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International Journal of Environmental... Apr 2022As the world continues to urbanize, it is necessary to identify and implement new urban development models and strategies in order to meet the challenges of sustainable... (Review)
Review
As the world continues to urbanize, it is necessary to identify and implement new urban development models and strategies in order to meet the challenges of sustainable development. As cities continue to face challenges in becoming fully circular, the need to establish a framework to measure the circular economy in urban areas grows. Many definitions for circular cities have been developed and addressed in recent years, as have numerous indicators. To make the transition to a circular city, we must integrate the findings and develop a general definition and measurement framework. This article aims at outlining a framework for circular cities indicators based on their key characteristics, as well providing directions for fostering circularity at the city level. To accomplish this goal, we conducted a systematic review and analyzed key papers published in the field of circular economy to determine how circular cities are measured. Choosing the right indicators to use for developing, monitoring, and evaluating circular cities is a difficult task for urban policymakers, managers, and planners. This highlights the significance of standardized frameworks for urban indicators. As a result, the authors propose a framework and highlight some key points about circular cities and smart urban metabolism.
Topics: Cities; Sustainable Development
PubMed: 35564570
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19095177 -
Journal of Public Health Research Jan 2023One of the five Ottawa Charter's means of action is the concept of "healthy public policy," which is an approach to health promotion that is integrated with public... (Review)
Review
One of the five Ottawa Charter's means of action is the concept of "healthy public policy," which is an approach to health promotion that is integrated with public policy. This concept can be used as an approach/method in solving health problems at the broader policy level and involving all sectors comprehensively, not just health promotion at the community level and the partial health sector, so that public health problems can be resolved properly. We conducted a systematic review of health promotion policies or regulations using CCAT theory. The purpose of this study is to find the state of the art of research related to stakeholder synergy in online game addiction prevention policies in adolescents. References and literature for this systematic review were collected from the Proquest, ScienceDirect, Pubmed, and Google Scholar databases. The search uses the boolean phrases "OR" and "AND." Keywords: policy or regulation, health promotion, and community coalition action theory. The results of the systematic review conducted by the researchers showed that of the twenty selected articles, three articles used the coalition/partnership dimension from the CCAT theory, four articles used the stakeholder dimension, two articles used the collaboration dimension, five articles discussed school health policies, policies related to gaming disorders. One article on the analysis of the juvenile contraceptive law, one article on the prevention of mental health disorders, one article on health promotion interventions, and two articles on risk factors and self-regulation focus on online gaming addiction in adolescents. This study concludes that in the future, further research is needed regarding health promotion policies to prevent online game addiction in adolescents to develop specific policy recommendations related to preventing online game addiction in adolescents.
PubMed: 36779075
DOI: 10.1177/22799036231153479 -
EClinicalMedicine May 2023Smoke-free policies are essential to protect people against tobacco smoke exposure. To successfully implement smoke-free policies that go beyond enclosed public places...
BACKGROUND
Smoke-free policies are essential to protect people against tobacco smoke exposure. To successfully implement smoke-free policies that go beyond enclosed public places and workplaces, public support is important. We undertook a comprehensive systematic review of levels and determinants of public support for indoor (semi-)private and outdoor smoke-free policies.
METHODS
In this systematic review and meta-analysis, six electronic databases were searched for studies (published between 1 January 2004 and 19 January 2022) reporting support for (semi-)private and outdoor smoke-free policies in representative samples of at least 400 respondents aged 16 years and above. Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed risk of bias of individual reports using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. The primary outcome was proportion support for smoke-free policies, grouped according to location covered. Three-level meta-analyses, subgroup analyses and meta-regression were performed.
