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Aim: This paper investigates the effect of a religious holiday (Eid-ul-Fitr in Pakistan) on compliance behaviour instituted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Longstanding religion-based norms of behaviour during the Eid holidays (traveling to meet family members, praying in large gatherings, hugging) may counteract newly established (and weaker) norms of health-preserving behaviours. Method: We study the impact of Eid-ul-Fitr on compliance with COVID guidelines for a sample of university students. Our effects are identified by unprompted delays in fielding a survey measuring compliance with prescribed behaviours. Results: We find that compliance with guidelines declines immediately after the religious holiday in our sample of students, with no observable decline in other well documented predictors of compliance behaviour (risk perceptions, trust in the authorities). We find that this decline in compliance is largely attributable to male participants, with one important exception. We further confirm our results by conducting robustness checks incorporating matching techniques and a smaller follow-up study where we randomize invitations to the survey. Conclusion: We conclude that amid the pandemic, newly formed norms pertaining to healthcare guidelines (focusing on social-distancing) emerged, and were subsequently undercut by longstanding norms of behaviour following a religious celebration: Eid-ul-Fitr. This paper underscores the fragility of these newly emerged norms, especially when challenged by a more well-entrenched, traditional norm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Main: Electronic health record (EHR) applications are digital versions of paper-based patient health information. Traditionally, medical records are made on paper. However, nowadays, advances in information and communication technology have made it possible to change medical records from paper to EHR. Therefore, preserving user data privacy is extremely important in healthcare environments. The main challenges are providing ways to make EHR systems increasingly capable of ensuring data privacy and at the same time not compromising the performance and interoperability of these systems. Subject and methods: This systematic mapping study intends to investigate the current research on security and privacy requirements in EHR systems and identify potential research gaps in the literature. The main challenges are providing ways to make EHR systems increasingly capable of ensuring data privacy, and at the same time, not compromising the performance and interoperability of these systems. Our research was carried out in the Scopus database, the largest database of abstracts and citations in the literature with peer review. Results: We have collected 848 articles related to the area. After disambiguation and filtering, we selected 30 articles for analysis. The result of such an analysis provides a comprehensive view of current research. Conclusions: We can highlight some relevant research possibilities. First, we noticed a growing interest in privacy in EHR research in the last 6 years. Second, blockchain has been used in many EHR systems as a solution to achieve data privacy. However, it is a challenge to maintain traceability by recording metadata that can be mapped to private data of the users applying a particular mapping function that can be hosted outside the blockchain. Finally, the lack of a systematic approach between EHR solutions and existing laws or policies leads to better strategies for developing a certification process for EHR systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Designing financial incentives for health behaviour change requires choices across several domains, including value (the size of the incentive), frequency of incentives, and direction (gain or loss). However, the rationale underlying complex incentive design is infrequently reported. Transparent reporting is important if we want to understand and improve the incentive development process. This paper describes a mixed methods approach for designing financial incentives for health behaviour change which involves stakeholders throughout the design process. Subject and methods: The mixed methods approach focuses on incentives for weight loss for men with obesity living in areas with high levels of disadvantage. The approach involves: (a) using an existing framework to identify all domains of a financial incentive scheme for which choices need to be made, deciding what criteria are relevant (such as effectiveness, acceptability and uptake) and making choices on each domain on the basis of the criteria; (b) conducting a survey of target population preferences to inform choices for domains and to design the incentive scheme; and (c) making final decisions at a stakeholder consensus workshop. Results: The approach was implemented and an incentive scheme for weight loss for men living with obesity was developed. Qualitative interview data from men receiving the incentives in a feasibility trial endorses our approach. Conclusion: This paper demonstrates that a mixed methods approach with stakeholder involvement can be used to design financial incentives for health behaviour change such as weight loss. Trial registration number: NCT03040518. Date: 2 February 2017. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The quality of workplace health promotion (WHP) is essential for the successful deployment of financial and human resources. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the measurement quality of a WHP instrument with 15 quality criteria over time. In addition, it examines whether the quality of WHP in the enterprises concerned changed over time and whether typical developments can be identified. Finally, the role of company parameters such as size and implementation phase are analysed in relation to how WHP develops over time. Subjects and methods: Evaluations of the quality of WHP collected between 2014 and 2021 were available at two and three measurement points for 570 and 279 enterprises, respectively. To assess the longitudinal measurement structure, confirmatory factor analyses were carried out followed by structural equation modelling to analyse causality. Cluster analysis was used to identify typical developments, and differences in company parameters were analysed with MANOVA. Results: The results prove that the 15 quality criteria can be used to evaluate the quality of WHP in enterprises in a valid and reliable manner, both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. The quality of WHP in the enterprises concerned remained relatively stable over approximately 12 years. The cluster solution revealed three different developments characterized by increasing, stable or decreasing quality. Conclusion: Measurements using a quality evaluation system permit a good assessment of WHP in enterprises. WHP quality also depends on company parameters; here more support should be provided to motivate enterprises in the long run, particularly in the sustainability phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This paper aims to better understand the relationship between homicide and other public health outcomes, by studying their trends over time. Subject and methods: Research in both criminology and public health has long identified that crime and violence tend to cluster together with adverse phenomena in the social and health domains. However, such work has relied primarily on cross-sectional analyses. Here, we instead study trends over time. We take data from the Netherlands, between 2000 and 2020, and ask whether homicide shows similar trends over time as other public health phenomena – such as smoking behaviour, alcohol use, child mortality, adolescent pregnancies, and suicide. Results: We observe, first, that all of the phenomena – with the exception of suicide – declined over the period under study. We then employ a time series analysis to examine whether these trends arise independently, or whether they are the result of structural similarities between phenomena. Results showed that the decline in homicide rates is linked to a similar decline in adolescent pregnancies – the rates of these phenomena 'move together' during the period under study. Conclusion: This work shows that the phenomenon of homicide shares structural similarities with teenage pregnancies – a decline in one is linked to a similar decline in the other. More generally, the current work furthers our understanding of the place of homicide in the domain of (public) health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Asians are the second largest and fastest growing non-European population in New Zealand but are under-researched in terms of their COVID-19 pandemic response. The paper aims to illustrates Asians' risk perceptions and knowledge of COVID-19, and self-protection practices to avoid infection and prevent community transmission. Subject and methods: An online survey was used to collect data and received 402 valid responses. Data analyses included: 1) a descriptive analysis by using Chi-square tests and a Kruskal-Wallis rank sum tests to explore associations between responses and the four demographic variables (i.e. age, gender, country of origin/ethnicity, and region); and 2) a correlation analysis between different survey objectives. Results: The descriptive analysis of the survey found that while ethnicity (within the Asian category) was the most influential variable that resulted in varying responses to many questions, gender and age were other two important variables in influencing the answering patterns. The correlation analysis found a positive correlation between the perceived 'dangerousness' of COVID-19 and respondents' overall compliance behaviour to New Zealand authorities' recommendations to prevent spread of COVID-19. Conclusion: The majority of the respondents provided correct answers to the questions about the vulnerable populations, symptoms, asymptomatic transmission and potential sequelae of COVID-19; however, their understanding of the availability of a cure for, and the incubation period of COVID-19 was not consistent with the official information. The research also found that the higher perceived dangerousness of COVID-19, the better compliance to self-protection practices among the surveyed population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study examined the impact, trends, and impact levels of factors affecting Pediculus capitis infestation in primary school students. Subject and methods: Among the papers reviewed, 226 were selected, as they contained information that suited the study objectives. Results: The factors whose trends have higher gradients have a higher impact on the infestation level. In order of impact, the gradients of hair washing frequency, health instructor involvement, bathing frequency, mother's and father's education, existence of bathing facility, family size, hairstyle, and family income trends are higher than hair length, and age and education trends. As a result, the factor impacts are diminished from the beginning to the end. The importance of the family size, father's and mother's education, bathing facility existence, health instructor involvement, and bathing and hair washing frequency factors, whose trends increased over time, is higher than family income, hairstyle and length, and age and education, whose trends remained constant or decreased. Based on the gradient of the factor level impact trends, it seems that hair washing frequency, father's and mother's education, and health instructor involvement are the factors with the greatest effects on