Bullying has substantial short- and long-term psychological consequences for adolescents. However, systematic reviews synthesizing global evidence on the prevalence of bullying victimization and its microsystem risk factors remain limited. This review aimed to synthesize evidence on the prevalence of bullying victimization and identify microsystem risk factors at the individual, family, peer, and school levels among adolescents. PubMed, ScienceDirect, and ProQuest were searched for original quantitative studies involving adolescents aged 12–19 years that reported the prevalence and risk factors of bullying victimization. Review articles, qualitative studies, studies outside the target age range, studies focusing only on bullying perpetration, and those without prevalence or risk factor data were excluded. Study quality was assessed using the Hoy Risk of Bias Tool. Findings were synthesized narratively by bullying type and microsystem domain. Twenty-six studies involving 138,506 adolescents were included. The prevalence of traditional bullying victimization ranged from 3.37
People with disabilities are particularly vulnerable to the impact of natural disasters such as hurricanes and tropical storms. They also experience greater difficulty obtaining relief aid as well as recovering from storm-related impacts. The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of people with disabilities as well as parents of someone disabled following Tropical Storm Helene, which struck the western North Carolina region in late September 2024. In the present study, 40 disabled adults and 28 parents of a disabled child, teen, or adult reported on their experiences with disaster response services following Tropical Storm Helene. Respondents completed surveys consisting of both open-ended and selected-response items. Respondents shared personal experiences with evacuating, accessing community care stations, and barriers to obtaining resources. A number of recommendations are offered to promote more inclusive responses to future natural disasters. These recommendations include clearer communication about the availability of resources as well as providing additional ways to access them.
Health misinformation is one of the greatest challenges in contemporary public health and has been consistently associated with higher levels of vaccine hesitancy and refusal, particularly through its dissemination on digital platforms. The aim of this review was to map and synthesize the available evidence on digital strategies designed to reduce health misinformation and strengthen vaccine acceptance in the community, identifying their types, mechanisms of action, reported effectiveness, target populations, contexts of application, and evidence gaps. A scoping review was conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology and the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. The research question was structured using the PCC framework (Population, Concept, and Context). A systematic search was performed in PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and BIREME, including studies published between January 2021 and December 2025 in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. A total of 2,188 records were identified, of which 37 studies met the inclusion criteria, originating from 12 countries and published between 2019 and 2026. The evidence was organized into six thematic categories: social media campaigns (n = 9), experimental message interventions (n = 9), prebunking and psychological inoculation (n = 3), narrative interventions and digital storytelling (n = 5), emerging technologies and digital innovation (n = 3), and organizational social listening strategies (n = 4). The strategies with the strongest evidence of effectiveness on vaccine attitudes and intention were culturally adapted campaigns, fact-checking messages from recognized sources, prebunking through digital games, and community narrative interventions. However, the meta-analysis by [1], comprising 28 randomized controlled trials, found that social media interventions did not produce statistically significant differences in the number of people vaccinated (RR = 1.04; 95
Formerly incarcerated individuals experience a disproportionate burden of disease and face greater barriers to accessing healthcare. This population also represents a significant proportion of patients seen in New Orleans’ student-run clinics. This study examines the chief complaints among formerly incarcerated patients and evaluates whether prescribing patterns differ for this group, with the aim of identifying potential biases in treatment practices. Data for this study were obtained from REDCap surveys administered to patients at student-run clinics. Patients were categorized by chief complaint, and chi-square analysis was used to assess whether incarceration status was associated with initiation of the corresponding treatment. Analyses were performed in SPSS, with p-values < 0.05 considered statistically significant. Logistic regression was subsequently conducted to evaluate potential confounders and to confirm associations identified in the chi-square analysis. No significant differences were observed in overall chief complaints or overall medication prescribing between formerly incarcerated and non-incarcerated patients. However, after adjusting for demographic factors, formerly incarcerated patients presenting with respiratory symptoms were less likely to receive cough and cold medications. These findings suggest a potential bias in prescribing practices, as formerly incarcerated patients presenting with respiratory symptoms were less likely to receive cough and cold medications compared to their non-incarcerated counterparts.
