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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 "Global Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 March 2022) | Viewed by 15197

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Prof. Dr. Flora Tzelepis

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School of Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia
Interests: multiple health risk factors; smoking cessation; chronic disease prevention; priority populations
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Multiple health risk factors, such as smoking tobacco, inadequate nutrition, risky alcohol use, physical inactivity, depression, and anxiety, tend to co-occur. Individuals with multiple health risk factors have an increased risk of disease and mortality. Interventions that aim to modify multiple health risk factors collectively rather than target individual factors in isolation may be beneficial.

Understanding how multiple health risk factors co-occur and cluster together is important for informing the development of preventive care services. For instance, tobacco use, risky alcohol use, and depression may co-occur, and therefore a holistic service that can address these health risk factors collectively rather than multiple services that address each factor individually may be helpful. The advantages of improving multiple health risk factors simultaneously or sequentially may include greater health benefits and a reduction in health care costs. Furthermore, successfully improving one health risk factor may increase confidence or motivation to change other health risk factors.

Multiple health risk factors may be more likely to occur in certain populations. Identifying priority populations at increased risk of multiple health risk factors is important for targeting the delivery of multiple health risk interventions.

This Special Issue aims to examine the co-occurrence and clustering of multiple health risk factors in various populations, how multiple health risk factors are measured and analyzed, and the delivery and effectiveness of multiple health risk interventions.

Prof. Dr. Flora Tzelepis
Guest Editor

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Keywords

multiple health risk factors
clustering
co-occurrence
multiple health risk interventions

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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9 pages, 610 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Risk Factors, Lifestyle and Prevention among Adolescents with Idiopathic Juvenile Scoliosis: A Cross Sectional Study in Eleven First-Grade Secondary Schools of Palermo Province, Italy

by Dalila Scaturro, Claudio Costantino, Pietro Terrana, Fabio Vitagliani, Vincenzo Falco, Daniele Cuntrera, Claudia Emilia Sannasardo, Francesco Vitale and Giulia Letizia Mauro

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(23), 12335; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph182312335 - 24 Nov 2021

Cited by 16 | Viewed by 5417

Abstract

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) has an incidence of 2–3% in the general population and a multifactorial etiology. The present study aims to analyze modifiable risk factors and their interactions in the development of AIS in order to increase knowledge about the disease and to prevent the evolution of AIS in young students with tailored public health strategies. A cross-sectional study was conducted over two consecutive school years among students attending 11 first-grade secondary schools in the province of Palermo, Italy. A self-administered questionnaire that investigated socio-demographical, physical and anamnestic characteristics and habits, focusing on possible risk factors associated with idiopathic scoliosis, was administered. In addition, a clinical evaluation was performed with Adams’ test and Bunnel’s inclinometer. Suspected AIS cases were associated with the practice of high-risk sports (p < 0.05), weekly physical activity lasting ≥3 h (p < 0.05), lower back pain (p < 0.001), posture disorders (p < 0.01) and having had no contact with a physician (p < 0.01). Practice of high-risk sports (adj OR = 1.83; CI 95% 1.11–4.76) and suffering of posture disorders (adj OR = 1.67; CI 95% 1.12–3.60) showed a significant association with a confirmed diagnosis of AIS (Cobb angle ≥ 10° at X-ray). The risk factors associated with AIS are still unclear. Therefore, it is crucial to identify early modifiable and multiple risk factors to prevent the evolution of scoliosis in school-age children. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multiple Health Risk Factors)

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15 pages, 342 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Barriers and Facilitators to the Uptake of Online and Telephone Services Targeting Health Risk Behaviours among Vocational Education Students: A Qualitative Study

by Prince Atorkey, Christine Paul, John Wiggers, Billie Bonevski, Aimee Mitchell and Flora Tzelepis

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(17), 9336; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph18179336 - 03 Sep 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1995

