bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Leveraging digital platforms to improve Public Health in hospital smart buildings
Authors: Lapão L , Viegas S 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
The integration of digital platforms into hospital infrastructure represents a significant leap forward in public health management. This session explores how smart hospital buildings, equipped with advanced digital technologies, can enhance public health outcomes through more effective disease surveillance, improved environmental controls and enhanced patient care management. Smart hospital buildings utilize a range of new technologies such as IoT sensors, AI-driven analytics and big data solutions to monitor and optimize various aspects of hospital operations and care. These technologies enable real-time data collection on environmental conditions, patient health metrics and resource utilization, creating an ecosystem that not only supports the immediate health needs of patients but also contributes to broader public health goals. The session will address four key areas where digital platforms can make an impact:
-Disease Surveillance and Management: Digital tools can track health data trends and patterns within hospital settings, enabling early detection of infectious outbreaks and more precise tracking of patient outcomes.
-Environmental Monitoring: IoT sensors can continuously assess conditions such as air quality, temperature and humidity, which are critical for preventing hospital-acquired infections and ensuring a safe environment for patients and staff.
-Resource Optimization: AI algorithms can analyse data to optimize resource allocation, ensuring that medical supplies and human resources are used efficiently, which is crucial in health emergencies.
-Patient-Centred Care: Digital platforms can facilitate personalized patient care through real-time health monitoring and data analysis, ensuring timely medical interventions and better health management.
This session will highlight case studies demonstrating successful implementation of digital technologies in smart hospital buildings and discuss the challenges and lessons learned from these initiatives.
The impact of the tobacco law on tobacco-related hospitalizations in Portugal - a natural experiment
Authors: Santos M , Perleman J , Dionísio J , Vasconcelos R , Peralta-Santos A 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Introduction
Tobacco is responsible for approximately 8 million deaths annually worldwide, with 1.2 million resulting from passive exposure to smoke, as reported by the WHO. Comprehensive tobacco control policies have been enacted across Europe, yet their impacts are seldom assessed. This study evaluates the effects of the anti-tobacco legislation enacted in Portugal in 2007 on tobacco-related hospitalizations between 2002 and 2018.

Methods
Data from all in-patient admissions in public hospitals throughout the 2002-2018 period were utilized. A quasi-experimental interrupted time series design was employed, treating 2008 as an exogenous shock. The dependent variables include the municipality-based incidence of hospitalizations by year for tobacco-related diseases, namely, Acute Myocardial Infarction, stroke, lower respiratory tract infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and asthma. The analysis was adjusted for the percentage of women, the percentage of individuals aged over 65, and purchasing power in the municipality. Time trend graphs for each variable were generated, followed by an adjustment using the Poisson regression model to forecast their trends. A comparison was conducted between observed post-law implementation data and projected values from the regression model to ascertain the percentage difference between the two. Expected

Results
The 2007 tobacco law led to significant reductions in tobacco-related disease incidence, with the most notable effects immediately post-implementation. The impact varies across age groups, with younger individuals (30-49 years) showing a sharper decrease. The effect diminished over time, as indicated by negative coefficients in time:law interactions, such as -0.03.

Conclusions
The anti-tobacco laws implemented in Portugal have effectively decreased hospitalizations related to tobacco use, suggesting potential increases in life expectancy and reduction in health system burden.

Key messages
• Public health policies are crucial for the long-term improvement of people’s health.
• Non-exposure to tobacco can bring health gains on several levels.
Transforming systems and improving lives - the social movement of compassion in Wales
Authors: Hopkins J , Blakeborough N , Bromwell J , Hopkins L , Roane B , Brierley Sollis T , Hughes C 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Wales has embarked on a journey towards becoming an adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and trauma-informed nation. In 2021 the Welsh government supported the co-creation and co-production of an all age, all of society framework: Trauma- Informed Wales: A Societal Approach to Understanding, Preventing and Supporting the Impacts of Trauma and Adversity (ACE Hub Wales et al 2021). This framework is not just an operating model, it has the ambition to be a social movement to embed and sustain a culture shift that is rooted in tackling the conditions of inequality in our communities and the work we do in organisations in the clinical and community settings that support, and employ, people who have experienced trauma and adversity in their lives. The starting point is that any of us can have these experiences. The trauma and ace informed toolkit sets out a process of readiness, self assessment, action planning and implementation across six domain areas which include governance and leadership, monitoring and evaluation, policy and practice. Resources and guidance are co-created and co-produced by partners already on the journey, developed and tested in environments to look at trauma-informed physical spaces, communications, workforce development, training and inclusion of marginalised voices. Supporting this work is a national community of practice, promoting good practice, sharing ideas and developing a culture of wisdom supported by reflective practice. This dynamic forum is supported by online and in person capacity and is transforming organisations and sectors including housing, education, substance misuse, criminal justice and health. It places people, compassion, kindness and empathy at the heart and is enabling traumatised systems to understand and meet the needs of the workforce and the people they serve.