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection remains a serious global public health concern. While Algeria is considered a low-prevalence country, existing statistics indicate that HIV incidence is increasing in the last years. This study was conducted to assess the level of HIV/AIDS knowledge and HIV-related stigma in a sample of Algerian university students. An online cross-sectional survey was conducted targeting students living and studying in Algeria between March 7, 2024, and April 13, 2025. Results showed that a mean proportion of 62.4
Although the sale of electronic cigarettes (ECs) has been prohibited in Brazil since 2009, experimentation among adolescents has increased substantially in recent years. Understanding the psychosocial factors associated with different nicotine use patterns in this regulatory context may help inform more effective prevention strategies. This study examined sociodemographic characteristics and psychosocial factors associated with exclusive EC use, exclusive conventional cigarette use, and dual use among Brazilian adolescents. A cross-sectional school-based survey was conducted with 2,939 adolescents from public schools in São Paulo State, Brazil. Participants completed an anonymous self-administered questionnaire. Multilevel multinomial logistic regression models were used to examine factors associated with exclusive EC use, exclusive conventional cigarette use, dual use, and non-use. The lifetime prevalence of exclusive EC use, exclusive conventional cigarette use, and dual use was 13.3
Community health workers (CHWs) are a growing and essential component of the U.S. healthcare workforce, yet little is known about their own health and well-being. The CHWs Our Work + Our Health Pilot Study administered a cross-sectional survey to a convenience sample of CHWs living and/or working in the Chicago metropolitan area. The survey assessed general health, chronic conditions, health behaviors, and mental health using validated, standardized measures. Prevalence estimates were compared to Chicago population data using two-proportion z-tests. The final analytic sample included 179 CHWs, predominantly female (85.5
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and condom use have contributed to a global decline in the incidence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections. However, despite concerted preventive efforts, HIV infections remain highly prevalent in West and Central Africa (WCA) among key populations, particularly among men who have sex with men (MSM). We conducted a scoping review to gain a better understanding of the status of PrEP adoption and condom use as effective HIV prevention measures among MSM in WCA and identified gaps. The review was conducted based on JBI Scoping Review Guidelines spanning 1 January 2017 to 10 April 2025. A comprehensive search was conducted in PubMed, CINAHL Ultimate, PsycINFO, ProQuest, Scopus, and OpenAIRE. This was supplemented with a manual search of reference lists, websites, and other online sources to capture key information relevant to the review objectives. Emerging patterns from the data were described and synthesised. Of the 713 identified studies, 22 studies comprising 19 quantitative and 3 qualitative studies were included in the final synthesis. The results indicate uneven with generally low to high uptake of PrEP, persistent inconsistencies in condom use, and risk compensation behaviours among MSM in WCA. Given that our findings are primarily from quantitative studies, additional qualitative studies on the lived experiences of MSM regarding these preventive measures are needed. From a policy implementation perspective, emphasis should be placed on MSM-inclusive, context-sensitive, and community-aligned HIV prevention strategies in WCA.
Irving Roy Rathgeb, Jr., MD was a young physician and surgeon who was born in Highland (Ulster County), New York on 7 March 1913. His father, Irving Roy Rathgeb, Sr. was a co-owner of the Rathgeb Knitting Mills which specialized in the production of sweaters. Rathgeb was an excellent student in primary and high school and later attended Colgate and Cornell universities. In 1934 he entered the Long Island College of Medicine from where he received his MD degree in 1938. Graduating in the upper third of his class, he obtained an internship at the Norwegian Hospital in Brooklyn, New York. Because of his desire to become a surgeon, he was then accepted into the Department of Surgery at the St Louis Railway Company Hospital in Texarkana, Texas. Soon thereafter he joined the Texas National Guard while still continuing his training in surgery at the hospital and was commissioned as a First Lieutenant. He was assigned to the 111th Medical Regiment, 36th Infantry Division. Completing his residency in surgery at the hospital he was transferred to the US Army Medical Corps as a Captain. Once the US entered World War II, the 36th Infantry Division was transferred overseas and Rathgeb promoted to the rank of Major. The functions of the 111th Medical Regiment, of which Rathgeb was an essential part, was to serve as an evacuation hospital. This entailed the collecting and evacuating of the wounded soldiers from the front lines and taking them to medical facilities well behind the battle lines. This was a very high-risk responsibility since it regularly placed Rathgeb and his fellow medical personnel in the line of fire. In 1942 the 111th Regiment was temporarily posted to Eritrea in Eastern Africa. In early 1943 they were ordered to Cairo, Egypt in preparation for the allied invasion of Italy. On 23 March Rathgeb and seven of his medical team boarded a military plane for a flight to Cairo. About 50 miles south of Cairo, the plane encountered a severe sandstorm, and eventually crashed into a mountain peak and