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Journal of Public Affairs Jul 2022COVID-19 has revealed the policy capacity of some governance institutions, both resilience and vulnerability. Hence, this circumstance has demanded public administration...
COVID-19 has revealed the policy capacity of some governance institutions, both resilience and vulnerability. Hence, this circumstance has demanded public administration scholars and practitioners to rethink the existing governance practices, particularly in making effective crisis-related policies. This paper reviewed primary and secondary studies exploring the application of policy capacity competencies in facilitating COVID-19 handling in Asia. In achieving so, we did a systematic literature review of relevant studies published between January and October 2020. Applying the agreed search term to several databases, we found 2541 studies, while merely 30 were included for review. Findings from the studies are predominantly closely linked to operational capacity ( 21). Other studies are related to political and analytical capacity ( 14 and 7, retrospectively). We found that there are some dilemmas and inadequacy of understanding concerning the role of features in certain capacities (such as technology use versus individual privacy, the paradox of trust and legitimacy, or centralisation versus decentralisation), particularly in the time of crisis, which is a calling for future research.
PubMed: 35942244
DOI: 10.1002/pa.2835 -
The Lancet. Public Health Aug 2021Smoke-free policies in outdoor areas and semi-private and private places (eg, cars) might reduce the health harms caused by tobacco smoke exposure (TSE). We aimed to... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Smoke-free policies in outdoor areas and semi-private and private places (eg, cars) might reduce the health harms caused by tobacco smoke exposure (TSE). We aimed to investigate the effect of smoke-free policies covering outdoor areas or semi-private and private places on TSE and respiratory health in children, to inform policy.
METHODS
In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched 13 electronic databases from date of inception to Jan 29, 2021, for published studies that assessed the effects of smoke-free policies in outdoor areas or semi-private or private places on TSE, respiratory health outcomes, or both, in children. Non-randomised and randomised trials, interrupted time series, and controlled before-after studies, without restrictions to the observational period, publication date, or language, were eligible for the main analysis. Two reviewers independently extracted data, including adjusted test statistics from each study using a prespecified form, and assessed risk of bias for effect estimates from each study using the Risk of Bias in Non-Randomised Studies of Interventions tool. Primary outcomes were TSE in places covered by the policy, unplanned hospital attendance for wheezing or asthma, and unplanned hospital attendance for respiratory tract infections, in children younger than 17 years. Random-effects meta-analyses were done when at least two studies evaluated policies that regulated smoking in similar places and reported on the same outcome. This study is registered with PROSPERO, CRD42020190563.
FINDINGS
We identified 5745 records and assessed 204 full-text articles for eligibility, of which 11 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the qualitative synthesis. Of these studies, seven fit prespecified robustness criteria as recommended by the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organization of Care group, assessing smoke-free cars (n=5), schools (n=1), and a comprehensive policy covering multiple areas (n=1). Risk of bias was low in three studies, moderate in three, and critical in one. In the meta-analysis of ten effect estimates from four studies, smoke-free car policies were associated with an immediate TSE reduction in cars (risk ratio 0·69, 95% CI 0·55-0·87; 161 466 participants); heterogeneity was substantial (I 80·7%; p<0·0001). One additional study reported a gradual TSE decrease in cars annually. Individual studies found TSE reductions on school grounds, following a smoke-free school policy, and in hospital attendances for respiratory tract infection, following a comprehensive smoke-free policy.
INTERPRETATION
Smoke-free car policies are associated with reductions in reported child TSE in cars, which could translate into respiratory health benefits. Few additional studies assessed the effect of policies regulating smoking in outdoor areas and semi-private and private places on children's TSE or health outcomes. On the basis of these findings, governments should consider including private cars in comprehensive smoke-free policies to protect child health.
FUNDING
Dutch Heart Foundation, Lung Foundation Netherlands, Dutch Cancer Society, Dutch Diabetes Research Foundation, Netherlands Thrombosis Foundation, and Health Data Research UK.
