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Frontiers in Public Health 2024Non-compliance with smoke-free law is one of the determinants of untimely mortality and morbidity globally. Various studies have been conducted on non-compliance with... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
INTRODUCTION
Non-compliance with smoke-free law is one of the determinants of untimely mortality and morbidity globally. Various studies have been conducted on non-compliance with smoke-free law in public places in different parts of the world; however, the findings are inconclusive and significantly dispersed. Moreover, there is a lack of internationally representative data, which hinders the evaluation of ongoing international activities towards smoke-free law. Therefore, this meta-analysis aimed to assess the pooled prevalence of non-compliance with smoke-free law in public places.
METHODS
International electronic databases, such as PubMed/MEDLINE, Science Direct, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, African Journals Online, HINARI, Semantic Scholar, google and Google Scholar were used to retrieve the relevant articles. The study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA) guidelines. The Higgs I statistics were used to determine the heterogeneity of the reviewed articles. The random-effects model with a 95% confidence interval was carried out to estimate the pooled prevalence of non-compliance.
RESULTS
A total of 23 articles with 25,573,329 study participants were included in this meta-analysis. The overall pooled prevalence of non-compliance with smoke-free law was 48.02% (95% CI: 33.87-62.17). Extreme heterogeneity was observed among the included studies (I = 100%; < 0.000). The highest non-compliance with smoke-free law was noted in hotels (59.4%; 95% CI: 10.5-108.3) followed by homes (56.8%; 95% CI: 33.2-80.4), with statistically significant heterogeneity.
CONCLUSION
As the prevalence of non-compliance with smoke-free law is high in public places, it calls for urgent intervention. High non-compliance was found in food and drinking establishments and healthcare facilities. In light of these findings, follow-up of tobacco-free legislation and creating awareness that focused on active smokers particularly in food and drinking establishments is recommended.
Topics: Humans; Smoke-Free Policy; Global Health; Tobacco Smoke Pollution; Public Facilities; Prevalence
PubMed: 38694973
DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1354980 -
International Journal of Environmental... Jul 2018. Smoke-free environment policies limit or eliminate the use of smoke-producing tobacco in designated areas thereby reducing second hand smoke. Enforcement is perceived...
. Smoke-free environment policies limit or eliminate the use of smoke-producing tobacco in designated areas thereby reducing second hand smoke. Enforcement is perceived as critical to the successful adoption of a smoke-free policy. However, there is limited guidance available regarding effective enforcement strategies. A systematic review was conducted to examine the effectiveness of enforcement strategies at increasing compliance with and enforcement of smoke-free policies; and to determine circumstances other than enforcement strategies that are associated with compliance with smoke-free policies. . Medline, Medline in Process, The Cochrane Library, Embase, PsycInfo and CINAHL databases were searched using MeSH and keywords for relevant studies published between January 1980 and August 2017. A narrative synthesis and methodological quality assessment of included studies was undertaken. . Policy promotion and awareness-raising activities, signage, enforcement officers, and penalties for violations were the enforcement strategies most frequently cited as being associated with successful policy enforcement. Additionally, awareness of the laws, non-smoking management and lower staff smoking rates, and membership of a network guiding the policy enforcement contributed to higher compliance with smoke-free policies. . There is weak evidence of the effectiveness of strategies associated with compliance with smoke-free policies. Given the evidence base is weak, well-designed trials utilizing appropriate evaluation designs are needed. Overall enforcement strategies associated with total smoke-free bans resulted in higher levels of compliance than strategies for policies that had only partial smoke-free bans.
Topics: Awareness; Humans; Law Enforcement; Perception; Smoke-Free Policy; Tobacco Smoke Pollution
PubMed: 30004425
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph15071386 -
PloS One 2011Immunocompromised patients are vulnerable to severe or complicated influenza infection. Vaccination is widely recommended for this group. This systematic review and... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Immunocompromised patients are vulnerable to severe or complicated influenza infection. Vaccination is widely recommended for this group. This systematic review and meta-analysis assesses influenza vaccination for immunocompromised patients in terms of preventing influenza-like illness and laboratory confirmed influenza, serological response and adverse events.
METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS
Electronic databases and grey literature were searched and records were screened against eligibility criteria. Data extraction and risk of bias assessments were performed in duplicate. Results were synthesised narratively and meta-analyses were conducted where feasible. Heterogeneity was assessed using I(2) and publication bias was assessed using Begg's funnel plot and Egger's regression test. Many of the 209 eligible studies included an unclear or high risk of bias. Meta-analyses showed a significant effect of preventing influenza-like illness (odds ratio [OR]=0.23; 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.16-0.34; p<0.001) and laboratory confirmed influenza infection (OR=0.15; 95% CI=0.03-0.63; p=0.01) through vaccinating immunocompromised patie nts compared to placebo or unvaccinated controls. We found no difference in the odds of influenza-like illness compared to vaccinated immunocompetent controls. The pooled odds of seroconversion were lower in vaccinated patients compared to immunocompetent controls for seasonal influenza A(H1N1), A(H3N2) and B. A similar trend was identified for seroprotection. Meta-analyses of seroconversion showed higher odds in vaccinated patients compared to placebo or unvaccinated controls, although this reached significance for influenza B only. Publication bias was not detected and narrative synthesis supported our findings. No consistent evidence of safety concerns was identified.
CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE
Infection prevention and control strategies should recommend vaccinating immunocompromised patients. Potential for bias and confounding and the presence of heterogeneity mean the evidence reviewed is generally weak, although the directions of effects are consistent. Areas for further research are identified.
Topics: Health Policy; Humans; Immunocompromised Host; Influenza Vaccines; Placebos; Public Health
PubMed: 22216224
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0029249 -
Health Research Policy and Systems Oct 2017In order to understand and measure the policy impact of research we need a definition of research impact that is suited to the task. This article systematically reviewed... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
In order to understand and measure the policy impact of research we need a definition of research impact that is suited to the task. This article systematically reviewed both peer-reviewed and grey literature for definitions of research impact to develop a definition of research impact that can be used to investigate how public health research influences policy.
METHOD
Keyword searches of the electronic databases Web of Science, ProQuest, PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, Informit, PsycINFO, The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and Google Scholar were conducted between August 2015 and April 2016. Keywords included 'definition' and 'policy' and 'research impact' or 'research evidence'. The search terms 'health', public health' or 'mental health' and 'knowledge transfer' or 'research translation' were used to focus the search on relevant health discipline approaches. Studies included in the review described processes, theories or frameworks associated with public health, health services or mental health policy.
RESULTS
We identified 108 definitions in 83 publications. The key findings were that literature on research impact is growing, but only 23% of peer-reviewed publications on the topic explicitly defined the term and that the majority (76%) of definitions were derived from research organisations and funding institutions. We identified four main types of definition, namely (1) definitions that conceptualise research impacts in terms of positive changes or effects that evidence can bring about when transferred into policies (example Research Excellence Framework definition), (2) definitions that interpret research impacts as measurable outcomes (Research Councils UK), and (3) bibliometric and (4) use-based definitions. We identified four constructs underpinning these definitions that related to concepts of contribution, change, avenues and levels of impact.
CONCLUSION
The dominance of bureaucratic definitions, the tendency to discuss but not define the concept of research impact, and the heterogeneity of definitions confirm the need for conceptual clarity in this area. We propose a working definition of research impact that can be used in a range of health policy contexts.
Topics: Health Policy; Health Services; Humans; Peer Review, Health Care; Public Health; Serial Publications
PubMed: 28969650
DOI: 10.1186/s12961-017-0247-z -
Trials Feb 2010The purpose of the study was to evaluate systematic reviews of research into two public health priorities, tobacco consumption and HIV infection, in terms of the... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
The purpose of the study was to evaluate systematic reviews of research into two public health priorities, tobacco consumption and HIV infection, in terms of the reporting of data related to the applicability of trial results (i.e., whether the results of a trial can be reasonably applied or generalized to a definable group of patients in a particular setting in routine practice, also called external validity or generalisability).
METHODS
All systematic reviews of interventions aimed at reducing or stopping tobacco use and treating or preventing HIV infection published in the Cochrane database of systematic reviews and in journals indexed in MEDLINE between January 1997 and December 2007 were selected. We used a standardized data abstraction form to extract data related to applicability in terms of the context of the trial, (country, centres, settings), participants (recruitment, inclusion and exclusion criteria, baseline characteristics of participants such as age, sex, ethnicity, coexisting diseases or co-morbidities, and socioeconomic status), treatment (duration, intensity/dose of treatment, timing and delivery format), and the outcomes assessment from selected reviews.
