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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2021) | Viewed by 23089

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Adelita G. Cantu

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Guest Editor

School of Nursing, University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
Interests: promoting health among the most vulnerable and marginalized populations, particularly Hispanics; promoting environmental justice issues among this population

Dr. Ruth McDermott-Levy

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Director, Center for Global and Public Health, Villanova University, Villanova, PA 19085, USA
Interests: public health nursing; global health; environmental health

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The nursing profession has been aware for some time that social determinants of health are critical to the wellbeing of our patients, families, and communities. Health starts in our homes, schools, workplaces, neighborhoods, and communities (Healthy People, 2020). Nurses know that eating well and staying active, not smoking, getting the recommended immunizations and screening tests, and seeing a healthcare provider when sick all influence our health. Our health is also determined in part by access to social and economic opportunities; the resources and supports available in our homes, neighborhoods, and communities; the quality of our schooling; the safety of our workplaces; the cleanliness of our water, food, and air; and the nature of our social interactions and relationships. The conditions in which we live explain in part why some Americans are healthier than others and why Americans more generally are not as healthy as they could be. This Special Issue of IJERPH will highlight ways that community–nurse partnerships are working collaboratively to create equal and equitable social and physical environments that promote good health for all. This issue will explore how programs, practices, and policies in these areas affect the health of individuals, families, and communities.

Dr. Adelita G. Cantu
Dr. Ruth McDermott-Levy
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

community–nurse partnership
environmental health
health promotion
health education
public health
population health
public/community health nursing
social determinants of health
equity
social justice

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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7 pages, 291 KiB

Open AccessCommunication

Does the Synergy Model Implementation Improve the Transition from In-Hospital to Primary Care? The Experience from an Italian Cardiac Surgery Unit, Perspectives, and Future Implications

by Federica Dellafiore, Rosario Caruso, Tiziana Nania, Francesco Pittella, Tiziana Fiorini, Maria Paola Caruso, Giovanni Zaffino, Alessandro Stievano and Cristina Arrigoni

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(9), 5624; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph19095624 - 05 May 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1998

Abstract

The demand for care services in the healthcare system has changed and is triggering a smooth transition from in-hospital to primary care. In this regard, patient-centered-care models of care delivery might provide a framework to follow patients’ journeys throughout their transition between different levels of care. Accordingly, an Italian research group at a cardiac hospital in Northern Italy implemented the Synergy Model in a Cardiac Surgery Unit, a patient-centered-care model, and is using the framework of the model to guide a smooth transition of patients towards rehabilitation and primary care after their hospitalization. This discursive paper is focused on the experience, perspectives, and future implications of adopting the Synergy Model to facilitate the transition from in-hospital to primary care. The presented experience and discussion might be helpful to the international debate regarding the strategies to boost a smooth transition from in-hospital to primary care. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Community-Nurse Partnership for Health Promotion)

18 pages, 731 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Relationships between Demographic Factors and Chronic Conditions with Disease Severities

by Van Cuong Nguyen and Jungmin Park

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(21), 11469; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph182111469 - 31 Oct 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1591

Abstract

Disease severities are the outcomes of an inpatient visit classification that assigns a diagnostic related group, including risk of mortality and severity of illness. Although widely used in healthcare, the analysis of factors affecting disease severities has not been adequately studied. In this study, we analyze the relationships between demographics and chronic conditions and specify their influence on disease severities. Descriptive statistics are used to investigate the relationships and the prevalence of chronic conditions. To evaluate the influence of demographic factors and chronic conditions on disease severities, several multinomial logistic regression models are performed and prediction models for disease severities are conducted based on National Inpatient Sample data for 2016 provided by the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project database in the United States. The rate of patients with a chronic illness is 88.9% and the rate of patients with more than two chronic conditions is 67.6%; further, the rate is 62.7% for females, 73.9% for males, and 90% for the elderly. A high level of disease severity commonly appears in patients with more than two chronic conditions, especially in the elderly. For patients without chronic conditions, disease severities show a lower or safe level, even in the elderly. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Community-Nurse Partnership for Health Promotion)

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16 pages, 1055 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Participatory Community Diagnosis of a Rural Community from the Perspective of Its Women, Leading to Proposals for Action

by Maria Jose Alberdi-Erice, Homero Martinez and Esperanza Rayón-Valpuesta

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(18), 9661; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph18189661 - 14 Sep 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2849

Abstract

In primary health care, a community diagnosis is necessary to provide a detailed description of the community as well as an evaluation of the community’s health, including the main factors responsible for it and the needs felt by the population. This article presents a community health diagnosis following a participatory design, taking the perspective of women living in the community, to identify proposals for action. An ethnographic study was carried out in the community of Mañaria (Spain), using semi-structured interviews, in-depth interviews, key informants, participant observation, desk review, and photography. A sample of 21 women were interviewed until reaching saturation of the information. This information was complemented by that provided by five key informants. Data analysis included text analysis, coding, and categorization. Preliminary results were presented to the informants for validation and further refinement, and proposals for action were identified and followed up. Six categories were identified, representing different areas of intervention: population, jobs and economy, public and private spaces, lifestyles, processes of socialization, and health care assets. For each of these areas, the main problems were identified, as were the health care assets and proposals for action. The community diagnosis has been shown to be useful not only to identify health needs but also as an efficacious instrument to trigger social and public health actions that may be undertaken at the institutional level. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Community-Nurse Partnership for Health Promotion)

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9 pages, 774 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessing Factors Associated with TB Awareness in Nepal: A National and Subnational Study

by Yoko Iwaki, Santosh Kumar Rauniyar, Shuhei Nomura and Michael C. Huang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(10), 5124; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph18105124 - 12 May 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3671

