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Objectives: This study aims to explore how health science faculty publication patterns at a large public research university have changed over time and examine how productivity relates to their information-seeking behavior and perception of the academic library. Methods: Two datasets were utilized: one consisted of publication records of health sciences faculty spanning a 15-year period, while the other was from a faculty survey exploring faculty's perception of and satisfaction with library resources and services related to their research. Results: Health sciences faculty publication patterns have changed over time, characterized by greater productivity, collaboration, and use of literature in their publications. Faculty's literature use correlates with productivity, as evidenced by both datasets. The survey revealed that faculty with more publications tend to rely more on online journals and Interlibrary Loan (ILL). Similarly, the publication data indicated that less productive faculty tended to use fewer references in their publications. Discussion: The publication data and survey results offer valuable insights into the health sciences faculty's informationseeking behavior and productivity. Online access to information has been effective in facilitating use of information, as indicated by the greater incorporation of references in publications. Conclusion: The study highlights the changing publication patterns and productivity of health sciences faculty, as well as the role academic libraries play in supporting their research and publishing activities. Although multiple variables influence faculty access to and use of information, faculty attitudes towards the library and use of the library are related to faculty research and productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Publication science is the scholarly study of various aspects of the academic publishing process. Its applications to COVID-19 literature have been limited. Here, we describe COVID-19 submissions to, and resulting articles published by, the journal Public Health Reports (PHR), an important resource for US public health practice. Methods: We reviewed PHR 's COVID-19 submissions and articles published between March 27, 2020, and March 27, 2023. We coded each article for article type, author affiliation, the categories listed in PHR 's call for COVID-19 papers, and the public health emergency preparedness and response capabilities from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Results: During the study period, PHR received 1545 COVID-19 submissions and published 190 of those articles in a collection, COVID-19 Response. The COVID-19 Response collection included 102 research articles, 29 case study/practice articles, and 24 commentaries. The corresponding author of more than half (52.1%; n = 99) of the articles was affiliated with academia. By the categories listed in PHR 's call for COVID-19 papers, 51 articles addressed health disparities, 38 addressed public health surveillance, and 34 addressed COVID-19 vaccination. By the CDC public health emergency preparedness and response capabilities, 87 articles addressed public health surveillance and epidemiologic investigation, 38 addressed community preparedness, and 32 addressed community recovery. The percentage of articles focused on policy/law was higher early in the pandemic (2020-2021) than later (2022-2023) (9.5% vs <3.0%). During the latter period, articles largely focused on vaccination (12.8%) and contact tracing (10.6%). Conclusions: Articles published in PHR 's COVID-19 Response collection covered a broad range of topics and were authored by contributors from diverse organizations. Our characterization of the COVID-19 output of a representative US public health practice journal can help academic publishing better address informational needs of public health responders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This special issue aims to help fill two critical gaps in the growing literature as well as in practice. First, to bring together scholars and practitioners from around the world who develop, practice, review, and question structural competency with the aim of promoting a dialogue with related approaches, such as Latin American Social Medicine, Collective Health, and others, which have been key in diverse geographical and social settings. Second, to contribute to expanding structural competency beyond clinical medicine to include other health-related areas such as social work, global health, public health practice, epidemiological research, health policy, community organisation and beyond. This conceptual expansion is currently taking place in structural competency, and we hope that this volume will help to raise awareness and reinforce what is already happening. In sum, this collection of articles puts structural competency more rigorously and actively in conversation with different geographic, political, social, and professional contexts worldwide. We hope this conversation sparks further development in scholarly, political and community movements for social and health justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From July through December 2022, the National Environmental Health Association conducted a national survey of retail food regulatory professionals. The purpose of the survey was to determine the training needs of this workforce. We devoted significant effort to crafting the survey tool and aimed to gather extensive information. The goal of the survey was to enable the formulation of data-driven recommendations to shape the future of workforce development in the retail food regulatory community. The survey received a total of 2,253 valid responses, comprising 1,510 responses from individuals and 743 responses from representatives at the jurisdiction level. This collection of insights reflects a diverse range of perspectives, with regulatory professionals contributing both personal and informed responses regarding the training necessities within their specific retail food regulatory agencies. Since the closing of the survey, preliminary analysis has been done and a deeper dive into the data is in progress. The findings will be released through multiple manuscripts throughout 2024. This editorial is the first article in the series. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author argues for the transformation of mental health care through technological innovations and reorientation of perspective to prioritize the well-being and dignity of every patient. He suggests the adoption of genetic testing for medication metabolism as a solution for a more cost-effective healthcare system. He stresses the potential of personalized medicine to enhance treatment outcomes and calls for policies that facilitate the adoption of evidence-based innovations.

