Articles

A multi-country cross-sectional study of self-reported sexually transmitted infections among sexually active men in sub-Saharan Africa

Despite the importance of self-reporting health in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) control, studies on self-reported sexually transmitted infections (SR-STIs) are scanty, especially in sub-Saharan Afric...

Authors: Abdul-Aziz Seidu, Bright Opoku Ahinkorah, Louis Kobina Dadzie, Justice Kanor Tetteh, Ebenezer Agbaglo, Joshua Okyere, Tarif Salihu, Kenneth Fosu Oteng, Eustace Bugase, Sampson Aboagye Osei, John Elvis Hagan Jr and Thomas Schack

Community acceptability of dolutegravir-based HIV treatment in women: a qualitative study in South Africa and Uganda

Despite concerns about dolutegravir use in pregnancy, most low- and middle-income countries are accelerating the introduction of dolutegravir-based regimens into national antiretroviral treatment programmes. Q...

Authors: Yussif Alhassan, Adelline Twimukye, Thoko Malaba, Catherine Orrell, Landon Myer, Catriona Waitt, Mohammed Lamorde, Andrew Kambugu, Helen Reynolds, Saye Khoo and Miriam Taegtmeyer

Prevalence of soil-transmitted helminth infections and associated risk factors among elderly individuals living in rural areas of southern Thailand

Soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infection is a neglected tropical disease affecting approximately 1.5 billion people worldwide. In past decades, most studies focused on STH infection in preschool-aged and scho...

Authors: Ratee Kache, Nonthapan Phasuk, Parnpen Viriyavejakul and Chuchard Punsawad

Determinants of the utilization of allergy management measures among hay fever sufferers: a theory-based cross-sectional study

The quality of life of chronically ill individuals, such as hay fever sufferers, is significantly dependent on their health behavior. This survey aimed to explain the health-related behavior of allergic indivi...

Authors: Anna Muzalyova and Jens O. Brunner

Proximate, intermediate, and distal predictors of under-five mortality in Chad: analysis of the 2014–15 Chad demographic and health survey data

Under-five mortality in Chad reached a minimum value of 119 deaths per 1000 live births in 2018, compared with a maximum of 250 in 1972. Despite this decline in the  mortality trend, for every six children in ...

Authors: Bright Opoku Ahinkorah, Abdul-Aziz Seidu, Eugene Budu, Ebenezer Kwesi Armah-Ansah, Ebenezer Agbaglo, Collins Adu, John Elvis Hagan Jr and Sanni Yaya

Hindsight is 2020 vision: a characterisation of the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic

The global impact of COVID-19 and the country-specific responses to the pandemic provide an unparalleled opportunity to learn about different patterns of the outbreak and interventions. We model the global pat...

Authors: David J. Warne, Anthony Ebert, Christopher Drovandi, Wenbiao Hu, Antonietta Mira and Kerrie Mengersen

Mental health status during COVID-19 pandemic in Fars Province, Iran: timely measures

The current corona virus pandemic is acting as a stressor or trauma, which not only threats physical health status, but also threats mental health status and well-being of people. Currently, COVID-19 pandemic ...

Authors: Arash Mani, Ali Reza Estedlal, Mahsa Kamali, Seyede Zahra Ghaemi, Leila Zarei, Nasrin Shokrpour, Seyed Taghi Heydari and Kamran Bagheri Lankarani

The incorporation of HIV self-testing as an exclusive option among men who have sex with men in Spain: results of an online cross-sectional study

We assessed to what extent HIV self-testing would be incorporated by men who have sex with men (MSM) with previous testing history as their exclusive testing option and describe what actions they would take in...

Authors: J. Hoyos, J. M. Guerras, K. Koutentakis, L. de la Fuente, J. Pulido, L. Sordo, F. Vallejo and M. J. Belza

Integrating climate in Ugandan health and subsistence food systems: where diverse knowledges meet

The effects of food insecurity linked to climate change will be exacerbated in subsistence communities that are dependent upon food systems for their livelihoods and sustenance. Place-and community-based forms...

Authors: Bianca van Bavel, Lea Berrang Ford, Rebecca King, Shuaib Lwasa, Didacus Namanya, Sabastian Twesigomwe, Helen Elsey and Sherilee L. Harper

Prevalence of syphilis, neurosyphilis and associated factors in a cross-sectional analysis of HIV infected patients attending Bugando Medical Centre, Mwanza, Tanzania

HIV-syphilis co-infection can enhance the rapid progression of early or late latent syphilis to neurosyphilis and can cause catastrophic neurological complications. In studies in Mwanza, syphilis affects ~ 8% ...

