Frontiers in Public Health

INTRODUCTION: Shift workers are at a greater risk for obesity-related conditions. The impacts of working at night presents a challenge for designing effective dietary weight-loss interventions for this population group. The Shifting Weight using Intermittent Fasting in night-shift workers (SWIFt) study is a world-first, randomized controlled trial that compares three weight-loss interventions. While the trial will evaluate the effectiveness of weight-loss outcomes, this mixed-methods evaluation aims to explore for who weight-loss outcomes are achieved and what factors (intervention features, individual, social, organisational and wider environmental) contribute to this...

OBJECTIVES: The COVID-19 pandemic has a huge impact on the healthcare system and affects the normal delivery of routine healthcare services to hospitalized patients. This study aimed to examine the differences in patient experience of hospital service before and during COVID-19 among the discharged adult population. METHODS: A territory-wide patient experience survey was conducted before and during COVID-19 (between October 2019 and April 2020) among patients discharged from the main acute and rehabilitation public hospitals in Hong Kong...

The Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is not just a health crisis but also a social crisis. Confronted with the resurgence of variants with massive infections, the triggered activities from personal needs may promote the spread, which should be considered in risk management. Meanwhile, it is important to ensure that the policy responses on citizen life to a lower level. In the face of Omicron mutations, we need to sum up the control experience accumulated, adapting strategies in the dynamic coevolution process while balancing life resumption and pandemic control, to meet challenges of future crises...

INTRODUCTION: The Perioperative Pain Management Bundle was introduced in 10 Serbian PAIN OUT network hospitals to improve the quality of postoperative pain management. The Bundle consists of 4 elements: informing patients about postoperative pain treatment options; administering a full daily dose of 1-2 non-opioid analgesics; administering regional blocks and/or surgical wound infiltration; and assessing pain after surgery. In this study, we aimed to assess the cost-effectiveness of the Bundle during the initial 24 h after surgery...

INTRODUCTION: Although socioeconomic vulnerability and lifestyle factors may contribute to the transmission of Toxocara spp., no study has investigated indigenous populations in Brazil using the One Health approach. METHODS: Accordingly, this study assessed anti- Toxocara spp. antibodies in Brazilian indigenous people and healthcare professionals by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Presence of Toxocara spp. eggs (feces and hair) in dogs as definitive hosts and in soil samples of the indigenous communities were also recovered and molecularly investigated...

INTRODUCTION: As China has rapidly evolved into an aging society, the Chinese government has developed a community-oriented primary healthcare system to vigorously expedite the transfer of primary health care (PHC) from higher-level hospitals to community health centers (CHCs). However, current planning standards for CHCs have not considered the heterogeneity of older adults in supply-demand services, such that the areas with severe aging may comprise of underestimated levels of accessibility...

INTRODUCTION: Several studies have reported on hepatitis E virus (HEV) prevalence in various regions of China, but the results vary widely. Herein, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the seroprevalence, RNA-positive rate, genotype distribution of HEV in China, and its risk factors. METHODS: We included 208 related studies involving 1,785,569 participants published between 1997 and 2022. Random-effects models were used to pool prevalence, and subgroup analyses were conducted by population, gender, age, study period, regions, and rural-urban distribution...

INTRODUCTION: Immigrants were disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and experience unique vaccination barriers. In Canada (37 million people), 23% of the population is foreign-born. Immigrants constitute 60% of the country's racialized (non-white) population and over half of immigrants reside in Ontario, the country's most populous province. Ontario had several strategies aimed at improving vaccine equity including geographic targeting of vaccine supply and clinics, as well as numerous community-led efforts...

Peru is a historically unique and culturally diverse Latin American country. As a low-to-middle-income country (LMIC), Peru faces health implications from the spread of communicable diseases as well as a growing rate of noncommunicable diseases, both of which have been worsened by the recent COVID-19 pandemic's impact on the national health system. Over the past two decades, the country has aimed to improve health access for its population through various efforts described in this review. Despite this, there are notable neurological health disparities that exist today...

OBJECTIVES: This study explores the attitudes of Chinese maternal and child health professionals toward the termination of pregnancy for fetal anomaly (TOPFA) based on four case scenarios and further identifies the factors that influence their attitudes. METHODS: This cross-sectional study, conducted from February 14-21, 2022, aimed to explore the attitudes of maternal and child health professionals toward TOPFA in Hunan Province. We targeted health service institutions across 14 prefecture-level cities and the autonomous prefecture...

