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Noncommunicable Diseases Prevention as a Global Health Priority: The Way Forward

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 June 2023) | Viewed by 4491

Special Issue Editor

Department of Health and Society, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON M1C1A4, Canada
Interests: chronic disease prevention; type 2 diabetes; prediabetes; epidemiology; public health; social determinants of health; marginalized and/or racialized communities; patient/community engagement; health equity; COVID-19; health crises; economic crises

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Rising rates of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) have significant implications for healthcare systems and economies worldwide. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), NCDs make up 7 of the world’s top 10 causes of death (WHO, 2020) [1]. Rapid urbanization, population growth, rising obesity rates, and increasing socioeconomic inequalities have fuelled a ‘perfect storm’ for NCDs to rise and contribute to significant direct and indirect costs to healthcare systems. In many countries and settings, the greatest burden has always been—and continues to be—among high-risk communities such as disadvantaged, marginalized, and racialized groups. However, this heavy burden of NCDs on high-risk communities, healthcare systems, and societies at large will likely worsen due to the deepening inequalities caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, economic hardships, war and conflict, food insecurity, and persistent systemic racism and inequities. The recent Global Burden of Disease Study (Lancet 2020) [2] showed that, in the first year of the pandemic alone, NCDs drove more than one million deaths caused by the pandemic, sharing a syndemic relationship that needs to be further investigated. There is ample evidence that NCDs can be prevented and delayed with closer attention to: (1) the individual, social, and community determinants of health (i.e., health behaviours such as diet and physical activity, housing, food insecurity, built environment, access to healthcare and resources, education, employment, and gender equity); (2) unequal distribution of power and wealth; and (3) building stronger and resilient public health systems. Therefore, it is necessary to bring NCD prevention to the forefront of all research and policy efforts and make it a global health priority to promote healthier living, reduce disease risk and mortality, and reduce healthcare costs. We invite papers that aim to address these topics for this Special Issue, particularly those providing insight on leading causes or risk factors of NCDs, new approaches or policy solutions to prevent NCDs, impact of NCDs burden among communities impacted the most, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Studies that use diverse quantitative methods that leverage use of primary or secondary data sources or qualitative approaches including patient, provider, or community engagement to inform and guide future NCDs prevention efforts are welcomed.

References

[1]: World Health Organization. WHO reveals leading causes of death and disability worldwide: 2000-2019. Available online: https://www.who.int/news/item/09-12-2020-who-reveals-leading-causes-of-death-and-disability-worldwide-2000-2019. (accessed on 4 July 2022).

[2]: Institute of Health Measurement and Evaluation. The Lancet: Latest global disease estimates reveal perfect storm of rising chronic diseases and public health failures fuelling COVID-19 pandemic. Available online: https://www.healthdata.org/news-release/lancet-latest-global-disease-estimates-reveal-perfect-storm-rising-chronic-diseases-and (accessed on 4 July 2022).

Dr. Ghazal Fazli
Guest Editor

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

  • chronic disease(s)
  • risk factors
  • health inequity
  • social determinants of health
  • health policy
  • public health
  • epidemiology
  • administrative data
  • patient or community engagement
  • chronic disease prevention
  • health equity
  • global health

