Global public health
-
Global public health · Aug 2017
Family, neighbourhood, and children's health: Trends and racial/ethnic disparities between 2003 and 2007 in the U.S.
The present study examined the race/ethnicity-specific trend of parent-reported health among children aged 17 years and under in the U. S. between 2003 and 2007, and its relationship with family background, neighbourhood support and neighbourhood safety. Data from the 2003 and 2007 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH) were merged and analysed after taking into account the weighting and the complex sampling design of the data. ⋯ Racial/ethnic disparities also existed in children's family background and neighbourhood support and safety. Further, the health effects of family background and neighbourhood characteristics differed in magnitudes and directions by race/ethnicity. These findings suggest that different intervention/prevention strategies should be employed in improving childhood health for different racial/ethnic groups.
-
Global public health · Jan 2017
Improving global health - is tourism's role in poverty elimination perpetuating poverty, powerlessness and 'ill-being'?
The spectrum of challenges for public health in a global context is ever expanding. It is difficult for health professionals to keep informed about details of key issues affecting global health determinants such as poverty. Tourism is seen as one strategy to eliminate poverty in developing countries and to improve global health, but the industry struggles with keeping its promise. ⋯ Economic aspects still dictate the debate rather than local people's understanding of well-being. Only with a major shift in the approach to local populations, acknowledging the communities' right to self-determination and accepting them as equal partners with access to genuine benefits, will this disturbing imbalance be redressed and allow better health for more people possible. Public health professionals should question claims about the beneficial influence of tourism in poor regions and not lower their vigilance for poverty-related health problems, so that the poor are not overlooked when all other stakeholders are busy with their own agenda.
-
Global public health · Oct 2016
Impact of a workplace intervention on attitudes and practices related to gender equity in Bengaluru, India.
We describe the evaluation of a participatory, garment factory-based intervention to promote gender equity. The intervention comprised four campaigns focused on gender and violence against women, alcoholism, sexual and reproductive health, and HIV/AIDS, which were implemented using information displays (standees and posters) and interactive methods (street play, one-to-one interactions, experience-sharing, and health camps). Each campaign lasted six days and the entire intervention was implemented over 10 months. ⋯ Data on socio-demographic characteristics and knowledge and attitudes related to gender equity, intimate partner violence (IPV) and alcohol use were assessed, and differences in these variables associated with the intervention were examined using difference-in-difference estimation. Analyses of data from 835 respondents revealed substantial, statistically significant improvements in attitudes related to gender equity, unacceptability of IPV, and awareness of IPV and alcohol-related support services. In conclusion, our study offers compelling evidence on the effectiveness of workplace-based interventions in advancing gender equity.
-
Global public health · Oct 2016
What hinders implementation of the WHO FCTC Article 5.3? - The case of South Korea.
The aims of this study are to identify what hinders implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) Article 5.3 in Korea, and to provide suggestions for the implementation of Article 5.3. Official governmental documents on tobacco control were reviewed. We also searched news articles for data triangulation. ⋯ Secondly, the government has had economic interests in the tobacco industry, and its lack of action to effectively regulate the tobacco industry's corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices has hindered the implementation of Article 5.3. Thirdly, the tobacco industry's lobby and active interference in the policy-making process has been a barrier. To fully implement Article 5.3, this study suggests: defusing legal conflict between tobacco-related laws; not considering tobacco industry as a stakeholder; regulating tobacco industry's CSR activities; raising awareness of tobacco industry interference; securing transparency between the government and tobacco industry; and establishing a core group or a committee under the government to implement Article 5.3.