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Advances in Public Health publishes original research articles and review articles in all areas of public health.
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Advances in Public Health maintains an Editorial Board of practicing researchers from around the world, to ensure manuscripts are handled by editors who are experts in the field of study.
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More articlesImpact of Socioeconomic Factors and Health Insurance Coverage on Out-of-Pocket Health Expenditure among Ghanaian Women: Implications for Health Financing Policy
Background. The cost of health financing is an age-long social challenge in resource-constrained settings. Out-of-pocket (OOP) health spending adversely affects maternal healthcare provisions and use, making health insurance one of the most effective social interventions. Objective. The purpose of this research was to study the effect of OOP health expenditure on socioeconomic factors and health insurance coverage among Ghanaian women. Materials and Methods. Secondary statistical data pulled out from Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS)—2014 was investigated. A sample of 9,396 women whose ages ranged from 15 to 49 years was studied. We used marginal predictive model to examine the interaction effect between socioeconomic factors and health insurance coverage on OOP health expenditure. The significance level was determined at 5%. Results. Overall, about 41.9% (95% CI: 39.4%−44.4%) of Ghanaian women reported OOP health expenditure for drugs and services. Amongst those covered by health insurance, this was 37.9% (95% CI: 35.3%−44.4%). The marginal interaction effects of OOP health expenditure were higher for women in the lowest neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage group (42.6%) than those in the highest neighborhood socioeconomic disadvantage group (26.0%) who were covered by health insurance. In addition, the marginal interaction effects of OOP health expenditure were found to be greater among women who had higher education (43.8%) compared with those who had no formal education (34.0%) who were covered by health insurance. Furthermore, the marginal interaction effects of OOP health expenditure were higher for rural (39.0%), than their urban counterpart (36.6.0%) who were under the covering of health insurance. Conclusion. There is a gap in health insurance coverage, which leads to increased OOP health expenditure. The OOP health expenditure effect was more concentrated among high socioeconomic women with health insurance. The healthcare system’s stakeholders should implement policies aimed at eliminating OOP health expenditure for maternal health services.
Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) Practices in Rural and Urban Regions of Indonesia
Background. The global strategy on infant and child feeding recommends the best pattern of feeding for infants and young child feeding (IYCF) from birth to 24 months. Practices of proper feeding of children up to 2 years of age contribute to a child’s survival, growth, and development because they can prevent micronutrient deficiencies, morbidity, and obesity in later life. This study aims to determine the risk factors for the failure of IYCF practice in urban and rural Indonesia. Materials and Methods. The study used Indonesia Demographic and Health Survey (IDHS) 2017 data with a cross-sectional research design. The sampling technique used systematic probability proportional to size sampling. The number of samples was 4,869 children consisting of 2,424 children in urban and 2,445 children in rural. Bivariate analysis using chi-square test. Multivariate analysis using multivariate logistic regression. Results. The study found that most of the children in urban (79.3%) and rural (97.2%) did not practice IYCF under the recommendations. There is a difference in the proportion of IYCF practices between urban and rural areas (). The risk factors for the failure of IYCF practice in urban areas are socioeconomic, maternal age, and age at first marriage. The poorest socioeconomic is at risk of 2.4 times, maternal age > 35 years are at risk of 1.5 times, age at first marriage is less than 21 years at risk of 2.1 times carrying out IYCF practices not according to recommendations compared to the comparison group. The risk factors for the failure of IYCF practice in rural are socioeconomic, maternal education, quantity, and quality of antenatal care (ANC). The poorest socioeconomic is at risk of 2.1 times, mothers with primary education are at 1.5 times, the quantity of ANC is not good at risk at 1.9 times, the quality of ANC is not good risk at 1.5 times practicing IYCF is not according to the recommendations compared to the comparison group. Conclusion. The practice of IYCF in Indonesia starting from giving early breastfeeding initiation, exclusive breastfeeding, and complementary feeding according to recommendations is still low. The priority of IYCF intervention through education and assistance to pregnant women needs to be a sustainable program.
Influencing Factor on School-Age Children’s Holistic Health Care Who Using Online Media by Working-Age Parents in Northeast Thailand
Background. Thailand tends to have more access to online media. In 2020, the northeastern region had the highest usage rate. Especially school-age children have the highest usage rate. If misused for a long time, the consequences can adversely affect health in many aspects. Their parents should closely supervise and monitor them for this health problem. However, parents have limitations in caring because they have to work a lot. The aim was to study factors that influence working-age parents in holistic health care (HHC) of school-age children using online media in northeast Thailand. Materials and Methods. This research was a descriptive study, with a sample of parent amount 222. The questionnaire performed an item-objective congruence (IOC) = 0.60–1.00, the content validity index (CVI) = 0.90, and the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.93. The data collected then include the characteristics, use of online media, health problems, and health care. Finally, data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, frequency, percentage, standard deviation, and multiple regressions. Result. The results of the study are factors that influenced HHC with statistical significance () including the child’s gender, the child’s age, the child’s class, the type of internet, activities, the device, and the device owner. In addition, it was holistic health problems of school-age children such as physical, emotional, social, and intellectual. Importantly, these could explain the variation for HHC of 21.2% (adjusted R2 = 0.212), and the standard error in the model estimation was 25.06 (SEE = 25.06). Conclusion. Factors that influence school-age children’s health care are beneficial to preventing and solving health problems by using online media. Parents or health care professionals can use it as a guide to develop more effective health care strategies and policies. Ultimately, it will help to promote better health for children in an ever-changing digital world.