RESULTS
A total of 98 systematic reviews were selected (57 Cochrane reviews and 41 non-Cochrane reviews); 49 evaluated interventions aimed at reducing or stopping tobacco use and 49 treating or preventing HIV infection. The setting of the individual studies was reported in 45 (46%) of the systematic reviews, the number of centres in 21 (21%), and the country where the trial took place in 62 (63%). Inclusion and exclusion criteria of the included studies were reported in 16 (16%) and 13 (13%) of the reviews, respectively. Baseline characteristics of participants in the included studies were described in 59 (60%) of the reviews. These characteristics concerned age in about half of the reviews, sex in 46 (47%), and ethnicity in 9 (9%).Applicability of results was discussed in 13 (13%) of the systematic reviews. The reporting was better in systematic reviews by the Cochrane Collaboration than by non-Cochrane groups.
CONCLUSIONS
Our study highlighted the lack of consideration of applicability of results in systematic reviews of research into 2 public health priorities: tobacco consumption and HIV infection.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Child; Evidence-Based Medicine; Female; HIV Infections; Health Policy; Health Priorities; Health Services Research; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; Public Health Practice; Reproducibility of Results; Review Literature as Topic; Smoking; Smoking Cessation; Smoking Prevention; Treatment Outcome; Young Adult
PubMed: 20187938
DOI: 10.1186/1745-6215-11-20 -
Revista de Saude Publica Jan 2017To analyze the conceptualization of the term governance on public mental health programs. (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the conceptualization of the term governance on public mental health programs.
METHODS
In this systematic review, we analyzed the scientific literature published in the international scenario during 15 years (from 2000 to 2015). The databases analyzed were: Medline, CINAHL, PsycINFO and PubMed. Governance and mental health were the descriptors. We included relevant articles according to our subject of study and levels of analysis: (i) the concept of governance in mental health; (ii) process and decision spaces; (iii) strategic and pertinent actors who operate in the functioning of the health system, and (iv) social regulations. We excluded letters to the editor, news articles, comments and case reports, incomplete articles and articles whose approach did not include the object of study of this review.
RESULTS
We have found five conceptualizations of the term governance on mental health in the area of provision policies and service organization. The agents were both those who offer and those who receive the services: we identified several social norms.
CONCLUSIONS
The concept of governance in mental health includes standards of quality and attention centered on the patient, and incorporates the consumers of mental healthcare in the decision-making process.
OBJETIVO
Analizar la conceptualización del término gobernanza en las políticas de salud mental.
MÉTODOS
En esta revisión sistemática se analizó literatura científica publicada en el ámbito internacional durante 15 años (de 2000 hasta 2015). Las bases de datos analizadas fueron: Medline, CINAHL, PsycINFO y PubMed. Los descriptores fueron gobernanza y salud mental. Fueron incluidos artículos relevantes de acuerdo a nuestro objeto de estudio y niveles de análisis: (i) concepto de gobernanza en salud mental; (ii) proceso y espacios de decisión; (iii) actores estratégicos y de interés que intervienen en el funcionamiento del sistema de salud, y (iv) normas sociales. Se excluyeron cartas al editor, noticias, comentarios y reporte de caso, artículos incompletos y artículos que no incluyeran en su abordaje el objeto de estudio de esta revisión.
RESULTADOS
Se reportaron cinco conceptualizaciones del término gobernanza en salud mental en el ámbito de políticas de provisión y organización de servicios. Los actores fueron desde proveedores a usuarios de servicios; se identificaron diversas normas sociales.
CONCLUSIONES
El concepto de gobernanza en salud mental incorpora estándares de calidad y atención centrada en el paciente, e incluye a los usuarios en la toma de decisiones.
Topics: Decision Making; Government Regulation; Health Policy; Humans; Mental Health; Mental Health Services; Quality of Health Care; Social Norms
PubMed: 28146159
DOI: 10.1590/S1518-8787.2017051006991 -
Curationis Dec 2020The need to achieve school health and promote well-being that would transcend children's school life has been highlighted in several studies. Promotion of health and...
