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1 – 10 of over 3000Aasif Ali Bhat, Irfana Rashid, Samir Ul Hassan and Pooja Kansra
The purpose of this bibliometric study is to report research output and publications on the social determinants of health and health outcomes. This study condenses numerous…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this bibliometric study is to report research output and publications on the social determinants of health and health outcomes. This study condenses numerous studies into a single paper, which not only provides insights into the worldwide growth and advancement of the study field but also establishes a research agenda for the future.
Design/methodology/approach
Using the Scopus database, a thorough bibliometric study of the worldwide scientific output on social determinants of health from 2000 to 2021 was conducted. With the assistance of VOS viewer and R-based scientometric software, the worldwide development of research on social determinants of health was analysed through performance analysis and network map visualisation.
Findings
This study identified the most influential authors, studies, journals and affiliations in the field of social determinants of health, as well as the most co-cited authors and journals, based on a bibliometric analysis of 1,203 research papers retrieved from the Scopus database during the past two decades (2000–2021). Beginning in 2000 with one publication and ending in 2021, 274 articles were viewed online, relevant to the social determinants of health. From 2014 to 2021, publications continue to grow at an accelerating pace.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first studies to review the social determinants of health and its outcomes. The findings of the chosen studies represent a novel and important addition to the study of social determinants of health. It offers a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of publications, in addition to the identification of vital research trends.
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Viktoriia Gorbunova, Vitalii Klymchuk, Olha Savychenko, Valeriia Palii, Zemfira Kondur, Viola Popenko and John Oates
This paper aims to explore the prevalence of depression, anxiety symptoms and suicidal ideation among the Romani population in Ukraine and their connections with various social…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the prevalence of depression, anxiety symptoms and suicidal ideation among the Romani population in Ukraine and their connections with various social health determinants: age, gender, household characteristics, employment and living conditions.
Design/methodology/approach
For measuring mental health conditions, GAD-7 and PHQ-9 were used. Individual interviews were conducted by trained volunteers of the International Charitable Organization “Roma Women’s Foundation Chirikli”. Data were gathered from January to March 2020.
Findings
The overall level of depression found in the sample was 8.08, while the mean for anxiety was 7.22. In general, 32.7% of respondents scored positively for signs of depression and 29.6% for anxiety. The two-week prevalence of suicidal ideations was 26.9%. Compared to the general population, the prevalence of depression among the Romani research participants was twofold higher, and anxiety was 2.5-fold higher. Signs of depression and anxiety in women were significantly higher (36% vs 28.6% for depression and 33.9% vs 24.2% for anxiety) than in men. Signs of depression and anxiety were higher for people without education than for university students (9.32 vs 3.04 for depression and 8.26 vs 3.00 for anxiety). The lowest levels of depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation were among officially married persons (6.61, 6.36 and 0.23, respectively). Significant small positive correlations were found between all measurements and the number of household members (0.149 for depression, 0.124 for suicidal ideation and 0.175 for anxiety; p < 0.001) and the number of children (0.303 for depression, 0.224 for suicidal ideation and 0.243 for anxiety; p < 0.001). In terms of employment, the highest scores for depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation were found among those who are employed seasonally (9.06, 8.25 and 0.61) or irregularly (9.09, 8.12 and 0.57) in contrast with self-employed (4.88, 4.90 and 0.19) and full-time employees (5.86, 5.51 and 0.18). Living place (city, village or camp) showed no relation with mental health, except for suicidal ideation: those living in villages had higher levels of suicidal ideation than those living in cities (0.49 vs 0.31).
Research limitations/implications
The study has some limitations. Data were gathered from January to March 2020, and since then, the situation in Ukraine has drastically changed due to the full-scale Russian invasion. While this study’s data and conclusions might serve as a baseline for further research, they do not represent the real-time situation. While many social factors were analysed, the effects found for them do not necessarily represent causality, given the statistical methods used. Interactions among factors were not studied; therefore, no firm conclusions can be made about the effects of those interactions on mental health.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is original in terms of its topic, as the first-ever in Ukraine quantitative study of mental health and social determinants of mental health of the Romani population.