FINDINGS
14,749 records were screened, of which 107 were included; 42 had low risk of bias and 65 were at moderate risk. 99 studies were included in the meta-analyses, reporting 326 measures of support from 896,016 individuals across 33 different countries. Support was pooled for indoor private areas (e.g., private cars, homes: 73%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 66-79), indoor semi-private areas (e.g., multi-unit housing: 70%, 95% CI: 48-86), outdoor hospitality areas (e.g., café and restaurant terraces: 50%, 95% CI: 43-56), outdoor non-hospitality areas (e.g., school grounds, playgrounds, parks, beaches: 69%, 95% CI: 64-73), outdoor semi-private areas (e.g., shared gardens: 67%, 95% CI: 53-79) and outdoor private areas (e.g., private balconies: 41%, 95% CI: 18-69). Subcategories showed highest support for smoke-free cars with children (86%, 95% CI: 81-89), playgrounds (80%, 95% CI: 74-86) and school grounds (76%, 95% CI: 69-83). Non-smokers and ex-smokers were more in favour of smoke-free policies compared to smokers. Support generally increased over time, and following implementation of each smoke-free policy.
INTERPRETATION
Our findings suggested that public support for novel smoke-free policies is high, especially in places frequented by children. Governments should be reassured about public support for implementation of novel smoke-free policies.
FUNDING
Dutch Heart Foundation, Lung Foundation Netherlands, Dutch Cancer Society, Dutch Diabetes Research Foundation and Netherlands Thrombosis Foundation.
PubMed: 37256097
DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2023.101982 -
Tobacco Control Apr 2023This systematic review on flavour capsule cigarettes aims to examine prevalence, correlates of use, behaviours and perceptions of these products globally. (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
This systematic review on flavour capsule cigarettes aims to examine prevalence, correlates of use, behaviours and perceptions of these products globally.
DATA SOURCES
A search of original, peer-reviewed research without restrictions in publication year, population, study design or language, using a combination of cigarette and capsule terms was conducted across four databases (Medline, Embase, Web of Science and Scopus), indexed until 30 April 2021.
STUDY SELECTION
Studies were included if they presented original, human subjects research on flavour capsule cigarettes.
DATA EXTRACTION
Two authors independently extracted data on main outcome results and assessed risk of bias using a validated quality assessment tool (QATSDD).
DATA SYNTHESIS
Of 842 unduplicated database records and four studies from citation searching screened, 20 studies were included in the review. Studies reported data from 2009 to 2019 across eight countries, the majority of which used cross-sectional or focus group study designs. Current capsule use among smokers was highest in Chile and Mexico (40%) and was associated with younger age, and in some countries, with being female. Capsule cigarettes are perceived as tasting better, being smoother on the throat, more fun to smoke, and more attractive compared with non-capsule cigarettes, particularly among susceptible non-smokers and non-daily smokers.
CONCLUSION
Findings call for the adoption of comprehensive tobacco control policies that account for flavour capsules and similar iterations, which can increase appeal through flavours and innovative features. Continued monitoring and research of these products is critical, with particular attention to low-income and middle-income countries, which make up a disproportionately larger share of the capsule market.
Topics: Humans; Female; Male; Cross-Sectional Studies; Tobacco Products; Taste; Smokers; Taste Perception; Flavoring Agents
PubMed: 34607888
DOI: 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2021-056837 -
JAMA Network Open Jul 2023Smoking causes considerable noncommunicable diseases, perinatal morbidity, and mortality. (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
IMPORTANCE
Smoking causes considerable noncommunicable diseases, perinatal morbidity, and mortality.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the associations of population-level tobacco-control policies with health outcomes.
DATA SOURCES
PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cumulated Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and EconLit were searched from inception to March 2021 (updated on 1 March 2022). References were manually searched.
STUDY SELECTION
Studies reporting on associations of population-level tobacco control policies with health-related outcomes were included. Data were analyzed from May to July 2022.
DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS
Data were extracted by 1 investigator and cross-checked by a second investigator. Analyses were conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses reporting guideline.
MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES
The primary outcomes were respiratory system disease (RSD), cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer, mortality, hospitalization, and health care utilization. The secondary outcomes were adverse birth outcomes, such as low birth weight and preterm birth. Random-effects meta-analysis was used to estimate pooled odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs.