fell into a canyon. Initial search parties were unable to find the crash site and thus it was provisionally concluded that the plane might have crashed into the Red Sea. Rathgeb's family and the families of others on the flight were told that they were missing in action. After many months the crash site was found and the deceased victims of the accident removed and buried in a common grave in Suez, Egypt. Five years later in 1948, Rathgeb's remains and those of seven of his military companions were transferred to a common burial plot in the Zachary Taylor National Cemetery in Louisville, Kentucky. In 2026 a slide rule bearing Rathgeb's name neatly printed and black ink both inside and outside of the rule's leather case was found in a desk drawer whose content had once belong to Duncan W. Clark, MD. Clark had graduated from the Long Island College of Medicine in 1936, two years before Rathgeb. Following his graduation, he had a close relationship with the medical school and its successor, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University. He served as Assistant Dean, Dean, Professor and Chair of the Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health and later as Professor Emeritus. Clark passed away in 2007 at the age of 96. How Rathgeb's slide rule came into his possession is not known. However, its discovery enabled others many decades later to come to know Rathgeb as a remarkable and brilliant physician and surgeon whose great leadership abilities and surgical care contributions were never fully realized because he had given his life while serving others.
Racial disparities in the management of hypertension, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, are prevalent. Mobile health clinics, including the University of Minnesota (UMN) Mobile Health Initiative (MHI), seek to mitigate these disparities by providing underserved individuals with access to screening for elevated blood pressure. However, the impact of this process on subsequent care, including diagnosis and management of hypertension, is unknown. Individuals with elevated blood pressure at UMN MHI screening events were provided with a free self-monitoring blood pressure device (SMBP) and a follow-up phone call two weeks after the event. The primary outcome was the percentage of participants reached with a follow-up call; secondary outcomes included SMBP usage and arrangement of primary care follow-up. Fifty-six participants were enrolled, with a mean age of 57 ± 14 years, half were women, and more than 80
College students remain at increased risk for acquiring human papillomavirus (HPV), yet HPV vaccination coverage remains suboptimal despite the availability of a safe and effective vaccine. This study examined predictors of HPV vaccination and HPV- and HPV vaccine-related knowledge, beliefs, and hesitancy among undergraduate students at a southern United States university. An online cross-sectional survey was administered to undergraduate students aged 18–26 years in November 2024. Descriptive statistics summarized participant characteristics, vaccination status, and HPV-related measures. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to examine factors associated with HPV vaccination status while estimating adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95
Despite universal access to combined antiretroviral therapy in Brazil, substantial inequalities persist in the HIV/AIDS epidemic. This nationwide retrospective study analyzed 753,071 notifications from the Brazilian Notifiable Diseases Information System (SINAN) between 2014 and 2024 to characterize the epidemiological profile, temporal trends, spatial distribution, factors associated with AIDS-stage notification, and predictors of AIDS-related mortality. HIV infection notifications accounted for 491,976 records, while AIDS case notifications accounted for 261,095. HIV infection notifications were concentrated among young adults, particularly men aged 20–29 years, whereas AIDS case notifications were more frequent in older age groups. Spatial analysis showed significant positive autocorrelation of smoothed municipal notification rates (Moran’s I = 0.2306; p < 0.001), with significant High-High clusters mainly in the South and Southeast regions. In the multivariable logistic regression model, older age was strongly associated with AIDS-stage notification, reaching the highest odds among individuals aged 60 years or older (AOR = 2.03; 95
Earthquakes have caused devastating impacts throughout history, highlighting the growing importance of pre-disaster risk management. With the increasing use of digital technologies, social media platforms such as YouTube have become widely used sources of information on earthquake preparedness. However, the quality and reliability of such content remain questionable. This study aimed to evaluate the quality, reliability, and content of YouTube videos related to earthquake preparedness. In this cross-sectional study, the top 100 most-viewed videos for the keywords “earthquake preparedness” and “earthquake safety information” were analyzed on January 19, 2026. After applying eligibility criteria, 72 videos were included. Video quality and reliability were assessed using the Global Quality Scale (GQS) and modified DISCERN (mDISCERN), while popularity was measured through view rate and the Video Power Index (VPI). Content analysis and non-parametric statistical tests were performed. The findings showed that the overall quality and reliability of videos were low to moderate. Longer videos tended to have higher quality and reliability scores, whereas engagement metrics did not reflect content quality. These results indicate a need to improve the availability of accurate, evidence-based, and practical earthquake preparedness information on digital platforms.
