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Frontiers in Public Health 2023This review aimed to identify factors in the policymaking environment that influence a Health in all Policies approach in local government, how these vary across... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVES
This review aimed to identify factors in the policymaking environment that influence a Health in all Policies approach in local government, how these vary across different municipal contexts, and the extent that theories of the policy process are applied.
METHODS
A scoping review was conducted to include sources published in English, between 2001 and 2021 in three databases, and assessed for inclusion by two blind reviewers.
RESULTS
Sixty-four sources were included. Sixteen factors of the policy process were identified, expanding on previously reported literature to include understanding and framing of health, use of evidence, policy priority, and influence of political ideology. Eleven sources applied or referred to theories of the policy process and few reported findings based on different local government contexts.
CONCLUSION
There are a range of factors influencing a Health in All Policies approach in local government, although a limited understanding of how these differ across contexts. A theory-informed lens contributed to identifying a breadth of factors, although lack of explicit application of theories of the policy process in studies makes it difficult to ascertain meaningful synthesis of the interconnectedness of these factors.
Topics: Health Policy; Local Government; Policy Making
PubMed: 36844855
DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1010335 -
Frontiers in Public Health 2022To design a comprehensive approach to promote children's sleep health in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, we combined Intervention Mapping (IM) with the Health in All...
BACKGROUND
To design a comprehensive approach to promote children's sleep health in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, we combined Intervention Mapping (IM) with the Health in All Policies (HiAP) perspective. We aimed to create an approach that fits local infrastructures and policy domains across sectors.
METHODS
First, a needs assessment was conducted, including a systematic review, two concept mapping studies, and one cross-sectional sleep diary study (IM step 1). Subsequently, semi-structured interviews with stakeholders from policy, practice and science provided information on potential assets from all relevant social policy sectors to take into account in the program design (HiAP and IM step 1). Next, program outcomes and objectives were specified (IM step 2), with specific objectives for policy stakeholders (HiAP). This was followed by the program design (IM step 3), where potential program actions were adapted to local policy sectors and stakeholders (HiAP). Lastly, program production (IM step 4) focused on creating a multi-sector program (HiAP). An advisory panel guided the research team by providing tailored advice during all steps throughout the project.
RESULTS
A blueprint was created for program development to promote children's sleep health, including a logic model of the problem, a logic model of change, an overview of the existing organizational structure of local policy and practice assets, and an overview of policy sectors, and related objectives and opportunities for promoting children's sleep health across these policy sectors. Furthermore, the program production resulted in a policy brief for the local government.
CONCLUSIONS
Combining IM and HiAP proved valuable for designing a blueprint for the development of an integrated multi-sector program to promote children's sleep health. Health promotion professionals focusing on other (health) behaviors can use the blueprint to develop health promotion programs that fit the local public service infrastructures, culture, and incorporate relevant policy sectors outside the public health domain.
Topics: Child; Humans; Cross-Sectional Studies; Health Policy; Sleep; Local Government; Public Policy
PubMed: 36466483
DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.882384 -
BMJ Global Health Jul 2021Migration health is affected by decision making at levels ranging from global to local, both within and beyond the health sector. These decisions impact seeking,... (Review)
Review
Migration health is affected by decision making at levels ranging from global to local, both within and beyond the health sector. These decisions impact seeking, entitlements, service delivery, policy making and knowledge production on migration health. It is key that ethical challenges faced by decision makers are recognised and addressed in research and data, clinical practice and policy making on migration health. An ethical approach can provide methods to identify ethical issues, frameworks for systematising information and suggesting ethically acceptable solutions, and guidance on procedural concerns and legitimate decision making processes. By unpacking dilemmas, conflicts of interests and values at stake, an ethical approach is relevant for all who make decisions about migration health policy and practice. Adopting an ethical approach to migration health benefits governments, organisations, policy makers, health workers, data managers, researchers and migrants themselves. First, it highlights the inherent normative questions and trade-offs at stake in migration health. Second, it assists decision makers in deciding what is the ethically justifiable thing to do through an 'all things considered' approach. Third, ethical frameworks and technical guidance set normative and practical standards for decision makers facing ethical questions - from 'bedside rationing' to collection of big data or in policy making - that can ensure that migrants' interests are considered. Fourth, there is a need for greater transparency and accountability in decision making, as well as meaningful participation of migrant groups. An ethical approach connects to public health, economic and human rights arguments and highlights the urgent need to mainstream concerns for migrants in global and national health responses.