Key messages
• Systems change is sustained by compassion, kindness and love in a social movement supported by the scaffolding of an operating model.
• Public Health has a key role to play in co-developing social networks and resources to transform traumatised systems into trauma-informed places that improve lives and health outcomes.
Ultra-processed food intake and type 2 diabetes: A dose-response meta-analyses of prospective studies
Authors: Kim Y , Oh H 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Studies suggested a positive association between ultra-processed food (UPF) intake and risk of type 2 diabetes (T2DM). However, the magnitude of association varies across studies due to differences in population characteristics and methodological issues. It is also unclear about the exact shape of the association and whether the association is independent of diet quality and adiposity. We conducted a dose-response meta-analysis of prospective studies to summarize the association between UPF intake and T2DM risk. PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Embase were searched through Jan. 2024 to identify relevant studies. Using random-effects models, summary relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated for each of the following unit increment in UPF intake: 10% (of total g/d), 100-g/d, and 1-serving/d. A non-linear dose-response meta-analysis was conducted using restricted cubic spline analysis. After screening 569 publications, 12 prospective cohort studies were included in this study. The summary RRs associated with every 10%, 100-g, and 1-serving increment in UPF intake were 1.13 (95% CI = 1.10-1.16), 1.05 (95% CI = 1.03-1.06), and 1.04 (95% CI = 1.03-1.05), respectively. The positive associations remained statistically significant after additional adjustment for diet quality, BMI, and total energy intake. The dose-response curve for g/d of UPF intake suggested evidence of nonlinearity (p-nonlinearity=0.0005), showing a steeper increase in risk at UPF intake &gt;300 g/d. However, evidence for non-linearity was not observed with % and serving/d of UPF intake. The association did not significantly vary by method and timing of UPF assessment. Higher summary RRs were observed among studies from Europe and North America compared with those from other countries (p-heterogeneity=0.048). Our data suggest that higher UPF intake may increase T2DM risk, independent of diet quality and adiposity.

Key messages
• Higher intake of ultra-processed food is positively associated with the risk of type 2 diabetes.
• Public health strategies should encourage healthier dietary choices by emphasizing reduction of UPF intake in dietary guidelines and implementing regulations on manufacturing and labeling of UPF.
Healthcare access for people with disabilities: a scoping review of COVID-19 policies in Europe
Authors: Aguilera Cruz J , Krafft T , Padeiro M 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Introduction
The COVID-19 pandemic raised healthcare inequalities, affecting the most vulnerable groups. There is limited evidence of whether the COVID-19 measures and the health system’s preparedness for outbreaks among European countries were sufficient to cover the health access needs of PWDs.

Aim
To provide a structured overview of the COVID-19 measures and policies addressing access to primary and specialist health services for PWDs during the COVID-19 pandemic in the European Members States (MS) and the United Kingdom (UK), using ten dimensions of healthcare access by Levesque et al. (2013) and the PoliMap taxonomy.

Methods
This study followed the PRISMA guidelines for Scoping Reviews. A search strategy was employed on PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science databases from January 2020 to January 2023. Studies published in peer-reviewed journals in English, Portuguese, and Spanish were included, informing a COVID-19 measure or policy and assessing or providing a rationale with access to primary or special healthcare services.

Results
The final search strategy yielded 2.076 results, 188 studies were reviewed for full-text analysis, and 74 were included in the final analysis. One hundred twenty-one policies or measures addressing primary or specialist care access were identified. Only thirteen target PWDs, focussing on intellectual or mental disability and addressing mental healthcare services. Results revealed that COVID-19 measures for PWDs were oriented to increase health system response capacity and reduce virus transmission, describing a predominantly negative effect on healthcare access for PWDs.

Conclusions
The needs of PWDs in access to primary and specialist care were not fully covered by the policies and measures placed during the COVID-19 pandemic among the MS and the UK. One-size approaches focussing on the attendance of COVID-19 infection with stigmatizing measures overlook the specific health necessities of this population.

