Economics of Public Health: Assessment of Health Interventions

Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

Health interventions such as health policies and educational programs are powerful tools to improve public health by reducing health-compromising behaviors such as smoking (vaping among populations who would otherwise not use any nicotine or tobacco products), binge drinking, recreational cannabis use, and physical inactivity. However, there are evidence gaps on how best to design and implement health interventions. For emerging products that could benefit certain populations but pose threats to others, such as electronic cigarettes and cannabis, there is not sufficient evidence on how best to design interventions that balance the intended and unintended behavioral consequences. For policies that are known to effectively reduce health-compromising behaviors (e.g., tobacco and alcohol taxes, cessation services), implementation barriers remain, and innovative approaches are needed for different contexts. We believe that interdisciplinary research that connects or integrates intervention assessment, economic analysis, implementation sciences, and public health could address some of the important gaps, advance the field, and design interventions that are effective and cost-effective. Therefore, this Topic encourages submissions in the following key areas: 

• Studies on interventions targeting emerging substances;
• Studies on implementing interventions in low-resource settings (e.g., low- and middle- income countries);
• Studies on assessing the costs and benefits of implementing an intervention (e.g., welfare analysis);
• Studies on evaluating intended and unintended behavioral changes due to an intervention.

Dr. Ce Shang
Dr. Amanda Quisenberry
Dr. Yingning Wang
Topic Editors

Keywords

Participating Journals

Journal Name	Impact Factor	CiteScore	Launched Year	First Decision (median)	APC
Behavioral Sciences behavsci	2.286	3.8	2011	17.7 Days	1800 CHF	Submit
Children children	2.835	2.0	2014	16 Days	2000 CHF	Submit
Healthcare healthcare	3.160	2.0	2013	19.1 Days	2000 CHF	Submit
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ijerph	-	4.5	2004	20.1 Days	2500 CHF	Submit
Nutrients nutrients	6.706	7.9	2009	15.6 Days	2600 CHF	Submit

Published Papers (6 papers)

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All Behavioral Sciences Children Healthcare IJERPH Nutrients

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Open AccessArticle

The Effects of Repeated Attachment Security Priming on Social Anxiety and Attention Bias: A Randomized Controlled Trial

by

Shuang Zhang

,

Yanqiang Tao

,

Yunxiang Chen

,

Peng Zhang

and

Xiangping Liu

Behav. Sci. 2023, 13(5), 420; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13050420 - 16 May 2023

Viewed by 409

Abstract

Background: Although the clinical utility of attachment security priming has been suggested in recent years, the effect of attachment security priming on social anxiety and its core symptoms (i.e., attention bias) remains unspecified. Therefore, the present study explored the potential effectiveness of repeated [...] Read more.

Background: Although the clinical utility of attachment security priming has been suggested in recent years, the effect of attachment security priming on social anxiety and its core symptoms (i.e., attention bias) remains unspecified. Therefore, the present study explored the potential effectiveness of repeated attachment security priming in alleviating social anxiety and attention bias among Chinese college students. Methods: Fifty-six college students with high social anxiety were randomly assigned to the attachment security priming group (n = 30) or control group (n = 26). The priming group completed seven attachment security priming sessions over 2 weeks (every 2 days), and the control group was assigned to a waitlist for 2 weeks. Results: The results revealed that individuals in the priming group reported less social anxiety after 2 weeks of security attachment priming, and those in the control group did not change significantly. The results also showed that there was no significant change in the attention bias of individuals with social anxiety before and after the intervention. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that attachment security priming is a promising alternative intervention option for social anxiety. The potential clinical implications of security attachment priming are discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Economics of Public Health: Assessment of Health Interventions)

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Open AccessArticle

The Effect of Fangcang Shelter Hospitals under Resource Constraints on the Spread of Epidemics

by

Guangyu Li

,

Haifeng Du

,

Jiarui Fan

,

Xiaochen He

and

Wenhua Wang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(10), 5802; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20105802 - 12 May 2023

Viewed by 643

Abstract

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Fangcang shelter hospitals have been built and operated in several cities, and have played a huge role in epidemic prevention and control. How to use medical resources effectively in order to maximize epidemic prevention and control [...] Read more.

