Public Health Policy

Health for All by the year 2000: a retrospective look at the ambitious public health initiative

by Hope Corbin

Estudio sobre el Comportamiento y Salud en los Jóvenes Escolares de la República Dominicana: Resultados de 2009

by Elián Cabrera-Nguyen

Co-authored with Dr. Juan B. Peña, Rosa Fernández, and Diana Chaves.

This scientific report on youth risk behaviors was prepared for the Dominican Republic's Ministry of Education.more This scientific report on youth risk behaviors was prepared for the Dominican Republic's Ministry of Education.

We administered a modified YRBS to a nationally representative sample of public high school youth in the Dominican Republic. The survey asked about mental health, sexual risk behaviors, substance use, and violent behavior. Findings are presented at the national level and for each educational district. I analyzed all data and assisted with preparing the report. I also helped present the results to a delegation from the DR's Ministry of Education.

Dr. Juan B. Peña, assistant professor at the Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis, is the prinicpal investigator and first author. The remaining authors are presented alphabetically; contribution is equal: Elián P. Cabrera-Nguyen, Diana Chaves, and Rosa Fernández

US cultural involvement and its association with suicidal behavior among youth in the Dominican Republic

by Elián Cabrera-Nguyen

published in American Journal of Public Health:

Peña, J.B., Zayas L.H., Cabrera-Nguyen, P., & Vega W.A. (2011). US cultural involvement and its association with suicidal behavior among youths in the Dominican Republic. American Journal of Public Health. e-View Ahead of Print. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2011.300344

Refer to link to access the article. APHA is copyright holder.

Pandemicity and Severity are Separate Constructs

by Alan Card

El Empaquetado Genérico de Cigarrillos y la Propiedad Intelectual

by Luis Gil Abinader

Published in ICTSD's Puentes Bimestral

This brief analyzes the tensions originated by the initiatives for a plain packaging of cigarette and international... more This brief analyzes the tensions originated by the initiatives for a plain packaging of cigarette and international intellectual property law. It emphasizes the approximations and interceptions between WTO trademark obligations under TRIPS and WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.

Nanoscale Titanium Dioxide in Water Treatment and in Topical Sunscreen

by Brent Ranalli

Mental Health Illiteracy? Perceiving Depression as a Disorder

by Charlotte Blease

Review of General Psychology 2012 16(1):59-69
This is the accepted draft of the paper.

World Health Organization statistics reveal that depression is not only one of the leading causes of disability in the... more World Health Organization statistics reveal that depression is not only one of the leading causes of disability in the world today but it is an illness on the rise. I review research into public attitudes to depression and the effectiveness of recent education campaigns. I contend that whilst there appears to be evidence that depression is met with serious and persistent stigma, there is a dearth of research in this area. In this article, I forward an explanation for how we might understand the apparent persistence of, and some of the stigmatizing responses to, depression; I term this hypothesis the ‘Cheater-Detection Model of Depression Stigmatisation’ (hereafter, ‘CDMD’). This article proposes that certain behavioral traits associated with depression (specifically: fatigue, cognitive and motor retardation, occupational impairment) may be detected (erroneously) via a specific suite of cognitive mechanisms which were selected for their capacity to gauge cooperation and social exchange among individuals. I argue that the symptoms of depressive behavior which interfere with social and occupational capacities may trigger responses which were selected for in order to avoid exploitation by ‘cheaters’ (that is to say, individuals who are perceived to benefit from social exchange but who are not judged to reciprocate). Evolutionary psychology informs us that perception of cheating behavior tends to elicit affective responses such as anger and avoidance: I argue that some symptoms of depression tend to induce ‘false-positive’ stigmatizing responses. I conclude that until we understand the cognition underlying stigmatization we cannot expect to target it effectively.

