scholarly journals Addressing physical inactivity in Omani adults: perceptions of public health managers

2013 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 674-681 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth M Mabry ◽  
Zakiya Q Al-Busaidi ◽  
Marina M Reeves ◽  
Neville Owen ◽  
Elizabeth G Eakin
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Physical Inactivity ◽  
Ecological Model ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Arabian Gulf ◽  
Sitting Time ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Prolonged Sitting ◽  
Culturally Sensitive Interventions ◽  
Health Managers

AbstractObjectiveTo explore barriers and solutions to addressing physical inactivity and prolonged sitting in the adult population of Oman.DesignQualitative study involving semi-structured interviews that took place from October 2011 to January 2012. Participants were recruited through purposive sampling. Data collection and analysis was an iterative process; later interviews explored emerging themes. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed and continued until data saturation; this occurred by the tenth interviewee. Thematic content analysis was carried out, guided by an ecological model of health behaviour.SettingMuscat, Oman.SubjectsTen mid-level public health managers.ResultsBarriers for physical inactivity were grouped around four themes: (i) intrapersonal (lack of motivation, awareness and time); (ii) social (norms restricting women's participation in outdoor activity, low value of physical activity); (iii) environment (lack of places to be active, weather); and (iv) policy (ineffective health communication, limited resources). Solutions focused on culturally sensitive interventions at the environment (building sidewalks and exercise facilities) and policy levels (strengthening existing interventions and coordinating actions with relevant sectors). Participants’ responses regarding sitting time were similar to, but much more limited than those related to physical inactivity, except for community participation and voluntarism, which were given greater emphasis as possible solutions to reduce sitting time.ConclusionsGiven the increasing prevalence of chronic disease in Oman and the Arabian Gulf, urgent action is required to implement gender-relevant public health policies and programmes to address physical inactivity, a key modifiable risk factor. Additionally, research on the determinants of physical inactivity and prolonged sitting time is required to guide policy makers.

scholarly journals Correlates of Omani adults’ physical inactivity and sitting time

2012 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth M Mabry ◽  
Elisabeth AH Winkler ◽  
Marina M Reeves ◽  
Elizabeth G Eakin ◽  
Neville Owen
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Marital Status ◽  
Physical Inactivity ◽  
Regression Models ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Sitting Time ◽  
Work Status ◽  
Public Health Interventions ◽  
Education Work

AbstractObjectiveTo inform public health approaches for chronic disease prevention, the present study identified sociodemographic, anthropometric and behavioural correlates of work, transport and leisure physical inactivity and sitting time among adults in Oman.DesignCross-sectional study using the WHO STEPwise study methodology.SettingSur City, Oman.SubjectsMen and women aged 20 years and older (n 1335) in the Sur City Healthy Lifestyle Study who had complete data for demographic variables (gender, age, education, work status and marital status), BMI and behavioural risk factors – smoking and dietary habits plus physical inactivity and sitting time (the outcome variables).ResultsThe highest level of physical inactivity was in the leisure domain (55·4 %); median sitting time was about 2 h/d. Gender-stratified logistic regression models found that the statistically significant (P < 0·05) correlates of inactivity (in one or more domains) were age, work status and fruit and vegetable intake in women, and age, education, work status, marital status and BMI in men. Gender-stratified linear regression models found that the statistically significant correlates of sitting time were age, work status and BMI in women and education in men.ConclusionsFindings suggest that public health interventions need to be gender responsive and focus on domain-specific physical inactivity. In the Omani context, this might include gender-segregated exercise facilities to promote leisure physical activity among women and walking-friendly environmental initiatives to promote transport physical activity among men. Further evidence on barriers to physical activity and factors that influence prolonged sitting is required to develop relevant public health interventions.

scholarly journals Sedentary Behavior and Public Health: Integrating the Evidence and Identifying Potential Solutions

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 265-287 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neville Owen ◽  
Genevieve N. Healy ◽  
Paddy C. Dempsey ◽  
Jo Salmon ◽  
Anna Timperio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Sedentary Behavior ◽  
Physical Inactivity ◽  
Behavioral Science ◽  
Sitting Time ◽  
Public Health Strategy ◽  
Health Consequences ◽  
Health Strategy ◽  
Environmental Transitions ◽  
Broad Public Health

