Article
Medicine, General & Internal
James F. Mbinta, Binh P. Nguyen, Prosper Mandela A. Awuni, Paul E. Eme, Colin R. Simpson
Summary: This review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of zoster vaccines against incident HZ and postherpetic neuralgia in adults 50 years and older, using key information sources such as MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane libraries, and CINAHL. The study will search for postlicensure observational studies published between 2006 and 2020 to assess the effectiveness of HZ/zoster vaccines in adults 50 years and older, and will include critical appraisal, data extraction, and statistical analyses using a random-effect model.
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Shannon Doocy, Emily Lyles, Hannah Tappis, Alexandra Norton
Summary: The objective of this study was to provide a comprehensive overview of the quality and depth of evidence on the effectiveness of health interventions in humanitarian settings in low and middle-income countries, published in peer-reviewed journals since 2013. A total of 269 publications were included in the review, revealing limited evidence on non-communicable diseases, water, sanitation and hygiene, as well as injury and rehabilitation. The study also found that economic evaluations constituted a small proportion of the research and highlighted the need for improvements in reporting and study design.
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Richmond Opoku, Bismark Dwumfour-Asare, Lawrencia Agrey-Bluwey, Nana Esi Appiah, Michael Ackah, Francis Acquah, Priscilla Fordjour Asenso, Abdul-Aziz Issaka
Summary: This study estimates the prevalence of self-medication and explores the reasons behind it in Ghana. A comprehensive search was conducted to identify relevant studies, and meta-analysis and thematic analysis were performed. The results show that self-medication is a prevalent issue in Ghana, influenced by difficulties in accessing healthcare and inadequate health-seeking behaviors.
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Kim Robin van Daalen, Fiona Davey, Claire Norman, John Alexander Ford
Summary: The systematic review aimed to explore the effectiveness of health equity audits (HEAs) in improving service provision equity and reducing health inequalities. Limited weak evidence was identified to support the use of HEAs, highlighting the need for more research to determine if HEA implementation can reduce inequalities and understand influencing factors.
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Ruyin Zhou, Xiangming Fang, Jinjin Zhang, Xiaodong Zheng, Shuangyue Shangguan, Shibo Chen, Yingbo Shen, Zhihai Liu, Juan Li, Rong Zhang, Jianzhong Shen, Timothy R. Walsh, Yang Wang
Summary: The study found that carbapenem resistance has a significant positive effect on the probability of death for patients infected with Enterobacteriaceae. Stratified analysis and meta-regression results suggested that the effect of carbapenem resistance on the risk of death varies by infection type, sample size, and year of publication.
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Beatrice W. Maina, Kenneth Juma, Emmy Kageha Igonya, Jane Osindo, Hesborn Wao, Caroline W. Kabiru
Summary: This systematic review aims to investigate the effectiveness of school-based interventions in delaying sexual debut among adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa. Studies conducted between 2009 and 2020 in the region will be included, with data being pooled using random effects model. Findings will be presented in tables and charts along with a description of relevant study themes and concepts.
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
McEwen Khundi, James R. Carpenter, Marriott Nliwasa, Ted Cohen, Elizabeth L. Corbett, Peter MacPherson
Summary: This study aimed to systematically evaluate the effectiveness of spatially targeted community public health interventions for HIV, tuberculosis, leprosy, and malaria. The results showed that studies investigating spatially targeted interventions were limited in number and often had methodological limitations, impacting the interpretation of intervention impacts. Applying advanced epidemiological methodologies supporting robust hotspot identification and larger or more intensive interventions would strengthen the evidence base for this important approach.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Dimitra Panagiotoglou, Michal Abrahamowicz, David L. Buckeridge, J. Jaime Caro, Eric Latimer, Mathieu Maheu-Giroux, Erin C. Strumpf
Summary: This study aims to conduct a comprehensive cost-effectiveness analysis of harm reduction interventions for people who inject drugs, taking into account the prevention of skin, soft tissue and vascular infections, as well as anoxic/toxicity-related brain injury, in addition to traditional measures of benefit such as HIV, hepatitis C, and overdose morbidity and mortalities averted.