Leprosy remains a persistent public health challenge not only because transmission continues in endemic settings, but also because stigma remains embedded in social relations, institutional practices, and historical forms of exclusion. This study analyzes the social representations of leprosy among persons affected by leprosy and primary healthcare professionals in a historically endemic area of the Brazilian Amazon, with particular attention to how these representations shape disease recognition, stigma, and care. An exploratory mixed-methods design combined structured questionnaires with a Free Word Association Test to investigate shared meanings of leprosy among 34 persons affected by leprosy (age available for 23 participants; range, 20–85 years) and 19 primary healthcare professionals. Findings show that leprosy is socially understood less through biomedical curability than through stigma, visible bodily damage, and exclusionary meanings, reflected in candidate central elements such as “prejudice”, “deformity”, and “pain”. Although most affected participants recognized that leprosy is curable, substantial knowledge gaps were identified, particularly regarding transmission pathways. Similar limitations were observed among healthcare professionals, indicating weaknesses in diagnostic preparedness within primary healthcare. These results suggest that stigma in leprosy cannot be reduced to insufficient knowledge alone, but should instead be understood as a biosocial phenomenon produced through the interaction of social meanings, embodied experience, and institutional conditions. These dynamics may contribute to delayed diagnosis and reinforce the continued neglect of the disease, requiring integrated strategies that go beyond biomedical control, strengthen primary healthcare, and transform the social and institutional conditions that sustain stigma, diagnostic delay, and exclusion.
Health talks and community engagement are central to many public health programmes, yet their effectiveness is shaped by complex social, cultural, and informational contexts. Even well-designed interventions can be undermined when communities receive overlapping health messages, leading to confusion, competing interpretations, or message fatigue. Drawing on experiences from a breast health and breast cancer awareness campaign delivered through the Akazi Project in rural Malawi, this commentary reflects on lessons from community engagement and their implications for health communication. Between October and December 2025, breast health education was delivered across eight rural communities through participatory sessions involving more than 300 community leaders, including chiefs, religious leaders, youth volunteers, and women’s groups. Discussions consistently revealed a strong demand for basic information on breast health, clarification of common misconceptions, and guidance on how breast cancer messages aligned with advice from HIV, cervical cancer, and vaccination programmes. These experiences highlighted the need for greater coordination across health programmes and for communication approaches that acknowledge how people interpret new information alongside existing public health messages. We argue that integrated messaging, stronger collaboration between programmes, and opportunities for community feedback should be central components of health communication strategies, particularly in rural settings where limited health literacy intersects with exposure to multiple health initiatives.
The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately impacted historically marginalized populations, especially low-income Latinx and Indigenous Mexican immigrant communities in the United States. These groups face persistent structural and social obstacles to health, such as limited healthcare access, language barriers, and concern regarding immigration status, that contribute to institutional mistrust, health misinformation, and reduced COVID-19 vaccine uptake, deepening existing public health disparities. This mixed-methods study utilized a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach to address vaccine hesitancy among Latinx and Indigenous Mexican farmworkers in the Eastern Coachella Valley, a rural desert region in Inland Southern California. A toolkit, featuring a mural, mini-documentary, and community talks, was developed and implemented to promote COVID-19 vaccination. Pretest and posttest surveys were conducted with 94 community members and three focus groups with 39 total participants provided qualitative feedback on the intervention. The intervention reduced belief in COVID-19 misinformation and increased trust in institutions (p < 0.001, p < 0.001). However, no significant improvements were found in reducing fear and insecurity surrounding vaccination or English-language confidence (p = 0.557, p = 0.292). Focus group feedback highlighted structural inequalities as contributors to mistrust in healthcare and vaccine hesitancy. Community-based interventions tailored to cultural and linguistic contexts show promise in reducing misinformation and improving institutional trust in marginalized communities. However, deeper structural inequities, such as racism and economic instability, must be addressed to reduce vaccine hesitancy in vulnerable and marginalized communities.