Topics: Child; Environmental Exposure; Humans; Non-Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Respiratory Tract Diseases; Smoke-Free Policy; Tobacco Smoke Pollution
PubMed: 34274050
DOI: 10.1016/S2468-2667(21)00097-9 -
Journal of Education and Health... 2023Educational policymaking is a kind of public policy that is done in order to achieve the goals of the educational system in fields areas such as education and students'... (Review)
Review
Educational policymaking is a kind of public policy that is done in order to achieve the goals of the educational system in fields areas such as education and students' health. The purpose of this study was to determine the components of educational policymaking model in education. The method of the present study is systematic review. This is done using the SPIDER framework. The statistical population of the study included all related Persian and English articles published in the years 2010-2021 consisting of 98 articles that are indexed in ScienceDirect, Sage, Springer, Wiley, Eric, and PMC English language databases and SID, Irandoc, and Magiran Persian language databases. The research sample included 52 articles selected in the article screening stage. The number of Persian language references was 12 and English language references was 40. Sterberg thematic analysis was used for coding the selected texts of articles. Results of coding the selected texts of the articles showed that the components of the educational policymaking model are included in 11 themes: quiddity of policy and public policy, educational policy's necessity, quiddity of educational policy, process of educational policy, consequences, factors, obstacles, stakeholders, evaluation criteria, and change in educational policies. Paying attention to all the dimensions and factors interacting in educational policy can lead to better education and improve the quality of education in all dimensions, especially in the field of health education.
PubMed: 37113427
DOI: 10.4103/jehp.jehp_221_22 -
Boletin Medico Del Hospital Infantil de... 2021The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has posed significant challenges globally. Continuous transmission of the virus is mostly due to insufficient infection...
BACKGROUND
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has posed significant challenges globally. Continuous transmission of the virus is mostly due to insufficient infection control measures and a lack of vaccines. Therefore, this review aimed to identify and describe possible vaccines for the prevention of COVID-19.
METHODS
A systematic review of the scientific literature was performed through electronic searches of the main databases to identify published reports or studies on vaccines under development against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Websites from international organizations, institutes of health and research, Google, and references from identified studies were also reviewed. Studies examining the mechanisms of infection, immunopathology, and genomics were excluded.
RESULTS
A total of 141 vaccines in development against SARS-CoV-2 were identified. The technologies used include weakened and inactive viruses, viral vectors, nucleic acids, and proteins. So far, 13 vaccines (9.2%) are under clinical evaluation; only the AZD1222 vaccine is under clinical evaluation Phase II-III. Ad5-nCoV and mRNA-1273 vaccines showed to produce neutralizing antibodies and also to be safe.
CONCLUSIONS
Despite efforts invested in developing SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, more research is still required. The vaccine developers, international health organizations, and the decision-makers of health policies must carry out conjunct cooperation to face the different challenges and guarantee the development of an effective vaccine.
Topics: 2019-nCoV Vaccine mRNA-1273; Animals; Antibodies, Neutralizing; COVID-19; COVID-19 Vaccines; ChAdOx1 nCoV-19; Health Policy; Humans; SARS-CoV-2
PubMed: 33662986
DOI: 10.24875/BMHIM.20000217 -
Preventive Medicine Reports Oct 2022Noncommunicable diseases (NCD) are an increasing global threat. Utilising public policy to address NCDs can reduce incidence and prevalence. However, NCD-relevant public... (Review)
Review
Noncommunicable diseases (NCD) are an increasing global threat. Utilising public policy to address NCDs can reduce incidence and prevalence. However, NCD-relevant public policy action is minimal in many countries as changing public policy is difficult and multifactorial. Two factors that may influence this process is the message people receive and the messenger delivering it. To date, much health communication research has focused on message content, with limited research on messengers that are trusted by policymakers and the public to communicate NCD matters. We aimed to review the literature to characterise who the public and policymakers consider to be trustworthy and/or credible for NCD messaging, and why this might be the case. Arksey and O'Malley's scoping review methodology guided the review. A systematic search of three databases up to June 2021 combined with hand searching of review reference lists was undertaken. Nineteen articles were included. Data extraction focused on study design, issue being influenced, spokesperson studied, and measures of trust. Results showed health professionals were the most-frequently trusted sources of information. Other spokespeople, such as government sources or religious leaders, were only trustworthy in some contexts, and even distrusted in others. Reasons why spokespeople were trusted included technical expertise, strategic engagement with stakeholders, and reputation. However, we also found the nature of trust and credibility of spokespeople is dependent on the studied population and context. Overall, characteristics of influential messengers were nonspecific. Thus, trusted messengers and their characteristics in NCD-messaging must be better understood to develop and maintain the trust of the public and policymakers.
