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Special Issue "Social Vulnerability and Health Care: Analysis and Intervention"

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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 "Public Health Statistics and Risk Assessment".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 April 2023) | Viewed by 8390

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Stefano Pagano

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Guest Editor

Odontostomatological University Centre, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, 06132 Perugia, Italy
Interests: epidemiology; dental materials; children; public dentistry

Prof. Dr. Elena Stanghellini
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Guest Editor

Department of Economy, Finance and Statistics, University of Perugia, 06132 Perugia, Italy
Interests: economy; statistics; public health

Dr. Michele Nardone
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Guest Editor

Local Health Authority Melegnano e della Martesana, 20063 Milan, Italy
Interests: public health; statistics; epidemiology

Dr. Guido Lombardo
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of Medicine and Surgery, Odontostomatological University Centre, University of Perugia, 06132 Perugia, Italy
Interests: pediatric dentistry; epidemiology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The great socio-economic inequalities present in the world fragment the social fabric into groups of populations with extremely uneven life expectations. The lower-income groups and those with poor socio-cultural integration with the general population show a greater social vulnerability. By social vulnerability is meant a condition of uncertainty of life, with different degrees of economic and social hardship, which affects all age groups, reflecting on the health status of the individual. In other words, vulnerable individuals have a reduced probability of maintaining their general state of health and, when sick, a reduced possibility of accessing treatment due to a whole series of social and economic barriers. When physical disability is added to socio-economic barriers, the picture of “social inequity” becomes even greater. Vulnerability is primarily a social policy problem, and only after that can it be considered as a health problem. Therefore, the solution to the problem is twofold: socio-cultural and health.

The goal of this Special Issue is to classify vulnerabilities and identify appropriate socio-health intervention strategies that are not limited to the medical sciences. Works related to the epidemiology, prevention, and treatment of pathologies related to socio-health vulnerability are welcome.

Submissions could take various forms, including prospective studies; retrospective data analyses; meta-analytic, systematic, or narrative reviews; topical reviews; or commentaries.

Dr. Stefano Pagano
Prof. Dr. Elena Stanghellini
Dr. Michele Nardone
Dr. Guido Lombardo
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 semimonthly 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

social health
vulnerability
public health
resilience

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

Open AccessArticle

Estimating the 18-Year Threshold with Third Molars Radiographs in the Southern Italy Population: Accuracy and Reproducibility of Demirjian Method

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Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(16), 10454; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191610454 - 22 Aug 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 875

Abstract

The estimation of the age of the majority of living subjects is widely required nowadays due to the presence of unidentifiable individuals, without documents and general information, involved in migration or legal procedures. Dental age estimation (DAE) is a valid method for investigating the age of subjects. The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of the Demirjian method in a limited age group (16–24 years) in differentiating between older and younger than 18 years. From an initial sample of 17,594 radiographs, 460 were selected meeting the inclusion criteria. Two dentists provided the age estimate according to the Demirjian method, with a simplified approach based on the development of the third molars. The presence of a developmental stage of H for at least one third molar allowed to establish the major age if the other third molars, inferior or superior, have reached a stage equal or superior to F, with an accuracy of 90.2% and a predictive positive value of 91.6%. Thirty-three patients showed the development of at least one third molar (Stage H) before the age of 18 years while six patients showed the development of all four third molars with root completion (stage H) before the age of 18 years. When all third molars reached stage H an individual was over 18 years old in 97.4% of cases. In presence of one third molar on stage H and a stage equal or superior to F for the other third molars the probability of being of major age was 91.6%. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Vulnerability and Health Care: Analysis and Intervention)

Open AccessArticle

County-Level Social Vulnerability Is Positively Associated with Cardiometabolic Disease in Colorado

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Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(4), 2202; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19042202 - 15 Feb 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1489