The human factor: Re-organisations in public health policy

by Frank de Vocht

Kathryn Oliver, Martin Everett, Arpana Verma, Frank de Vocht

Introduction: Public health policy-making activities are currently split between local authority and NHS... more Introduction: Public health policy-making activities are currently split between local authority and NHS organisations. Despite an increasing body of research on evidence-based policy (EBP), few studies explore the process of policy-making. Little is known about how policies are made in a local context, or how (scientific) evidence is used. Previous research has ignored the ‘human element’ in EBP. Social network analysis (SNA) techniques are becoming increasingly important in health policy. This paper describes an innovative study giving a fresh perspective on policy-making processes in public health.
Methods: A social network analysis of public health policy making networks in Greater Manchester based on publicly available data (documents, websites and meeting papers)
and an electronic survey, asking actors to nominate those who influenced their own views, those who were powerful, and those who were a source of evidence or information.
Results and conclusions: Policy-making networks are described. Formal executive roles are loosely related to perceived influence and power. Evidence-seeking networks are less coherent, with key organisations not represented. These data indicate the importance of collaboration and good relationships between researchers and policy-makers, but few
academic researchers with a direct impact on health policy were identified within the networks.

The human factor: reorganisations in public health policy

by Kathryn Oliver

In press. Health Policy
Oliver K, de Vocht F, Everett M, Verma A.

Introduction
Public health policy-making activities are currently split between local authority and NHS... more Introduction
Public health policy-making activities are currently split between local authority and NHS organisations. Despite an increasing body of research on evidence-based policy (EBP), few studies explore the process of policy-making. Little is known about how policies are made in a local context, or how (scientific) evidence is used. Previous research has ignored the ‘human element’ in EBP. Social network analysis (SNA) techniques are becoming increasingly important in health policy. This paper describes an innovative study giving a fresh perspective on policy-making processes in public health.
Methods
A social network analysis of public health policy making networks in Greater Manchester based on publicly available data (documents, websites and meeting papers) and an electronic survey, asking actors to nominate those who influenced their own views, those who were powerful, and those who were a source of evidence or information.
Results and Conclusions
Policy-making networks are described. Formal executive roles are loosely related to perceived influence and power. Evidence-seeking networks are less coherent, with key organisations not represented. These data indicate the importance of collaboration and good relationships between researchers and policy-makers, but few academic researchers with a direct impact on health policy were identified within the networks.

Future Pandemics: Step Up Funding for Flu Prevention

by Simon Williams

Nature 483: 158

Políticas públicas e investigación en embriones humanos

by Jorge Alberto Álvarez-Díaz

Canada: A land of missed opportunity for addressing the social determinants of health

by Ted Schrecker

Co-authored with Toba Bryant, Dennis Raphael and Ronald Labonte; published in Health Policy 101 (2011): 44-58. Please contact Prof. Schrecker for a copy.

The first 25 years of universal public health insurance in Canada saw major reductions in income-related health... more The first 25 years of universal public health insurance in Canada saw major reductions in income-related health inequalities related to conditions most amenable to medical treatment. While equity issues related to health care coverage and access remain important, the social determinants of health (SDH) represent the next frontier for reducing health inequalities, a point reinforced by the work of the World Health Organization's Commission on Social Determinants of Health. In this regard, Canada's recent performance suggests a bleak prognosis. Canada's track record since the 1980s in five respects related to social determinants of health: (a) the overall redistributive impact of tax and transfer policies; (b) reduction of family and child poverty; (c) housing policy; (d) early childhood education and care; and (e) urban/metropolitan health policy have reduced Canada's capacity to reduce existing health inequalities. Reasons for this are explored and means of advancing this agenda are outlined.

Sustainability of Public Health Programs

by Alan Card

Card AJ. Sustainability of Public Health Programs. American Journal of Public Health. 2012;102(5):776-777.

http://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/abs/10.2105/AJPH.2011.300498

Hublet, A., Schmid, H., Els, C., Godeau, E., Nic Gabhainn, S., Luk, J. & Maes, L. (2009). Association between tobacco control policies and smoking behaviour among adolescents in 29 countries. Addiction, 104, 1918–1926.

by Saoirse Nic Gabhainn

Opportunity in Complexity: Applied Whole Systems Design in Healthcare Innovation

by Renee Davis

Written as a final synthesis paper for the Whole Systems Design program of the Center for Creative Change at Antioch University Seattle.