The author discusses articles in the issue on overdose deaths and suicides which are important drivers of lower life expectancy in the U.S. Topics include the U.S. public health crisis of overdose deaths, a description provided by J. Auerbach and B. F. Miller of how mental health and mental health care delivery would be affected during the COVID-19 pandemic, and recommendations by R. Ramchand et al to conduct improved monitoring and surveillance of suicide attempts and suicide deaths.

The article discusses the Institute of Medicine's (IOM) 1988 report "The Future of Public Health" and how its main goals are laudable and still necessary today. Cited are collaboration needed to reach shared goals for public health, the background of the report and its four major focus areas, and key lessons from the report which aims at building a robust and resilient public health system that improves health and well-being for all.

An editorial is presented which reflects on the evolution of the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics (JHND) and announces the appointment of a new Editor-in-Chief, Professor Lauren Ball. Topics include the changing landscape of academic publishing and nutrition research, the transformation of JHND into an internationally recognized journal, and the vision for the journal's future under the leadership of Professor Ball.

Most international definitions of palliative care in the worlds of policy and practice emphasize the 'holistic' dimensions of end-of-life experience and its care. To discover whether the definitions of palliative care are reflected in the field's research priorities. A content analysis of two research journals, one British and the other American, is described to provide a simple indicative answer to this question. The abstracts of 609 research papers drawn from these two journals between the years 2021–22 were examined thematically. The categories of physical alone, physical, and psychological, and psychological alone, when combined accounted for 69% of all research reports. The broader social aspects of care, outside of communication and advance care planning, were largely unaddressed. The social domain accounted for 29%, but 78% of this figure was about advance care planning and communication. Likewise, the role of spirituality, present in most of the definitions, was under researched and under reported. Even within this context, the results were disappointing. Spiritual care accounted for only 2% of reports. Examination of research publications of two major palliative care research journals showed a significant overemphasis on symptom management and health service delivery assessments. This significant dearth of investigation in the major areas of social and spiritual domains is a call to action for researchers, grant making bodies, researchers, ethics committees, and journal editorial teams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a significant increase in academic research in the realm of social sciences. As such, there is an increasing need for the scientific community to adopt effective and efficient methods to examine the potential role and contribution of social sciences in the fight against COVID-19. Objectives: This study aims to identify the key topics and explore publishing trends in social science research pertaining to COVID-19 via automated literature analysis. Methods: The automated literature analysis employed utilizes keyword analysis and topic modelling technique, specifically Latent Dirichlet Allocation, to highlight the most relevant research terms, overarching research themes and research trends within the realm of social science research on COVID-19. Results: The focus of research and topics were derived from 9733 full-text academic papers. The bulk of social science research on COVID-19 centres on the following themes: 'Clinical Treatment', 'Epidemic Crisis', 'Mental Influence', 'Impact on Students', 'Lockdown Influence' and 'Impact on Children'. Conclusion: This study adds to our understanding of key topics in social science research on COVID-19. The automated literature analysis presented is particularly useful for librarians and information specialists keen to explore the role and contributions of social science topics in the context of pandemics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the author discusses articles within the issue on topics including public trust crisis in health information, importance of a relationship-centered approach to addressing mistrust, and community-driven and multisectoral strategies to build trust in COVID-19 vaccine and other mitigation measures.

