Un sistema de vigilancia de salud pública para el cambio climático en las ciudades

This paper makes a first proposal for a public health surveillance system for climate change in cities, and describes the process that led to its definition. After several years of monitoring different aspects related to climate change and its impact, the public health services of Barcelona made a preliminary proposal and gathered a working group of experts to discuss and review it. Four categories of components were defined: climate data, health impacts of climate change and its determinants, contributions of the city to mitigation (especially those with health co-benefits), and actions to reduce vulnerability to extreme events. They were broken in twelve components, with indicators for each. The proposal was further refined with subsequent reviews, and is being used by the city public health services involved in this field.     

中国公众公共卫生安全素养量表的开发研究

目的开发公共卫生安全素养量表, 为我国公众的公共卫生安全素养测评提供适宜工具。方法通过理论构想、指标池构建、现场验证、题项缩减等步骤编制中国公共卫生安全素养初始量表, 转为"问卷星"电子问卷, 随机抽取4个省份共2 809名居民进行现场测试。利用经典测试理论(CTT)和项目反应理论(IRT)进行题项缩减。使用SPSS 23.0软件进行探索性因子分析(EFA)和单维性检验。使用R 4.1.1软件ltm和mirt包进行题项的心理测量学指标分析, 并绘制项目特征曲线(ICC)和信息函数曲线(IIC和TIF)。结果选用专家一致性系数最优的初始量表3, 共30个题项(B1～B30), 测试对象完成1个题项平均需9.8 s。根据CTT分析, 删除校正题项-总相关系数(CITC)<0.3及题项-维度相关系数(IDCC)<0.4的B2题项;删除CITC<0.3、IDCC<0.4及难度指数<0.2的B23题项;删除CITC<0.3及难度指数<0.2的B30题项。删除后量表总内部一致性信度(Cronbach’’sα)值为0.923。EFA提示删除14个因子载荷较小...     

The impact of a Housing First intervention and health-related risk factors on incarceration among people with experiences of homelessness and mental illness in Canada

ObjectiveTo examine the effect of a Housing First (HF) intervention and health-related risk factors on incarceration among adults with experiences of homelessness and mental illness.MethodsParticipants (N = 508) were recruited at the Toronto site of the At Home/Chez Soi study. The outcome was incarceration in Ontario from 2009 to 2014. Exposures were intervention group (HF vs. treatment as usual), Axis I mental health diagnoses, emergency department (ED) visit, and history of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Logistic regression was used to examine the association between exposures and incarceration.ResultsOf 508 participants, 220 (43.3%) were incarcerated at least once during the study period. Among those incarcerated, 81.9% were male, 52.7% had been diagnosed with alcohol dependence/abuse, 60.9% had been diagnosed with substance dependence/abuse, 65.1% reported having visited an ED within the last 6 months, and 66.4% had a history of TBI. After adjusting for demographic covariates, substance dependence/abuse (aOR: 2.06; 95% CI: 1.40, 3.03), alcohol dependence/abuse (aOR: 1.52, 95% CI: 1.04, 2.22), ED visit (aOR: 1.54; 95% CI: 1.02, 2.32), and history of TBI (aOR: 2.60; 95% CI: 1.75, 3.85) were associated with incarceration. We found no significant effect of the HF intervention on incarceration outcome (aOR: 1.08; 95% CI: 0.76, 1.55).ConclusionsAmong adults with experiences of homelessness and severe mental illness, those with substance and alcohol dependence/abuse disorders, history of TBI, and recent ED visits were at increased odds of incarceration. Strategies are needed to prevent and reduce incarceration for this population, including treatment of mental illness in the community.Supplementary InformationThe online version of this article (10.17269/s41997-020-00433-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Assessing the future direction of sustainable development in public hospitals: Time-horizon,path and action

PurposeTo assess the future direction of sustainable development in public hospitals, focusing on their short- versus long-term time horizons, top-down versus bottom-up paths, and intra-organizational versus inter-organizational actions.Design/Methodology/approachThe selection of significant health care organizations was based on judgmental sampling. This study applied an inductive approach. The interviewees were identified according to their knowledge of the future direction of their organizations’ sustainable development.FindingsThe sustainable development of the studied public hospitals is aimed at the synchronization of actions with other hospitals in the public healthcare system. The public hospitals studied differ in their interconnected elements of time (short- versus long-time horizons), paths (top-down versus bottom-up) and specific actions (intra-organizational versus inter-organizational).Research limitations/implications Offers insights into how to assess the direction of sustainable development in public hospitals. We stress the importance of time, path and action in conjunction. Furthermore, this study provides a three-dimensional framework to assess the future direction of sustainable development in organizations as well as in industries. Both the former and latter characteristics are shaped by the elements of time, path and action.Managerial ImplicationsProvides a three-dimensional framework of criteria to assess the direction of sustainable development in organizations. The assessment criteria may be used by organizations to assess the direction of other organizations in their industry. Industry associations or authorities may look into the status and future direction of sustainable development in industries or sectors as a whole. The assessment criteria provide an opportunity and foundation to benchmark against others in the same industry and insights to face pandemic as Covid-19.Originality/ValueFirst study to consider a three-dimensional framework based on time, path and action to assess the future direction of sustainable development in an organization.     

国内外公共卫生领域标准化工作管理体制比较与思考

目的 为了更好地促进我国的卫生健康标准化工作,为建立完善我国卫生健康领域标准化的发展战略、管理体制提供依据。方法 本文收集了公共卫生领域标准化相关国际组织标准管理机制方面的资料,并将收集到的信息进行汇总分析。结果 公共卫生领域的各种标准在各国际组织的管理体制不同,在组织性质、标准种类、应用、发布、组织结构、标准制定原则、优点、转化、宣贯、评估等方面均有较大不同。结论 针对我国卫生健康标准化具体工作,国际标准化相关机构的工作机制提供了许多可供我国借鉴的经验。     

Pregnant women & vaccines against emerging epidemic threats: Ethics guidance for preparedness,research, and response

Zika virus, influenza, and Ebola have called attention to the ways in which infectious disease outbreaks can severely – and at times uniquely – affect the health interests of pregnant women and their offspring. These examples also highlight the critical need to proactively consider pregnant women and their offspring in vaccine research and response efforts to combat emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. Historically, pregnant women and their offspring have been largely excluded from research agendas and investment strategies for vaccines against epidemic threats, which in turn can lead to exclusion from future vaccine campaigns amidst outbreaks. This state of affairs is profoundly unjust to pregnant women and their offspring, and deeply problematic from the standpoint of public health. To ensure that the needs of pregnant women and their offspring are fairly addressed, new approaches to public health preparedness, vaccine research and development, and vaccine delivery are required. This Guidance offers 22 concrete recommendations that provide a roadmap for the ethically responsible, socially just, and respectful inclusion of the interests of pregnant women in the development and deployment of vaccines against emerging pathogens. The Guidance was developed by the Pregnancy Research Ethics for Vaccines, Epidemics, and New Technologies (PREVENT) Working Group – a multidisciplinary, international team of 17 experts specializing in bioethics, maternal immunization, maternal-fetal medicine, obstetrics, pediatrics, philosophy, public health, and vaccine research and policy – in consultation with a variety of external experts and stakeholders.     

Evaluating the effects of vaccine messaging on immunization intentions and behavior: Evidence from two randomized controlled trials in Vermont

The effectiveness of vaccines in reducing child morbidity and mortality worldwide relies on public acceptance. However, relatively little is known about the effects of vaccine communication on vaccine attitudes and immunization behavior. Previous research suggests that common communication approaches may be ineffective or even counterproductive, especially among vaccine-hesitant parents. However, these studies typically rely on observational data or self-reported measures of vaccination intention. Using novel research designs, we tested the attitudinal and behavioral effects of messages encouraging vaccination in both a survey experiment conducted among a large sample of parents in Vermont who expressed hesitancy about childhood immunizations and a field experiment among parents whose children were overdue for vaccines. We find that neither a message promoting immunization as a social norm nor a message correcting common misperceptions about vaccines was measurably more effective than a standard public health message at improving parents’ attitudes toward vaccines, intention to vaccinate their children, or compliance with the recommended vaccine schedule. Our results highlight the need for more research on approaches to successfully reducing vaccine hesitancy among parents.     

Influenza vaccine effectiveness against influenza-associated hospitalization in children in Hong Kong, 2010–2020

BackgroundInfluenza virus infections can cause hospitalizations in children, and annual vaccination of children can provide protection against influenza.MethodsWe analyzed a test-negative design study with data spanning from 2010/11 through 2019/20 to evaluate influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE) against influenza hospitalization in children by age group, influenza type/subtype and time period within each season. We enrolled children admitted to hospital with acute febrile respiratory illnesses. Nasopharyngeal aspirates were tested by culture and/or RT-PCR to determine influenza status, and vaccination status was obtained by interviewing parents or legal guardians and was verified where possible. VE was estimated by conditional logistic regression model adjusting for sex, age and age-squared, matching on week.ResultsInfluenza seasons in Hong Kong are prolonged with influenza-associated hospitalizations occurring in almost every month of the year during the study period. Influenza vaccination was effective in preventing influenza-associated hospitalizations in children of all ages. Influenza VE was higher in younger children than in older children, and higher against hospitalization due to influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 than A(H3N2) and B.ConclusionsThe childhood influenza vaccination program in Hong Kong has prevented influenza-associated hospitalizations particularly in younger children. Our findings support the use of influenza vaccines in children as an effective approach to influenza control and prevention.