bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Multilingual Covid-19 Communication and Linguistic Minorities in Finland: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Musta L , Mäki-Opas T , Skogberg N 
Published: October 2023

Abstract

Background
Inequality in access to information based on origin have been demonstrated already prior to Covid-19 epidemic and the epidemic widened those differences. Effective multilingual crisis communication can improve equal access to information. However, studies examining experiences of multilingual crisis communication are scarce. This study aims to explore how Arabic, Somali, and Russian speakers in Finland experienced multilingual communication during the Covid-19 epidemic and identify opportunities to improve its effectiveness.

Methods
Qualitative data consisted of 6 semi-structured group interviews with 32 individuals (Arabic n = 9, Russian n = 12, Somali n = 11 speakers). The respondents had lived in Finland since at least from spring 2021 and spoke Finnish or Swedish at most at beginner level. Interviews were conducted between December 2022 and April 2023 together with a translator. Interviews were analyzed thematically.

Results
There were major contradictions in respondents’ opinions. According to some respondents, multilingual information provided by authorities was highly valued in their communities and respondents felt that it strengthened trust towards the authorities. Other felt that messages were irrelevant for the communities, and the messages actually often reduced willingness to follow the guidelines or trust official sources. It was agreed that lack of multilingual information created space for dis- and misinformation. Also, the role of mouth-to-mouth information was seen as crucial during Covid-19 epidemic. Official information often neglected important social and cultural aspects and the information from the authorities only reached a small proportion of linguistic minorities living in Finland.

Conclusions
Multilingual crisis communication should consider social and cultural aspects to strengthen the equal access to trustworthy information of linguistic minorities. By this way, it also builds the trust towards national authorities.

Key messages
• Multilingual crisis communications that considers also social and cultural aspects is an effective way to improve equity of linguistic minorities during crises.
• Multichannel approach and cooperation with communities during crises helps to reach more people and builds trust towards the authorities.
Co-producing a culturally sensitive storytelling intervention with Nepalese migrant workers
Authors: Paudyal P , Wasti S , Neupane P , Sapkota J , Kulasabanathan K , Watts C , Pathak R , Silwal R , Memon A , Cassell J 
Published: October 2023

Abstract

Background
Labour migration is an increasingly important contributing factor to Nepal's economy; remittance from migrants abroad contribute to quarter of Nepal's gross domestic product. However, this income comes at a great cost; nearly 1,000 Nepalese migrant workers (NMWs) die every year in Gulf States and Malaysia. This interdisciplinary study informs the co-production of a culturally adaptive storytelling intervention to support the mental health and wellbeing of NMWs.

Methods
We focused on outgoing and returnee adult NMWs in the GCC countries. The study was conducted in Dhading district, Nepal and involved three different but interconnected phases; 1. a systematic review and a mixed methods study exploring health and wellbeing issues of NMWs (both studies already published, available online); 2. exploration, and analysis of Nepalese literature relevant to contemporary migration (n = 49); and 3. co-development of storytelling intervention working together with a co-production group (n = 12).

Results
Findings from phase one and two showed that NMWs suffer from various health and wellbeing issues (mental health, physical health including workplace hazard, abuse, and exploitation). Themes identified from the Nepalese literature centred around hopelessness, helplessness, and separation. Based on these findings, a culturally sensitive storytelling intervention was co-produced to support the mental health and wellbeing of NMWs in GCC countries. The intervention video includes an animated story centred around the struggles of an archetypal male migrant worker and their use of coping strategies for dealing with adversities.

Conclusions
Our study suggests that co-production of storytelling intervention provides shared spaces for migrant workers to engage, imagine and participate as communities. The process also helps to redistribute power and redress top-down modes of working that may undermine and devalue the stories of marginalised groups.

Key messages
• Co-production of storytelling intervention provides shared spaces to engage, imagine and participate as communities.
• Co-production helps to redistribute power and redress top-down modes of working that may undermine and devalue the stories of marginalised groups.
What can diet of migrants from the French West Indies indicate about the nutrition transition?
Authors: Allès B , Colombet Z , Arnault N , Touvier M , Méjean C 
Published: October 2023

Abstract

Background
French West Indies, like the other Caribbean territories, are currently undergoing a nutrition transition. Little is known about how migration and subsequent changes in food habits could influence adherence to specific dietary patterns. Our study aimed to assess dietary intake among French West Indians who live in and/or were born in the French West Indies, compared with individuals born and living in mainland France.