An editorial is presented on the urgent need for health professionals, political leaders, and the World Health Organization (WHO) to recognize climate change and biodiversity loss as an interconnected global health emergency. Topics discussed include the call for integrated responses to the climate and nature crises, the potential catastrophic health effects, and the necessity for unified efforts to address this pressing global health issue.

The authors offer an appreciation to the 2022-2023 peer reviewers of the journal including Pamela M. Aaltonen, Shawn D. Aaron, and Erika Nayeli Abad-Vivero.

An editorial is presented the multifaceted nature of food systems and the roles of nutritionists and dietitians within them, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive understanding of the complex interrelationships between different parts of the system. It underscores the importance of professionals having a deep and evidence-based understanding of food and related systems.

The article enumerates principles or considerations that may be helpful in fostering agreement in public health and population health policy. These include starting with understanding people as people, acting with good intentions, and creating safe places to discuss perspectives. Also included are not describing solutions as an initial step and understanding the moral foundations of opponents to policy proposal.

Background: Globalisation has increased human movements around the world, spurring greater connectiveness and opportunities to collaborate. In an increasingly connected world, quality assurance among professionals is paramount, particularly in medical research where PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) degree holders are expected to be at the peak of their field and play advanced‐level research, education and leadership roles. While some regional efforts have been made to ensure comparability in the standards of advanced degree training, no previous study has compared these standards for a PhD in medicine across the globe. Aims: To explore the structural diversity of medical PhD degrees and identify which aspects benefit from greater harmonisation. Methods: In 2021, the 10 best‐ranked universities from each of the top five Western countries, and the top Asian country, were identified based on Quacquarelli Symonds World University Ranking. Data were collected for each university based on individual website information regarding the level of degree required to gain entry into a PhD programme in medicine and requirements for completion of coursework, journal publication and oral defence. Results: Significant variations exist in the requirements for medical PhDs across the world in terms of prerequisite degree and inclusion of coursework. Oral defence is near universal, but a mandatory requirement for publication is largely absent. Conclusions: Harmonisation of medical PhD degrees through international standards should be considered to encourage quality improvement and benchmarking between institutions, as well as to facilitate greater ease of movement within the medical research community, improving international collaboration and individual career opportunities accordingly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This column will be the first in a series exploring innovative ways to teach concepts and ideas in health law across a wide variety of classrooms, schools, and curriculums. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the pressing need to establish a unified set of competencies for Public Health Nurses (PHNs) in order to bolster their workforce effectively. It mentions the complexity of PHN practice in diverse settings and the confusion caused by multiple competency sets, emphasizing the importance of competencies aligning with PHNs' roles.

An introduction to articles published within the issue is presented, including one on which examined the concept of value complexity which can lead to mistrust, misunderstanding, and conflict among stakeholders, another which highlighted the need for a national dialogue to achieve consensus regarding a holistic definition of health for health transformation and equity, and another which examined the association between electoral democracy and working-age mortality.

