Public Health

BackgroundWhile veterinary surgeons are known to have particularly high rates of injury compared to other sectors, little is known about rates of injury among veterinary students. This study aims to understand animal-related injury rates, injury context and mechanisms, attitudes to reporting injuries, and behaviour change among UK and Irish veterinary students. MethodsA survey was distributed to students across all veterinary schools operating in the UK and Ireland in 2021. Questions explored p...

BackgroundLittle is known about the scope of challenges faced by hospitalized pet owners and their impact on medical decision-making and utilization of health services. ObjectivesTo assess challenges associated with pet care (PC) among hospitalized pet owners and characterize associations between reported challenges, patient characteristics, and adherence to treatment. MethodsPet owners in inpatient or ED settings were surveyed about PC challenges experienced during current and prior hospitali...

Compassion fatigue is a well-documented hazard among healthcare and veterinary professionals, yet the psychological toll on informal caregivers of feral cat colonies, likely numbering several tens of thousands in Portugal, remains largely unexplored. This cross-sectional study examines internal and external factors associated with the secondary traumatic stress component of compassion fatigue among 172 informal caregivers in Portugal. Secondary traumatic stress refers to work-related secondary e...

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...

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...

Pregnant individuals have a greater susceptibility to severe disease from the coronavirus 2019 disease (COVID-19). Pregnant people also tend to be vaccine-hesitant, which is even more pronounced in certain racial and ethnic minority groups. The study objective was to determine whether social media ads promoting COVID-19 vaccination could influence vaccination likelihood among pregnant and recently pregnant participants who self-identified as Black or African American. Participants were interview...

BackgroundWhile democracy typically correlates with superior population health outcomes, and inequality adversely affects population wellbeing, their roles in pandemic performance remain contested, particularly across geographic context and when using methodologically robust metrics. MethodsWe examined associations between liberal democracy (V-Dem Liberal Democracy Index) and income inequality (Gini coefficient) with Covid-19 health and economic outcomes across 193 jurisdictions, stratified by ...

BackgroundObserved impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in countries in the global north include increasing rates of maternal anxiety and depression. However, little research has been done in sub-Saharan Africa assessing the impact of the pandemic on maternal psychosocial stress. This study aimed to examine COVID-related psychosocial impacts among Ghanaian women who were pregnant during the pandemic. MethodsAn online survey was administered to Ghanaian mothers with children 0-15 months old from Jun...

BackgroundThe body roundness index (BRI), calculated from height and waist circumference, is a novel obesity metric proposed as an alternative to body mass index (BMI). Although the BRI is reportedly associated with mortality risk, little is known about how the performance of the BRI and BMI compare. MethodsWe used data from the SKDB, a regional healthcare database in Shizuoka, Japan, that includes data from >2 million people from 2012 to 2022. Individuals aged 40 to 74 years who received a Spe...

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...

Background and objectiveVietnam had increasing rates of zero-dose children and sub-optimal COVID-19 vaccine booster coverage in 2022. With the Vietnamese Ministry of Health, we co-designed, implemented and evaluated a vaccine education and communication program for health workers and community leaders to improve trust, knowledge, communication skills and intention to vaccinate for routine childhood and COVID-19 vaccines. MethodThe Train-the-Trainer Vaccine Champions program was piloted in 2022 ...

BackgroundClimate change is an escalating health crisis, yet its influence on medical students career decisions remains underexplored. ObjectiveThis study uses the "Six Americas" framework to assess students climate views and the impact on residency and career decisions. MethodsA survey was distributed to students at four North American medical schools from October 2024 to January 2025. The instrument assessed demographic information, climate change views utilizing the Six Americas Super Short...

BackgroundWorking while sick (presenteeism) with an infectious disease contributes to the spread of infections and is detrimental to productivity. Respiratory illnesses are a common cause of sickness in the working population and understanding the prevalence of presenteeism linked to respiratory illness is therefore important. MethodsWinter Covid Infection Study (WCIS) panel members in work aged 18-64 were surveyed in February - March 2024 and asked about presenteeism in the previous 28 days. M...

This study evaluated awareness and preference for Human Papillomavirus (HPV) self-collection for cervical screening among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander screen-eligible participants. A whole-of-population online survey was conducted between December 2023 and April 2024, with responses from 555 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and people with a cervix. Around 80% of survey participants had heard of self-collection, with healthcare providers the most mentioned source of this know...

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...

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...

ObjectivesTo examine associations between cardiometabolic conditions and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and to evaluate whether condition-associated HRQoL changed from 2001 to 2022. MethodsWe analyzed nationally representative data from U.S. adults aged [≥]18 years in the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, 2001-2022. Survey years without BMI data (2017, 2019, 2021) were excluded. EQ-5D utilities were mapped from SF-12 scores using a validated algorithm. For each survey year, survey-we...

BackgroundChildren in contact with childrens social care (CSC) services have high levels of hospital utilisation, but patterns before and after referral remain insufficiently understood. ObjectiveTo evaluate healthcare utilisation two years before and after CSC referral. Participants and settingRetrospective cohort using ECHILD linked health and social care data, including children with a first CSC referral between 2009 and 2018 in England. MethodsWe compared monthly planned and unplanned hos...

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...

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...