In developed and developing countries, social, economic, and environmental transitions have led to physical inactivity and large amounts of time spent sitting. Research is now unraveling the adverse public health consequences of too much sitting. We describe improvements in device-based measurement that are providing new insights into sedentary behavior and health. We consider the implications of research linking evidence from epidemiology and behavioral science with mechanistic insights into the underlying biology of sitting time. Such evidence has led to new sedentary behavior guidelines and initiatives. We highlight ways that this emerging knowledge base can inform public health strategy: First, we consider epidemiologic and experimental evidence on the health consequences of sedentary behavior; second, we describe solutions-focused research from initiatives in workplaces and schools. To inform a broad public health strategy, researchers need to pursue evidence-informed collaborations with occupational health, education, and other sectors.

Can increases in Twitter posts predict increases in cumulative incidence of COVID-19 in the United States? Evidence that social media can inform epidemic surveillance. (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruoyan Sun ◽  
Henna Budhwani
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Cumulative Incidence ◽  
Hot Spots ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
State Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Education Attainment ◽  
Public Health Systems ◽  
Per Capita

BACKGROUND Though public health systems are responding rapidly to the COVID-19 pandemic, outcomes from publicly available, crowd-sourced big data may assist in helping to identify hot spots, prioritize equipment allocation and staffing, while also informing health policy related to “shelter in place” and social distancing recommendations. OBJECTIVE To assess if the rising state-level prevalence of COVID-19 related posts on Twitter (tweets) is predictive of state-level cumulative COVID-19 incidence after controlling for socio-economic characteristics. METHODS We identified extracted COVID-19 related tweets from January 21st to March 7th (2020) across all 50 states (N = 7,427,057). Tweets were combined with state-level characteristics and confirmed COVID-19 cases to determine the association between public commentary and cumulative incidence. RESULTS The cumulative incidence of COVID-19 cases varied significantly across states. Ratio of tweet increase (p=0.03), number of physicians per 1,000 population (p=0.01), education attainment (p=0.006), income per capita (p = 0.002), and percentage of adult population (p=0.003) were positively associated with cumulative incidence. Ratio of tweet increase was significantly associated with the logarithmic of cumulative incidence (p=0.06) with a coefficient of 0.26. CONCLUSIONS An increase in the prevalence of state-level tweets was predictive of an increase in COVID-19 diagnoses, providing evidence that Twitter can be a valuable surveillance tool for public health.

scholarly journals Changes of Walking Activity During the First Cycle Phases of COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study of Seoul, Korea

2021 ◽  
pp. 193758672110265
Author(s):  
Youngjun Park ◽  
Haekwon Chung ◽  
Sohyun Park
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Physical Inactivity ◽  
Voluntary Participation ◽  
Walking Activity ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Acceleration And Deceleration ◽  
Preliminary Study ◽  
The Government

Aim: This study explores the changes in regular walking activities during the phases of the pandemic. Background: With the spread of COVID-19 transmission, people are refraining from going out, reducing their physical activity. In South Korea, COVID-19 broke out in the 4th week of 2020 and experienced the first cycle phases of the pandemic, such as outbreak, widespread, and decline. In response to the pandemic, the government encouraged voluntary participation in social distancing campaigns, and people reduced their outside activities. Methods: This article examines the decrease and increase of the Prevalence of Regular Walking (≥30 min of moderate walking a day, on ≥5 days a week) by the COVID-19 phases. This study is based on weekly walking data for 15 weeks in 2020, via the smartphone healthcare app, which is managed by 25 public health offices of the Seoul government. Results: According to the findings, the level of prevalence of regular walking (PRW) has a significant difference before and after the outbreak, and every interval of the four-stage COVID-19 phases, that is, pre-pandemic, initiation, acceleration, and deceleration. The level of PRW sharply decreased during initiation and acceleration intervals. In the deceleration interval of COVID-19, the PRW kept increasing, but it has not yet reached the same level as the previous year when the COVID-19 did not exist. Conclusions: As a preliminary study, this study explains empirically how COVID-19 changed PRW in Seoul. It would be helpful to enhance our understanding of the changes in physical inactivity in the pandemic period.

scholarly journals Regulation EU 2017/745 on medical devices – implementation analysis in Portugal by the distributors

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
H Vilaça
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Medical Devices ◽  
Stakeholder Involvement ◽  
Implementation Process ◽  
Regulatory Framework ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Public Health Action ◽  
Study Implementation ◽  
Implementation Analysis

Abstract The Regulation responds to legislation failures in the European regulatory framework on medical devices (MD), which in turn led to public health issues. Two media scandals triggered the final actions on the elaboration of this EU Regulation, which was already being thought off in a context of fast MD development, and on the commitment of member-states to harmonize legislation in order to better manage resources. This Regulation is expected to address detected gaps, and contribute to the protection of European citizens' health by ensuring high quality and safety of MD, through advocating for more transparency, vigilance, and traceability. A technique to evaluate policies is the implementation analysis, as it links theory and practice. By understanding it, it is possible to ascertain if, in fact, the Regulation will contribute, as proposed, to improve public health. The implementation analysis framework I developed can be used in other countries affected by this Regulation, and may even be extrapolated to other scenarios. Entry into force 25/05/17.Full application 05/20. This qualitative study uses document analysis and semi-structured interviews to collect data, and literature review to frame the situation and to study implementation analysis. The questions are: identify the facilitators and resistance points of the implementation; explore perceptions of the Portuguese MD distributors; understand the policy implementation pathway; and have a picture of the implementation status in Portugal. The results can be summarized as: implementers are interested in complying with the Regulation; there is stakeholder involvement in policy making and throughout the implementation process; the main points of resistance, difficulties and the facilitators are identified; and the Regulation is being implemented according to the timelines. The public health action brought by the policy is that each economic operator is an active actor on vigilance and patient safety across MD lifecycle. Key messages If we are interested in the extent to which a particular polity is able to solve the problems with which it is confronted, we need to study the way in which the law is executed in practice. Focus on the effective implementation of the new regulatory framework on medical devices to protect patients and ensure it addresses new and emerging challenges.

Healthcare and Terrorism: The Lebanese Experience

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Nooreddine Iskandar ◽  
Tatiana Rahbany ◽  
Ali Shokor
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Terrorist Attacks ◽  
Analysis Method ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Security Issues ◽  
The Face ◽  
The Common ◽  
First Time

Abstract Background: Due to the common instability caused by political and security issues, Lebanese hospitals have experienced acts of terrorism multiple times. The most recent Beirut Explosion even forced several hospitals to cease operations for the first time in decades—but studies show the preparedness levels for such attacks in similar countries are low. Objective: The aim of this study is to explore the experience of Lebanese hospitals with terrorist attacks. Methods: This qualitative study used semi-structured interviews with various stakeholders to assess their experience with terrorist bombings. Data was analyzed using the thematic analysis method. Results: The researchers found that Lebanese hospitals vary greatly in their structures and procedures. Those differences are a function of 3 contextual factors: location, culture, and accreditation status. Hospitals found near ‘dangerous zones’ were more likely to be aware and to have better response to such events. A severe lack of communication, unity of command, and collaboration between stakeholders has made the process fragmented. Conclusion: The researchers recommend a larger role for the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) in this process, and the creation of a platform where Lebanese organizations can share their experiences to improve preparedness and resilience of the Lebanese healthcare system in the face of terrorism.

scholarly journals Perceptions of Antibiotic Use and Resistance: Are Antibiotics the Dentists’ Anxiolytics?

Antibiotics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 735
Author(s):  
Julie Dormoy ◽  
Marc-Olivier Vuillemin ◽  
Silvia Rossi ◽  
Jean-Marc Boivin ◽  
Julie Guillet
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Antibiotic Resistance ◽  
Qualitative Method ◽  
Oral Surgery ◽  
Antibiotic Use ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Clinical Factors ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
The Public

Background: Antibiotic resistance is a global health crisis. The aim of this study was to explore dentists’ perceptions of antibiotic resistance. Methods: A qualitative method was used. Seventeen dentists practising in the Nancy (Lorraine, France) region were surveyed. They were general practitioners or specialised in oral surgery, implantology, or periodontology. The practitioners took part in semi-structured interviews between September 2019 and July 2020. All of the interviews were transcribed in full and analysed thematically. Results: Four major themes have been selected: attitudes of the dentists in regard to the guidelines, clinical factors that influence prescriptions, non-clinical factors that influence prescriptions, and the perception of antibiotic resistance. The dentists stated that they were very concerned regarding the public health issue of antibiotic resistance. However, they often prescribe according to their own interests and habits rather than according to the relevant guidelines. Conclusions: Although dentists are generally well aware of antibiotic resistance, they often do not adequately appreciate the link between their prescribing habits and the phenomenon of antibiotic resistance. Regular updating of practitioners’ knowledge in this regard is necessary, but patients and the general public should also be made more aware of the issue.

scholarly journals Physical inactivity and health inequality during coronavirus: a novel opportunity or total lockdown?

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. e000903
Author(s):  
Natalie F Shur ◽  
David Johns ◽  
Stefan Kluzek ◽  
Nicholas Peirce
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Inequality ◽  
Physical Inactivity ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Restricted Movement ◽  
Socioeconomic Groups ◽  
Lower Socioeconomic ◽  
The World ◽  
Additional Burden ◽  
Public Health Promotion

Government-restricted movement during the coronavirus pandemic in various countries around the world has led to rapid and fundamental changes in our health behaviour. As well as being at a higher risk of contracting and being hospitalised with COVID-19, the elderly, those with chronic disease and lower socioeconomic groups are also disproportionately affected by restriction of movement, further widening the physical activity health inequality. In this viewpoint we discuss the physiological sequelae of physical inactivity, and the additional burden of ageing and inflammation. We provide recommendations for public health promotion and interventions to try to mitigate the detrimental effects of physical inactivity and rebalance the health inequality.

scholarly journals Simple intermittent resistance activity mitigates the detrimental effect of prolonged unbroken sitting on arterial function in overweight and obese adults

2018 ◽  
Vol 125 (6) ◽  
pp. 1787-1794 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel E. Climie ◽  
Michael J. Wheeler ◽  
Megan Grace ◽  
Elisabeth A. Lambert ◽  
Neale Cohen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cardiovascular Disease ◽  
Shear Rate ◽  
Adhesion Molecule ◽  
Femoral Artery ◽  
Sitting Time ◽  
Cvd Risk ◽  
Obese Adults ◽  
Arterial Function ◽  
Endothelin 1 ◽  
Prolonged Sitting

Prolonged sitting contributes to cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. The underlying mechanisms are unknown but may include changes in arterial function and vasoactive mediators. We examined the effects of prolonged unbroken sitting, relative to regular active interruptions to sitting time, on arterial function in adults at increased CVD risk. In a randomized crossover trial, 19 sedentary overweight/obese adults (mean ± SD age 57 ± 12 yr) completed 2 laboratory-based conditions: 5 h uninterrupted sitting (SIT) and 5 h sitting interrupted every 30 min by 3 min of simple resistance activities (SRA). Femoral artery function [flow-mediated dilation (FMD)], blood flow, and shear rate were measured at 0 h, 30 min, 1 h, 2 h, and 5 h. Brachial FMD was assessed at 0 and 5 h. Plasma was collected hourly for measurement of endothelin-1 (ET-1), nitrates/nitrites, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1). There was a significant decline in femoral artery FMD, averaged over 5 h in the SIT condition, relative to SRA ( P < 0.001). Plasma ET-1 total area under the curve over 5 h increased in the SIT condition compared with SRA ( P = 0.006). There was no significant difference between conditions in femoral or brachial shear rate, brachial FMD, nitrates/nitrites, VCAM-1, or ICAM-1 ( P > 0.05 for all). Five hours of prolonged sitting, relative to regular interruptions to sitting time, impaired femoral artery vasodilator function and increased circulating ET-1 in overweight/obese adults. There is the need to build on this evidence beyond acute observations to better understand the potential longer-term vascular-related consequences of prolonged sitting. NEW & NOTEWORTHY This is the first study to examine the effect of prolonged sitting on arterial function in adults at increased cardiovascular disease risk. We have shown that 5 h of prolonged sitting, relative to regular interruptions to sitting time, impaired femoral artery vasodilator function and increased circulating endothelin-1 in overweight/obese adults. There is now the need to build on this evidence beyond acute observations to better understand the potential longer-term vascular-related consequences of prolonged sitting.

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