RESULTS
Of 4952 records identified, 144 population-level studies were included in the final analysis; 126 studies (87.5%) were of high or moderate quality. The most frequently reported policies were smoke-free legislation (126 studies), followed by tax or price increases (14 studies), multicomponent tobacco control programs (12 studies), and a minimum cigarette purchase age law (1 study). Smoke-free legislation was associated with decreased risk of all CVD events (OR, 0.90; 95% CI, 0.86-0.94), RSD events (OR, 0.83; 95% CI, 0.72-0.96), hospitalization due to CVD or RSD (OR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.87-0.95), and adverse birth outcomes (OR, 0.94; 95% CI, 0.92-0.96). These associations persisted in all sensitivity and subgroup analyses, except for the country income category, for which a significant reduction was only observed in high-income countries. In meta-analysis, there was no clear association of tax or price increases with adverse health outcomes. However, for the narrative synthesis, all 8 studies reported statistically significant associations between tax increases and decreases in adverse health events.
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
In this systematic review and meta-analysis, smoke-free legislation was associated with significant reductions in morbidity and mortality related to CVD, RSD, and perinatal outcomes. These findings support the need to accelerate the implementation of smoke-free laws to protect populations against smoking-related harm.
Topics: Pregnancy; Female; Infant, Newborn; Humans; Tobacco Control; Premature Birth; Cardiovascular Diseases; Pregnancy Complications
PubMed: 37418258
DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.22341 -
Journal of Medical Internet Research Feb 2022There are a host of emergent technologies with the potential to improve hospital care in low- and middle-income countries such as Vietnam. Wearable monitors and... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
There are a host of emergent technologies with the potential to improve hospital care in low- and middle-income countries such as Vietnam. Wearable monitors and artificial intelligence-based decision support systems could be integrated with hospital-based digital health systems such as electronic health records (EHRs) to provide higher level care at a relatively low cost. However, the appropriate and sustainable application of these innovations in low- and middle-income countries requires an understanding of the local government's requirements and regulations such as technology specifications, cybersecurity, data-sharing protocols, and interoperability.
OBJECTIVE
This scoping review aims to explore the current state of digital health research and the policies that govern the adoption of digital health systems in Vietnamese hospitals.
METHODS
We conducted a scoping review using a modification of the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines. PubMed and Web of Science were searched for academic publications, and Thư Viện Pháp Luật, a proprietary database of Vietnamese government documents, and the Vietnam Electronic Health Administration website were searched for government documents. Google Scholar and Google Search were used for snowballing searches. The sources were assessed against predefined eligibility criteria through title, abstract, and full-text screening. Relevant information from the included sources was charted and summarized. The review process was primarily undertaken by one researcher and reviewed by another researcher during each step.
RESULTS
In total, 11 academic publications and 20 government documents were included in this review. Among the academic studies, 5 reported engineering solutions for information systems in hospitals, 2 assessed readiness for EHR implementation, 1 tested physicians' performance before and after using clinical decision support software, 1 reported a national laboratory information management system, and 2 reviewed the health system's capability to implement eHealth and artificial intelligence. Of the 20 government documents, 19 were promulgated from 2013 to 2020. These regulations and guidance cover a wide range of digital health domains, including hospital information management systems, general and interoperability standards, cybersecurity in health organizations, conditions for the provision of health information technology (HIT), electronic health insurance claims, laboratory information systems, HIT maturity, digital health strategies, electronic medical records, EHRs, and eHealth architectural frameworks.
CONCLUSIONS
Research about hospital-based digital health systems in Vietnam is very limited, particularly implementation studies. Government regulations and guidance for HIT in health care organizations have been released with increasing frequency since 2013, targeting a variety of information systems such as electronic medical records, EHRs, and laboratory information systems. In general, these policies were focused on the basic specifications and standards that digital health systems need to meet. More research is needed in the future to guide the implementation of digital health care systems in the Vietnam hospital setting.
