATE System Tobacco (2000-2024) and E-Cigarette Legislati...