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Health is a human right and a fundamental building block of sustainable development, economic prosperity and poverty reduction. To realize people’s right to health, evaluating the…
Abstract
Purpose
Health is a human right and a fundamental building block of sustainable development, economic prosperity and poverty reduction. To realize people’s right to health, evaluating the situation of the right and its determinants is necessary. This paper aims to analyze Iran’s conduct in realizing its population’s right to health.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative case study design involving a structured review of relevant laws, policy documents, reports and academic literature was undertaken. The data were collected from electronic databases and the official Web pages of the United Nations (UN) and Iran’s Government and analyzed by a framework suggested by the UN.
Findings
Iran’s law and policies intend to combat health inequalities and to provide an adequate standard of living for everyone, particularly disadvantaged groups and individuals. However, not all laws and policies protecting disadvantaged groups are adequately implemented. There are disparities in health status and access to health care among different socio-economic groups. International economic sanctions and government policies decreased people’s ability to access the necessities of life including health care. Moreover, social determinants of health, such as cultural beliefs regarding women’s rights have not been addressed sufficiently in the country’s laws.
Research limitations/implications
This study includes a broad range of subjects and provides an overview of the health-care system of Iran. However, more detail is needed to describe every aspect of the right to health. It was not feasible to address them all in this paper and needs more research. In addition, as with the majority of qualitative studies, the design of the current study is subject to limitations. Firstly, the research quality of narrative reviews is dependent on the researcher’ skills and more easily can be influenced by his/her personal biases. Second, the rigor is more difficult to maintain, assess and demonstrate. Nevertheless, narrative studies often complement quantitative studies and are informative.
Originality/value
To fulfill the right to health, Iran should improve affordability and quality of care and the situation of the determinants of health. The gaps in people’s access to health care need to be identified, and all necessary means and scarce resources be allocated to remove access barriers and to improve the situation of disadvantaged people. The adoption of relatively low-cost targeted programs, the proper management of resources and the prevention of unnecessary costs are suggested.
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Arda Borlu, Tuğba Coşkun Aslan, Hasan Durmus, Neslihan Öner and Ayşe Nur Tat
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the level of sustainability consciousness (SC) and sustainable development (SD) awareness of medical students, as well as to identify the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the level of sustainability consciousness (SC) and sustainable development (SD) awareness of medical students, as well as to identify the factors associated with them.
Design/methodology/approach
This cross-sectional and descriptive study was conducted among 1,435 medical students. The socio-demographic questionnaire and the sustainability consciousness questionnaire (SCQ-L) were the data collection instruments.
Findings
A significant proportion of medical students had not heard of the concept of SD (63.6%), only 7.9% of the participants reported that they could define the SD concept. Female gender and good economic status were associated with significantly higher median SCQ-L total score (p = 0.001). Although all SD goals are closely related to health, almost half of the medical students reported no impact on SD. Besides, 47.8% of the medical students reported that physicians could have an active role in achieving SD.
Social implications
As the realization of SD and health services are closely linked, it is important to examine the sustainability knowledge, attitude and behavior of health professionals.
Originality/value
This study examined the SD awareness and SC knowledge, attitude and behavior among medical students, the leading health-care professionals of the future.
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Céline Dujardin, Vitalii Klymchuk and Viktoriia Gorbunova
The purpose of this paper is to explore the perception of the mental health problems of the homeless population in a high-income country (Luxembourg) by social service providers…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the perception of the mental health problems of the homeless population in a high-income country (Luxembourg) by social service providers and to develop proposals for better inclusion of homeless people into the mental health services and homeless people with mental health issues into society.
Design/methodology/approach
The study was of qualitative design and conducted using a semi-structured interview method (in person). The semi-structured interviews (seven participants) were conducted to analyse the challenges, practice approaches and prospects of stakeholders or decision-makers working in housing exclusion and homelessness. A secondary thematic analysis of this content regarding mental health issues was performed.
Findings
Three main themes in the social providers’ perception were identified related to mental health and homelessness: the general view on the mental health problems of homeless people (accent on substance use disorders [SUDs], overshadowing of other mental health conditions by the SUDs); the positive impact of housing and social services on the mental health of the homeless per se (role of social rhythms, social connectedness and multidisciplinary approach are emphasised); and the need for improvement of mental health services in the country (need for the long-term timely continuing mental health support and recognition of the importance of complex intersectional and multidisciplinary solutions).