BACKGROUND
The need to achieve school health and promote well-being that would transcend children's school life has been highlighted in several studies. Promotion of health and well-being of children has not been achieved despite the prescripts of the World Health Organization and national mandates.
OBJECTIVES
The purpose of this systematic review was to explore and describe the current evidence on the dissemination and implementation of a policy on school health in public schools.
METHODS
Five steps of a systematic review were used to achieve the purpose of the study. The steps include framing a clear review question, developing a search approach through gathering and classifying evidence, conducting a critical appraisal, evidence summary as well as the results. Ebscohost, SAE publications, Web of Science and JSTOR databases were used to identify articles written between 2013 and 2018 and to enable access to current studies on the promotion of school health. Keywords included the following: dissemination; implementation; school health policy; and public schools. The search yielded n = 1995 articles. From this figure, 1976 articles were ineligible and only 19 articles met the inclusion criteria.
RESULTS
Seven themes emerged from the findings of this systematic review as follows: shared information, training and development of key role-players, programme development and research, commitment from key role-players, monitoring activities, executive support and collaborative partnerships.
CONCLUSION
The findings show that it is possible for a policy on school health to be disseminated and implemented effectively in public schools.
Topics: Health Policy; Humans; Policy Making; Public Sector; School Health Services; Schools; South Africa
PubMed: 33314955
DOI: 10.4102/curationis.v43i1.2110 -
Journal of Atherosclerosis and... 2015Familial hypercholesterolemia is a genetic disorder associated with elevated LDL-cholesterol and high lifetime cardiovascular risk. Both clinical and molecular cascade... (Review)
Review
Familial hypercholesterolemia is a genetic disorder associated with elevated LDL-cholesterol and high lifetime cardiovascular risk. Both clinical and molecular cascade screening programs have been implemented to increase early definition and treatment. In this systematic review, we discuss the main issues found in 65 different articles related to cascade screening and familial hypercholesterolemia, covering a range of topics including different types/strategies, considerations both positive and negative regarding cascade screening in general and associated with the different strategies, cost and coverage consideration, direct and indirect contact with patients, public policy around life insurance and doctor-patient confidentiality, the "right to know," and public health concerns regarding familial hypercholesterolemia.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Cardiology; Cardiovascular Diseases; Child; Child, Preschool; Cholesterol, LDL; Cost-Benefit Analysis; Databases, Factual; Family Health; Female; Health Policy; Humans; Hyperlipidemias; Hyperlipoproteinemia Type II; Infant; Male; Mass Screening; Pathology, Molecular; Risk Factors; Workforce; Young Adult
PubMed: 26194978
DOI: 10.5551/jat.31237 -
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 -
International Journal of Epidemiology Jun 2017Tobacco smoking harms health, so why do people smoke and fail to quit? An explanation originating in behavioural economics suggests a role for time-discounting, which... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Tobacco smoking harms health, so why do people smoke and fail to quit? An explanation originating in behavioural economics suggests a role for time-discounting, which describes how the value of a reward, such as better health, decreases with delay to its receipt. A large number of studies test the relationship of time-discounting with tobacco outcomes but the temporal pattern of this relationship and its variation according to measurement methods remain unclear. We review the association between time-discounting and smoking across (i) the life course, from initiation to cessation, and (ii) diverse discount measures.
METHODS
We identified 69 relevant studies in Web of Science and PubMed. We synthesized findings across methodologies and evaluated discount measures, study quality and cross-disciplinary fertilization.
RESULTS
In 44 out of 54 studies, smokers more greatly discounted the future than non-smokers and, in longitudinal studies, higher discounting predicted future smoking. Smokers with lower time-discount rates achieved higher quit rates. Findings were consistent across studies measuring discount rates using hypothetical monetary or cigarette reward scenarios. The methodological quality of the majority of studies was rated as 'moderate' and co-citation analysis revealed an isolation of economics journals and a dearth of studies in public health.
CONCLUSION
There is moderate yet consistent evidence that high time-discounting is a risk factor for smoking and unsuccessful cessation. Policy scenarios assuming a flat rate of population discounting may inadequately capture smokers' perceptions of costs and benefits.
Topics: Delay Discounting; Health Policy; Humans; Risk Factors; Smoking; Smoking Cessation
PubMed: 27818375
DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyw233