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Evaluation of Risk Factors and Prevention in Public Health

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Disease Prevention".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 March 2023) | Viewed by 24734

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Mario Rivera-Izquierdo

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Guest Editor

Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Granada, 18016 Granada, Spain
Interests: vaccines; COVID-19; immunology; cancer; medicine; infectious diseases; epidemiology; public health

Special Issue Information

Dear colleagues,

The prevention of diseases has proven to be the most cost-effective strategy when evaluating public health diseases. Therefore, the knowledge of risk factors could potentially help to design intervention strategies in primary (risk factors prior to the development of the disease) or secondary (risk factors associated with negative outcomes of the disease, towards which early action can be taken) prevention. This Special Issue plans to provide an overview of specific risk factors associated with public health issues, such as chronic or infectious diseases affecting a significant part of the population, as well as providing selected contributions regarding advances in the identification, characterization and distribution of public health issue risk factors.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

Chronic diseases (e.g., diabetes mellitus);
Cancer;
Healthy lifestyles;
Impact of obesity, diet or physical activity on chronic conditions;
Highly prevalent infectious diseases (e.g., influenza or tuberculosis);
Highly severe infectious diseases (e.g., listeriosis or Crimean-Congo virus);
COVID-19 outcomes (e.g., persistent symptoms);
Vulnerable populations (e.g., homeless or critically ill patients);
Sex differences or age-related risk factors.

Dr. Mario Rivera-Izquierdo
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

lifestyle
public health
risk factors
prognosis
prevention

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 642 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Longitudinal Trends in Blood Pressure Associated with The Changes in Living Environment Caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake: The Fukushima Health Management Survey

by Satomi Ikeda, Ai Ikeda, Tetsuya Ohira, Akira Sakai, Michio Shimabukuro, Masaharu Maeda, Hirooki Yabe, Masanori Nagao, Seiji Yasumura, Hitoshi Ohto, Kenji Kamiya and Takeshi Tanigawa

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(1), 857; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010857 - 3 Jan 2023

Viewed by 1857

Abstract

The Great East Japan Earthquake occurred on 11 March 2011, forcing Fukushima Prefecture residents to change their living environment. Such sudden changes possibly have long-term effects on cardiovascular-related diseases. We therefore sought to identify temporal relationships between living environment changes and blood pressure levels over three years following the earthquake. Participants included 14,941 men and 21,533 women aged 16 years or older who answered self-administered questionnaires, including questions on living environment changes at baseline (2012). Blood pressure levels were measured each year from 2012 to 2015. Linear mixed-effects models were used to analyze associations between living environment changes and blood pressure levels. Men with changes in living environment (i.e., those living in shelters or in temporary housing, rental apartments, relatives’ houses, or others) showed significantly higher diastolic blood pressure levels than those who lived in their home at baseline (77.3 mmHg vs. 77.8 mmHg; p < 0.001). The time-dependent effect of diastolic blood pressure levels associated with living environment was not statistically significant, indicating a sustained difference in diastolic blood pressure associated with living environment changes at baseline after three years. The effect of living environment changes on diastolic blood pressure increment was also evident in men without antihypertensive medication use during the study period and in men who were current drinkers at baseline. There were no associations between living environment changes and diastolic blood pressure levels among women. Sudden changes in living environment due to the disaster had an impact on the long-term effects of higher diastolic blood pressure among middle-aged men. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Evaluation of Risk Factors and Prevention in Public Health)

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11 pages, 356 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Novel Insight into Non-Genetic Risk Factors of Graves’ Orbitopathy

by Katarzyna Zawadzka-Starczewska, Bartłomiej Stasiak, Katarzyna Wojciechowska-Durczyńska, Andrzej Lewiński and Magdalena Stasiak

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(24), 16941; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192416941 - 16 Dec 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1294

Abstract

An assessment of the risk of Graves’ orbitopathy (GO) is an important challenge in Graves’ disease (GD) management. The purpose of this study was to compare non-genetic parameters in GD patients with and without GO in order to find novel risk factors and to verify the factors already reported. A total number of 161 people, 70 with GO and 91 non-GO patients were included in this study. GO was confirmed to be associated with smoking, older age, higher TSH receptor antibodies (TRAb) and lower thyroglobulin antibody (TgAb) levels and hypercholesterolemia. We demonstrated the latter correlation even for only a mild increase in LDL cholesterol. Importantly, our study provides novel potential GO risk factors, including higher serum creatinine levels, higher MCV and lower PLT. If further confirmed, these new, simple and easily accessible potential GO markers may constitute valuable auxiliary markers in GO risk assessments. We additionally proved that in moderate to severe GO, gender-related differences attenuate. No impact of vitamin D deficiency in GO development in patients with 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] > 20 ng/mL was found. The present report provides a set of GO risk factors, which can be used as a precise tool for an individual GO risk assessment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Evaluation of Risk Factors and Prevention in Public Health)

18 pages, 1071 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Health Needs of Regionally Based Individuals Who Experience Homelessness: Perspectives of Service Providers

by Grace Bennett-Daly, Hazel Maxwell and Heather Bridgman

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(14), 8368; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19148368 - 8 Jul 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3555

Abstract

The bidirectional relationship between homelessness and poor health and the barriers that individuals who experience homelessness face when trying to access healthcare are well documented. There is, however, little Australian research exploring the situation of individuals who experience homelessness in regional contexts and, moreover, from the perspective of service providers. A qualitative descriptive methodology underpinned this study, with in-depth semi-structured interviews being conducted with 11 service providers to identify barriers to care faced by people who experience homelessness and barriers that service providers themselves experience in supporting this population. The key barriers identified were client-level barriers: living day-by-day, financial, health literacy, mental health conditions, behaviour, safety and stigma; provider-level barriers: few bulk-billing doctors, fragmented services, limited resources, negative past experiences with healthcare; and system level barriers: transportation, over-stretched healthcare services. The combined impact of these barriers has significantly contributed to the desperate situation of people experiencing homelessness in Launceston. This situation is likely replicated in other regional populations in Australia. Given that individuals experiencing homelessness have higher rates of every measure in health inequality, steps need to be taken to reduce barriers, and a standardised approach to health care urgently needs to be implemented by governments at the state and national level to improve the health of regionally based individuals experiencing homelessness. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Evaluation of Risk Factors and Prevention in Public Health)

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12 pages, 553 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ensuring Food Safety for Americans: The Role of Local Health Departments

by Gulzar H. Shah, Padmini Shankar, Vinoth Sittaramane, Elizabeth Ayangunna and Evans Afriyie-Gyawu

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(12), 7344; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19127344 - 15 Jun 2022

Viewed by 2254

Abstract

(1) Background: Several agencies in the United States play a primary role in ensuring food safety, yet foodborne illnesses result in about 3000 deaths and cost more than USD 15.6 billion each year. The study objectives included analyzing local health departments’ (LHDs) level of engagement in food safety and other related services, and LHDs’ characteristics associated with those services. (2) Methods: We used data from 1496 LHDs that participated in the 2019 National Profile of Local Health Departments Survey, administered to all 2459 LHDs in the United States. Logistic regression analyses were performed to model multiple dichotomous variables. (3) Results: An estimated 78.9% of LHDs performed food safety inspections, 78.3% provided food safety education, 40.7% provided food processing inspections, and 48.4% engaged in policy and advocacy. The odds for LHDs to directly provide preventive nutrition services were 20 times higher if the LHDs had one or more nutritionists on staff (Adjusted Odds Ratio or AOR = 20.0; Confidence Interval, CI = 12.4–32.2) compared with LHDs with no nutritionists. Other LHD characteristics significantly associated with the provision of nutrition services (p < 0.05) included population size, state governance (rather than local), and LHD having at least one registered, licensed, practical, or vocational nurse. The odds of providing food processing services were lower for locally governed than state-governed LHDs (AOR = 0.5; CI = 0.4–0.7). The odds of performing food safety inspections varied by LHD’s population size, whether a nutritionist was on staff, whether it was state-governed (vs. locally), and whether it completed a community health assessment (CHA) within 5 years. (4) Conclusions: LHDs play a critical role in ensuring safe food for Americans, yet variations exist in their performance based on their specific characteristics. Adequate funding and a competent workforce are essential for LHDs to utilize evidence-based practices and engage in policymaking and advocacy concerning food safety. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Evaluation of Risk Factors and Prevention in Public Health)

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9 pages, 338 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Reference Ranges of Selenium in Plasma and Whole Blood for Child-Bearing-Aged Women in China

by Yang Cao, Huidi Zhang, Jingxin Yang, Qingqing Man, Pengkun Song, Deqian Mao, Jiaxi Lu and Lichen Yang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(8), 4908; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19084908 - 18 Apr 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1874

Abstract

Selenium (Se) is a “dual-surface” element. Both Se-deficiency and Se-overload have bad effects on humans. The amount of Se in the blood is a good indicator of Se intake, and there are considerable differences in the reference ranges among different regions and populations. The purpose of this study was to establish the age-specific reference interval of blood Se in healthy child-bearing-aged women in China. A total of 187 healthy women aged 18–45 years old were enrolled with strict inclusion criteria from the China Adult Chronic Disease and Nutrition Surveillance (2015 CACDNS) database to establish the reference interval of Se. Plasma and whole-blood Se were detected by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The reference range (RR) estimated as P_2.5–P_97.5 percentiles (geometric mean) was 73.81–140.75 (100.94) μg/L and P_2.5–P_97.5 percentiles (median) 81.06–164.75 (121.05) μg/L for plasma and whole-blood Se, respectively. The proposed RR of plasma Se in this study was used to evaluate the Se nutritional status of a representative sample of 1950 women of child-bearing age who were randomly selected from 2015 CACDNS. The proportion of Se level lower than P_2.5 cut-off value was 24.05%, and there were 5.08% child-bearing-aged women with plasma Se higher than the upper limit of RR. Women in the western and rural areas tend to have lower Se levels. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Evaluation of Risk Factors and Prevention in Public Health)

12 pages, 2520 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Design and Preliminary Realization of a Screening and Early Warning Health Management System for Populations at High Risk for Depression

by Xin Chen, Liangwen Xu and Zhigeng Pan

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(6), 3599; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19063599 - 18 Mar 2022

Viewed by 2223

Abstract

Depression has a high incidence in the world. Based on the concept of preventive treatment of disease of traditional Chinese medicine, timely screening and early warning of depression in populations at high risk for this condition can avoid, to a certain extent, the dysfunctions caused by depression. This work studied a method to collect information on depression, generate a database of depression features, design algorithms for screening populations at high risk for depression and creating an early warning model, develop an early warning short-message service (SMS) platform, and implement a scheme of depression screening and an early warning health management system. The implementation scheme included mobile application (app), cloud form, screening and early warning model, cloud platform, and computer software. Multiple modules jointly realized the screening, early warning, and management of the health functions of individuals at high risk for depression. At the same time, function modules such as mobile app and cloud form for collecting depression health information, early warning SMS platform, and health management software were designed, and the functions of the modules were preliminarily developed. Finally, the black-box test and white-box test were used to assess the system’s functions and ensure the reliability of the system. Through the integration of mobile app and computer software, this study preliminarily realized the screening and early warning health management of a population at high risk for depression. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Evaluation of Risk Factors and Prevention in Public Health)

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14 pages, 346 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Acceptability of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis and Non-Occupational Post-Exposure Prophylaxis among Men Who Have Sex with Men in Guilin, China

by Lingmi Zhou, Sawitri Assanangkornchai, Zhaohui Shi, Fusheng Jiang, Dong Yang and Wuxiang Shi

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(6), 3579; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19063579 - 17 Mar 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1912

Abstract

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and non-occupational post-exposure prophylaxis (nPEP) are both effective strategies for preventing HIV. There is limited information about the acceptability of these prevention measures in undeveloped areas of China. We aimed to examine the acceptability of PrEP and nPEP and their determinants among men who have sex with men (MSM). 219 MSM were recruited in Guilin, China. In total, 28.6% (95% CI: 20.0–41.0) and 35.9% (95% CI: 27.3–49.5) of the participants had heard of PrEP and nPEP, respectively, while 57.0% (95% CI: 43.1–68.2) and 58.6 (95% CI:44.8–68.8) reported they would be willing to use PrEP and nPEP after the methods were explained. A higher acceptability of PrEP was seen among participants who were previously married (aOR = 3.30; 95% CI: 1.22–9.19), working as a laborer (aOR = 5.13; 95% CI: 1.64–17.59), migrant workers/farmers (aOR = 2.56; 95% CI: 1.15–5.79), government employees (aOR = 4.76; 95%CI: 1.80–13.02), had higher social support (aOR = 1.05; 95% CI: 1.03–1.08), and had been previously tested for HIV (aOR = 2.79; 95% CI: 1.36–5.94). A higher acceptability of nPEP was associated with those having higher social support (aOR = 1.06; 95% CI: 1.04–1.09), not knowing their sexual partner’s HIV status (aOR = 2.72; 95% CI: 1.23–6.12), and having a prior HIV test (aOR = 5.53; 95% CI: 2.58–12.51). PrEP and nPEP are acceptable, especially among MSM with higher social support and had received a previous HIV test. Effective education and different dissemination strategies to promote the acceptance of PrEP and nPEP among MSM are needed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Evaluation of Risk Factors and Prevention in Public Health)

14 pages, 1623 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Prevalence and Risk Factors Associated with Tumors and Other Structural Anomalies in Brain MRI Performed to Rule out Secondary Headache: A Multicenter Observational Study

by José Pablo Martínez Barbero, Antonio Jesús Láinez Ramos-Bossini, Mario Rivera-Izquierdo, Francisco Sendra-Portero, José Manuel Benítez-Sánchez and Jorge A. Cervilla

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(6), 3521; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19063521 - 16 Mar 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1713

Abstract

Headache disorders (HDs) are among the most common conditions of the central nervous system, with an estimated prevalence of 50% in adult population. The aim of this work is to analyze the prevalence of structural anomalies that may explain HDs in MRI exams performed to rule out secondary headache in real-world practice, as well as risk factors associated with these lesions. We conducted a retrospective observational study based on a consecutive case series of all patients that underwent brain MRI due to headache from 1 January 2019 to 31 May 2019. We included patients from six MRI diagnostic centers accounting for four provinces of Andalusia (southern Spain). Bivariate and multivariate logistical regression models were performed to identify risk factors associated with the outcomes (1) presence of a structural finding potentially explaining headache, (2) presence of intracranial space-occupying lesions (SOLs), and (3) presence of intracranial tumors (ITs). Of the analyzed sample (1041 patients), a structural finding that could explain headache was found in 224 (21.5%) patients. SOLs were found in 50 (6.8%) patients and ITs in 12 (1.5%) patients. The main factors associated with structural abnormalities were female sex (OR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.02–1.85), accompanying symptoms (OR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.05–1.89), use of gadolinium-based contrast agents (OR, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.31–2.72) and previously known conditions potentially explaining headache (OR, 2.44; 95% CI, 1.55–3.84). Female sex (p = 0.048) and accompanying symptoms (p = 0.033) were also associated with ITs in bivariate analyses. Our results may be relevant for different medical specialists involved in the diagnosis, management and prevention of headache. Moreover, the risk factors identified in our study might help the development of public health strategies aimed at early diagnosis of brain tumors. Future studies are warranted to corroborate our findings. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Evaluation of Risk Factors and Prevention in Public Health)