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Fangcang shelter hospitals have been built and operated in several cities, and have played a huge role in epidemic prevention and control. How to use medical resources effectively in order to maximize epidemic prevention and control is a big challenge that the government should address. In this paper, a two-stage infectious disease model was developed to analyze the role of Fangcang shelter hospitals in epidemic prevention and control, and examine the impact of medical resources allocation on epidemic prevention and control. Our model suggested that the Fangcang shelter hospital could effectively control the rapid spread of the epidemic, and for a very large city with a population of about 10 million and a relative shortage of medical resources, the model predicted that the final number of confirmed cases could be only 3.4% of the total population in the best case scenario. The paper further discusses the optimal solutions regarding medical resource allocation when medical resources are either limited or abundant. The results show that the optimal allocation ratio of resources between designated hospitals and Fangcang shelter hospitals varies with the amount of additional resources. When resources are relatively sufficient, the upper limit of the proportion of makeshift hospitals is about 91%, while the lower limit decreases with the increase in resources. Meanwhile, there is a negative correlation between the intensity of medical work and the proportion of distribution. Our work deepens our understanding of the role of Fangcang shelter hospitals in the pandemic and provides a reference for feasible strategies by which to contain the pandemic. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Economics of Public Health: Assessment of Health Interventions)

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Open AccessArticle

Environmental Governance, Public Health Expenditure, and Economic Growth: Analysis in an OLG Model

by

Zhao Zhang

,

Caoyuan Ma

and

Aiping Wang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(4), 3033; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20043033 - 09 Feb 2023

Viewed by 844

Abstract

This article studies the relationship between environmental governance, public health expenditure, and economic growth by introducing human health status into a three-period overlapping generation dynamic general equilibrium (OLG-DGE) model and conducting a policy simulation analysis in a Chinese scenario. The main findings are [...] Read more.

This article studies the relationship between environmental governance, public health expenditure, and economic growth by introducing human health status into a three-period overlapping generation dynamic general equilibrium (OLG-DGE) model and conducting a policy simulation analysis in a Chinese scenario. The main findings are generalized as follows: (i) The increase in pollution emissions per unit of output will not only lead to the deterioration of public health but also hinder long-term economic growth, while the efficiency of pollution control will improve health and output per labor unit; (ii) Although levying environmental tax will improve health status and life expectancy, it has a non-linear impact on pollution emissions and output per labor unit, which means that there are trade-offs among environmental governance, public health improvement, and economic output; and (iii) Although the increase in the proportion of public health expenditure will improve health status, its impact on life expectancy and economic output is affected by the level of environmental tax. Only when the environmental tax rate is relatively low, will increasing the proportion of public health expenditure extend life expectancy and output per labor unit. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Economics of Public Health: Assessment of Health Interventions)

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Open AccessArticle

Healthcare Systems across Europe and the US: The Managed Entry Agreements Experience

by

Michele Ciulla

,

Lisa Marinelli

,

Giuseppe Di Biase

,

Ivana Cacciatore

,

Fiorenzo Santoleri

,

Alberto Costantini

,

Marilisa Pia Dimmito

and

Antonio Di Stefano

Healthcare 2023, 11(3), 447; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11030447 - 03 Feb 2023

Viewed by 1225

Abstract

This systematic study aims at analyzing the differences between the approach of the European healthcare systems to the pharmaceutical market and the American one. This paper highlights the opportunities and the limitations given by the application of managed entry agreements (MEAs) in European [...] Read more.