Authors: Adeodatus Haule, Betrand Msemwa, Evarista Mgaya, Peter Masikini and Samuel Kalluvya

Knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding antibiotic use and resistance among medical students in Colombia: a cross-sectional descriptive study

This study was designed to describe the knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding antibiotic use and resistance among medical students in Medellín, Colombia.

Authors: Luis Felipe Higuita-Gutiérrez, Gustavo Eduardo Roncancio Villamil and Judy Natalia Jiménez Quiceno

Socioeconomic inequality in intermittent preventive treatment using Sulphadoxine pyrimethamine among pregnant women in Nigeria

Intermittent preventive treatment using Sulphadoxine pyrimethamine (IPTp-SP) for malaria prevention is recommended for all pregnant women in malaria endemic areas. However, there is limited evidence on the lev...

Authors: Fatima Mahmud Muhammad, Reza Majdzadeh, Saharnaz Nedjat, Haniye Sadat Sajadi and Mahboubeh Parsaeian

Aboriginal community controlled health organisations address health equity through action on the social determinants of health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia

Indigenous populations globally are continually striving for better health and wellbeing due to experiencing significant health and social inequities. The social determinants of health are important contributo...

Authors: O. Pearson, K. Schwartzkopff, A. Dawson, C. Hagger, A. Karagi, C. Davy, A. Brown and A. Braunack-Mayer

Potentially avoidable hospitalization for asthma in children and adolescents by migrant status: results from the Italian Network for Longitudinal Metropolitan Studies

Global migration toward Europe is increasing. Providing health assistance to migrants is challenging because numerous barriers limit their accessibility to health services. Migrants may be at a greater risk of...

Authors: Laura Cacciani, Cristina Canova, Giulia Barbieri, Teresa Dalla Zuanna, Claudia Marino, Barbara Pacelli, Nicola Caranci, Elena Strippoli, Nicolás Zengarini, Anteo Di Napoli, Nera Agabiti and Marina Davoli

Are dietary interventions with a behaviour change theoretical framework effective in changing dietary patterns? A systematic review

The term ‘whole dietary pattern’ can be defined as the quantity, frequency, variety and combination of different foods and drinks typically consumed and a growing body of research supports the role of whole di...

Authors: Deirdre Timlin, Jacqueline M. McCormack, Maeve Kerr, Laura Keaver and Ellen E. A. Simpson

Walking the talk: evaluating the alignment between Australian governments’ stated principles for working in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health contexts and health evaluation practice

Stated principles in government policy documents serve as a set of values outlining how governments intend to work. As such, health planning principles should be reflected in health policy across the cycle of ...

Authors: Joanne N. Luke, Angeline S. Ferdinand, Yin Paradies, Daniel Chamravi and Margaret Kelaher

Patient and health system factors associated with pretreatment loss to follow up among patients diagnosed with tuberculosis using Xpert® MTB/RIF testing in Uganda

In 2018, Uganda started only 65% of persons with incident tuberculosis on treatment. Pretreatment loss to follow up is an important contributor to suboptimal treatment coverage. We aimed to describe the patien...

Authors: Stella Zawedde-Muyanja, Achilles Katamba, Adithya Cattamanchi, Barbara Castelnuovo and Yukari C. Manabe

Validation of the Persian version of family health climate scale (FHC-Scale) in Iranian families

Family health is an important issue which has attracted researchers from different fields. The present study aimed to validate the Persian version of the Family Health Climate Scale (FHC-Scale).

Authors: Akram Kharazmi, Jeannine M. Brant, Moosa Sajjadi, Mahdi Moshki and Leila Sadegh Moghadam

Comparative analysis of COVID-19 guidelines from six countries: a qualitative study on the US, China, South Korea, the UK, Brazil, and Haiti

In late January, a worldwide crisis known as COVID-19 was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the WHO. Within only a few weeks, the outbreak took on pandemic proportions, affecting o...

Authors: Ji Youn Yoo, Samia Valeria Ozorio Dutra, Dany Fanfan, Sarah Sniffen, Hao Wang, Jamile Siddiqui, Hyo-Suk Song, Sung Hwan Bang, Dong Eun Kim, Shihoon Kim and Maureen Groer

Inequality in child undernutrition among urban population in India: a decomposition analysis

With increasing urbanization in India, child growth among urban poor has emerged as a paramount public health concern amidst the continuously growing slum population and deteriorating quality of life. This stu...