Over the past decade, the health implications of social isolation and loneliness garnered global attention due in part to a widely cited meta-analysis that benchmarked associations between cigarette smoking and mortality with associations between several social-relationship measures and mortality. Leaders in health systems, research, government, and popular media have since claimed that the harms of social isolation and loneliness are comparable to that of cigarette smoking. Our commentary examines the basis of this comparison. We suggest that comparisons between social isolation, loneliness, and smoking have been helpful for raising awareness of robust evidence linking social relationships and health. However, the analogy often oversimplifies the evidence and may overemphasize treating social isolation or loneliness at the individual level without sufficient attention on population-level prevention. As communities, governments, and health and social sector practitioners navigate opportunities for change, we believe now is time to focus greater attention on the structures and environments that promote and constrain healthy relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To measure Peruvian scientific production on public health in Scopus database. Methods: Bibliometric study using advanced Scopus web search engine (https://www.scopus.com/search/ form.uri?display=advanced). The inclusion criteria were the publications of articles related to public health between 1973 and 2020. The equation was used as a strategy: TITLE-ABS-CLAVE ("public health") AND AFFILCOUNTRY (Peru) AND (EXCLUDE (PUBYEAR, 2021) OR EXCLUDE (PUBYEAR, 2020)). SCImago journal & country rank was used to determine the impact factor (h-index) and the quartile of the journals identified. The analysis included in SPSS v24.0 included years of publication, institutions, h-index, list of authors with the most publications, publication types, and journals. Results: 903 articles published by 7.5±12.5 authors were included, showing that 74.5% were original articles written mainly in English (77.7%). The publications for the year 1973 and 2019 were 3 (0.3%) and 98 (10.9%), respectively. In addition, it was shown that the most productive institutions were the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (42.9%) and the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos (13.1%). The journal with the highest number of Peruvian publications was Revista Peruana de Medicina Experimental y Salud Pública (RPMESP) [Peruvian Journal of Experimental Medicine and Public Health (PJEMPH)] (17.5%) and PLoS ONE (2.88%). Conclusions: The present study showed in the magazines with the highest number of citations and therefore greater visualization, where Peruvian publications in this area were published, with this the future readers can take these magazines into consideration so that their publications have a greater visualization. In addition to this, the study shows the largest institutions that have a great impact on Peruvian publications in public health in Scopus, this invites researchers to analyze the research methodologies that these institutions follow in order to disclose them for reproduction in new entities interested in research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a complex public health crisis with far-reaching consequences. The healthcare system plays an integral role in the detection, prevention, and treatment of IPV. In particular, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has served as a national model for responding to IPV within a multifaceted, integrated healthcare system. The articles included in this special issue provide a snapshot of IPV programming available through VHA and offer suggestions for expansion and enhancement of services. The commentary provided in the special issue conclusion article highlights VHA as a leading example of a systematic healthcare response to IPV and provides future directions for research and clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peer-reviewed journals provide an invaluable but inadequate vehicle for scientific communication. Preprints are now an essential complement to peer-reviewed publications. Eschewing preprints will slow scientific progress and reduce the public health impact of epidemiologic research. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic highlighted long-standing limitations of the peer-review process. Preprint servers, such as bioRxiv and medRxiv, served as crucial venues to rapidly disseminate research and provide detailed backup to sound-bite science that is often communicated through the popular press or social media. The major criticisms of preprints arise from an unjustified optimism about peer review. Peer review provides highly imperfect sorting and curation of research and only modest improvements in research conduct or presentation for most individual papers. The advantages of peer review come at the expense of months to years of delay in sharing research methods or results. For time-sensitive evidence, these delays can lead to important missteps and ill-advised policies. Even with research that is not intrinsically urgent, preprints expedite debate, expand engagement, and accelerate progress. The risk that poor-quality papers will have undue influence because they are posted on a preprint server is low. If epidemiology aims to deliver evidence relevant for public health, we need to embrace strategic uses of preprint servers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the Public Health Reports (PHR): Year in Review article series. Topics discussed include 2022 performance metrics of PHR, assessment of the journal's state, tribal, local, and territorial (STLT) authorship in 2022, and topics of PHR articles published in 2022 which includes infectious diseases, health disparities and the health of racial and ethnic minority and other socially or economically disadvantaged populations.

The article focuses on the role of public engagement (PE) in achieving equity in genomics and precision medicine. Topics covered include advances in genetic and genomic technologies, historical legacies of inequities in genomics, and the need for inclusive and informed PE approaches. The article emphasizes the importance of considering equity and justice in genomics research and policy-making, and highlights the challenges and potential benefits of PE in addressing these issues.