BACKGROUNDS: Candida glabrata is a frequently isolated non- albicans Candida species and invasive C. glabrata infections in older patients are associated with high mortality rates. Opportunistic Candida infections in critically ill patients may be either endogenous or nosocomial in origin and this distinction is critical for effective intervention strategies. This study performed multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) to study genotypic relatedness among clinical C. glabrata isolates in Kuwait...

OBJECTIVE: Night flights might aggravate sleep disorders among aging airline pilots, posing a threat to flight safety. In this study, we assess the prevalence of sleep disorders as well as the combined effects of night flight duration and aging on sleep disorders. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted between July and December, 2021. Participants were recruited from a commercial airline. Sleep disorders were evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)...

BACKGROUND: The taboo of menstruation, lack of discussion on puberty, misinformation and poor awareness on menstrual hygiene management and limited access to safe menstrual products can negatively impact the physical and mental health of women and girls residing in low middle income countries. AIM: The aim of the study was to explore the experiences, awareness, perceptions and attitudes of women and girls towards menstrual hygiene management in Pakistan. Moreover, the study also assessed consumer satisfaction towards locally manufactured organic menstrual products...

INTRODUCTION: Vaccination is an important measure used to control the spread of COVID19. The estimation of risk versus benefit of vaccination is based on the understanding of information about the vaccine. Statistics are frequently part of communications about COVID19. Individuals that do not have an adequate foundation of statistical knowledge may not be able to properly assess associated risks and benefits. This study aims to assess the association between statistical literacy and hesitation to receive the COVID19 vaccine...

BACKGROUND: Gamification has proven to be a significant tool for health promotion, with a particular focus on physical activities such as Exergames, which improve not only physical, but also cognitive health. However, it is still not clear what effect the practice of Exergames has on changing the emotional experience. PURPOSE: The objective of this systematic review is to evaluate the impact of Exergames training on emotional experience. METHODS: A systematic search was conducted in the PUBMED and SCOPUS databases...

BACKGROUND: Asthma is a multifactorial chronic disease, whose most frequent etiology is allergy, especially to Blomia tropicalis . In French Guiana, the childhood prevalence of Blomia T sensitization is unkwown. The aim of this study was to determine the proportion of sensitization to Blomia T and other mites in asthmatic children, and to describe the characteristics of childhood asthma in French Guiana. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study focused on children from 0 to 18 years of age, followed for asthma at the Department of Pediatrics of the Cayenne Hospital Center in French Guiana...

INTRODUCTION: It is known that humans and pet dogs harbor microbial communities that are important regulators of health and disease. Pet dogs have been shown to promote microbial exchange between members of a household, a process that may have lasting health implications. Infancy marks a unique period of development as environmental exploration and introduction to complementary foods occur. This may lead to greater opportunities for microbial transfer between pet dogs and human infants due to a more confined shared environment, similar means of mobility, greater physical contact, and increased frequency of shared foods...

There is an increasing interest in the health effects of the forest. Without active participation in forestry, conflicts between the various stakeholders are foreseeable. The impact of forests on human life is unforgettable, and everyone gets enormous benefits from trees and greenery. COVID-19 has caused many changes in human behavior, which needs much attention. Environmental change's impact is considered a better solution and influences human behavior. Scientists around the globe are conducting research experiments on trees and the effect of forestry on human health, which is increasing in terms of social, ecological, and economic services...

INTRODUCTION: Older age is associated with the deterioration of physical functioning (PF), and low PF is strongly related to poor quality of life among older people. We conducted a study to examine the trajectories of PF between middle and old age, considering sex differences as well as the association between socioeconomic status (SES) at different life stages and changes in PF. METHODS: We analyzed data from the Polish arm of the HAPIEE (Health, Alcohol and Psychosocial factors In Eastern Europe) study, including 1,116 men and 1,178 women aged 45-64 years at baseline...

INTRODUCTION: Studies consistently link excessive smartphone use to poor sleep quality, depression, anxiety, and stress. This study specifically aimed to investigate these associations among medical students in Belgrade and Nis (Central Serbia). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The cross-sectional study included a sample of 761 students, who were selected from both the Faculties of Medicine at the University of Belgrade and the University of Nis. Questionnaires, including the International Physical Activity Questionnaire - Short Form (IPAQ-SF), Smartphone Addiction Scale - Short Version (SAS-SV), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale - 21 items (DASS-21), were completed by the participants...