Authors: S. K. Singh, Shobhit Srivastava and Shekhar Chauhan

Addressing sickness absence among adolescents and young adults: an evaluation of the Medical Advice for Sick-reported Students intervention

Sickness absence is associated with lower school achievements and early school leaving. The Medical Advice for Sick-reported Students (MASS) intervention is a proactive school-based intervention focused primar...

Authors: Suzanne J. van den Toren, Carmen B. Franse, Yvonne T. M. Vanneste, Rienke Bannink, Marjolein Lugtenberg, Wico C. Mulder, Marlou L. A. de Kroon, Amy van Grieken and Hein Raat

Towards a comprehensive, person-centred assessment of health literacy: translation, cultural adaptation and psychometric test of the Dutch Health Literacy Questionnaire

Many health literacy instruments focus on reading skills, numeracy and/or information processing aspects only. In the Netherlands, as in other countries, the need for a comprehensive, person-centred measure of...

Authors: Jany Rademakers, Geeke Waverijn, Mieke Rijken, Richard Osborne and Monique Heijmans

How to optimise public health interventions: a scoping review of guidance from optimisation process frameworks

Optimisation processes have the potential to rapidly improve the impact of health interventions. Optimisation can be defined as a deliberate, iterative and data-driven process to improve a health intervention and...

Authors: Sam McCrabb, Kaitlin Mooney, Benjamin Elton, Alice Grady, Sze Lin Yoong and Luke Wolfenden

Prevalence and determinants of intimate partner violence against mothers of children under-five years in Central Malawi

Intimate partner violence (IPV) against women is a global human rights violation and a public health problem. The phenomenon is linked to adverse health effects for women and children. Mothers of young childre...

Authors: Emmanuel Chilanga, Delphine Collin-Vezina, Mohammad Nuruzzaman Khan and Liam Riley

‘I decided to go back to work so I can afford to buy her formula’: a longitudinal mixed-methods study to explore how women in informal work balance the competing demands of infant feeding and working to provide for their family

In South Africa almost 2 million women work informally. Informal work is characterised by poor job security, low earnings, and unsafe working conditions, with high rates of poverty and food insecurity. The per...

Authors: Silondile Luthuli, Lyn Haskins, Sphindile Mapumulo, Nigel Rollins and Christiane Horwood

Acceptability of a feasibility randomized clinical trial of a microenterprise intervention to reduce sexual risk behaviors and increase employment and HIV preventive practices (EMERGE) in young adults: a mixed methods assessment

Acceptability is a critical requisite in establishing feasibility when planning a larger effectiveness trial. This study assessed the acceptability of conducting a feasibility randomized clinical trial of a 20...

Authors: Larissa Jennings Mayo-Wilson, Jessica Coleman, Fatmata Timbo, Carl Latkin, Elizabeth R. Torres Brown, Anthony I. Butler, Donaldson F. Conserve and Nancy E. Glass

Perceptions of LGBQ+ youth and experts of suicide prevention video messages targeting LGBQ+ youth: qualitative study

Young lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer as well as other sexual/gender minorities (LGBTQ+) persons have higher rates of suicidal ideation and behavior compared to their non-LGBTQ+ peers, particularly ...

Authors: Stefanie Kirchner, Benedikt Till, Martin Plöderl and Thomas Niederkrotenthaler

Association between social trust and the risk of cardiovascular disease in older adults in Korea: a nationwide retrospective cohort study

Although social capital has been shown to be one of the important social determinants of health, the association between social trust and the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is not clear yet. We aimed to ...

Authors: Seo Eun Hwang, Seulggie Choi, Kyuwoong Kim, Jong-Koo Lee, Juhwan Oh and Sang Min Park

The prevalence of hypertension and its distribution by sociodemographic factors in Central Mozambique: a cross sectional study

Hypertension (HTN) is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, and its prevalence has been rising in low- and middle-income countries. The current study describes HTN prevalence in central Mozambique, ...

Authors: Mika Matsuzaki, Kenneth Sherr, Orvalho Augusto, Yoshito Kawakatsu, Kristjana Ásbjörnsdóttir, Falume Chale, Alfredo Covele, Nelia Manaca, Alberto Muanido, Bradley H. Wagenaar, Ana O. Mocumbi and Sarah Gimbel

The impact of social insurance on health among middle-aged and older adults in rural China: a longitudinal study using a three-wave nationwide survey

Many studies have examined the impact of social insurance on health, but the results have generally been mixed, presumably because they have not fully addressed potential biases related to the study’s cross-se...

