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Implementation and Perspective on Community Based Health Promotion Interventions

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Public Health & Primary Care, Institute of Population Health, Trinity College Dublin, Russell Centre, Tallaght Cross, D24 DH74 Dublin, Ireland
Interests: smoking cessation interventions; obesity; lifestyle interventions; gender specific interventions; cancer prevention; implementation science; community intervention trials; low-income groups behaviour change; health inequality; health services resersch
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Approximately 3 in 5 deaths are attributable to four non-communicable diseases (NCDs): cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic lung diseases and diabetes. Chronic diseases and multimorbidity are much more prevalent in marginalised communities. Health services worldwide are coping with increased demands and increased costs of providing care with three-quarters of health expenditure directly. The imperative to remain healthy has grown stronger since the emergence of COVID-19 with even more demand on already overstretched programmes. Reversing trends, for example, in obesity rates and the rise in lung cancer rates due to tobacco smoking among women, which has now overtaken breast cancer in many developed countries, requires new evidence-based approaches to prevention, including tailored interventions with tested implementation strategies carried out in partnership with individuals and communities. Tailored community health promotion interventions developed with communities which are implemented with fidelity may be the key to reversing current trends in NCDSs. Development, implementation and evaluation of community-engaged research with participants as equal partners has potential to advance the understanding of researchers in understanding community priorities and improve the ability of communities to address their own health needs. Papers addressing these topics are invited for this Special Issue, especially those combining a high academic standard with a practical focus.

Dr. Catherine Hayes
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • community-engaged research
  • implementation science
  • implementation strategies
  • chronic disease
  • tailored interventions
  • health inequalities

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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18 pages, 1412 KiB  
Article
Developing Co-Creation Research in Food Retail Environments: A Descriptive Case Study of a Healthy Supermarket Initiative in Regional Victoria, Australia
by Carmen Vargas, Jillian Whelan, Louise Feery, Deborah Greenslade, Melissa Farrington, Julie Brimblecombe, Freddy Thuruthikattu and Steven Allender
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(12), 6077; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20126077 - 7 Jun 2023
Viewed by 2311
Abstract
Research into the co-creation of healthy food retail is in its early stages. One way to advance co-creation research is to explore and understand how co-creation was applied in developing, implementing, and evaluating a heath-enabling initiative in a supermarket in regional Victoria, Australia. [...] Read more.
Research into the co-creation of healthy food retail is in its early stages. One way to advance co-creation research is to explore and understand how co-creation was applied in developing, implementing, and evaluating a heath-enabling initiative in a supermarket in regional Victoria, Australia. A case study design was used to explore and understand how co-creation was applied in the Eat Well, Feel Good Ballarat project. Six documents and reports related to the Eat Well, Feel Good Ballarat project were analyzed with findings from the focus groups and interviews. Motivations to develop or implement health-enabling supermarket initiatives differed among the participants. Participants considered that initial negotiations were insufficient to keep the momentum going and to propose the value to the retailers to scale up the project. Presenting community-identified needs to the supermarket helped gain the retailer’s attention, whilst the co-design process helped the implementation. Showcasing the project to the community through media exposure kept the supermarket interested. Retailers’ time constraints and staff turnover were considered significant barriers to partnership building. This case study contributes insights into applying co-creation to health-enabling strategies in food retail outlets using two co-creation frameworks. Full article
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14 pages, 373 KiB  
Article
Dancing for Health and Wellbeing: A Feasibility Study of Examining Health Impacts of Online Dancing among Pulmonary Fibrosis Patients
by Vikram Niranjan, Giampiero Tarantino, Jaspal Kumar, Nicola Cassidy, Liam Galvin, Gemma O’Dowd, Tracey Barnes, Finola O’Neill, Matthew Cullen, Ray O’Connor and Andrew O’Regan
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(20), 13510; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192013510 - 19 Oct 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2910
Abstract
Background: Physical activity (PA) is recommended in the management of patients with pulmonary fibrosis (PF) to improve health outcomes. Dance is one such form of PA which is meaningful, valuable, enjoyable and has demonstrated positive physical and mental health effects. Methods: With pre-post [...] Read more.