PubMed: 35942296
DOI: 10.1016/j.pmedr.2022.101934 -
Medical Journal of the Islamic Republic... 2021Health inequities are among debatable and challenging aspects of health systems. Achieving equity through social determinants of health approach has been mentioned in... (Review)
Review
Health inequities are among debatable and challenging aspects of health systems. Achieving equity through social determinants of health approach has been mentioned in most upstream national plans and acts in Iran. This paper reports the findings of a systematic review of the current synthesized evidence on health equity in Iran. This is a narrative systematic review. The relevant concepts and terminology in health equity was found through MeSH. We retrieved the relevant studies from PubMed/MedLine, Social Sciences Database, and Google Scholar in English, plus the Jihad University Database (SID), and Google Scholar in Farsi databases from 1979 until the end of January 2018. The retrieved evidence has been assessed primarily based on PICOS criteria and then Ottawa-Newcastle Scale, and CASP for qualitative studies. We used PRISMA flow diagram and a narrative approach for synthesizing the evidence. We retrieved 172 455 studies. Following the primary and quality appraisal process, 114 studies were entered in the final phase of the analysis. The main part (approximately 95%) of the final phase included cross-sectional studies that had been analyzed through current descriptive inequality analysis indicators, analytical regression, or decomposition-based approaches. The studies were categorized within 3 main groups: health outcomes (40.3%), health utilization (32%), and health expenditures (27%). As a part of understanding the current situation of health equity in the policymakers' need to refer the retrieved evidence in this study, they need more inputs specially regarding the social determinants of health approach. It seems that health equity research plan in Iran needs to be redirected in new paths that give appropriate weights to biological, gene-based, environmental and contextbased, economic, social, and political aspects of health as well. We advocate addressing the aspects of Social Determinant of Health (SDH) in analyzing health inequalities.
PubMed: 34268239
DOI: 10.47176/mjiri.35.51 -
International Journal of Environmental... Jun 2021The value of a statistical life (VSL) estimates individuals' willingness to trade wealth for mortality risk reduction. This economic parameter is often a major component... (Review)
Review
The value of a statistical life (VSL) estimates individuals' willingness to trade wealth for mortality risk reduction. This economic parameter is often a major component of the quantified benefits estimated in the evaluation of government policies related to health and safety. This study reviewed the literature to update the VSL recommended for Australian policy appraisals. A systematic literature review was conducted to capture Australian primary studies and international review papers reporting VSL estimates published from 2007 to January 2019. International estimates were adjusted for income differences and the median VSL estimate was extracted from each review study. VSL estimates were used to calculate the value of a statistical life year. Of the 18 studies that met the inclusion criteria, two studies were primary Australian studies with a weighted mean VSL of A$7.0 million in 2017 values. The median VSL in the review studies was A$7.3 million. For Australian public policy appraisals, we recommend the consideration of a base case VSL for people of all ages and across all risk contexts of A$7.0 million. Sensitivity analyses could use a high value of A$7.3 million and a low value that reflects the value (A$4.3 million) currently recommended by the Australian government.
Topics: Australia; Humans; Income; Risk Reduction Behavior; Value of Life
PubMed: 34200344
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18116168 -
The International Journal on Drug Policy Oct 2022Continuing professional development (CPD) for opioid agonist therapy (OAT) has been identified as a key health policy strategy to improve care for people living with... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Continuing professional development (CPD) for opioid agonist therapy (OAT) has been identified as a key health policy strategy to improve care for people living with opioid use disorder (OUD) and to address rising opioid-related harms. To design and deliver effective CPD programs, there is a need to clarify how they work within complex health system and policy contexts. This review synthesizes the literature on OAT CPD programs and educational theory to clarify which interventions work, for whom, and in what contexts.