Topics: Artificial Intelligence; Decision Support Systems, Clinical; Health Policy; Hospitals; Humans; Vietnam
PubMed: 35138264
DOI: 10.2196/32392 -
Globalization and Health Nov 2023Emerging infectious diseases of zoonotic origin present a critical threat to global population health. As accelerating globalisation makes epidemics and pandemics more... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Emerging infectious diseases of zoonotic origin present a critical threat to global population health. As accelerating globalisation makes epidemics and pandemics more difficult to contain, there is a need for effective preventive interventions that reduce the risk of zoonotic spillover events. Public policies can play a key role in preventing spillover events. The aim of this review is to identify and describe evaluations of public policies that target the determinants of zoonotic spillover. Our approach is informed by a One Health perspective, acknowledging the inter-connectedness of human, animal and environmental health.
METHODS
In this systematic scoping review, we searched Medline, SCOPUS, Web of Science and Global Health in May 2021 using search terms combining animal health and the animal-human interface, public policy, prevention and zoonoses. We screened titles and abstracts, extracted data and reported our process in line with PRISMA-ScR guidelines. We also searched relevant organisations' websites for evaluations published in the grey literature. All evaluations of public policies aiming to prevent zoonotic spillover events were eligible for inclusion. We summarised key data from each study, mapping policies along the spillover pathway.
RESULTS
Our review found 95 publications evaluating 111 policies. We identified 27 unique policy options including habitat protection; trade regulations; border control and quarantine procedures; farm and market biosecurity measures; public information campaigns; and vaccination programmes, as well as multi-component programmes. These were implemented by many sectors, highlighting the cross-sectoral nature of zoonotic spillover prevention. Reports emphasised the importance of surveillance data in both guiding prevention efforts and enabling policy evaluation, as well as the importance of industry and private sector actors in implementing many of these policies. Thoughtful engagement with stakeholders ranging from subsistence hunters and farmers to industrial animal agriculture operations is key for policy success in this area.
CONCLUSION
This review outlines the state of the evaluative evidence around policies to prevent zoonotic spillover in order to guide policy decision-making and focus research efforts. Since we found that most of the existing policy evaluations target 'downstream' determinants, additional research could focus on evaluating policies targeting 'upstream' determinants of zoonotic spillover, such as land use change, and policies impacting infection intensity and pathogen shedding in animal populations, such as those targeting animal welfare.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Zoonoses; Communicable Diseases, Emerging; Global Health; Policy Making; Policy
PubMed: 37940941
DOI: 10.1186/s12992-023-00986-x -
JMIR Human Factors Dec 2023Humans currently dominate decision-making in both clinical health services and complex health services such as health policy and health regulation. Many assumptions... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Humans currently dominate decision-making in both clinical health services and complex health services such as health policy and health regulation. Many assumptions inherent in health service models today are underpinned by Ramsey's Expected Utility Theory, a prominent theory in the field of economics that is rooted in rationality. Rational, evidence-based metrics currently dominate the culture of decision-making in health policy and regulation. However, as the COVID-19 pandemic has shown, rational metrics alone may not suffice in making better policy and regulatory decisions. There are ethical and moral considerations and other complex factors that cannot be reduced to evidence-based rationality alone. Therefore, this scoping review was undertaken to identify and map the attributes that influence human decision-making in complex health services.
OBJECTIVE
The objective is to identify and map the attributes that influence human decision-making in complex health services that have been reported in the peer-reviewed literature.
METHODS
This scoping review was designed to answer the following research question: what attributes have been reported in the literature that influence human decision-making in complex health services? A clear, reproducible methodology is provided. It is reported in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews) standards and a recognized framework. As the topic of interest merited broad review to scope and understand literature from a holistic viewpoint, a scoping review of literature was appropriate here. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were developed, and a database search undertaken within 4 search systems-ProQuest, Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science.
RESULTS
The results span 46 years, from 1976 to 2022. A total of 167 papers were identified. After removing duplicates, 81 papers remained. Of these, 77 papers were excluded based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The remaining 4 papers were found to be relevant. Citation tracking was undertaken, identifying 4 more relevant papers. Thus, a total of 8 papers were included. These papers were reviewed in detail to identify the human attributes mentioned and count the frequency of mentions. A thematic analysis was conducted to identify the themes.