Topics: Health Policy; Human Rights; Humans; Policy Making; Public Health; Public Policy
PubMed: 34321236
DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2021-006425 -
Scandinavian Journal of Public Health Dec 2023Europe's Beating Cancer Plan set a goal of creating a Tobacco-Free Generation in Europe by 2040. Prevention is important for achieving this goal. We compare the Nordic... (Review)
Review
AIMS
Europe's Beating Cancer Plan set a goal of creating a Tobacco-Free Generation in Europe by 2040. Prevention is important for achieving this goal. We compare the Nordic countries' preventive tobacco policies, discuss the possible determinants for similarities and differences in policy implementation, and provide strategies for strengthening tobacco prevention.
METHODS
We used the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) to identify the key policies for this narrative review. We focused on Articles 6, 8, 9, 11, 13 and 16 of the WHO FCTC, and assessed the status of the required (core) and recommended (advanced) policies and their application to novel tobacco and nicotine products. Information on the implementation of strategies, acts and regulations were searched from global and national tobacco control databases, websites and scientific articles via PubMed and MEDLINE.
RESULTS
The WHO FCTC and European regulations have ensured that the core policies are mostly in place, but also contributed to the shared deficiencies that are seen especially in the regulations on smokeless tobacco and novel products. Strong national tobacco control actors have facilitated countries to implement some advanced policies - even as the first countries in the world: point-of-sale display bans (Iceland), outdoor smoking bans (Sweden), flavour bans on electronic cigarettes (Finland), plain packaging (Norway), and plain packaging on electronic cigarettes (Denmark).
CONCLUSIONS
Collaboration and participation in reinforcing the European regulations, resources for national networking between tobacco control actors, and national regulations to provide protection from the tobacco industry's interference are needed to strengthen comprehensive implementation of tobacco policies in the Nordic countries.
Topics: Humans; Nicotiana; Tobacco Control; Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems; Smoking Prevention; World Health Organization; Scandinavian and Nordic Countries; Tobacco Products
PubMed: 35799463
DOI: 10.1177/14034948221106867 -
The Milbank Quarterly Apr 2023Policy Points Public health science regarding alcohol consumption and problems, alcohol's role in equity and social justice, and identification of effective policy...
Policy Points Public health science regarding alcohol consumption and problems, alcohol's role in equity and social justice, and identification of effective policy interventions has grown steadily stronger in the past 30 years. Progress on effective alcohol policies has stalled or gone backward in the United States and much of the world. Because alcohol influences at least 14 of the 17 sustainable development goals, as well as more than 200 disease and injury conditions, reducing alcohol problems should offer a platform for collaboration across public health silos but will require that public health itself respect and follow its own science.
Topics: United States; Alcohol Drinking; Public Health; Public Policy; Health Policy
PubMed: 37096612
DOI: 10.1111/1468-0009.12631 -
American Journal of Public Health Jul 2021
Topics: Humans; Public Policy
PubMed: 34370522
DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2021.306328 -
Public Health Research & Practice Apr 2024Objectives and importance of study: For public policy to respond effectively to social, economic, and health challenges, there is an urgent need for research-policy...
Objectives and importance of study: For public policy to respond effectively to social, economic, and health challenges, there is an urgent need for research-policy collaboration to advance evidence-informed policy. Many organisations seek to promote these engagement activities, but little is known about how this is experienced by researchers and policy actors. This study aimed to understand how policy actors and researchers in Australia experience collaboration and the impediments and enablers they encounter. Study type and methods: An online survey was developed, and using convenience sampling, self-identified Australian policy actors and researchers were invited to participate. Results: In total, 170 responses were analysed, comprising 58% policy actors and 42% researchers. Respondents reported the primary purpose for collaboration was evidence-informed policy making. Policy actors reported that the most common barrier to collaboration with academics was 'budget constraints' while academics reported 'budget, 'political risk' and 'structural barriers'. Reported enablers were 'leadership' and 'connections'. Conclusions: Our findings build upon existing evidence that highlights the importance of collaboration for facilitating evidence-informed policy. Structural deficits in both policy agencies and research funding systems and environments continue to present challenges to policy-research partnerships. Future initiatives could use these findings to implement preferred collaboration methods, alongside rigorous evaluation, to explore 'what works' in promoting engagement for evidence-informed policy.
Topics: Humans; Australia; Policy Making; Public Policy; Leadership; Research Design; Health Policy
PubMed: 37559184
DOI: 10.17061/phrp33232308 -
Frontiers in Public Health 2023This study aimed to review health-enhancing physical activity (HEPA) policies and initiatives introduced in Saudi Arabia (SA) since 2016 and identify the gaps in their... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to review health-enhancing physical activity (HEPA) policies and initiatives introduced in Saudi Arabia (SA) since 2016 and identify the gaps in their design and implementation.