Background: Physical activity (PA) is recommended in the management of patients with pulmonary fibrosis (PF) to improve health outcomes. Dance is one such form of PA which is meaningful, valuable, enjoyable and has demonstrated positive physical and mental health effects. Methods: With pre-post design, 16 patients, members of the Irish Lung Fibrosis Association, were enrolled in this study. Once weekly, 75-min dance sessions were delivered for eight weeks via Zoom by an experienced choreographer. Participants completed Chronic Respiratory Questionnaire Self-Administered Standardised Format (CRQ-SAS) and European Quality of Life 5 Dimensions 3 Level Version (EQ-5D-3L) to assess self-rated quality of life. A paired-sample t-test was employed to assess the mean differences between the pre-and post-intervention scores. Results: Most patients (78.57%) were aged over 60 years; with 71.43% diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis more than 3 years ago. We performed an analysis of 10/16 participants who completed the intervention (5 males, 5 females). On CRQ-SAS scale we found, (a) dyspnoea—small to moderate magnitude improvement of 0.5–1.0 among 50%, (b) fatigue—small to moderate magnitude improvement of 0.5–1.0 among 40%, (c) emotional function—small to high magnitude improvement of 0.5–2.0 among 50%, (d) mastery—small magnitude improvement of 0.5 among 20%. Participants reported their health moderate to best on Visual Analogue Scale of EQ-5D-3L which improved by 1–3 scale among 40%. Mental health improved as percentage of not feeling anxious or depressed rose post event from 42.86% to 72.73%. Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate that a virtual dance intervention is acceptable, enjoyable and feasible for improving health outcomes among PF patients. More organised and continuous events in future may reveal cost-benefit ratio and impact on health outcomes. Full article
8 pages, 697 KiB  
Article
Increased Rates of Health Management and Health Education on Hypertension and Diabetes in Inner Mongolia, China: 10-Year Population Level Trends (2009–2018)
by Daxu Li, Meixuan Luo, Yu Liu, Jing Dong, Wei Geng, Xiaoliu Li, Lijun Yang, Jin Wang and Peihua Cao
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(20), 13048; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192013048 - 11 Oct 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1684
Abstract
Health management and health education are two important tasks in the national basic public health service project with a wide audience, large service volume, and high accessibility. From 2009 to 2018, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China launched the basic public health [...] Read more.
Health management and health education are two important tasks in the national basic public health service project with a wide audience, large service volume, and high accessibility. From 2009 to 2018, the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China launched the basic public health service (BPHS) project comprehensively. The implementation of health management and health education was supported and instructed actively. This study aimed to document population-level trends in health management and health education on chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes in Inner Mongolia, China. We collected monthly and annual reports on the implementation progress of the BPHS project in Inner Mongolia, China. A two-stage random sampling method was used to investigate health management and health education for hypertension and diabetes patients. The rate of standard health management for both hypertension and diabetes has significantly increased. The blood pressure control rate and glycemic control rate have also improved. This work provides the most comprehensive evidence to date regarding the upward trends in health management and health education on chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes in Inner Mongolia, China. Full article
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10 pages, 471 KiB  
Article
The Mediating Effect of E-Cigarette Harm Perception in the Relationship between E-Cigarette Advertising Exposure and E-Cigarette Use
by Nan Jiang, Shu Xu, Le Li, Omar El-Shahawy, Nicholas Freudenberg, Jenni A. Shearston and Scott E. Sherman
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(10), 6215; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19106215 - 20 May 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2443
Abstract
Exposure to e-cigarette advertising is associated with e-cigarette use among young people. This study examined the mediating effect of e-cigarette harm perception on the above relationship. Cross-sectional survey data were collected from 2112 college students in New York City in 2017–2018. The analytic [...] Read more.
