International Journal of Public Health

PurposeThe COVID-19 pandemic has had profound and multifaceted impacts on children and adolescents, exposing and deepening pre-existing inequalities while creating unique health, social, and educational challenges. In response to the limited evidence-based knowledge available, the SEROCoV-KIDS study was launched in 2021 as a prospective cohort and biobank to assess the pandemics effects on youth health and well-being. It focuses on the general population of Geneva, Switzerland, as well as subgro...

Sleep is essential for childrens health and development, yet sleep problems are common worldwide. Comfort items such as soft toys or blankets are widely used to promote independent sleep, but their effects have not been evaluated in a randomised controlled trial (RCT). The REST trial emerged from a child-led citizen-science study (The Kids Trial) where children co-created and designed the trial. Therefore, this paper had two aims, to assess whether sleeping with a comfort item affected childrens...

BackgroundLongitudinal evidence on the association between temperature fluctuations and psychological wellbeing remains limited, particularly in ageing populations of Southeast Asia. This study examines how heat exposure affects multiple wellbeing outcomes among older adults in Thailand. MethodsWe linked longitudinal data from 16,002 observations in the Health, Aging, and Retirement in Thailand (HART) study (2015-2023) with province-level meteorological data. Using a multilevel mixed-effects mo...

IntroductionClimate change is expected to alter daily patterns of sleep, sedentary behaviour and physical activity, yet empirically grounded projections across the full 24-hour movement spectrum are lacking. This study estimated how projected future warming may alter 24-hour movement behaviour patterns in adults. MethodsA Monte Carlo simulation framework estimated temperature-dependent distributions of daily movement behaviour duration using data from 368 adults in the Annual Rhythms in Adults ...

BackgroundFood systems--particularly livestock production--account for substantial greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, while unhealthy diets, characterized by excessive animal-based and insufficient plant-based food consumption, are a major risk factor for all-cause mortality in Europe. Implementing climate mitigation policies related to the GHG emissions of the food system could therefore bring important health co-benefits. MethodsWe developed a health impact assessment model based on a life table...

World Health Organization recommendations to reduce road deaths were examined to assess the potential reductions that could be realized in countries that have not adopted them. Data from 72 countries on recommended speeding laws, alcohol laws, and vehicle safety standards were analyzed, controlling statistically for differences in average temperatures and population density per square kilometer. Using regression coefficients, estimates of the reductions that would be realized if each countermeas...

Introduction Heat waves are increasingly frequent and linked to higher mortality risks in Hong Kong. However, estimates of total excess mortality associated with heat waves remain unavailable. This study quantifies excess deaths associated with heat waves in Hong Kong from 2014 to 2023. Methods Daily age- and sex-specific mortality rates and population data were obtained from the Hong Kong Life Tables and Census and Statistics Department. Temperature data came from the Hong Kong Observatory, and...

BackgroundHeatwaves are becoming more frequent, intense, and prolonged. High temperat-ures raise mortality and morbidity, particularly in older adults and those with pre-existing conditions. However, it remains unclear whether increases in deaths during hot periods are accompanied by sim-ilar changes in hospital admissions. Understanding the full health burden of heat requires assessing both outcomes under a unified exposure framework. MethodsWe analyzed national hospital data from Austria (200...

IntroductionFlooding events, which are strongly linked to climate change and variability, have the potential to disrupt communities and health systems. Vaccination, a highly effective public health intervention, plays a pivotal role in preventing numerous deaths annually, particularly among children. However, the relationship between exposure to flood events and early childhood vaccination remains unexplored. MethodsThis study utilizes validated flood exposure data from the Global Flood Databas...

BackgroundDespite cardiovascular disease being a leading cause of death globally, secondary prevention strategies following myocardial infarction are under-researched compared to primary prevention. ObjectivesTo explore relationships between indicators of sleep quality, inflammation, and myocardial infarction recurrence and the conditional role of psychological stress in these pathways to assess evidence for reducing MI recurrence by improving sleep quality and implementing stress management te...