CONCLUSIONS
The results highlight key themes that underline the complex and nuanced nature of human decision-making. The results suggest that rationality is entrenched and may influence the lexicon of our thinking about decision-making. The results also highlight the counter narrative of decision-making underpinned by uniquely human attributes. This may have ramifications for decision-making in complex health services today. The review itself takes a rational approach, and the methods used were suited to this.
INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)
RR2-10.2196/42353.
Topics: Humans; Pandemics; Benchmarking; COVID-19; Health Policy; Health Services
PubMed: 38117553
DOI: 10.2196/46490 -
Journal of Travel Medicine Dec 2023Pregnant women and their babies face significant risks from three vaccine-preventable diseases: COVID-19, influenza and pertussis. However, despite these vaccines'... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Pregnant women and their babies face significant risks from three vaccine-preventable diseases: COVID-19, influenza and pertussis. However, despite these vaccines' proven safety and effectiveness, uptake during pregnancy remains low.
METHODS
We conducted a systematic review (PROSPERO CRD42023399488; January 2012-December 2022 following PRISMA guidelines) of interventions to increase COVID-19/influenza/pertussis vaccination in pregnancy. We searched nine databases, including grey literature. Two independent investigators extracted data; discrepancies were resolved by consensus. Meta-analyses were conducted using random-effects models to estimate pooled effect sizes. Heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 statistics.
RESULTS
From 2681 articles, we identified 39 relevant studies (n = 168 262 participants) across nine countries. Fifteen studies (39%) were randomized controlled trials (RCTs); the remainder were observational cohort, quality-improvement or cross-sectional studies. The quality of 18% (7/39) was strong. Pooled results of interventions to increase influenza vaccine uptake (18 effect estimates from 12 RCTs) showed the interventions were effective but had a small effect (risk ratio = 1.07, 95% CI 1.03, 1.13). However, pooled results of interventions to increase pertussis vaccine uptake (10 effect estimates from six RCTs) showed no clear benefit (risk ratio = 0.98, 95% CI 0.94, 1.03). There were no relevant RCTs for COVID-19. Interventions addressed the 'three Ps': patient-, provider- and policy-level strategies. At the patient level, clear recommendations from healthcare professionals backed by text reminders/written information were strongly associated with increased vaccine uptake, especially tailored face-to-face interventions, which addressed women's concerns, dispelled myths and highlighted benefits. Provider-level interventions included educating healthcare professionals about vaccines' safety and effectiveness and reminders to offer vaccinations routinely. Policy-level interventions included financial incentives, mandatory vaccination data fields in electronic health records and ensuring easy availability of vaccinations.
CONCLUSIONS
Interventions had a small effect on increasing influenza vaccination. Training healthcare providers to promote vaccinations during pregnancy is crucial and could be enhanced by utilizing mobile health technologies.
Topics: Pregnancy; Female; Humans; Influenza, Human; Influenza Vaccines; Whooping Cough; COVID-19; Vaccination
PubMed: 37934788
DOI: 10.1093/jtm/taad138 -
Stem Cell Research & Therapy Aug 2023Recent advances in methods to culture pluripotent stem cells to model human development have resulted in entities that increasingly have recapitulated advanced stages of... (Review)
Review
Recent advances in methods to culture pluripotent stem cells to model human development have resulted in entities that increasingly have recapitulated advanced stages of early embryo development. These entities, referred to by numerous terms such as embryoids, are becoming more sophisticated and could resemble human embryos ever more closely as research progresses. This paper reports a systematic review of the ethical, legal, regulatory, and policy questions and concerns found in the literature concerning human embryoid research published from 2016 to 2022. We identified 56 papers that use 53 distinct names or terms to refer to embryoids and four broad categories of ethical, legal, regulatory, or policy considerations in the literature: research justifications/benefits, ethical significance or moral status, permissible use, and regulatory and oversight challenges. Analyzing the full range of issues is a critical step toward fostering more robust ethical, legal, and social implications research in this emerging area and toward developing appropriate oversight.
Topics: Humans; Embryo, Mammalian; Embryonic Development; Pluripotent Stem Cells; Policy
PubMed: 37605210
DOI: 10.1186/s13287-023-03448-8