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

10 pages, 296 KiB  
Article
Caregivers’ and Family Members’ Knowledge Attitudes and Practices (KAP) towards Epilepsy in Rural Limpopo and Mpumalanga, South Africa
by Ofhani Prudance Musekwa, Lufuno Makhado and Angelina Maphula
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(6), 5222; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20065222 - 22 Mar 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1475
Abstract
Epilepsy, a common neurological disease, has a significant impact on people living with epilepsy (PLWE), their caregivers, and their family members. Research has consistently shown that the quality of life of PLWE is low. To expand on this knowledge, a non-experimental quantitative survey [...] Read more.
Epilepsy, a common neurological disease, has a significant impact on people living with epilepsy (PLWE), their caregivers, and their family members. Research has consistently shown that the quality of life of PLWE is low. To expand on this knowledge, a non-experimental quantitative survey study was conducted to explore the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of caregivers and family members towards epilepsy and epilepsy-related seizures. The study sample consisted of 519 participants from two South African provinces (Limpopo and Mpumalanga), mostly aged 26–35 years. The study revealed that most respondents in Limpopo had no formal education, whereas in Mpumalanga, most had a secondary education. Most respondents (32.4%) reported always using a spoon to prevent tongue biting during seizures. However, 62.4% of respondents reported feeling unprepared to handle an epileptic seizure. Additionally, the majority (54.7%) showed a moderate level of knowledge about epilepsy. Many respondents had a negative attitude towards epilepsy, and there was uncertainty about proper practices during a seizure. In summary, the research highlights unsatisfactory knowledge and practices towards epilepsy and emphasizes the need for increased education and awareness among caregivers and family members. Significant educational investment is needed from medical services to improve epilepsy care, knowledge, and attitudes. Full article
9 pages, 598 KiB  
Article
Percent Body Fat-Related Disparities of Serum Ferritin on the Risk of Lipid Metabolism Abnormalities in Children and Adolescents
by Xin He, Wenjing Wang, Zhenni Zhu, Jiajie Zang, Tong Liu, Yan Shi and Chen Fu
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(23), 16235; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192316235 - 04 Dec 2022
Viewed by 946
Abstract
Objective: This study examined the association between serum ferritin and dyslipidemia in children and adolescents with different degrees of obesity. Method: In this multi-stage, stratified, randomized, sampling cross-section cohort study, demographic data were collected by questionnaire from 4320 children and adolescents (aged 6–17 [...] Read more.
Objective: This study examined the association between serum ferritin and dyslipidemia in children and adolescents with different degrees of obesity. Method: In this multi-stage, stratified, randomized, sampling cross-section cohort study, demographic data were collected by questionnaire from 4320 children and adolescents (aged 6–17 years) in Shanghai, China. Anthropometric measures and percent body fat (PBF) were recorded. Serum lipid parameters were detected by an automatic biochemical method, and ferritin levels were measured by an automatic immunoassay. Results: Our results showed 70.6%, 13.9%, and 15.5% of participants had a healthy body fat, low fat, and overweight/obese, respectively. Increasing ferritin quartiles were independently associated with a greater hazard of dyslipidemia, especially in overweight/obese participants, and the OR (95% CI) was 3.01 (1.29–7.00), 3.58 (1.59–8.04), and 5.66 (2.57–12.46) across the ferritin quartiles after adjustment for confounders. Ferritin was only a predictive value for dyslipidemia in overweight/obese participants (AUC = 0.64) and was consistent in boys (AUC = 0.61) and girls (AUC = 0.68). The significant positive correlation between ferritin value and lipid abnormalities profiles (except for low HDL-C) mainly appeared in the overweight/obesity group. Conclusion: The results showed that serum ferritin can be considered an independent risk factor for dyslipidemia in children and adolescents with obesity. Highlights: Ferritin overload had a greater risk of dyslipidemia, especially in children and adolescents with overweight/obesity. Full article
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10 pages, 1660 KiB  
Article
Impacts of Educational Interventions with Support of Mobile App versus Booklet for Patients with Hypertension and Metabolic Syndrome: A Secondary Data Analysis
by Eliza Mi Ling Wong, Hon Lon Tam, Angela Yee Man Leung, Alice Siu Ping Cheung, Ka Ching Cheung and Doris Yin Ping Leung
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(19), 12591; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912591 - 02 Oct 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1657
Abstract
Background: Hypertension comorbid with metabolic syndrome could increase the development of adverse cardiovascular events. Educational interventions were effective to improve outcomes in patients. Methods: This was a secondary data analysis of participants with hypertension. The original randomized controlled trial aimed to examine the [...] Read more.
Background: Hypertension comorbid with metabolic syndrome could increase the development of adverse cardiovascular events. Educational interventions were effective to improve outcomes in patients. Methods: This was a secondary data analysis of participants with hypertension. The original randomized controlled trial aimed to examine the effect of app and booklet versus control among individuals diagnosed with metabolic syndrome living in the community. A 30-min health education was provided to each participant. In addition to the education, the app group received a mobile app while the booklet group received a booklet. Data were collected at baseline, week 4, week 12, and week 24. Intention-to-treat principle was followed, and generalized estimating equations was employed for data analysis. Results: A total of 118 participants with hypertension and metabolic syndrome were extracted from the three-arm trial data. The sample size was 36, 42, and 40 in the app group, booklet group, and control group, respectively. Compared to the control group, the app group showed a significant reduction on body weight and waist circumference at week 24, while the total exercise and self-efficacy for exercise were increased at week 12 and week 24 but no significant findings were observed in the booklet group. Conclusions: The educational intervention supported with app was superior to the booklet support on the outcomes of body weight, waist circumference, total exercise, and self-efficacy for exercise among patients with hypertension and metabolic syndrome in the community. Full article
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