Abstract

Cardiometabolic diseases are a group of interrelated diseases that pose greater burden among socially vulnerable communities. The social vulnerability index (SVI) identifies communities vulnerable to emergencies and may also help determine communities at risk of adverse chronic health outcomes. However, no studies have examined the relationship between the SVI and cardiometabolic health outcomes in Colorado or focused on rural settings. The aim of this ecological study was to determine whether the county-level SVI is associated with county-level cardiometabolic health indicators with a particular focus on rurality and racial/ethnic diversity. We obtained 2014 SVI scores from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (scored 0–1; higher = more vulnerable) and 2013–2015 cardiometabolic health estimates from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. The distribution of social determinants of health was spatially evaluated. Bivariate relationships between the SVI and cardiometabolic indicators were estimated using simple linear regression models. The highest SVI scores were observed in rural areas, including the San Luis Valley (mean: 0.78, median: 0.91), Southeast (mean: 0.72, median: 0.73), and Northeast (mean: 0.66, median: 0.76) regions. Across Colorado, the SVI accounted for 41% of the variability in overweight and obesity prevalence (p < 0.001), 17% of the variability in diabetes prevalence (p = 0.001), and 58% of the age-adjusted myocardial infarction hospitalization rate (p < 0.001). SVI values may be useful in determining a community’s burden of cardiometabolic diseases. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Vulnerability and Health Care: Analysis and Intervention)

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Open AccessArticle

Conceptualizing Vulnerability for Health Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic and the Associated Measures in Utrecht and Zeist: A Concept Map

Lilian G. L. van der Ven

Elisa L. Duinhof

Michel L. A. Dückers

Marielle Jambroes

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Marja J. H. van Bon-Martens

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18(22), 12163; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182212163 - 19 Nov 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2891

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic and the associated measures have impacted the health of many. Not all population groups are equally vulnerable to such health effects, possibly increasing health inequalities. We performed a group concept mapping procedure to define a common, context-specific understanding of what makes people vulnerable to health effects of the pandemic and the measures. We organized a two-step, blended brainstorming session with locally involved community members, using the brainstorm focus prompt ‘What I think makes people vulnerable for the COVID-19 pandemic and the measures is…’. We asked participants to generate as many statements as possible. Participants then individually structured (sorted and ranked) these statements. The structuring data was analysed using the groupwisdom^TM software and then interpreted by the researchers to generate the concept map. Ninety-eight statements were generated by 19 participants. Sixteen participants completed both structuring tasks. The final concept map consisted of 12 clusters of vulnerability factors, indicating a broad conceptualization of vulnerability during the pandemic. It is being used as a basis for future research and local supportive interventions. Concept mapping is an effective method to arrive at a vulnerability assessment in a community in a short time and, moreover, a method that promotes community engagement. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Vulnerability and Health Care: Analysis and Intervention)

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Open AccessArticle

Household Food Insecurity: Comparison between Families with and without Members with Disabilities

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Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(17), 6149; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17176149 - 24 Aug 2020

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2077

Abstract

Although the high rate of food insecurity among people with disabilities and their households has emerged as an important concern in public health and nutrition policy, the available data on these issues are still too limited to fully understand this phenomenon. This study aimed to compare the prevalence of food insecurity between households with and without persons with disabilities and to explore which sociodemographic and disability characteristics are associated with household food insecurity among households with members with disabilities. The data of 2690 households with and without members with disabilities from the 2013 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were analyzed. Household food insecurity was more prevalent among households including persons with disabilities than among those without such members. The likelihood of experiencing food insecurity was especially high in households having a female head with a disability (odds ratio (OR) = 1.98); working-age adults with disabilities (OR = 1.70); members with disabilities who were not economically active (OR = 1.53); and members with mental disabilities (OR = 2.81), disabilities involving internal organs (OR = 4.38), or severe (grades 1–3) disabilities (OR = 1.73). The findings indicate that the disability status and sociodemographic characteristics of disabled family members are closely associated with household food security status. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Vulnerability and Health Care: Analysis and Intervention)

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Special Issue "Social Vulnerability and Health Care: Analysis and Intervention"

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