Abstract

Uptake of online and telephone services targeting health behaviours is low among vocational education students and barriers and facilitators are unknown. This study aimed to explore barriers and facilitators to uptake of online and telephone services for smoking, nutrition, alcohol, and physical activity (SNAP) risk behaviours via semi-structured individual telephone interviews with fifteen vocational education students. Two authors independently completed thematic analysis, classified themes according to the COM-B (Capability, Opportunity, Motivation, Behaviour) framework, and discussed disagreements until consensus was reached. Facilitators to uptake of online (e.g., desire to learn something new, cost-free, accessible) and telephone services (e.g., prefer to talk to provider, complements online support) primarily related to capability and opportunity. For telephone services, difficulty understanding accent/language was a capability-related barrier. Opportunity-related barriers for online and telephone services were preference for face-to-face interaction and lack of time, while preference for apps/online programs was a barrier for telephone services. For online and telephone services, not wanting to change SNAP behaviours was a motivation-related barrier and being able to change SNAP risk behaviours themselves was a motivation-related barrier for online services. Barriers and facilitators to online and telephone services are relevant for designing interventions vocational education students are more likely to use. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multiple Health Risk Factors)

Review

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16 pages, 6506 KiB

Open AccessReview

Clustering of Physical Activity, Diet and Sedentary Behavior among Youth from Low-, Middle-, and High-Income Countries: A Scoping Review

by Gabrielli Thais de Mello, Marcus Vinicius Veber Lopes, Giseli Minatto, Rafael Martins da Costa, Thiago Sousa Matias, Paulo Henrique Guerra, Valter Cordeiro Barbosa Filho and Kelly Samara Silva

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(20), 10924; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph182010924 - 17 Oct 2021

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3132

Abstract

Background: The interaction between physical activity (PA), diet, and sedentary behavior (SB) plays an important role on health-related outcomes. This scoping review (Prospero CRD42018094826) aims to identify and appraise clusters of PA, diet, and SB among youth (0–19 years) according to country income. Methods: Five databases were searched. Fifty-seven articles met the inclusion criteria. Results: Fifty-five cluster types were identified, with greater variety in high-income than lower income countries. The most prevalent profiles were “High SB and consumption of sugar, salt, and beverages (SSB)” (n = 17) and “High PA” (n = 13–5), both of which presented in all income countries. The healthiest profile, “High PA and fruit and vegetables (F&V); Low SB and SSB” (n = 12), was present in upper-middle and high-income countries, while the unhealthiest “Low PA and F&V; High SB and SSB” (n = 6) was present only in high-income countries. Conclusions: High SB and unhealthy diet (SSB) were more prevalent in clusters, mainly in high-income countries. The results support the need for multi-component actions targeting more than one behavior at the same time. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multiple Health Risk Factors)

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17 pages, 770 KiB

Open AccessReview

Multiple Health Risk Factors in Vocational Education Students: A Systematic Review

by Prince Atorkey, Judith Byaruhanga, Christine Paul, John Wiggers, Billie Bonevski and Flora Tzelepis

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(2), 637; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ijerph18020637 - 13 Jan 2021

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3743

Abstract

Health risk factors such as tobacco smoking, inadequate fruit intake, inadequate vegetable intake, risky alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, obesity, anxiety and depression often commence during adolescence and young adulthood. Vocational education institutions enrol many students in these age groups making them an important setting for addressing multiple health risk factors. This systematic review examined (i) co-occurrence of health risk factors, (ii) clustering of health risk factors, and (iii) socio-demographic characteristics associated with co-occurrence and/or clusters of health risks among vocational education students. MEDLINE, PsycINFO, EMBASE, CINAHL and Scopus were searched to identify eligible studies published by 30 June 2020. Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed methodological quality using the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Quality Assessment Tool. Five studies assessed co-occurrence and three studies clustering of health risks. Co-occurrence of health risk factors ranged from 29–98% and clustering of alcohol use and tobacco smoking was commonly reported. The findings were mixed about whether gender and age were associated with co-occurrence or clustering of health risks. There is limited evidence examining co-occurrence and clustering of health risk factors in vocational education students. Comprehensive assessment of how all these health risks co-occur or cluster in vocational education students is required. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Multiple Health Risk Factors)

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