Copper Poisoning with Emphasis on Its Clinical Manifestations and Treatment of Intoxication
Background. Copper is an essential trace element found in the human body in an oxidized (Cu II) and reduced (Cu I) form. It plays a crucial role in the integrity and function of proteins and enzymes. Short-term and long-term exposure to copper can result in harmful effects and lead to clinical manifestations in multiple bodily systems, including the gastrointestinal tract, liver, kidneys, eyes, respiratory, cardiovascular, central nervous, endocrine, and hematopoietic systems. Objective. The purpose of this study is the importance of early recognition and diagnosis of copper poisoning immediate and necessary measures and the use of chelators. Materials and Methods. In this review article, authors from Pub Med, Scopus, and a toxicologic emergencies reference book from 1996 to 2024 are used. Result. An excessive increase in copper level produces reactive oxygen species that can cause lipid peroxidation in cell membranes, direct oxidation of proteins, and the breakdown of DNA and RNA molecules. All of these can generally be reasons for cell death. Conclusion. Assessing levels of copper in whole blood, free serum copper, 24-hr urine copper, liver biopsy for copper concentration, and ceruloplasmin play a crucial role in the diagnosis. The blood copper concentration is directly related to the severity of poisoning. Treatment for copper poisoning typically involves removing the source of exposure and administering medications to help remove the excess copper from the body. Supportive care for copper intoxication usually includes managing vomiting, correcting fluids and electrolytes, and stabilizing vital signs. Chelators like D-penicillamine, succimer, trientine, tetrathiomolybdate, and PBT-2 have been utilized in treatment.
Ten Years of Dengue (2013–2022): Epidemiology and Predictors of Outbreaks in Sarawak
Dengue is a major public health problem in Sarawak, Malaysia. Since 2011, the Ministry of Health of Malaysia has created an electronic database (e-Dengue) for all dengue cases in Malaysia. This database of cases includes socio-demographic and locality data, clinical symptoms and signs, and results from rapid dengue assays. This study analyses data extracted from this database to describe the epidemiology and determine which factors are more likely to indicate or predict an outbreak of dengue. A total of 14,020 cases from 2013 to 2022 were extracted, with 4,636 cases reported from outbreaks. The highest incidence was 112.22 per 100,000 population in 2016, with 2,773 cases. Over this period, there were 37 deaths, with the highest in 2016 with seven deaths. The case fatality rate ranged from 0.12% to 0.75%. Predictors of outbreaks include younger age (0.984 (0.980–0.989)), female (1.584 (1.387–1.821)), cases from rural areas (0.398 (0.346–0.458)), unemployed (1.179 (1.005–1.383)), students (1.450 (1.163–1.808)). For clinical markers, rash (1.315 (1.056–1.638)) and NS1 antigen test positivity (3.474 (2.952–4.088)) were a predictor of outbreaks, while diarrhoea (0.160 (0.055–0.465)) was a predictor for single cases. Although rainfall, climate change, and population density are known predictors of dengue, socio-demographic factors, clinical signs, and NS1 antigen are additional predictors of dengue that will allow for early detection and control.
Exploring Caregivers’ Perceptions on the Impact of Nyaope and Alcohol Use on Tuberculosis Treatment Adherence in Limpopo Province, South Africa: A Qualitative Investigation
Background. Adherence to tuberculosis (TB) treatment is essential for curing the disease and for preventing drug resistance. Most studies report that substance abuse is associated with high discontinuation of TB treatment, which is a barrier to the effective management of the TB control and prevention program. Insufficient data exist on the effects of the nyaope drug use on TB treatment adherence among patients with the disease. Hence, the current study aimed to qualitatively explore the perceptions of caregivers regarding the influence of nyaope and alcohol use on tuberculosis treatment adherence among tuberculosis patients in Limpopo Province, South Africa. Materials and Methods. Qualitative, exploratory and descriptive designs were used. The nonprobability purposive sampling method was used to select eight TB focal nurse and eight facility operational managers from eight selected community health centers in Limpopo Province. Data were collected through in-depth interviews, and it was guided by data saturation. Data were analyzed using Colaizzi’s method. Trustworthiness was ensured, and ethical considerations were observed in the study. Results. The study results of the study show four individual major themes that emerged from the data analysis: (1) challenges in treatment adherence; (2) disruption of follow-up and DOT support systems; (3) reluctance toward social support; and (4) resistance to health educational and counseling interventions. Conclusion. The study reveals that nyaope and alcohol use significantly impede TB treatment adherence. In response, the conclusion advocates for integrating services within healthcare facilities to enhance TB treatment effectiveness. This proposed integration aims to create a cohesive and interconnected healthcare system capable of identifying, supporting, and treating TB patients with substance abuse issues more effectively. The study recommends incorporating the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test questionnaire for all newly diagnosed TB patients. This proactive measure will enable early identification of individuals who may be experiencing harmful or hazardous alcohol use. Following the identification process, it is advisable to offer further counseling to those in need and link them to a deaddiction center for specialized support. This approach not only aids in the comprehensive care of TB patients but also addresses underlying issues that could potentially hinder their treatment adherence and overall recovery.