Frontiers in Public Health

Food costs are more significantly impacted by climate change as countries grow. It is well known that climate change has an impact on the productivity of most agricultural goods, but it is unclear how specifically it will affect food costs. The present research explores how the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index, a widely used climate indicator, affects food prices around the world. This is achieved by applying a robust bivariate Hurst exponent (robust bHe). The research creates a color map ...

Oral health is a key component of quality of life among older adults, yet maintaining preventive dental care becomes increasingly difficult for those with long-term care (LTC) needs. This study examined patterns of preventive and need-driven dental service use among home-dwelling older adults with LTC needs in Japan and identified the caregiving, functional, and socioeconomic factors associated with these patterns. Data were drawn from a nationwide online survey of family caregivers reporting de...

Nurses represent the largest segment of the United States healthcare workforce and played an instrumental role in the countrys response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, little attention has been given to the contribution of this component of the U.S. medical personnel in the nations ability to face public health crisis. We present a cross-sectional, ecological analysis using cumulative annual reports from different national databases to assess the relationship between registered nurse (RN) density...

BackgroundNomophobia, characterised by the dread or anxiety of being without access to a mobile phone, has become an increasing behavioural issue among young adults, especially university students. Excessive reliance on smartphones has been linked to psychological suffering, impaired everyday functioning, and negative academic results. Nonetheless, information about the prevalence and determinants of nomophobia among university students in Bangladesh is scarce. This study aimed to evaluate the p...

IntroductionClimate change is a global adverse phenomenon affecting the health and wellbeing of all humans, and timely awareness can help mitigate these health effects. ObjectiveTo understand the knowledge and attitudes of Sri Lankan adults towards climate change and its effects on human health. MethodsA web based cross-sectional survey was conducted using a structured, pretested, web based, self-administered questionnaire, using a respondent driven sampling technique, among Sri Lankan adults....

ObjectiveExplore self-reported racial discrimination in healthcare. MethodsRepresentative population sample, Switzerland, repeated cross-sectional data 2016 to 2024 (N=15,525). ResultsContrary to expectation, respondents from the migration-related population (foreign citizens, foreign born, migration background, first/second generation) report less racial discrimination than members of the majority population. Over time, we see an increase in the non migration-related population reporting (rac...

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...

BackgroundThe accelerating pace of urbanization worldwide has highlighted the improvement of disaster response in cities as a global priority. Yet, there remains a poor understanding of the emergency response to mass casualty incidents (MCI) in these environments. This study aimed to develop a conceptual framework for cities responses and potential policy levers. MethodsWe conducted a scoping review followed by in-depth interviews (IDIs), focus group discussions (FGDs), and a modified Delphi pr...

Background: Nursing interns are at high risk of psychological distress due to academic and clinical stressors. While poor sleep quality is linked to anxiety and depression, the buffering role of social support remains underexplored in this population. Aims: To explore the role of social support in regulating the relationship between sleep and mental health among nursing interns. Methods: A total of 396 nursing interns completed self-administered questionnaires including the Pittsburgh Sleep Qual...

Adolescence and early adulthood are pivotal periods for the establishment of long-term health behaviors affecting the long-term prevalence of NCDs. We aimed to estimate prevalence of behavioral and biochemical modifiable risk factors for NCDs and predictors of common risk factors for non-communicable diseases in individuals aged 10-30 years. This trial was registered under the Clinical Trials Registration India number CTRI/2020/10/028700; https://ctri.nic.in/Clinicaltrials/showallp.php?mid1=4759...

BackgroundThis study argues that the crisis in South Korean essential medicine stems from "allocation failure" driven by economic and legal disincentives, rather than an absolute shortage. We evaluate the efficacy of the medical school quota expansion policy by analyzing workforce mismatch in the "Vital 5" specialties. (Internal Medicine, General Surgery, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Pediatrics, and Cardiothoracic Surgery). MethodsWe developed two quantitative models: (1) a Social Sunk Cost model t...

IntroductionThe 2025 establishment of Singapores Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) as the countrys national public health agency included creation of a One Health Office (OHO). OHOs establishment supports the pre-existing One Health whole-of-government approach, consisting of multisectoral collaborations via five government agencies spanning human, animal, and environment-related health. Singapores One Health approach includes several unique features designed to stimulate preparedness, preventi...

BackgroundEnsuring a sufficient and motivated health workforce requires not only retaining existing staff but also understanding the intentions of those entering the labour market. In Lao PDR, limited civil-servant quotas, prolonged volunteer pathways, and expanding private sector opportunities shape the early career choices of health professional students. Yet little is known about how final-year students perceive the public sector or what influences their decision to join or avoid government s...

IntroductionMedication errors (MEs) are common events in the hospital that compromises the patient safety. Despite high prevalence of MEs being reported, there is a limited information at the outpatient settings. MethodThis study assessed the prevalence and characteristics of MEs by analyzing the data of pharmacist-led interventions recorded between 1st November 2024 to 30th September 2025 at the outpatient department of pharmacy, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital (JDWNRH). Resu...

ObjectiveThe study aimed to analyze factors associated with cotinine levels as an early risk indicator for chronic diseases and students readiness to quit smoking in Praya Barat District. MethodsThis study used a cross-sectional design involving 563 high school students in Praya Barat District. Data analysis was performed using the Chi-square test and multiple logistic regression to identify determinants of high cotinine levels. ResultsA total of 67% of subjects had high cotinine levels, indic...

BackgroundThe World Health Organization (WHO) defines self-medication as taking medicine by someone to treat a health problem on their own, without a professional or doctor consultation. Self-medication is a growing public health concern globally, including in Afghanistan. This study aims to assess the prevalence of self-medication and its associated factors among the residents of Kandahar city. MethodologyAn analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in 12 districts of Kandahar city. A tot...

BackgroundPatient satisfaction and loyalty are key indicators of healthcare quality and are influenced by multiple service domains. Understanding which aspects of care drive these outcomes is essential for Health Insurance Organization (HIO) hospitals aiming to improve patient experience. MethodsAn analytical cross-sectional study was conducted across four hospitals in Alexandria, Egypt. A total of 983 patients were recruited using stratified random sampling from various hospital departments. D...

Emergency nursing is essential to healthcare systems worldwide. Triage plays a pivotal role in emergency nursing, prioritizing patients based on the urgency of their medical condition and focusing on rapid assessment and prioritization of patient care according to their condition and its severity. In the emergency department, the triage nurse assesses vital signs and gathers information from the patient to determine the severity of their condition. This aims to provide appropriate medical interv...

BackgroundHealthcare quality is a key determinant of patient experience, satisfaction, and loyalty, yet the mechanisms linking quality to loyalty remain underexplored in Egypts Health Insurance Organization (HIO). This study examines the mediating role of patient satisfaction in the relationship between healthcare quality and patient loyalty among HIO beneficiaries. MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted with 983 beneficiaries from four HIO hospitals in Alexandria. Data was collected usin...

IntroductionNational trends in youth suicide risk may mask significant regional variations within a country. This article attempts to account for spatio-temporal trends through a comparative analysis across South America and Europe. This paper analyzes the spatiotemporal patterns in suicide mortality among young people (10-29 years) in Argentina, Chile, Spain, and Uruguay during the period 1997-2021. MethodsOfficial data from vital statistics and population censuses of the four countries were a...