METHODS
A systematic review and realist synthesis of evaluations of CPD programs focused on OAT was conducted. This included record identification and screening, theory familiarization, data collection, analysis, expert consultation, and iterative context-intervention-mechanism-outcome (CIMO) configuration development.
RESULTS
Twenty-four reports comprising 21 evaluation studies from 5 countries for 3373 providers were reviewed. Through iterative testing of included studies with relevant theory, five CIMO configurations were developed. The programs were categorized by who drove the learning outcomes (i.e., system/policy, instructor, learner) and their spheres of influence (i.e., micro, meso, macro). There was a predominance of instructor-driven programs driving change at the micro level, with few policy-driven macro-influential programs, inconsistent with the promotion of CPD as a clear opioid crisis policy-level intervention.
CONCLUSION
OAT CPD is challenged by mismatches in program justifications, objectives, activities, and outcomes. Depending on how these program factors interact, OAT CPD can operate as a barrier or facilitator to OUD care. With more deliberate planning and consideration of program theory, programs more directly addressing diverse learner and system needs may be developed and delivered. OAT CPD as drug policy does not operate in isolation; programs may feed into each other and intercalate with other policy initiatives to have micro, meso, and macro impacts on educational and population health outcomes.
Topics: Analgesics, Opioid; Health Policy; Humans; Opiate Substitution Treatment; Opioid Epidemic; Opioid-Related Disorders
PubMed: 35930903
DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2022.103807 -
International Journal of Environmental... Jul 2022Ethiopia passed a law prohibiting tobacco smoking in all public places in 2019. We conducted a scoping review to identify gaps in the existing literature on second-hand... (Review)
Review
Ethiopia passed a law prohibiting tobacco smoking in all public places in 2019. We conducted a scoping review to identify gaps in the existing literature on second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure and smoke-free environments in Ethiopia that need to be prioritised for future research to support policy and practice. We conducted systematic searches in January 2022 in the following databases: Medline, EMBASE, and PsycInfo. Two reviewers independently screened the identified study reports for eligibility and extracted data from the eligible studies. The extracted data was descriptively analysed, and research recommendations were drawn. A stakeholder consultation workshop was held to identify research topics on SHS exposure and smoke-free environments in Ethiopia that they perceived to be priorities for primary research. Of the 388 research reports identified, only nine were included in the scoping review. The topics explored includes prevalence of SHS exposure (six studies); knowledge on SHS exposure (three studies); compliance to smoke-free environments legislation (two studies); and exposure to anti-smoking messages (one study). The stakeholders prioritised further research addressing compliance monitoring and enforcement of the smoke free laws in Ethiopia. There is a need for studies that test new methods for compliance monitoring and enforcement, evaluate strategies to increase knowledge on the harms of SHS exposure and the smoke-free legislation, and evaluate the current smoke-free legislation in Ethiopia.
Topics: Ethiopia; Narration; Prevalence; Smoke-Free Policy; Tobacco Smoke Pollution
PubMed: 35886256
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19148404 -
Environmental Science and Pollution... Dec 2020Green consumption can facilitate sustainable industrial development and improve the overall efficiency of resource utilization. In response to rapid economic development... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Green consumption can facilitate sustainable industrial development and improve the overall efficiency of resource utilization. In response to rapid economic development and increasing environmental emissions, it is critical to promote green consumption so that the whole society can move toward sustainable development. This study aims to systematically review studies on green consumption by means of meta-analysis, bibliometric analysis, and social network analysis. The results show that green consumption is an interdisciplinary research field, involving environmental science, social science, medical science, economics, and other disciplines. Most productive countries, institutions, authors are identified so that the new researchers in this field can find their research partners. Keywords analysis results help identify the research hotpots in this field. It is suggested that future green consumption research should focus on behavior mechanism, stakeholder coordination, and policy evaluation. In general, the results obtained from this study provide valuable information for researchers and practitioners to promote green consumption research.
Topics: Bibliometrics; Efficiency; Knowledge; Sustainable Development
PubMed: 33001398
DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-11029-y