Authors: Xinxin Ma and Takashi Oshio

Psychosocial support interventions for improved adherence and retention in ART care for young people living with HIV (10–24 years): a scoping review

Mental health disorders such as high levels of anxiety, isolation, depression and suicide ideation reported among young people living with HIV (10–24 years;YPLHIV) contribute significantly to poor medication a...

Authors: Emeka F. Okonji, Ferdinand C. Mukumbang, Zaida Orth, Shelley A. Vickerman-Delport and Brian Van Wyk

Trends in contraceptive use, unmet need and associated factors of modern contraceptive use among urban adolescents and young women in Guinea

In Guinea, high fertility among adolescents and young women in urban areas remains a public health concern. This study describes trends in contraceptive use, unmet need, and factors associated with the use of ...

Authors: Sidikiba Sidibé, Alexandre Delamou, Bienvenu Salim Camara, Nafissatou Dioubaté, Hawa Manet, Alison M. El Ayadi, Lenka Benova and Seni Kouanda

Perception and attitudinal factors contributing to periodic deworming of preschool children in an urban slum, Nigeria

Over 20 million preschool-age children (PSAC) in Nigeria require periodic chemotherapy (PC) for soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections. Persistently low coverage for this age group threatens the World Heal...

Authors: Paul Eze, Ujunwa Justina Agu, Chioma Lynda Aniebo, Sergius Alex Agu and Lucky Osaheni Lawani

Evaluation of the uptake of tuberculosis preventative therapy for people living with HIV in Namibia: a multiple methods analysis

In 2016, Namibia had ~ 230,000 people living with HIV (PLHIV) and 9154 new tuberculosis (TB) cases, including 3410 (38%) co-infected cases. TB preventative therapy (TPT), consisting of intensive case finding a...

Authors: Clay Roscoe, Chris Lockhart, Michael de Klerk, Andrew Baughman, Simon Agolory, Michael Gawanab, Heather Menzies, Anna Jonas, Natanael Salomo, Negussie Taffa, David Lowrance, Katherine Robsky, Deanna Tollefson, Eric Pevzner, Ndapewa Hamunime, Farai Mavhunga…

Complete basic childhood vaccination and associated factors among children aged 12–23 months in East Africa: a multilevel analysis of recent demographic and health surveys

Complete childhood vaccination remains poor in Sub-Saharan Africa, despite major improvement in childhood vaccination coverage worldwide. Globally, an estimated 2.5 million children die annually from vaccine-p...

Authors: Getayeneh Antehunegn Tesema, Zemenu Tadesse Tessema, Koku Sisay Tamirat and Achamyeleh Birhanu Teshale

Improvement of Parent’s awareness, knowledge, perception, and acceptability of human papillomavirus vaccination after a structured-educational intervention

Regardless of the disease burden of human papillomavirus (HPV), the vaccine has not been included in the Indonesia National Immunization Program. Since 2017 there was a demonstration program of the HPV vaccina...

Authors: Mei Neni Sitaresmi, Nisrina Maulida Rozanti, Lamria Besty Simangunsong and Abdul Wahab

The prevalence rate of sexual violence worldwide: a trend analysis

The purpose of the present study is to showcase the image of Sexual Violence (SV) temporal trends through exploring differences in its prevalence rates during 1990–2017 across 195 countries and territories.

Authors: Nasrin Borumandnia, Naghmeh Khadembashi, Mohammad Tabatabaei and Hamid Alavi Majd

Correction to: A survival analysis of COVID-19 in the Mexican population

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Authors: Guillermo Salinas-Escudero, María Fernanda Carrillo-Vega, Víctor Granados-García, Silvia Martínez-Valverde, Filiberto Toledano-Toledano and Juan Garduño-Espinosa

Daily step count and incident diabetes in community-dwelling 70-year-olds: a prospective cohort study

Older adults with diabetes take fewer steps per day than those without diabetes. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the association of daily step count with incident diabetes in community-dwel...

Authors: Marcel Ballin, Peter Nordström, Johan Niklasson, Antti Alamäki, Joan Condell, Salvatore Tedesco and Anna Nordström

Association of environmental factors and high HFMD occurrence in northern Thailand

The major population vulnerable to hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) is children aged less than 5 years, particularly those who are cared for at day care centers (DCCs). This study aimed to assess the associ...