Methods
1,094 participants from the NutriNet-Santé e-cohort, prospectively included between 2009-2019, were categorized into 4 subgroups: born and living in the French West Indies (West Indies/West Indies WW; n = 172); born in the West Indies and living in France Mainland (West Indies/mainland, WM n = 317); born in France Mainland and living in the French West Indies (mainland/West Indies, MW n = 288) and those born and living in Mainland France (mainland/mainland, MM n = 317). We compared the four subgroups on their nutritional quality of the diet using data provided by 24h records, and sociodemographic, lifestyle and anthropometric characteristics. The association between dietary patterns and migration status was estimated by polytomous logistic regression models.

Results
The WM group had consumptions reflecting an intermediate nutritional quality between the WW and the MM groups, with higher consumption of plant-based foods. The WM and WW groups were more likely to adhere both to a traditional dietary pattern from the West Indies (tubers grown in the West Indies, legumes, fish and offal) and, to a lesser extent, a convenient dietary pattern (high in ultra-processed foods), compared to MM, confirming the ongoing nutrition transition.

Conclusions
Migrants from French West Indies may have changed their traditional dietary habits, suggesting an influence of the environment. Migrants presented both potentially protective and detrimental dietary patterns compared to their peers born in mainland France due to the maintenance of cultural habits.

Key messages
• Migration may influence food habits for migrants between the French West Indies and Mainland France.
• The nutrition transition is on going in the French West Indies, representing a public health issue.
Political trust in the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic – A survey in Denmark and Sweden
Authors: Karlsson E , Nilsen P , Seing I , Vrangbæk K , Wassar Kirk J , Kallemose T 
Published: October 2023

Abstract

Background
The two neighboring countries Denmark and Sweden differed markedly in their initial response to the coronavirus pandemic as Denmark rapidly introduced mandatory restrictions while Sweden's response was characterized by voluntary recommendations and an emphasis on personal responsibility. Both countries saw considerable discussion in media about whether restrictions were sufficient and appropriate.

Aim
To investigate the extent to which there was political trust in the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark and Sweden and the characteristics of those in each country who expressed the lowest degree of trust.

Methods
Cross-sectional surveys were completed in Denmark (n = 2619) and Sweden (n = 2633) in 2021. Trust was captured in two questions: trust in how the government and the public health authority in each country had handled the pandemic. Those who expressed “very small trust” or “moderately small trust” were labelled “low-trusters”. The effects of demographic variables were analysed by logistic regression.

Results
Trust in the government's handling of the pandemic was considerably higher in Denmark than in Sweden. Approximately 61% of the Danish respondents expressed moderately or very large trust in the government's handling of the pandemic. The corresponding proportion for the Swedish respondents was smaller, 42%. Further, the proportion of low-trusters was considerably smaller in Denmark than in Sweden, 11% versus 34%. Also, males in both Denmark and Sweden were more than twice as likely as females to express low trust in the handling of the pandemic.

Discussions
Denmark and Sweden are similar in many ways, being universal welfare states, which have been associated with high political trust. Our findings suggest that the more active involvement of the Danish government in the battle against COVID-19 generated a high degree of public trust. The Swedish government's more passive role does not seem to have resulted in the same degree of trust.

Key messages
• Active involvement of authorities and governments seem to increase citizens’ trust.
• The degree of trust in authorities and governments during a crisis differs among groups.
Shifting the paradigm from illness to wellbeing: development of a Municipal Health Strategy
Authors: Sousa I , Martins R , Caldeira R , Ligeiro C , Marques C , Cunha R , Santos O 
Published: October 2023

Abstract

Issue
Portugal is undergoing a health promotion and healthcare competency transferring process to local governments, requiring the development and implementation of Municipal (local) Health Strategies (MHS). Planning an MHS remains a challenge as no guidelines have been established, being imperative to involve citizens and local stakeholders.

Description of the problem
The MHS contemplates, at the municipal level and in the field of health, the priority lines of intervention and respective targets, indicators, activities, resources, and timeframes. This communication will describe the participatory mixed-methods design created for the development of one of the largest municipalities of Portugal: Almada. A technical panel was formed to act as a think tank throughout the development of the MHS, involving different public and private local social actors (Almada city hall, parishes councils, schools, faculties, sports clubs, healthcare units, social service organizations, etc.). The world café method was selected for collaborative thinking, involving also public health and health promotions experts and Almada citizens. A population-based survey complemented public registries as a data source for building up a municipal health profile (a diagnostic tool for supporting the MHS definition). What are the vision and values of Almada's MHS, how to involve the community, and what are Almada's MHS strategic axes, these are some of the questions discussed in the world cafés.

Results
From March to May 2023, six world cafés were conducted, plus one population-based survey focused on municipalities’ health and well-being indicators. The preliminary data point to an MHS “shifting the paradigm from illness prevention to wellbeing promotion”.

