International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

BACKGROUND: Mental-health-related stigma prevents active help seeking and therefore early therapeutic approaches and the recovery of functionality. National and international agencies recommend the implementation of prevention and mental health promotion programs that support the elimination of stigma in the classroom, since most mental health problems usually start in the adolescent stage. In view of the evidence that teachers present stigmatizing attitudes towards mental health, it has been considered as convenient to carry out an anti-stigma program with the main objective of evaluating the impact of an intervention based on the education and promotion of mental health, aimed at teachers and counsellors of a secondary school...

The global COVID-19 pandemic presented not only challenges for services but also opportunities for reflection and change. This study aimed to understand young people, parents/carers, and professionals' experiences of remote provision across a voluntary sector organization to inform the nature of future delivery. Reflections from professionals ( n = 7), young people ( n = 7), and parents/carers ( n = 2) were collected through semi-structured interviews and focus groups. Data were thematically analysed. Five overarching themes were identified: 'Accessibility', 'Remote therapeutic experiences', 'Translating to online', 'Spaces of comfort/discomfort', and 'Moving towards hybrid provision'...

BACKGROUND: Exercise training at work has the potential to improve employees' productivity, health, and well-being. However, exercise interventions for healthcare workers in hospitals may be challenged by time pressure and the ongoing workflow with patient care. OBJECTIVE: The aim was to identify barriers and facilitators for participation in exercise training during work in a hospital department. METHODS: Eight semi-structured interviews of 13 individuals were conducted with hospital employees from different staff groups who participated in 12 weeks of exercise twice weekly...

(1) Background: Health literacy (HL) debates have increased significantly in the last two decades. HL concepts/themes and models have achieved substantial development in the US and Europe. Although there have been some efforts to develop HL in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), these seem to be few and scattered. This paper reviews and discusses developments of HL concepts and themes globally and in LAC over the last two decades. (2) Purpose: This study aimed to identify the prevalent health literacy concepts/themes deployed globally and in LAC as reported in academic journals from 2005 to 2022...

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a medical condition with important consequences for women's well-being and reproductive outcomes. Although the etiology of PCOS is not fully understood, there is increasing evidence of both genetic and environmental determinants, including development in early life. We studied a population of 977,637 singleton women born in in Sweden between 1973 and 1995, followed sometime between the age 15 and 40. The incidence of PCOS was measured using hospital register data during 2001-2012, complemented with information about the women's, parents' and sisters' health and social characteristics from population and health care registers...

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is considered an effective method to improve fitness and health indicators, but its high-intensity exercises and the mechanical and metabolic stress generated during the session can lead to the occurrence of exercise-induced muscle damage. Therefore, this study aimed to describe, by means of a systematic review, the effects of a single HIIT session on exercise-induced muscle damage. A total of 43 studies were found in the Medline/PubMed Science Direct/Embase/Scielo/CINAHL/LILACS databases; however, after applying the exclusion criteria, only 15 articles were considered eligible for this review...

Physical education (PE) is an important part of school education worldwide, and at the same time, almost the only subject that explicitly deals with body and movement. PE is therefore of elementary importance in the upbringing of young people. This also applies to children with visual impairments. However, existing findings on participation and belonging in PE as well as on physical and motor development reveal that this group of children and adolescents is noticeably disadvantaged in this respect. Against this background, this paper aims to explore fundamental barriers and challenges across different types of schools, types of schooling, and countries from the perspective of visually impaired children...

The construction industry is one of the riskiest sectors worldwide, with crane operations being one of the most dangerous activities. The aim of this study was to gain insight into the key factors involved in crane-related occupational accidents in the construction industry in Spain. To this end, 1314 accidents involving cranes were analyzed from a total of 241,937 accidents that occurred in the construction of buildings. The data were collected from the Spanish government's occupational accident statistics corresponding to the years 2012-2021...

BACKGROUND: Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) comprise a variety of products designed to deliver nicotine, flavorings, and other substances. To date, multiple epidemiological and experimental studies have reported a variety of health issues associated with their use, including respiratory toxicity, exacerbation of respiratory conditions, and behavioral and physiological effects. While some of these effects appear to be sex- and/or gender-related, only a portion of the research has been conducted considering these variables...