METHODS
A combination of methods was used, including semi-structured interviews with key informants from relevant entities (such as those from the ministries of health, education, sports, tourism, and other regulatory bodies) and a review of policy/initiative documents provided by them. Stakeholder mapping led by local experts and snowball sampling supported the identification of key informants. Three existing frameworks-the World Health Organization's HEPA Policy Audit Tool, the Global Observatory for Physical Activity (PA) Policy Inventory, and the European Monitoring Framework for PA Indicators-were used to develop data collection instruments.
RESULTS
The review identified 44 policies/initiatives from different sectors. The Saudi Sports for All Federation is the leader in PA promotion and community sports development. However, there is a lack of multisectoral agenda and governance structures for PA promotion. The overlap between initiatives by different key informants results in duplication of efforts, including initiatives to promote PA among the general public led by competitive professional sports and community-based sports.
CONCLUSION
The study findings indicate that several policies/initiatives have been implemented in SA since 2016. However, there is a need to focus on the challenges or barriers that affect the sustainability of policies/initiatives. A system-based approach can help build on sectoral synergies, thereby accelerating progress in engaging the Saudi population with PA.
Topics: Saudi Arabia; Exercise; Sports; Health Policy; Educational Status
PubMed: 37614443
DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1236287 -
Computational Intelligence and... 2022Based on the stochastic market demand of products, this paper studies the low-carbon manufacturing decisions making of manufacturing enterprises considering downward...
Based on the stochastic market demand of products, this paper studies the low-carbon manufacturing decisions making of manufacturing enterprises considering downward substitution and green technology input under the carbon cap-and-trade policy. The results show that the government's carbon trade policy will have a great impact on the production of manufacturing enterprises. Therefore, manufacturing enterprises must attach importance to the constraints of the government's carbon emission reduction policies. In terms of it, there are strategies for manufacturing enterprises such as adjusting the output, trading the carbon emission right, and so on. On this case, green technology input can increase the expected profit of manufacturing enterprises, especially in the case of downward substitution.
Topics: Carbon; Commerce; Technology; Policy; China
PubMed: 37034389
DOI: 10.1155/2022/5791880 -
Health Research Policy and Systems Jan 2022The INFORMAS [International Network for Food and Obesity/Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs) Research, Monitoring and Action Support] Healthy Food Environment Policy Index...
BACKGROUND
The INFORMAS [International Network for Food and Obesity/Non-communicable Diseases (NCDs) Research, Monitoring and Action Support] Healthy Food Environment Policy Index (Food-EPI) was developed to evaluate the degree of implementation of widely recommended food environment policies by national governments against international best practice, and has been applied in New Zealand in 2014, 2017 and 2020. This paper outlines the 2020 Food-EPI process and compares policy implementation and recommendations with the 2014 and 2017 Food-EPI.
METHODS
In March-April 2020, a national panel of over 50 public health experts participated in Food-EPI. Experts rated the extent of implementation of 47 "good practice" policy and infrastructure support indicators compared to international best practice, using an extensive evidence document verified by government officials. Experts then proposed and prioritized concrete actions needed to address the critical implementation gaps identified. Progress on policy implementation and recommendations made over the three Food-EPIs was compared.
RESULTS
In 2020, 60% of the indicators were rated as having "low" or "very little, if any" implementation compared to international benchmarks: less progress than 2017 (47%) and similar to 2014 (61%). Of the nine priority actions proposed in 2014, there was only noticeable action on one (Health Star Ratings). The majority of actions were therefore proposed again in 2017 and 2020. In 2020 the proposed actions were broader, reflecting the need for multisectoral action to improve the food environment, and the need for a mandatory approach in all policy areas.
CONCLUSIONS
There has been little to no progress in the past three terms of government (9 years) on the implementation of policies and infrastructure support for healthy food environments, with implementation overall regressing between 2017 and 2020. The proposed actions in 2020 have reflected a growing movement to locate nutrition within the wider context of planetary health and with recognition of the social determinants of health and nutrition, resulting in recommendations that will require the involvement of many government entities to overcome the existing policy inertia. The increase in food insecurity due to COVID-19 lockdowns may provide the impetus to stimulate action on food polices.
Topics: COVID-19; Communicable Disease Control; Health Policy; Health Promotion; Humans; New Zealand; Nutrition Policy; SARS-CoV-2
PubMed: 35033119
DOI: 10.1186/s12961-021-00809-8