Medical students are at elevated risk for disordered eating behaviours due to heightened health consciousness and academic-related psychological stress. This study examined the prevalence and correlates of food neophobia and orthorexia nervosa (ON) tendency among Saudi medical students. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 273 medical students at the University of Hail College of Medicine. Food neophobia was assessed using the Food Neophobia Scale (FNS), and ON tendency was measured using the ORTO-15 questionnaire. Bivariate associations were examined using Spearman’s correlation, the Mann–Whitney U test, and chi-square test. Binary logistic regression identified independent predictors of ON tendency. The mean FNS score was 36.3 ± 10.4, with 59.7
To analyze Primary Health Care physicians’ perceptions of the challenges involved in managing Chagas disease in areas with higher and lower endemicity. This qualitative study was conducted in three municipalities in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Four focus groups involving 27 physicians were carried out. Discussions were guided by a semi-structured script based on the Clinical Protocol and Therapeutic Guidelines for Chagas Disease, audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using thematic content analysis according to Bardin, with independent double coding. The findings revealed gaps in professional training, predominance of theoretical teaching, lack of continuing education activities, and limited knowledge of the Clinical Protocol and Therapeutic Guidelines. Low clinical suspicion, uncertainties regarding notification of chronic Chagas disease, and the association of antiparasitic treatment primarily with the acute phase were also identified. In municipalities with higher endemicity, low rates of serological testing requests were observed, whereas in the municipality with lower endemicity, Chagas disease was less frequently considered among diagnostic hypotheses. These findings indicate that educational, clinical, and organizational weaknesses contribute to maintaining the invisibility of Chagas disease within Primary Health Care and that higher local endemicity alone does not ensure its incorporation into routine work processes. The results highlight the importance of continuing education, stronger integration between Primary Health Care and Health Surveillance, and the incorporation of clinical guidelines to enhance the capacity of Primary Health Care services to recognize, diagnose, and provide follow-up care for individuals affected by Chagas disease.
Cosmetic product use has become increasingly common among adolescents due to aesthetic concerns, self-expression, and social influences. Although previous studies have examined isolated aspects such as cosmetic use frequency or adverse effects, comprehensive evidence integrating usage patterns, motivations, safe use behaviors, adverse effect experiences, and health risk perceptions among adolescents remains limited, particularly in Türkiye. This study aimed to evaluate cosmetic product use behaviors, health risk perceptions, and adverse effect experiences among adolescents, and to identify factors associated with adverse effect experiences and predictors of hormonal disruption risk perception. This descriptive, web-based cross-sectional study was conducted among adolescents aged 12–18 years in Türkiye between June and August 2021. Data were collected using a researcher-developed 29-item questionnaire assessing sociodemographic characteristics, cosmetic product use patterns, health risk perceptions, safe cosmetic use behaviors, and adverse effect experiences. Categorical variables were analyzed using Pearson’s chi-square test, Yates correction, Fisher’s exact test, or exact methods, as appropriate. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify predictors of hormonal disruption risk perception. A total of 248 adolescents participated, of whom 59.3
Obesity disproportionately affects Hispanic adults and children, especially Mexican Americans. Family-centered interventions (FCIs) for weight loss and obesity prevention tailored to these populations are lacking. Our study (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT07144800) aims to develop a multicomponent culturally tailored FCI for Hispanic American families. To inform intervention development, we conducted 6 Spanish language focus groups with 31 parents/caregivers with overweight or obesity who were recruited from a Hispanic community-serving health services program in New York City. Using rapid qualitative data analysis of focus group content, 4 themes emerged: (1) Navigating a mixture of cultures: children were more rapidly acculturating to U.S. norms, resulting in tensions over food choices; (2) Family functioning and parenting styles: parents saw themselves as leaders/role models, balancing guidance with flexibility around children’s preferences; (3) Challenges to maintaining healthy habits: maintaining healthy diets and regular physical activity for the family was influenced by internal factors (limited motivation, low prioritization) and external pressures (work hours/time, limited financial resources); and (4) Building on an existing foundation of knowledge: participants had knowledge and awareness of the importance of a healthy lifestyle, which they were eager to build on with additional education and peer support. Intervention refinements should focus on leveraging authoritative parenting styles and helping families establish rules and routines around healthy habits, including nutritious and culturally familiar meal planning, and navigating the acculturation gap. Information and resources on low-cost food options and low/no-cost opportunities for physical activity should be provided.