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13 pages, 775 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Risk Factors for Multidrug-Resistant Gram-Negative Bacteria Carriage upon Admission to the Intensive Care Unit

by Nicolás Francisco Fernández-Martínez, Sheila Cárcel-Fernández, Carmen De la Fuente-Martos, Rafael Ruiz-Montero, Bernardo R. Guzmán-Herrador, Rafael León-López, Francisco Javier Gómez, Julia Guzmán-Puche, Luis Martínez-Martínez and Inmaculada Salcedo-Leal

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(3), 1039; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19031039 - 18 Jan 2022

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3658

Abstract

Multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (MDR-GNB) are microorganisms that have acquired resistance to extended-spectrum antibacterials and constitute an emerging threat to public health. Although carriers are an important source of transmission in healthcare settings, data about risk factors for MDR-GNB carriage are limited. Therefore, we aimed to identify risk factors for MDR-GNB carriage upon intensive care unit (ICU) admission and to optimise screening strategies. We conducted a case–control study. Admissions of adult patients to the ICU of a 1000-bed hospital during a year were included. We collected sociodemographic, clinical and microbiological data and performed a multivariate logistic regression model. A total of 1342 patients resulted in 1476 episodes of ICU admission, 91 (6.2%) of whom harboured MDR-GNB (38.5% women; median age 63.9 years). The most frequently isolated pathogens were Escherichia coli (57%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (16%). The most frequent resistance mechanism was production of extended-spectrum beta lactamases. MDR-GNB carriage was associated to liver cirrhosis (OR 6.54, 95% CI 2.17–19.17), previous MDR-GNB carriage (OR 5.34, 1.55–16.60), digestive surgery (OR 2.83, 1.29–5.89) and length of hospital stay (OR 1.01 per day, 1.00–1.03). Several risk factors for MDR-GNB carriage upon admission to a high-risk setting were identified; the main comorbidity was liver cirrhosis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Evaluation of Risk Factors and Prevention in Public Health)

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Other

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6 pages, 1274 KiB

Open AccessCase Report

Sarcoid-like Lung Disease as a Reaction to Silica from Exposure to Bentonite Cat Litter Complicated by End-Stage Renal Failure—A Case Report

by Joanna Hubska, Urszula Shahnazaryan, Marek Rosłon, Benedykt Szczepankiewicz, Kostiantyn Nikiforow, Marcin Pisarek, Małgorzata Barnaś and Urszula Ambroziak

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(19), 12921; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912921 - 9 Oct 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3313

Abstract

A 44-year-old woman was admitted to hospital with end-stage renal failure, productive cough, and decreased exercise tolerance. She had owned nine cats, which resulted in long-term exposure (18 years) to silica-containing bentonite cat litter. High-resolution computed tomography of the chest showed micronodular lesions in the lungs, and mild mediastinal lymphadenopathy. A lung biopsy revealed multinucleated giant cells, some of which had birefringent material and Schaumann bodies. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy revealed the presence of silicon in the lung biopsy specimen, as well as in the patient’s cat litter. The pulmonary condition was suggestive of sarcoid-like lung disease, rather than silicosis, sarcoidosis, or hypersensitivity pneumonitis, according to the clinicopathological findings. Renal failure appeared to be a result of chronic hypercalcemia due to extrarenal calcitriol overproduction in activated alveolar macrophages. Ultimately, the patient was diagnosed with sarcoid-like lung disease complicated by end-stage renal failure from exposure to bentonite cat litter. Therapy with steroids, in addition to elimination of the bentonite cat litter exposure, resulted in a significant improvement in the health condition. At a follow-up visit after 4 months, an almost complete resolution of the lung lesions and a significant improvement in renal function were observed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Evaluation of Risk Factors and Prevention in Public Health)

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