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Matthew Cooper, Leah Avery, Jason Scott, Kirsten Ashley, Cara Jordan, Linda Errington, Darren Flynn
Summary: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and main components of social prescribing interventions targeting mental health and well-being outcomes in the UK. The systematic review found significant improvements in the outcomes reported in the studies, but robust conclusions on the effectiveness of social prescribing for mental health-related outcomes cannot be made. Future research should focus on comprehensive intervention developmental processes, appropriate theory references, long-term follow-up outcome assessment, treatment fidelity strategies, and a focus on the principle of person-centred care.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Giovanni S. P. Malloy, Lisa Puglisi, Margaret L. Brandeau, Tyler D. Harvey, Emily A. Wang
Summary: By modeling, interventions such as depopulation, increasing the proportion of single cells, and testing asymptomatic individuals in jails were found to effectively mitigate COVID-19 transmission, preventing approximately 83% of projected cases, hospitalizations, and deaths over 83 days.
Review
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Jieun Lee, Caroline A. Lynch, Lauren Oliveira Hashiguchi, Robert W. Snow, Naomi D. Herz, Jayne Webster, Justin Parkhurst, Ngozi A. Erondu
Summary: Routine health information systems are essential for disease control and prevention strategies in low- and middle-income countries. Studies have shown that interventions targeting technical, organizational, and behavioral determinants can significantly improve data quality outputs. Multi-component interventions that address multiple processes and determinants of RHIS are beneficial for strengthening the system.
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Helen Nguyen, Gian Luca Di Tanna, Kristy Coxon, Julie Brown, Kerrie Ren, Jacqueline Ramke, Matthew J. Burton, Iris Gordon, Justine H. Zhang, Joao Furtado, Shaffi Mdala, Gatera Fiston Kitema, Lisa Keay
Summary: This study systematically investigated the associations between vision impairment and risk of motor vehicle crash involvement. The findings suggest that visual field defects, contrast sensitivity decline, and visual acuity loss may increase crash risk, while cataract surgery can reduce MVC risk. Detecting vision problems and providing appropriate treatment are critical for road safety.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Angela Nyamekye Osei, Marija Djekic-Ivankovic, Charles P. Larson, Isaac Agbemafle, Faith Agbozo
Summary: This article aims to critically evaluate the nutritional status of 6-12 year-old school-aged children in sub-Saharan Africa in school environments and summarize the impact of school-based interventions on them. A systematic search will be conducted in multiple databases and online search records to identify relevant articles for analysis and synthesis. The results will be disseminated through publications in peer-reviewed journals as well as conference and stakeholder presentations.
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Nikki McCaffrey, Julie Higgins, Anita Lal
Summary: This systematic review aims to summarize the cost-effectiveness of preoperative smoking cessation interventions for preventing surgical complications compared with usual care. The findings will provide critical evidence for healthcare professionals and policymakers to develop and disseminate best practice guidelines in implementing tobacco control initiatives.
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Fiona Campbell, Shumona Salam, Anthea Sutton, Shamanthi Maya Jayasooriya, Caroline Mitchell, Emmanuel Amabebe, Julie Balen, Bronwen M. Gillespie, Kerry Parris, Priya Soma-Pillay, Lawrence Chauke, Brenda Narice, Dilichukwu O. Anumba
Summary: This scoping review highlights the lack of research evidence from contexts with the highest burden of preterm birth worldwide. It also emphasizes the insufficient rigor in addressing contextual applicability within systematic review methods. This presents a risk of inappropriate and unsafe recommendations for practice within these contexts, and underscores the need for primary research, development, and testing of interventions in low-income country settings.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Brittany Cooper, Nikki L. Behnke, Ryan Cronk, Carmen Anthonj, Brandie Banner Shackelford, Raymond Tu, Jamie Bartram
Summary: In transitional displacement settings, water supply is the most frequently discussed environmental health topic, with overcrowding being the most common risk factor. The study indicates that obstacles mainly include institutional, political, or implementation-based issues, and suggests that enhancing collaboration between all levels of government and non-governmental organizations is essential to improve resource provision.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Darcy M. Anderson, Ryan Cronk, Donald Fejfar, Emily Pak, Michelle Cawley, Jamie Bartram
Summary: The lack of evidence on the costs of establishing, operating, and maintaining Environmental Health Services (EHS) in healthcare facilities in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is evident. The quality of evidence is low and reported costs do not represent the total costs of EHS provision. Opportunities for improvement in costing research include categorizing and disaggregating EHS costs, disseminating existing unpublished data, improving indicators to monitor EHS demand and quality, and developing frameworks to define EHS needs and essential inputs.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Emma Kelly, Ryan Cronk, Michael Fisher, Jamie Bartram
