Healthcare workers may have different risk for severe outcomes compared with the general population during diverse crises. This paper introduces the concept of healthcare worker versus population hazard (HPH), the risk of an outcome of interest in active healthcare workers compared with the general population they serve. HPH can be expressed with relative risk (HPH(r)) and absolute risk difference

The Jiangsu Biobank for the Prevention and Control of Diabetes (JBPCD) is a community-based prospective cohort study initiated in Jiangsu province, to examine the burden of complications associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This study aims to better understand the incidence, risk factors, and long-term outcomes of T2DM complications to inform prevention and control strategies. From October

Non-response to surveys is a common problem; even more so during the COVID-19 pandemic with social distancing measures challenging data collection. As respondents often differ from non-respondents, this can introduce bias. The goal of the current study was to see if we can reduce bias and restore sample representativeness in a series of COVID-19 surveys embedded within five UK cohort studies by using

Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death globally, accounting for more than 7 million deaths worldwide, including nearly 1·3 million deaths due to second-hand smoke.1 There is no safe threshold of exposure to second-hand smoke, and smoke-free environments are a proven way to adequately protect people from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke without harming businesses.2 Legislation

BackgroundChina has one of the highest levels of tobacco consumption globally, and there is no national smoke-free legislation. Although more than 20 Chinese cities have passed local smoke-free laws since 2008, evidence on their effectiveness in reducing smoking behaviours and their economic benefits is scarce. By exploiting a natural quasi-experiment, whereby a comprehensive public smoking ban was

The China Prospective Multi-Center Birth Cohort Study was launched in 2022. In collaboration with medical centers in 12 cities, it aims to establish a high-quality, multidimensional cohort comprising 20,000 natural pregnancy and assisted reproductive families. As of June 26, 2024, 12,911 pregnant women have participated in this study, and 161,122 biological samples have been collected. These samples

BACKGROUND Young people are at particularly high risk of acquiring sexually transmitted infections (STIs). We conducted a trial to investigate the effect of a community-based intervention that included STI screening among youth on population-level prevalence of STIs in Zimbabwe. METHODS STICH was a parallel-arm, cluster-randomised controlled trial nested within CHIEDZA, a trial of community-based integrated

BACKGROUND In environmental epidemiology, we use an array of tools from various, related disciplines to answer key questions about environmental exposures in relation to health outcomes. Typically, we ask questions related to what, who, where, when, and how. We value these questions because they contribute to novel scientific discovery and our understanding of disease etiology linked to environmental

Objectives. To estimate the effect of influenza vaccination disparities. Methods. We compared symptomatic influenza cases between Black and White races in 2 scenarios: (1) race- and age-specific vaccination coverage and (2) equal vaccination coverage. We also compared differences in household composition between races. We used the Framework for Reconstructing Epidemiological Dynamics, an agent-based

Without perspectives of low-wage workers in studies of worker health and well-being, researchers cannot comprehensively assess occupational health and health equity impacts of workplace exposures and interventions. Researchers and practitioners have noted particular challenges in engaging low-wage workers in worksite-based health survey research, yet little scholarship has described strategies for

Objectives. To provide a legal epidemiology review of state-level policies that regulate the direct delivery of recreational and medical cannabis in the United States. Methods. We conducted a comprehensive review to identify all relevant policies as of July 1, 2024. Specifically, we developed a coding scheme to capture laws governing (1) direct delivery of recreational cannabis, (2) licensing for direct

In causal inference, parametric models are usually employed to address causal questions estimating the effect of interest. However, parametric models rely on the correct model specification assumption that, if not met, leads to biased effect estimates. Correct model specification is challenging, especially in high-dimensional settings. Incorporating Machine Learning (ML) into causal analyses may reduce

BACKGROUND In all health-care systems, decisions need to be made regarding allocation of available resources. Evidence is needed for these decisions, especially in low-income countries. We aimed to estimate how health-care resources provided by the public sector were used in Malawi during 2015-19 and to estimate the effects of strengthening health-care services. METHODS For this modelling study, we

Objectives. To (1) compare responses to 2 survey questions designed to measure sexual orientation and (2) understand how variation in responses is associated with mental health. Methods. Data were from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity, Socioeconomic Status, and Health Across the Life Course (SOGI-SES) study (2020-2021) in

BACKGROUND Environmental chemical exposures have been associated with metabolic outcomes, and typically, their binding to nuclear hormone receptors is considered the molecular initiating event (MIE) for a number of outcomes. However, more studies are needed to understand the influence of such exposures on cell membrane-bound adiponectin receptors (AdipoRs), which are critical metabolic regulators.