infestation level, in that order. These are followed by the influence of family income and size, and hairstyle factors. The existence of bathing facilities, bathing frequency, hair length, and education factors have weaker effects. Conclusion: This work provides the importance and impact levels of factors affecting Pediculus capitis infestation levels in primary school students, which will help meet the needs of policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The Health Gym Program is the main health promotion strategy in the Brazilian public health system. This paper aims to measure the impact of the Health Gym Program on hospital admission expenses for stroke in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. Subject and methods: This public health impact evaluation used a panel of socioeconomic, demographic, and epidemiological data from 2007 to 2019 for all 185 municipalities in the state of Pernambuco. The empirical strategy used pre-tests, ordinary least-squares econometric modeling, and quantile regression as a robustness test. Results: The municipalities that implemented the Health Gym Program spent an average of 21.04% less on hospitalizations for stroke than the municipalities that did not, and this result was statistically significant at the 1% level. Further, the density of program coverage within the municipality also impacts the reduction of expenses. This saving is directly proportional to the number of hubs of the program in the municipalities. An increase of one program hub for every 10,000 inhabitants results in a 4.57% reduction in expenditure on stroke hospitalizations in the municipalities. Conclusion: The presence of the Health Gym Program led to a reduction in expenses related to hospital admissions for stroke, which may indicate that this program effectively expands the scope of health promotion actions in primary healthcare. The evidence generated from this study can be used to implement evidence-based policies aimed at preventing and controlling chronic diseases in Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To analyze the level of knowledge, attitudes, practices, and risk perception regarding COVID-19 among Chinese residents 1.5 years after the pandemic. Subject and methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out with both online and paper questionnaires. We included a variety of covariates that were characteristic-related factors such as age, gender, education level, and retirement status, as well as those closely associated with risk perception regarding COVID-19. Results: Participants (n = 3588), 53.49 ± 18.88 years old, from two provinces of China, of which 44.7% were male and 52.03% had a high school or greater level of education, answered the questions. More than 90% of participants had adequate background knowledge about COVID-19 and agreed or even strongly agreed with many attitude items related to the government's role in diagnosis, treatment, and dealing with COVID-19 infections. About three fifths of the participants reported fear of contracting COVID-19, but only a minority (18.63%) felt they were more susceptible than others. Respondents aged 45 years or younger were more likely to fear contracting the virus than those older than 45 years (adjusted OR = 1.464, 95% CI 1.196 to 1.794, P = 0.0002). High education level (adjusted OR = 1.503, 95% CI 1.187 to 1.904, P = 0.0007) and non-retired status (adjusted OR = 1.679, 95% CI 1.354 to 2.083, P < 0.0001) were associated with a higher perception of susceptibility to infection than others. Moreover, respondents who were not retired had a significantly reduced practice score (adjusted OR = 1.554, 95% CI 1.261 to 1.916, P < 0.0001). Age, retirement status, and education level were also associated with knowledge, attitude, and practice level. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the public generally has trust in the COVID-19 vaccine and the government with regard to COVID-19 in China. We recommend that high-risk groups of communities, such as elders and patients with chronic diseases, be given greater consideration in the outbreaks. Health education campaigns combined with workplace preventive intervention should be aimed at improving COVID-19 knowledge and beliefs in order to encourage more optimistic attitudes and to maintain safe practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The goal of this paper is to analyze the COVID-19 policies of 10 European countries, including Sweden, Finland, Norway, Italy, France, Germany, Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Hungary, with a time-series policy analysis tool. Subject and methods: The results of the COVID-19 policy analysis are based on a single time-series indicator, or daily population mortality rate: the number of COVID-19 daily cumulative deaths divided by the population in millions. The lower the score, the better the policy. Although many experts believe that the COVID-19 policy outcome analysis is premature, time series analysis is an excellent analysis that can provide information on the progress and transition of policy outcomes. In other words, the proposed time series analysis tool allows policymakers to identify and quantify when mistakes were made during the on-going COVID-19 pandemic. Results: The COVID-19 policy analysis discovered many useful facts. Sweden failed due to the herd immunity approach. Hungary made a fundamental mistake in COVID-19 tactics. Countries such as Sweden, Hungary, Belgium, and Poland showed time-series changes that differed from the others. Conclusion: Public health interventions can play a key role in mitigating the COVID-19 pandemic. The proposed policy analysis tool, hiscovid demonstrated the effectiveness of the time-series score behavior for discovering when policymakers made mistakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]