An online, cross-sectional survey was conducted to understand support for potential sunbed regulation strategies in the UK among 502 UK-based young adults (aged 18-24). Sunbed users showed strong support for sunbed regulation in the UK overall, particularly for staff supervision, mandatory health warnings, and business licensing, policies already implemented in some UK regions. Framing policies around public health protection rather than restricting personal freedom significantly enhanced suppor...

The consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) has risen significantly in both developing and developed economies, despite well-documented evidence of their adverse health consequences. Although price-based regulations, primarily through SSB taxation, are widely recognized as a policy instrument to reduce consumption and improve public health outcomes, interventions targeting SSBs have received relatively limited attention in Bangladesh. Using the 2022 Household Income and Expenditure Surve...

ObjectiveAlthough trauma-focused psychotherapies are effective for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), recovery under routine outpatient conditions remains variable. We examined whether participation in a structured Specialty Care (SC) model integrating clinician specialization, flexible treatment density, and coordinated navigation was associated with accelerated PTSD recovery compared with standard outpatient care. MethodsWe conducted a retrospective matched cohort study (2024-2025) of U.S....

BackgroundFalls among older adults are a leading cause of fractures, loss of independence, and need for long-term care. Community salons in Japan promote social participation and health activities among older adults. Hydrogen-rich water is widely used as a health product, but evidence in community settings remains limited. MethodsWe conducted a prospective observational study among 48 community-dwelling older adults attending community salons in Hiroshima City, Japan. Hydrogen-rich water was of...

IntroductionThe circadian clock is an internal, [~]24-hour biological timer that synchronizes physiology with the day-night cycle. Social jetlag (SJL) describes the misalignment between this internal clock and social schedules, a condition affecting approximately 70% of the population and linked to a spectrum of metabolic, mental, and cognitive health issues. This study examined how the 2022 FIFA World Cup disrupted normal childrens sleep routines and other associated factors from parents prospe...

BackgroundAir pollution caused by fine particles has been recognized as a significant environmental risk factor. Over the past two decades, there has been a substantial increase in evidence on the impact of air pollutants on mortality and morbidity in vulnerable groups, such as children under 5 years of age, people over 60 years of age, and people with comorbidities, primarily in low- and middle-income countries. However, most studies have focused on nosologically identified respiratory and card...

BackgroundWhile accurate sleep measurement is vital for older adults, the validity of actigraphy (AG) in free-living environments remains controversial, particularly given the flexible sleep-wake schedules common in this demographic. To address this uncertainty, we assessed the accuracy of wrist AG against in-home portable electroencephalography (EEG) among community-dwelling older adults. MethodsCommunity-dwelling older adults underwent concurrent sleep monitoring using a portable EEG device a...

Childhood adversities are common and linked to increased risk of premature mortality, including deaths from accidents in early adulthood. We examined associations between childhood adversity and specific types of lethal accidents using nationwide register data from 1,282,636 individuals in the DANish LIFE course (DANLIFE) cohort born between Jan 1, 1980, and Dec 31, 2001, who did not die or emigrate before age 16. Individuals were classified into five trajectory groups based on annual exposure t...

BackgroundFood insecurity (FI) is associated with overall poorer mental health in childhood and adolescence and negatively impacts longer-term health. However, less is known about how differential exposure to FI may shape the development of different mental health symptoms over this period. MethodsWe used data from two population-based UK birth cohorts: the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC; n=6,182; born 1991-1992) and Growing Up in Scotland (GUS; n=3,167; born 2004-2005)...

Recent findings suggest that sugar rationing during the first 1000 days of life may influence chronic disease risk in adulthood. Given the link between mental health and non-communicable diseases, early-life sugar restriction may be associated with later-life incidence of anxiety and depression. Using UK Biobank data, participants born between October 1, 1951, and March 31, 1956 (n = 46,448) were grouped by duration of exposure to sugar rationing: R270 (rationed from conception to 270 days of li...