The integrated approach tackles a perfect storm of poverty, invasive rats, deforestation, and climate change that is contributing to the increase in bubonic plague cases.

Background Estimates of excess deaths provide critical intelligence on the impact of population health threats including seasonal respiratory infections, pandemics and environmental hazards. Timely estimates of excess deaths can inform the response to COVID-19. However, access to timely mortality data is challenging due to the time interval between the death occurring and the date the death is registered

BACKGROUND Planetary and human health are highly intertwined; our current food system is associated with high greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) and burden of disease. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to investigate the associations of diet-related GHGE with all-cause and cause-specific mortality in Japan. METHODS This study included 58,031 Japanese adults (35,078 women and 22,953 men) 40-79 y of age

Objectives. To examine whether, through interactions with preexisting socioeconomic status vulnerabilities, the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated exposure to firearm violence among communities with a legacy of redlining (i.e., grading the creditworthiness of neighborhoods based on their sociodemographic composition). Methods. We used an exogenous population threshold whereby the Home Owners Loan Corporation

This study evaluated the relationship between Covid-19 vaccination and menstrual bleeding disturbances using a large national registry linkage including 666,467 women between 20 and 40 years of age residing in Norway on January 1st, 2019. Information on vaccination—BNT162b2 and mRNA-1273 — was obtained from the Norwegian vaccination registry. Diagnoses of menstrual disturbances (absent/scanty, excessive

BACKGROUND Longitudinal trends in per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) serum concentrations across pregnancy have not been thoroughly examined, despite evidence linking prenatal PFAS exposures with adverse birth outcomes. OBJECTIVES We sought to characterize longitudinal PFAS concentrations across pregnancy and to examine the maternal-fetal transfer ratio among participants in a study of risk

Tan M. Mandatory salt targets: a key policy tool for global salt reduction efforts. Lancet Public Health 2024; 9: e834–35—In this Linked Comment, the fifth sentence of the third paragraph should have said US$8·0 billion. This correction has been made as of Nov 4, 2024.

2023 was a landmark year for climate change globally, across Asia, and within China. Global average temperatures were 1·45°C higher than the pre-industrial average, making it the warmest year on record since 1850. In Asia, 2023 was the second-hottest year documented. China recorded its highest-ever average temperature at 10·71°C (0·82°C above the 1981–2010 average), had its second-lowest rainfall since

BACKGROUND The REGARD-VAP trial showed that individualised shortened antibiotic therapy was non-inferior to usual care for mortality and pneumonia recurrence in patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). We aimed to assess the cost-effectiveness of an individualised shortened antibiotic therapy approach in this planned economic analysis. METHODS REGARD-VAP was a phase 4, multicentre, open-label

Gut microbes appeared to play a role in the obesity outcomes observed in mice fed manufactured polystyrene microspheres.

Stephen Smith launched a 40-year effort to bring trees to New York City streets in 1872, the year he founded the American Public Health Association (APHA). Smith argued that street trees would mitigate the adverse health effects of Manhattan's summer heat and help purify the air. The young APHA endorsed Smith's position and gave trees a prominent role in urban sanitation, but public health turned away

Excess dietary sodium intake has been associated with death and disability. WHO has released global sodium benchmarks for packaged foods to support countries to reduce population sodium intake. This study aimed to assess the potential health effect, costs, and cost effectiveness of implementing these WHO sodium benchmarks in India.