Summary: The study examined the relationship between sanitary inspection and water quality analysis in sub-Saharan Africa, finding no association between the two. Recommendations were made for implementers to train water system operators for inspection and for researchers to improve understanding of sanitary risk factors and incorporate contextual data into assessments.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Ryan Cronk, Amy Guo, Caroline Folz, Peter Hynes, Ashley Labat, Kaida Liang, Jamie Bartram
Summary: The study found that environmental hygiene conditions in maternity wards in low- and middle-income countries' rural areas are inadequate, significantly affecting the quality of maternal and neonatal health services. Data shows that the majority of healthcare facilities providing maternal and neonatal health services fail to meet the World Health Organization's 'six cleans' guidelines, with clean towels being the most lacking item.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYGIENE AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Jonny Crocker, David Fuente, Jamie Bartram
Summary: The study conducted cost effectiveness analyses of four different CLTS interventions in Ethiopia and Ghana, comparing pilot approaches to conventional approaches. The results showed that pilot approaches were more cost effective at reducing open defecation in Ethiopia, but not in Ghana. Overall cost effectiveness ranged from $34-$1897 per household.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYGIENE AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ryan Cronk, Amy Guo, Lisa Fleming, Jamie Bartram
Summary: This study conducted surveys in rural areas of 14 low- and middle-income countries, revealing that over half of schools only have basic on-premises water services. Schools that do not share water sources with communities, have support from parent-teacher associations, or receive external support are more likely to have access to basic water services.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Darcy M. Anderson, Ryan Cronk, Emily Pak, Precious Malima, David Fuente, J. Wren Tracy, Innocent Mofolo, Holystone Kafanikhale, Irving Hoffman, Jamie Bartram
Summary: The costs of environmental health services (EHS) in healthcare facilities are often underestimated, with essential expenses missing from records. Existing electronic health information systems are not well-suited to identify EHS costs, highlighting the need for better coding and disaggregation of expenses. Frameworks developed in this study can be used as a potential tool to provide more accurate estimates of providing EHS in healthcare facilities.
BMC HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Michael B. Fisher, Amy Z. Guo, J. Wren Tracy, Sridevi K. Prasad, Ryan D. Cronk, Emily G. Browning, Kaida R. Liang, Emma R. Kelly, Jamie K. Bartram
Summary: The study found that lead is the most common toxic metal in rural water systems in three West African low- and middle-income countries, with high levels exceeding recommended limits. Brass components are particularly problematic and contribute to increased lead concentrations in drinking water samples. Ensuring the use of lead-free components in water systems and progressively remediating existing systems could reduce health risks associated with lead exposure.
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Camille E. Morgan, J. Michael Bowling, Jamie Bartram, Georgia L. Kayser
Summary: Contaminated drinking water poses a significant health risk worldwide, especially for children in low- and middle-income countries. A study conducted in rural schools in Mozambique and Uganda found associations between specific WaSH services and drinking water microbiological contamination, with factors like improved-type water sources and availability of water and soap/ash for handwashing linked to lower levels of Escherichia coli in stored drinking water. Improving access to safe drinking water in schools through targeted WaSH interventions could have positive impacts on the health and well-being of school children in these regions.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYGIENE AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Water Resources
Katherine F. Shields, Michelle Moffa, Nikki L. Behnke, Emma Kelly, Tori Klug, Kristen Lee, Ryan Cronk, Jamie Bartram
Summary: The research highlights that community management does not automatically lead to broader community participation, but intentional efforts are needed to foster it. Implementers are advised to use collaborative planning processes, engage explicitly with intra-community diversity and inequalities, in order to facilitate meaningful participation of all community members.
JOURNAL OF WATER SANITATION AND HYGIENE FOR DEVELOPMENT
(2021)
Editorial Material
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Sophie Budge, Argaw Ambelu, Jamie Bartram, Joe Brown, Paul Hutchings
BULLETIN OF THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Linda Strande, Barbara Evans, Marcos von Sperling, Jamie Bartram, Hidenori Harada, Anne Nakagiri, Viet-Anh Nguyen
Summary: Misleading terminology hinders the progress of urban sanitation, and a globally applicable new terminology is proposed to address this issue.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Water Resources
Tarek Jaber, Thiaba Fame, Osas Aizeyosabor Agho, Bartel van de Walle, Jamie Bartram, Eline Boelee
Summary: In 2021, Nigeria experienced a cholera outbreak affecting Borno state, where over 1,600,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) were living. This study investigated the factors contributing to the recurrence of cholera outbreaks in IDP camps in Northeast Nigeria. Semi-structured interviews, transect walks, field observations, and data analysis were conducted. The findings indicated that interactions between IDPs and host communities, coupled with suboptimal WASH services and extreme weather events, facilitated the outbreak. Recommendations were made to expand WASH activities, develop site-specific interventions, and target chlorination efforts.