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a complex and pervasive global phenomenon. Despite extensive research on physical and sexual violence, there has been a relative lack of investigation into the detrimental and distinctive consequences of psychological violence against women. This is surprising given the profound impact it has on the psychological well-being of victims, notably in the form of depression, which is commonly observed as an outcome in cases of psychological IPV victimization. The present study analyzes the impact of psychological IPV on depressive symptoms, considering the moderating influence of personal positivity, defined as positive self-perceptions, optimistic life perspectives, and a hopeful view of the future in a sample of 171 Italian women seeking assistance from anti-violence centers in different localities of Italy...

Firefighters face many hazards on the job and have a high rate of work-related injuries and illnesses (WRII). We analyzed Washington workers' compensation claims from 2006-2020 to characterize WRII in firefighters compared to law enforcement officers and "all other" workers. There were 9187 compensable claims for firefighters, 7801 for law enforcement officers, and 586,939 for "all other" workers. Nearly 40% of claims for firefighters were work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs). The claim rate per 10,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) firefighters was 716...

Psychosocial support programs have been increasingly implemented to protect asylum seekers' wellbeing, though how and why these interventions work is not yet fully understood. This study first uses questionnaires to examine how self-efficacy, satisfaction of basic psychological needs, and adaptive stress may influence wellbeing for a group of asylum-seeking mothers attending a community-based psychosocial program called Welcome Haven. Second, we explore mothers' experiences attending the Welcome Haven program through qualitative interviews...

Despite great strides in the development of contraceptive technologies, the United States has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the world. Religion and associated values may shape the sexual health behaviors of college students, as prior studies have aimed to determine how social factors may influence the use of contraception amongst college students. Thus, we sought to examine the differences in current contraceptive methods and the age of first contraceptive usage among sexually active female college students with different religious affiliations and strengths of religiosity...

After more than two decades of the expansion of antiretroviral treatment (ART) in adolescents living with perinatal HIV (APHIV) in sub-Saharan Africa, there is still poorly sustained long-term adherence to ART due to multifactorial factors with the consequence of increased mortality and morbidity. There are little data available on the familial and structural factors which affect sustenance to long-term adherence to ART. A qualitative exploratory design was used to conduct in-depth interviews with 21 APHIV attending HIV care and management in the rural health facilities of Vhembe district in Limpopo Province, South Africa...

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are prevalent and lead to high morbidity and mortality globally. Physiotherapists regularly interact with patients with or at risk of CVDs (pwCVDs). This study aimed to assess the nature of existing evidence, interventional approaches used, and the population groups included in physiotherapy-led health promotion (PLHP) for pwCVDs. The scoping review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines...

Current programming and resources aimed at supporting the well-being of family caregivers often fail to address considerations unique to those caring for people with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDDs). As a result, many caregivers of people with IDD feel isolated, stressed, and burnt out. A targeted research agenda informed by key stakeholders is needed and would allow research teams to coordinate resources, talents, and efforts to progress family caregiver well-being research in this area quickly and effectively...

The Health Literacy for School-Aged Children (HLSAC) is a brief, generic instrument measuring health literacy among school-aged children. Given its brevity and broad conceptualization of health literacy, the HLSAC is a potentially valuable measuring instrument among adults as well. This validation study aimed to adapt the HLSAC questionnaire to an adult population through assessment of content validity and subsequently determine the structural validity of the adapted instrument, the Brief Health Literacy scale for Adults (B-HLA)...

BACKGROUND: It is well-established that cross-sectional measurements of poor body composition are associated with impaired physical function and that power training effectively enhances total lean mass and physical function in older adults. However, it is unclear if power training-induced changes in body composition are associated with improved physical function in older adults. AIM: The present study investigated associations between body composition and physical function cross-sectionally and with power training-induced changes in older men...

The illegal dumping of solid waste is a prevalent issue in Nigeria, affecting all states. Lagos State, in particular, faces waste disposal problems that stem from urbanization, negative public perception towards waste management, insufficient waste disposal education, poor waste disposal practices, and the disposal of waste at illegal and unauthorized sites. This situation is further exacerbated by inadequate municipal solid waste (MSW) collection rates, making it challenging to combat illegal dumping effectively...

Melasma is a common skin disorder of acquired hyperpigmentation that appears commonly on the face. Although asymptomatic, melasma causes psychosocial and emotional distress. This study aimed to assess melasma's severity on people with darker skin types, evaluate the effects of melasma on the quality of life (QoL), and establish QoL predictors in affected individuals. This was a cross-sectional analytic study that enrolled 150 patients from three private dermatology clinics in Durban, South Africa who were diagnosed with melasma...