Exposure to e-cigarette advertising is associated with e-cigarette use among young people. This study examined the mediating effect of e-cigarette harm perception on the above relationship. Cross-sectional survey data were collected from 2112 college students in New York City in 2017–2018. The analytic sample comprised 2078 participants (58.6% females) who provided completed data. Structural equal modeling was performed to examine if e-cigarette harm perception mediated the relationship between e-cigarette advertising exposure (via TV, radio, large signs, print media, and online) and ever e-cigarette use and susceptibility to e-cigarette use. About 17.1% of participants reported ever e-cigarette use. Of never users, 17.5% were susceptible to e-cigarette use. E-cigarette advertising exposure was mainly through online sources (31.5%). Most participants (59.4%) perceived e-cigarettes as equally or more harmful than cigarettes. Advertising exposure showed different effects on e-cigarette harm perception depending on the source of the advertising exposure, but perceiving e-cigarettes as less harmful than cigarettes was consistently associated with e-cigarette use and susceptibility. Low harm perception mediated the association between advertising exposure (via online, TV, and radio) and ever e-cigarette use and between online advertising exposure and e-cigarette use susceptibility. Regulatory actions are needed to address e-cigarette marketing, particularly on the Internet. Full article
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18 pages, 5277 KiB  
Article
Scientometric Analysis of The Relationship between a Built Environment and Cardiovascular Disease
by Zhonghui Zheng, Ping Zhang, Fangzheng Yuan and Yunque Bo
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(9), 5625; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19095625 - 5 May 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3247
Abstract
The prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease (CVD) are necessary to improve patient quality of life and to reduce the burden of medical and other social problems. Reducing the impact of CVD through environmental intervention was hailed as the most economical approach and [...] Read more.
The prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease (CVD) are necessary to improve patient quality of life and to reduce the burden of medical and other social problems. Reducing the impact of CVD through environmental intervention was hailed as the most economical approach and research into such interventions is becoming key. The purpose of this article is to summarize the research topics and developments in the field of the built environment and CVD between 2000 and 2021 using scientometric analysis. In total, 1304 records retrieved from the Web of Science core database were analyzed using CiteSpace software, and the results were displayed using knowledge mapping. The number of publications and conferences relating to the built environment and CVD showed an upward trend over the study period, with the United States taking the lead. Physical activity and the food environment were used as mediators and entry points to map the relationship between the built environment and CVD. Walkability, residence characteristics, the food environment, and greenness were key research topics. Research shifted over the period to incorporate quantitative analyses of subjective feelings while focusing on decreasing sedentary behavior. Understanding the variability in the built environment is critical to improving the generalizability of the findings presented in the individual studies. Inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary research is conducive to innovation and ensuring the integration of real environmental elements. This study provides an overview and valuable guidance for researchers relating to how the built environment impacts CVD. Full article
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9 pages, 651 KiB  
Protocol
DASHES Protocol: Development and Feasibility Testing of a Tailored Community Programme to Support People in Recovery from Problematic Alcohol and Drug Use to Cut Down or Stop Smoking Using Co-Creation
by Fiona Dobbie, Martine Miller, Man Hei Marcus Kam, Aoife McKenna, Claire Glen and Alison McCallum
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(20), 13709; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192013709 - 21 Oct 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2960
Abstract
Background: Despite the continued global decline in adult tobacco prevalence, rates continue to be significantly higher in groups with problematic drug or alcohol use (PDA). It is estimated that people with alcohol, drug or mental health problems account for approximately half of all [...] Read more.
Background: Despite the continued global decline in adult tobacco prevalence, rates continue to be significantly higher in groups with problematic drug or alcohol use (PDA). It is estimated that people with alcohol, drug or mental health problems account for approximately half of all smoking deaths. In the UK, there are free stop smoking services for the general population. However, these services have been criticized as unsuitable for people in recovery from PDA due to their design, time-limited support, strict requirement for smoking abstinence and lack of consideration of harm reduction approaches. This has led to calls for alternative approaches to support this marginalized and underserved group. This research study seeks to respond to this call by co-creating and feasibility testing a tailored, trauma-informed service specifically for people seeking help for PDA, who are not in immediate crisis, and who may also want to reduce or stop their tobacco smoking. Methods: The mixed-method study design has two parts. The development study (part one) will use participatory peer research methods to work with the target client group and key stakeholders involved in service delivery, commissioning, and policy to design the service (intervention). The feasibility study (part two) will test the delivery of the intervention protocol and capture data that will enable the assessment of whether progression to a future pilot randomized control trial is merited. Conclusions: The outcome of this study will be a theoretically informed, co-created intervention with the potential to improve population health by supporting people with problematic drug or alcohol use to cut down or stop tobacco smoking. Full article
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