Lessons
Collaborative models are pivotal to building up effective intersectoral municipal policies, reflecting real-world health problems, and tackling real-world solutions.

Key messages
• The definition of local health strategies require collaborative, co-construction oriented models, with challenging methodological processes.
• A multi-sectorial stakeholder panel set out positive health and wellbeing indicators and goals (instead of disease prevention goals) as priority for a Municipality Health Strategy.
Association between tobacco control policies and smoking behaviour in Europe
Authors: Starker A , Kuhnert R 
Published: October 2023

Abstract

Background
Smoking is an important public health problem. The European Health Interview Survey (EHIS) provides regular data on prevalence and determinants of smoking for the populations of European countries, while the Tobacco Control Scale (TCS) quantifies the implementation of tobacco control measures. The aim is to examine the associations between tobacco control policies at country level and individual-level smoking prevalence.

Methods
Using multi-level regression modelling, individual data from EHIS 2019/2020 and country-level data from TCS 2019 were analysed. The outcome measure was self-reported current smoking (daily or occasional) at the individual level. Predictor variables were at the individual level: gender, age and education attainment level, and at country level: scores of TCS policy components ‘Price', ‘Public place bans', ‘Advertising bans', ‘Health warnings', ‘Treatment’ and ‘Illicit trade'. Microdata from the 3rd wave of EHIS for 28 European countries were used with a total of n = 66.934 individuals aged &gt;15 years. A weighting factor was applied to consider each country proportionally according to its sample size in EHIS.

Results
There are large cross-national differences in current smoking prevalence ranged from 12.6% (95% confidence interval (CI) 11.9-13.3) in Sweden to 36.2% (95% CI 35.0-37.4) in Bulgaria. In the final multi-level model besides individual variables (female gender, age 60 years and over, medium or high education level), following variables at country level were significantly associated with lower prevalence of current smoking: ‘Price’ (Odds Ratio (OR)=0.96 (p &lt; 0.05) and ‘Treatment’ OR = 0.88; (p &lt; 0.01). For ‘Public place bans', ‘Advertising bans', ‘Health warnings’ and and ‘Illicit trade’ association were in same direction but without significance.

Conclusions
Tobacco control policies help to reduce the prevalence of smoking in population, although the different measures have differing impact.

Key messages
• Our study confirms the link between the implementation of tobacco control policies and smoking prevalence using recent data.
• Policy components have different effects on smoking prevalence at population level.
Mind the gap: analysis of sub-national differences in life expectancy at birth in the European Union
Authors: Pinheiro V , Devleesschauwer B 
Published: October 2023

Abstract

Background
Life Expectancy (LE) at birth, the average number of years a person is expected to live from birth, with constant age-specific mortality, is an essential indicator of a country or region's well-being, highlighting progress and gaps in societal health, including at the sub-national level. In this study, our goal was to analyse sub-national gaps in LE at birth in European Union (EU) member states, between 2000 and 2020.

Methods
A retrospective longitudinal analysis on differences in LE at birth among NUTS2 regions within EU countries was performed, in 2000-2020, taking the largest absolute difference between NUTS2 regions as the country value. Estimates were analysed for the EU mean and 20 member states, due to data availability. All data was retrieved from Eurostat and analysis performed in R version 4.0.0.

Results
The mean gap in LE in the EU increased from 2.46 to 2.73 between 2000 and 2020, reaching its maximum in 2010 (2.82) and its minimum in 2012 (2.43), with great variability across countries. In 2000, the top 3 countries with the largest gap in LE were Greece (4.40), Portugal (4.10) and France (3.60), while in 2020 the top 3 was composed of Belgium, Spain (both 4.60) and Hungary (4.10). The bottom 3 countries with the lowest gaps in LE were Lithuania (0.20), Sweden (1.10) and Hungary (1.40) in 2000, and Lithuania (1.00), Sweden (1.30) and the Netherlands (1.50) in 2020. Lithuania was the country with the lowest value in 2007 (0.00), and Spain the highest (5.50) in 2010.

Conclusions
The mean gap in LE at birth in the EU increased in 2000-2020, with great variability across countries. Further research should address possible associations with policy options at the regional level, such as health expenditure and employment support schemes, in order to reduce inequalities.

Key messages
• Important sub-national gaps in LE at birth persist in the EU, with considerable variability across countries.
• These results may have considerable implications for policy-making and priority-setting.
Multilingual research assistants activate foreign-born persons to respond a survey in Finland
Authors: Klemettilä K-L , Lilja E , Mäkipää L , García-Velázquez R , Litewka-Anttolainen A , Kuusio H 
Published: October 2023

Abstract

Background
The decline in response rate is a major universal concern in population studies. This study demonstrates multilingual research assistants’ (n = 11) perceptions of the factors that influenced research participation in the National survey on health, well-being, and service use among the foreign-born population (MoniSuomi). Participation in the survey was possible via a questionnaire or a short interview by phone.