We currently face what's known as a wicked mess of healthcare problems. A Whole Systems Design approach can lead the... more We currently face what's known as a wicked mess of healthcare problems. A Whole Systems Design approach can lead the way for the development of a system that's effective, sustainable and accessible. This paper is an exploration of such an approach and how it might be applied to healthcare innovation today.

Coal An Impure Fuel Source: Radiation Effects of Coal-fired Power Plants in Turkey

by Prof.Dr. İbrahim USLU

Hacettepe Journal of Biology and Chemistry volume 38 Issue 4 pp 259-268 2010
ibrahim Uslu, F. Gökmeşe

Turkish coal is generally poor quality and the levels of chemical and radiological toxic trace elements in it are... more Turkish coal is generally poor quality and the levels of chemical and radiological toxic trace elements in it are higher with respect to mean values of activity concentrations given in United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR) Report. The main pathways through which the population living around soal-fired power plant (CFPP) is exposed to natural radionuclides are external and internal (ingestion and inhalation) dose and fly ash particles are the major component of the risk. It is estimated that the people working or living near the CFPP in Turkey receive a dose in between 0.1 mSv to 1 mSv extra from CFPP because nearly all the region of Turkey uranium (U) and thorium (Th) content in the coal are higher than 5 ppm to 7 ppm and around 25 ppm to 40 ppm respectively. Continuous monitoring is essential to determine occupational exposure levels in all stages of the coal fuel-cycle and proper measures should be taken to prevent direct contact of the ash pile with the top soil and local drainage systems.

Radiological Considerations in Nuclear Ship Visits

by Prof.Dr. İbrahim USLU

Turkish Journal of Nuclear Science 16(1989) pp:43-51
ibrahim Uslu, G.G. Yülek. G. Aksu
keywords: nuclear ship radiological consideration

In this study radiological aspects of nuclear ships has been reviewed and the results of some measurements of early... more In this study radiological aspects of nuclear ships has been reviewed and the results of some measurements of early warning system stations and radionuclide concentration in sea water have been given and discussed from the data during one of the nuclear ship visit of a Turkish Port.

Radiaoctivity in Cigarette

by Prof.Dr. İbrahim USLU

Turkish Journal of nuclear Sciences Volume 25 no:2 pp 1998
ibrahim Uslu, E. Tanker, M.L. Aksu

Cigarette is known to be hazardous to health due to nicotine and tar it contains. This is indicated on cigarette... more Cigarette is known to be hazardous to health due to nicotine and tar it contains. This is indicated on cigarette packets by health warnings. However there is less known hazard of smoking due to intake of radioactive compounds by inhalation. This study dwells upon the radioactive hazard of smoking.

The Perfect Solution: How Trans Fats Became the Healthy Replacement for Saturated Fats

by David Schleifer

David Schleifer. 2012 “The Perfect Solution: How Trans Fats Became the Healthy Replacement for Saturated Fats.” Technology and Culture 53(1): 94-119.

Trans fats became part of the American food system due to a complex interplay among activism, industrial technology,... more Trans fats became part of the American food system due to a complex interplay among activism, industrial technology, and nutritional science. Some manufacturers began using partially hydrogenated oils, which contain trans fats, in the early twentieth century. Medical authorities began framing saturated fats as unhealthy in the 1950s. In the 1980s, activist organizations, including the Center for Science in the Public Interest, condemned food corporations’ use of saturated fats and endorsed trans fats as an acceptable alternative. Nearly all targeted corporations responded by replacing saturated fats with trans fats, which fit easily into their existing products. Trans fats thus became the perfect solution to the political problem of saturated fats and to the technical problem of what to use in their place. Activists helped precipitate technological change, but by 1994, trans fats were no longer regarded as a solution. Instead, they became regarded as a new nutritional problem.

Health Professionals' Beliefs about ANPHA Objectives and Industry Representation on the Advisory Council

by Julia Anwar McHenry

Co-authored with R J Donovan & G Jalleh. Technical report, 2011.