Salt is consumed in excess in most countries, with global salt intake averaging at more than double the recommended maximum limit of 5 g per day. By raising blood pressure, excess salt intake is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of premature death and ill health worldwide. In 2013, all WHO Member States committed to a 30% reduction in average salt intake by 2025. However

Heart failure is a global health burden, with an estimated prevalence of more than 56 million individuals worldwide.1 Notably, heart failure is highly associated with poor quality of life, frequent admissions to hospital, rising health-care costs, and high mortality rates. This complex clinical syndrome poses challenges to therapeutic interventions of heart failure, especially since a higher comorbidity

On average, it takes 15 years from the landmark publication on a cancer control evidence-based intervention to achieve 50% uptake in routine practice.1 In fact, nearly 20 years have passed since the first observational studies showed that human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA testing had substantially higher sensitivity for detecting cervical precancer and cancer compared with cervical cytology.2 Since then

Excess dietary sodium is a leading cause of death and disability globally. Because packaged foods are a major source of sodium in many countries, including Australia, mandatory limits for sodium might improve population health. We aimed to estimate the long-term health and economic effect of mandating such thresholds in Australia.

Heart failure is common, complex, and often associated with coexisting chronic medical conditions and a high mortality. We aimed to assess the epidemiology of people admitted to hospital with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), including the period covering the COVID-19 pandemic, which was previously not well characterised

Human papillomavirus (HPV)-based cervical screening is a globally recommended public health policy. Randomised clinical trials find superior performance of primary HPV-based screening compared with cytology for preventing cervical cancer. However, additional evidence from real-world public health policies is needed. In preplanned secondary analysis of a randomised health-care policy trial in Sweden

During the COVID-19 pandemic, changes were seen in city mobility patterns around the world, including in active transportation (walking, cycling, micromobility, and public transit use), creating a unique opportunity for global public health lessons and action. We aimed to analyse a global natural experiment exploring city mobility patterns during the pandemic and how they related to the implementation

Alcohol consumption is a leading cause of premature death globally, but there is no large-scale prospective evidence from Mexico.

Termination of pregnancy is a common procedure, accessed globally, irrespective of logistical and legal barriers. We aimed to document changes in procedural characteristics and demographic factors over time in South Australia, as well as to examine how key sociodemographic variables affect gestational age at pregnancy termination.

Migrant workers, a population of 170 million, often work in dangerous or unhealthy working environments and are likely to suffer workplace injuries and labour abuses. However, the risk of mortality in migrant workers compared with local workers is unknown. We aim to synthesise global evidence on migrant worker mortality risk and identify social determinants to inform health and safety protections for

BACKGROUND Emerging literature suggests that fine particulate matter [with aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5μm (PM2.5)] air pollution and its components are linked to various neurodevelopmental outcomes. However, few studies have evaluated how PM2.5 component mixtures from distinct sources relate to cognitive outcomes in children. OBJECTIVES This cross-sectional study investigated how ambient concentrations

BACKGROUND Scientists who communicate societally relevant information face challenging contexts in which misinformation, disinformation, hype, and spin are prevalent. As a result, they often face difficult decisions about how to frame their work in a socially responsible manner. OBJECTIVES Drawing from the literature on science communication and framing, we identify tradeoffs that environmental health

BackgroundThere are little recent data in China regarding contemporary nutritional inequities among children and adolescents, particularly in relation to urban–rural residence and regional socioeconomic status (SES). We aim to assess inequalities in thinness and obesity in Chinese children and adolescents. MethodsWeight and height measurements for 1 677 261 children and adolescents aged 7–18 years

Objectives. To examine the prevalence of cannabis use among US workers using data from the US Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) during 2016 to 2020. Methods. We analyzed past 30-day cannabis use among US workers. We calculated weighted prevalence and adjusted prevalence ratios (APRs) of cannabis use for working adults by industry groups, occupation groups, and sociodemographic characteristics

Objectives. To examine trends in young adult self-reported driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI-A), cannabis (DUI-C), and simultaneous alcohol and cannabis use (DUI-AC) in a state with legalized nonmedical cannabis use from before to during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods. We used logistic regression and annual statewide data from the Washington Young Adult Health Survey to assess DUI behaviors

For public health protection, informed decision-making relies on having a robust foundation of evidence concerning risks and their prevention. Application of an evidence-based framework depends on the availability of pertinent, scientifically sound data generated by well-directed and valid research endeavors. In this essay, we address the current state of research in humans and the evidential base