Key messages
• Adopting disabled-inclusive measures in the daily healthcare provision and engaging PWDs in the policy cycle is paramount to preparing for the next outbreak and public health crises.
• Additional research focusing on primary and specialized healthcare access during outbreaks for PWDs, especially with sensory and physical disabilities, is crucial to furthering health equity.
Active offer of influenza vaccination during hospitalization: a multicenter study in Sicily (Italy)
Authors: Fallucca A , Anzà D , Pieri A , Costantino C , Genovese C , Squeri R , Casuccio A , Vitale F , Belbruno F , Restivo V 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Background
Every cold season, the Italian health institutions strongly recommend influenza vaccination for categories at risk of complications, however influenza vaccination coverage is over and over far from the desirable target of 95%. After the pilot experience conducted in Palermo during the 2022-23 influenza season, the ‘Vaccinations in the ward’ project was extended to other Sicilian centers in order to evaluate the impact of the vaccination offer strategy in a broader territorial reality and to analyze the determinants of influenza vaccine acceptance among at risk people.

Methods
The project was conducted at the Umberto I Hospital in Enna and the University Hospitals of Messina and Palermo during the 2023-24 influenza season. A questionnaire was administered to the at risk hospitalized patients to investigate socio-demographic factors, behavioral habits, and clinical condition. Furthermore, influenza vaccination upon discharge was offered. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify the determinants of influenza vaccine acceptance.

Results
Overall, 374 patients with a median age of 65 years (IQR: 50-70) were recruited, of whom 36% had been vaccinated for influenza during the 2022-23 season (n = 136). The patients who accepted influenza vaccination in the ward were 57% (n = 214). The determinants of vaccination adherence were: age (OR: 1.03; p = 0.003); having quit smoking (OR: 2.68; p = 0.017); having received advice on vaccination from general practitioner (OR: 4.9; p &lt; 0.001) and hospital healthcare workers (OR: 7.3; p &lt; 0.001).

Conclusions
The offer of vaccination in the ward effectively increased influenza coverage among categories at risk of complications. Furthermore, the adoption of correct behavioral habits and the promotion of influenza vaccination by healthcare personnel have played a decisive role in the vaccine acceptance process. These findings could be useful for planning future influenza vaccination campaigns targeted to at risk people.

Key messages
• Vaccination strategies are needed to increase influenza coverage among at-risk categories. Active offer of influenza vaccine upon discharge can effectively increase vaccination compliance.
• The adoption of correct behavioral habits and the promotion of vaccination by healthcare personnel play a decisive role in the influenza vaccine acceptance process among at risk people.
Health consequences of harmful chemicals in foods: insights from the WHO Global Burden of Foodborne Disease Study
Authors: Jakobsen L S , Al Huthiel M , Al Natour F , Agudo A 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
Foods can be an important source of human exposure to harmful chemicals. Contamination can occur at any stage of the food chain; with chemicals that occur naturally or by anthropogenic pollution in the environment and during production processes from farm level to the kitchen of the consumer. The variety of chemicals in foods is broad and associated with a wide range of adverse health effects. Where toxicological risk assessment of chemicals in foods serves the purpose of protecting populations from exposure levels constituting a health concern, burden of disease methodology provides a quantitative snapshot of the current impact of chemicals on disease occurrence and population health. This allows for the comparison across hazards, health effects and foods and eventually prioritized allocation of resources to maximize health benefits. Following the advice by the World Health Organization Foodborne Disease Burden Epidemiology Reference group (WHO/FERG), WHO published in 2015 the first estimates of the global burden of foodborne disease. More than 400,000 deaths and 33 million disability-adjusted life years were estimated due to unsafe foods in 2010; the largest proportion due to foodborne pathogens, as the contribution of only 3 chemical hazards (dioxins, aflatoxin B1 and cassava cyanide) was included. WHO, once more under the advice by the re-established WHO/FERG (2021-2025), is currently working to update the 2010 estimates. Besides applying updated data and methodological improvements in managing data gaps and time series analysis, WHO’s ambition is to consider a wider range of chemicals and associated health effects for the year of 2020. In this presentation, we will share insights on the WHO estimates of the global burden of foodborne chemicals, and explore the methodological opportunities and challenges that estimating the burden of foodborne chemicals provides for informing policies.
UnDErstanding consumer food choices & promotion of healthy and sustainable Mediterranean diet and LIfestyle in Children and adolescents through behavIOUral change actionS: the DELICIOUS project
Authors: Grosso G , Abdelkarim O 
Published: October 2024