This systematic study aims at analyzing the differences between the approach of the European healthcare systems to the pharmaceutical market and the American one. This paper highlights the opportunities and the limitations given by the application of managed entry agreements (MEAs) in European countries as opposed to the American market, which does not regulate pharmaceutical prices. Data were collected from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the European Medicines Agency, and the national healthcare agencies of US and European countries. A literature review was undertaken in PubMed, Scopus, MEDLINE, and Google for a period ten years (2010–2019). The period 2020–2021 was considered to compare health expenditure before and after the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Scarce information from national agencies has been given in terms of MEAs related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The comparison between the United States approach and the European one shows the importance of a market access regulation to reduce the cost of therapies, increasing the efficiency of national healthcare systems and the advantages in terms of quality and accessibility to the final users: patients. Nevertheless, it seems that the golden age of MEAs for Europe was during the examined period. Except for Italy, countries will move to other forms of reimbursements to obtain higher benefits, reducing the costs of an inefficient implementation and outcomes in the medium term. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Economics of Public Health: Assessment of Health Interventions)

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Open AccessSystematic Review

Effectiveness and Cost-Effectiveness of Mental Health Interventions Delivered by Frontline Health Care Workers in Emergency Health Services: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

by

Min Peng

,

Tao Xiao

,

Ben Carter

,

Pan Chen

and

James Shearer

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(23), 15847; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192315847 - 28 Nov 2022

Viewed by 1065

Abstract

This systematic review is to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of mental health interventions delivered by frontline health care workers in disasters and public health emergencies. Six databases and trial registries were searched, and manual searches were conducted. Of the 221 studies identified, [...] Read more.

This systematic review is to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of mental health interventions delivered by frontline health care workers in disasters and public health emergencies. Six databases and trial registries were searched, and manual searches were conducted. Of the 221 studies identified, 21 were included. Meta-analyses assessed differences between the intervention and control in terms of PTSD outcomes. Eleven studies of 1802 participants were incorporated in the meta-analysis. Interventions delivered or prompted by specialist health care workers showed significant and large effects in improving PTSD-related symptoms with a SMD = 0.99 (95% CI: 0.42–1.57, p = 0.0007). Interventions delivered or prompted by frontline non-specialist health care workers showed significant but small effects in improving PTSD-related symptoms with SMD of 0.25 (95% CI: 0.11–0.39; p = 0.0007). The results showed that most mental health interventions delivered by frontline health care workers effectively supported affected people. Mental health interventions delivered by mental health care professionals are effective in reducing PTSD-related disorders in natural disasters. Future adequately powered RCTs are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of mental health interventions delivered by trained non-specialists. Economic modelling may be useful to estimate cost effectiveness in low- and middle-income countries given the difficulties of conducting studies in disaster and emergency settings. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Economics of Public Health: Assessment of Health Interventions)

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Open AccessArticle

Exploring Dental Health and Its Economic Determinants in Romanian Regions

by

Andor Toni Cigu

and

Elena Cigu

Healthcare 2022, 10(10), 2030; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare10102030 - 14 Oct 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 941

Abstract

Sustainable dental health is reflected in the high quality of the medical act and the high quality of the medical service, which cannot be achieved without considering the existing social context, especially the economic development of a state, where certain economic variables can [...] Read more.

Sustainable dental health is reflected in the high quality of the medical act and the high quality of the medical service, which cannot be achieved without considering the existing social context, especially the economic development of a state, where certain economic variables can become real levers of influence. The goal of this paper is twofold—theoretical and empirical. Firstly, at the theoretical level, we provide the context and the development of the health legal framework and the state of the Oral Health System and the provision of dental medical services in the eight Romanian Regions of Development. The second aim is to evaluate the relationship between dental health and well-being for the case of regions of Romania over the period 2001–2015. To review the dental health care in Romania, we will use descriptive analysis as the methodology, and to explore the relationship between dental health and economic determinants, we will use an econometric model, the OLS model. Our working hypothesis is that dental health care is influenced by the economic variables in a country. The results show a positive and significant relationship between dental health care and the most important indicator of well-being, the level of income. Of course, an important role is played by the complexity of education, expressed by research and development, which determines a significant positive relationship with dental health in the development regions of Romania. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Economics of Public Health: Assessment of Health Interventions)

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