JOURNAL OF WATER SANITATION AND HYGIENE FOR DEVELOPMENT
(2023)
Article
Water Resources
Jonathan Wilcox, Bruce Rutayisire, Nicholas Kuria, Barbara Evans, Jamie Bartram, Rachel Sklar
Summary: This study compares the emptying businesses in Kampala and Kigali, and finds that both mechanical and manual methods are necessary for emptying pit-latrines in hard-to-serve areas. It emphasizes the need for government and city authorities to support sanitation businesses and manage prices and service standards to ensure better accessibility.
JOURNAL OF WATER SANITATION AND HYGIENE FOR DEVELOPMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Studies
Katherine F. Shields, Dani J. Barrington, Semisi Meo, Srinivas Sridharan, Stephen G. Saunders, Jamie Bartram, Regina T. Souter
Summary: The paper challenges the simplistic and linear view of an enabling environment that is perpetuated by checklists and frameworks. The authors argue that conceptualizing the enabling environment as a dynamic ecology of actors, relationships, and processes is crucial to supporting progress towards universal WASH access. They emphasize the importance of working within the politics of development rather than seeking technical solutions, and highlight the need for an inclusive approach that leverages the co-productive possibilities of participation.
WATER ALTERNATIVES-AN INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL ON WATER POLITICS AND DEVELOPMENT
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Dewan Muhammad Shoaib, Tanvir Ahmed, Kazy Farhat Tabassum, Mehedi Hasan, Fazle Sharior, Mahbubur Rahman, Makfie Farah, Md Azizur Rahman, Alauddin Ahmed, James B. Tidwell, Mahbub-Ul Alam
Summary: An intervention was implemented in Bangladesh during COVID-19 to reduce occupational health risks for waste and sanitation workers. The intervention involved training and distribution of personal protective equipment (PPE). The study found that the intervention improved workers' knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding PPE usage.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYGIENE AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
(2024)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Andreas Kortenkamp, Olwenn Martin, Eleni Iacovidou, Martin Scholze
Summary: The European Food Safety Authority's downward revision of the Health-based Guidance Value for bisphenol A (BPA) has led to disagreements with other regulatory agencies, particularly the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment. The differing views between EFSA and BfR are driven by their respective selection of endpoints and study evaluation systems, as well as their acceptance or refusal of immunotoxic effects as a basis for establishing a Health-based Guidance Value.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYGIENE AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
(2024)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Shizhen He, Bjorn Lundberg, Jenny Hallberg, Susanna Klevebro, Goran Pershagen, Kristina Eneroth, Erik Melen, Matteo Bottai, Olena Gruzieva
Summary: Early life air pollution exposure and abnormal inflammation-related protein profiles may interact synergistically towards lower lung function in infants.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYGIENE AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
(2024)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Paulien Cleys, Emilie Hardy, Yu Ait Bamai, Giulia Poma, Adam Cseresznye, Govindan Malarvannan, Paul T. J. Scheepers, Susana Viegas, Simo P. Porras, Tiina Santonen, Lode Godderis, Jelle Verdonck, Katrien Poels, Carla Martins, Maria Joao Silva, Henriqueta Louro, Inese Martinsone, Lasma Akulova, An van Nieuwenhuyse, Martien Graumans, Selma Mahiout, Radu Corneliu Duca, Adrian Covaci
Summary: The aim of this study was to assess the exposure of e-waste workers to phthalates and alternative plasticizers. The results showed that e-waste workers had higher urinary concentrations of phthalates and metabolites compared to non-occupationally exposed controls. However, no significant differences were found between pre-and post-shift concentrations in the e-waste workers.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYGIENE AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
(2024)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Karolina Bralewska
Summary: This review study examines the concentrations of various air pollutants in fire stations, identifies the limitations and strengths of existing research, identifies research gaps and challenges, and suggests potential solutions for reducing firefighter exposure to air pollution at fire stations.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYGIENE AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
(2024)