Methods
The interviewees were selected with purposeful sampling. Six semi-structured interviews with the research assistants were conducted in March 2023. The data were thematically analysed.

Results
Preliminary results can be arranged into three categories. The factors related to the 1) research assistant 2) responder and 3) research institute. The most influencing elements seemed to be the research assistant's ability to speak the participant's mother tongue, the participant's experience of inclusiveness, and their perception of the research institution. The response rate for those who were reached out by the multilingual research assistants was substantially higher (61.6%) compared to those whose phone number was not available (40.1%). The interviewees emphasized the importance of being involved additionally in the planning and reporting phases of a survey.

Conclusions
The findings of the study suggest that multilingual research assistants play an important role in activating foreign-born population to respond in a survey. However, participants’ experiences and the research institution's image are also to be considered.

Key messages
• Utilizing the knowledge of the target population is essential to the success of a survey.
• Multilingual research assistants can represent the voice of foreign-born population during the conduction of a survey.
Long-term trends in family level contribution to mortality – Finland 1990-2000
Authors: Suulamo U , Remes H , Tarkiainen L , Martikainen P 
Published: October 2023

Abstract

Background
Family is among the most relevant sociodemographic factors influencing the health and well-being of individuals. However, the general contribution of the family context to premature adult mortality is seldom measured, and possible changes in this effect over time have not been quantified in previous studies.

Methods
The study is based on individual-level register data on the total Finnish population aged 30 years and over. We estimate two-level Weibull survival models with individuals nested in families for six five-year periods between 1990 and 2020 to assess the degree to which the family context contributes to individual differences in mortality. The median hazard ratio (MHR) is used as a summary measure of this general contextual effect. We assess trends separately by sex and age categories and broad cause of death groups, as well as adjust for different individual- and family-level sociodemographic characteristics.

Results
The preliminary results show that the contribution of the family level to individual mortality risk is substantial. The family effect shows an increasing trend over three decades and is largest among younger individuals aged 30-49.

Conclusions
The overall relevance of the family context to mortality is considerable and has grown over time. From a public health perspective, policy and interventions should place more importance on family-level influences on health.

Key messages
• The family context and whom you live with are increasingly important for health and mortality.
• Family-oriented health care and services that consider family-level influences should be developed further.
Levels of physical activity and sedentary behaviors in different universities of Bogotá
Authors: Morales Eraso N E , Rubiano Espinosa O F , Caviativa Castro Y P 
Published: October 2023

Abstract
The global recommendations for physical activity (PA) advised by the World Health Organization WHO (2012) are 150 minutes of moderate intensity (at least 600 MET-min/week) or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity per week (at least 3000 MET-min/week). The objective were determine the levels of PA and sedentary behaviors (SB) in people at different universities in Bogotá (students, administrative personal). The dimensions IPAQ was applied (PA in the transportation PAT, PA in Leisure Time PALT and auto evaluation of sedentary behaviors ASB). Study was descriptive, correlational, with simple random sampling. The project had ethics considerations aproved by Ethic Comitee of Libre University. The data were analyzed with Rversion 4.2.3. Results were n = 717 distributed in 442 (61.6%) women and 275 (38.4%) men. 100 men (36.4%) with 120.9 ± 185.9 MET-min/week and 161 women (36.4%) with 313.9 ± 198.8 MET-min/week did not fulfill PAT recommendations. 109 men (36.5%) with 193.6 ± 217.0 MET-min/week and 141 women (31.9%) with 186.4 ± 194.5 MET-min/week did not fulfill PALT recommendations. 75 men (27.3%) report sedentary time (ASB) greater than 2 hour/day (2311.2 min/week ± 1487.7) and 104 women (23.5%) report 2255.1 min/week (±1316.4). Instead, people fewer than 2 hours were 200 men (72.7%) with 323.6 min/week (±320.7) and 338 women (76.5%) with 312.4 min/week (±308.8). Statistical tests for association were applied for the variables PAT and PALT which did not have significant statistical differences but between PALT and ASB were found significant statistical differences (p-value &lt; 2.2e–16, CI 1032.740–1608.664), so they were related. Universities must promote and maintain recommended PA levels through strengthening programs and infrastructure oriented to PA in population, especially promoting forms of transportation such as bicycles and different forms of active leisure time differentiated between genders. However, sedentary times are a threat to health, due to its great increase in this population.

Key messages
• The global recommendations for physical activity (PAG) recommended by the WHO (2012) is 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity per week.