An editorial is presented on the National Mental Health Survey (NMHS) of India conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) in 2015-2016. The survey, commissioned by the 'Ministry of Health and Family Welfare,' aims to estimate the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in India, identify treatment gaps, and understand healthcare utilization patterns. The results reveal a significant treatment gap and lower prevalence of psychiatric disorders.

The author seeks to dispel some of the biases and pseudoscientific approaches of Big Public Health in its ideological anti-bazooka crusade. Topics include negative focus on and regulation of bazookas when most harms are associated with a core of irresponsible bazooka users who engage in problem bazookaing, the pernicious issue of problem bazookaing, and low-risk alternatives and harm reduction.

The authors stress the need to treat the climate change and nature crisis as an indivisible global health emergency. They talk about the power of the nature to restore, the impacts of the climate crisis on human health, and the role of health professionals and political leaders in dealing with such climate crisis.

In this brief Commentary, Neal Nathanson recounts his memories of the metamorphosis of the American Journal of Hygiene into the American Journal of Epidemiology , and his subsequent service as the Editor-in-Chief from 1964 to 1979. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction to the journal is presented which discusses various reports within the issue on topics including legal and ethical challenges arising from advances in health information use and technology, responding to public health emergencies, and international challenges in health information storage and use.

An introduction to articles in the issue is presented on topics including associations between structural racism and sexual risk, lessons learned from the implementation of an adapted intervention called Support to Reunite, Involve, and Value Each Other, and development and implementation of the Women-Centered Program for Women of Color.

The article, published in the June 2023 issue of the Quarterly, covers various topics related to population health. Topics include the need for improvements in monitoring child and adolescent mental health indicators, the impact of hospital system mergers on healthcare outcomes, the financing and ownership trends in the American healthcare system, and the strategic messaging to promote policies that advance racial equity.

Today, as access to women's reproductive health care in the United States has proven less than ensured, it behooves scholars of public health to explore how US medical contraceptive care was successfully established and perpetuated initially in the early to mid-twentieth century. This article highlights the work of Hannah Mayer Stone, MD, in building and advocating such care. From the moment she accepted the position of medical director for the first contraceptive clinic in the country in 1925 until her untimely death in 1941, Stone campaigned relentlessly for women's access to the best contraceptive regimes available, all the while navigating extensive legal, social, and scientific challenges. In 1928, she published the first scientific report on contraception in a US medical journal, thereby legitimating the provision of contraception as a medical endeavor and providing empirical grounds for clinical contraceptive work in the years that followed. Her scientific publications and professional correspondence provide insight into the processes through which medical contraceptive care became increasingly available in US history and offer guidance for a contemporary era when reproductive health care hangs in the balance. (Am J Public Health. 2023;113(4):390–396. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2022.307215) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dysphoric milk ejection reflect (D‐MER) is a dysphoria which women may experience within seconds of commencing breastfeeding. It is only recently gaining recognition in the academic literature and may have important implications for breastfeeding continuation, differential diagnosis and perinatal mental health. This perspective piece introduces the topic, sets out the physiological processes underpinning the experience and outlines why increased awareness of D‐MER is important for the profession of mental health nursing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction to the supplement which showcases the grant recipients' learning activities and preliminary outcomes during the first two to three years of the five-year grant is presented.

The article presents a study which explored innovative interventions in which Maternal Mortality Review Committees (MMRCs) actively engaged physician trainees, enhancing their understanding of maternal population health. Topics discussed include evaluation method and findings, challenges to the training model, and analysis of integrating trainees into local and state MMRCs.

An introduction to articles published within the issue is presented, including one on the history and context leading up to the Institute of Medicine (IOM) 1988 "Future of Public Health" (FOPH) report, another on the shortcomings of the report with regards to considering climate change as one of the greatest public health threats, and a report on contemporary public health in light of the FOPH and FOPH21 reports.