Authors: Pussadee Laor, Tawatchai Apidechkul, Siriyaporn Khunthason, Vivat Keawdounglek, Suntorn Sudsandee, Krailak Fakkaew and Weerayuth Siriratruengsuk

Development and internal validation of risk prediction model of metabolic syndrome in oil workers

The prevalence of metabolic syndrome continues to rise sharply worldwide, seriously threatening people’s health. The optimal model can be used to identify people at high risk of metabolic syndrome as early as ...

Authors: Jie Wang, Chao Li, Jing Li, Sheng Qin, Chunlei Liu, Jiaojiao Wang, Zhe Chen, Jianhui Wu and Guoli Wang

Once is rarely enough: can social prescribing facilitate adherence to non-clinical community and voluntary sector health services? Empirical evidence from Germany

Non-clinical health interventions provided by the voluntary and community sector can improve patients’ health and well-being and reduce pressure on primary and secondary care, but only if patients adhere to th...

Authors: Veronika Golubinski, Eva-Maria Wild, Vera Winter and Jonas Schreyögg

A rapid review of mental and physical health effects of working at home: how do we optimise health?

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in changes to the working arrangements of millions of employees who are now based at home and may continue to work at home, in some capacity, for the foreseeabl...

Authors: Jodi Oakman, Natasha Kinsman, Rwth Stuckey, Melissa Graham and Victoria Weale

A mixed-methods community-based participatory research to explore stakeholder’s perspectives and to quantify the effect of crop residue burning on air and human health in Central India: study protocol

Crop residue burning adversely affects air quality and consequently human health. India, being one of the largest agro-economies of the world, produces around 500 Million tonnes of crop residue annually most o...

Authors: Tanwi Trushna, Vishal Diwan, Subroto Shambhu Nandi, Satish Bhagwatrao Aher, Rajnarayan R. Tiwari and Yogesh Damodar Sabde

A health inequality impact assessment from reduction in overweight and obesity

In recent years, social differences in overweight and obesity (OWOB) have become more pronounced. Health impact assessments provide population-level scenario evaluations of changes in disease prevalence and ri...

Authors: Anne Mette Bender, Jan Sørensen, Finn Diderichsen and Henrik Brønnum-Hansen

Complex return to work process – caseworkers’ experiences of facilitating return to work for individuals on sick leave due to musculoskeletal disorders

Authors: Ida Løchting, Margreth Grotle, Kjersti Storheim, Vegard Foldal, Martin Inge Standal, Egil Andreas Fors and Hedda Eik

Socioeconomic and marital status among liver cirrhosis patients and associations with mortality: a population-based cohort study in Sweden

The importance of socioeconomic status for survival in cirrhosis patients is more or less pronounced within different populations, most likely due to cultural and regional differences combined with dissimilari...

Authors: Juan Vaz, Ulf Strömberg, Berne Eriksson, David Buchebner and Patrik Midlöv

Knowledge, attitudes and practices of the Chinese public with respect to coronavirus disease (COVID-19): an online cross-sectional survey

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has become a pandemic. The knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of the public play a major role in the prevention and control of infectious diseases. The objective of the pr...

Authors: Huiming Gao, Rujun Hu, Ling Yin, Xiaoli Yuan, Hao Tang, Lan Luo, Mei Chen, Di Huang, Ying Wang, Anyong Yu and Zhixia Jiang

Effect of WeChat consultation group on residents staying at home in Sichuan and Chongqing regions during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in China: a cross-sectional study

After the outbreak of Coronavirus in Wuhan, Hubei, in 2019, the disease rapidly spread to other parts of China as well as outside of China. Since the pandemic outbreak, the general public has been responsive t...

Authors: Xiaolei Hu, Xuejun Li, Yang Lü, Jing Tang, Hai Rong Li and Min Tang

Impact of COVID-19 on the health and psychosocial status of vulnerable older adults: study protocol for an observational study

Many countries around the world have adopted social distancing as one of the public health measures to reduce COVID-19 transmissions in the community. Such measures could have negative effects on the mental he...

Authors: Gary Cheung, Claudia Rivera-Rodriguez, Adrian Martinez-Ruiz, Etuini Ma’u, Brigid Ryan, Vanessa Burholt, Ange Bissielo and Brigette Meehan