Abstract
Over the last decades, the abandonment of traditional dietary patterns and engagement in unhealthy lifestyles (including poor physical activity, prolonged screen time, poor sleep behaviours) in children and adolescents has been considered an important threat for the future health of the younger generations living in the Mediterranean area and the safeguard of the environment. The DELICIOUS project aims to promote healthy lifestyles among children and adolescents by implementing activities and tools to increase the adherence to the Mediterranean diet with an attention to the environmental impacts of dietary habits. The DELICIOUS project as a single-arm, uncontrolled behavioral intervention program providing formal and non-formal education activities, development of new snacks and recipe reformulation, web/mobile app development, and physical activities to school children and adolescents in five European countries. Over 2000 families joined a preliminary survey to investigate potential determinants of adherence to a healthy diet. Children and adolescents recruited from schools in the parterns’ countries are now currently being recruited to participate to the intervention activities. A web application for school canteen and a mobile application for parents have been developed to help both schools and families to track and provide healthy and sustainable meals. The project aims to increase awareness of the nutritional benefits and the sustainability aspects of the Mediterranean Diet and to promote consumers’ empowerment through an online platform for sustainable and healthy meal planning in the school canteen.
A cross-sectional study of data linkage and artificial intelligence practices across European countries
Authors: Haneef R , Tolonen H 
Published: October 2024

Abstract

Background
The availability of different data sources is increasing with the possibility to link them with each other. However, linked administrative data can be complex to use and may require advanced expertise and skills in statistical analysis. The main objectives of this study were to describe the use of data linkage and artificial intelligence (AI) in routine public health activities and the constraints to linking different data sources.

Methods
A cross-sectional survey was performed across European countries to explore the current practices applied by national institutes of public health, health information and statistics for innovative use of data sources (i.e., the use of data linkage and/or AI).

Results
In Europe, the use of data linkage and AI at national institutes of public health, health information and statistics varies. The use data linkage in routine by applying a deterministic method or a combination of two types of linkages (i.e., deterministic & probabilistic) for public health surveillance and research purposes is common in majority of European countries. The use of AI to estimate health indicators is not frequent among these institutes. The complex data regulation laws, lack of human resources, skills and problems with data governance, were reported by European countries as main constraints to routine data linkage for public health surveillance and research.

Conclusions
Our study showed that the majority of European countries have integrated data linkage in their routine public health activities but only a few use AI. A sustainable national health information system allowing to link different data sources are essential to contribute to public health research. Moreover, it supports evidence-informed health policy making processes with an overview of various aspects affecting population health and may contribute to European pandemic preparedness.
ProtAct-Us from serious injuries with long-term consequences
Authors: Leitgeb W , Papadakaki M , Johannsen H , Morandi A ,   The ProtAct-Us consortium
Published: October 2024

Abstract
Battling serious injuries and long-term consequences in road traffic remains one important issue in the overall goal of resilient future road transport and its Vision Zero. Challenges of increasing personal transport in urban areas coupled with autonomous vehicles and shuttles, new mobility devices and the overall need to ensure the safety of vulnerable road users as well as all types of vehicle occupants’ require solid medical background knowledge paired with innovative engineering approaches. EU Horizon Europe is currently funding the ProtAct-Us consortium (2024-2027) that aims at protecting all Road User Groups from serious injury and long-term physical, cognitive and mental health consequences related to road crashes through innovatively interlinked research action between medical and engineering methods and approaches. ProtAct-Us works on the following goals and challenges: i) Medical data correlation, standardisation and classification of long-term consequences of road crashes; ii) Robust and reliable medical, epidemiological and engineering tools like agreed methods to collect information on long-term consequences, upgraded Human Body Models and virtual assessment methods for the extremities, head, neck and face allowing for effective countermeasure development for all road users; iii) Reduction of long-term consequences and related socio-economic cost of road crash related injuries for all road users. The ProtAct-Us solutions will influence new standards in respect of extending current injury codification system with relevant long-term aspects, allowing new physical as well as virtual safety assessment procedures and adaption of rules and regulations to be implemented. Finally, scientifically well-founded suggestion for future implementation into policy, regulatory, and standardization guidelines for an inclusive safety improvement approach for in- as well as post-crash will be provided.