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) has still remained a serious global health threat in low- and middle-income countries in recent years. As of 2021, Nepal is one of the high TB burden countries, with an increasing prevalence of cases. This study evaluates factors associated with TB awareness in Nepal. This study uses data from the Nepal Demographic and Health Survey, a cross-sectional survey carried out from June 2016 to January 2017. Multilevel logistic regression is performed to examine the association of demographic and socioeconomic factors with TB awareness. Our findings show a high level of TB awareness in all seven provinces of Nepal. Province 5 has the highest level of awareness (98.1%) among all provinces, followed by provinces 3 and 4, while province 6 has the lowest awareness level (93.2%) compared to others. Socioeconomic factors such as wealth, education and owning a mobile phone are significantly associated with TB awareness. Socioeconomic determinants are influential factors associated with TB awareness in Nepal. The wide variation in the proportion of awareness at a regional level emphasizes the importance of formulating tailored strategies to increase TB awareness. For instance, the use of mobile phones could be an effective strategy to promote TB awareness at a regional level. This study provides valuable evidence to support further research on the contribution of information and communication technology (ICT) usage to improving TB awareness in Nepal. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Community-Nurse Partnership for Health Promotion)

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17 pages, 580 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Systematic Review: Recommendations of Levels of Physical Activity among Colorectal Cancer Patients (2010–2019)

by Jineui Hong and Jungmin Park

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(6), 2896; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph18062896 - 12 Mar 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2261

Abstract

Background: It is necessary to engage in an appropriate level of physical activity to improve the prognoses of colorectal cancer patients, yet no guidelines currently exist. The goals of this systematic review are to determine the impact of levels of physical activity on the prognoses of colorectal cancer patients and to suggest recommended guidelines for levels of physical activity. Methods: This systematic review was conducted along PRISMA guidelines. Per the inclusion criteria, papers published in academic journals in English from 2010 to 2019 were selected. A literature search was performed on PubMed (Medline), and the results of the selected studies were qualitatively synthesized. Results: Of the 13 cohort studies included in this systematic review, most studies were conducted in the United States (N = 7). Immobility or low levels of physical activity adversely affected the prognoses of colorectal cancer patients. Contrarily, high levels of physical activity increased the survival rate in people with colorectal cancer. Conclusion: For colorectal cancer patients, a level of physical activity of 17.5 to 35 MET hours per week is strongly recommended, which has been shown to reduce mortality by approximately 30 to 40%. Patients with limited physical capacity should maintain a minimum level of physical activity (≥3.5 MET hours/week). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Community-Nurse Partnership for Health Promotion)

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Review

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16 pages, 627 KiB

Open AccessReview

The State of the Evidence about the Family and Community Nurse: A Systematic Review

by Federica Dellafiore, Rosario Caruso, Michela Cossu, Sara Russo, Irene Baroni, Serena Barello, Ida Vangone, Marta Acampora, Gianluca Conte, Arianna Magon, Alessandro Stievano and Cristina Arrigoni

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(7), 4382; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph19074382 - 06 Apr 2022

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 4682

Abstract

Introduction. The increase in chronic degenerative diseases poses many challenges to the efficacy and sustainability of healthcare systems, establishing the family and community nurse (FCN) who delivers primary care as a strategic role. FCNs, indeed, can embrace the complexity of the current healthcare demand, sustain the ageing of the population, and focus on illness prevention and health promotion, ensuring a continuous and coordinated integration between hospitals and primary care ser. The literature on FCNs is rich but diverse. This study aimed to critically summarise the literature about the FCN, providing an overall view of the recent evidence. Methods. A state-of-art systematic review was performed on PubMed, CINAHL, and Scopus, employing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement and checklist to guide the search and reporting. Results. Five interpretative themes emerged from the 90 included articles: clinical practice, core competencies, outcomes, Organisational and educational models, and advanced training program. Conclusions. FCNs can make a major contribution to a population’s health, playing a key role in understanding and responding to patients’ needs. Even if the investment in prevention does not guarantee immediate required strategies and foresight on the part of decisionmakers, it is imperative to invest more political, institutional, and economic resources to support and ensure the FCNs’ competencies and their professional autonomy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Community-Nurse Partnership for Health Promotion)

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Graphical abstract

21 pages, 890 KiB

Open AccessReview

Factors That Influence Climate Change-Related Mortality in the United States: An Integrative Review

by Ruth McDermott-Levy, Madeline Scolio, Kabindra M. Shakya and Caroline H. Moore

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(15), 8220; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph18158220 - 03 Aug 2021

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 4696

Abstract

Global atmospheric warming leads to climate change that results in a cascade of events affecting human mortality directly and indirectly. The factors that influence climate change-related mortality within the peer-reviewed literature were examined using Whittemore and Knafl’s framework for an integrative review. Ninety-eight articles were included in the review from three databases—PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus—with literature filtered by date, country, and keywords. Articles included in the review address human mortality related to climate change. The review yielded two broad themes in the literature that addressed the factors that influence climate change-related mortality. The broad themes are environmental changes, and social and demographic factors. The meteorological impacts of climate change yield a complex cascade of environmental and weather events that affect ambient temperatures, air quality, drought, wildfires, precipitation, and vector-, food-, and water-borne pathogens. The identified social and demographic factors were related to the social determinants of health. The environmental changes from climate change amplify the existing health determinants that influence mortality within the United States. Mortality data, national weather and natural disaster data, electronic medical records, and health care provider use of International Classification of Disease (ICD) 10 codes must be linked to identify climate change events to capture the full extent of climate change upon population health. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Community-Nurse Partnership for Health Promotion)

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