Research limitations/implications
Mental health themes were not the primary focus while research was planned and conducted. They were revealed as results of secondary qualitative data analysis. Therefore, additional mental health-focused mixed methods research is needed to verify the conclusions. The paper is written on the results of the research project “Social Housing and Homelessness” (SOHOME), implemented at the University of Luxembourg with the financial support of the Fonds National de la Recherche of Luxembourg (FNR12626464). The sponsor had no involvement in the study design, the collection, analysis and interpretation of data or the preparation of the paper.
Practical implications
The study brings together different perspectives from social workers, stakeholders and decision-makers. The results show that there are cross-field connections between homelessness and mental health that require specialised and coordinated services. The first existing approaches seem to be promising in their continuation but need to be promoted by social policy.
Social implications
To promote social cohesion in the Luxembourgish society and also to include one of the most vulnerable people, the study points to the importance of the link between homelessness and compromised mental health. Appropriate support and service provision as well as social and affordable housing play a central role.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first of its kind, revealing several social work stakeholders’ perspective on the mental health of homeless people in Luxembourg.
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Claire Johnson, Jérémie B. Dupuis, Wendjie Robichaudb, Edwige Kamwa Pone and Caroline P. LeBlanc
This study aims to examine whether inmate’s social support network is related to changes in anthropometric data among individuals in Canadian correctional facilities.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine whether inmate’s social support network is related to changes in anthropometric data among individuals in Canadian correctional facilities.
Design/methodology/approach
Methods: A total of 754 participants in federal correctional facilities who had been incarcerated for at least six months responded to the questionnaire by interview regarding their social support network. Chi-square tests and non-parametric tests for median comparison were used to measure changes in anthropometric data [weight and body mass index (BMI)] between the date of admission into custody and the date of the interview. Subsequently, a multivariate regression analysis for BMI change was conducted to adjust for covariates such as sex, age and ethnicity.
Findings
Results: Participants who received more than two visits per month had significantly lower weight gain (2.6 kg) than those who received less than one visit per month (7.1 kg, p = 0.02). Similar results were observed for the average change in BMI (p = 0.01). The influence of an external social support network on BMI change remained significant after adjusting for covariates. Conclusions: An individual's external social support network (outside the prison environment) may protect against weight gain in correctional facilities. Given how social support will vary based on the prison context by country and jurisdiction, individual and organizational strategies should be considered to maintain a healthy social support network and increase the number of visits (at every stage of incarceration) to counteract this weight gain and its adverse health consequences.
Originality/value
The social support network outside the prison environment may protect against weight gain in correctional facilities. Strategies should be considered to maintain a healthy social support network and increase the number of visits to counteract this weight gain and its adverse health consequences.
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Kevin Wang and Peter Alexander Muennig
The study explores how Taiwan’s electronic health data systems can be used to build algorithms that reduce or eliminate medical errors and to advance precision medicine.
Abstract
Purpose
The study explores how Taiwan’s electronic health data systems can be used to build algorithms that reduce or eliminate medical errors and to advance precision medicine.
Design/methodology/approach
This study is a narrative review of the literature.
Findings
The body of medical knowledge has grown far too large for human clinicians to parse. In theory, electronic health records could augment clinical decision-making with electronic clinical decision support systems (CDSSs). However, computer scientists and clinicians have made remarkably little progress in building CDSSs, because health data tend to be siloed across many different systems that are not interoperable and cannot be linked using common identifiers. As a result, medicine in the USA is often practiced inconsistently with poor adherence to the best preventive and clinical practices. Poor information technology infrastructure contributes to medical errors and waste, resulting in suboptimal care and tens of thousands of premature deaths every year. Taiwan’s national health system, in contrast, is underpinned by a coordinated system of electronic data systems but remains underutilized. In this paper, the authors present a theoretical path toward developing artificial intelligence (AI)-driven CDSS systems using Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database. Such a system could in theory not only optimize care and prevent clinical errors but also empower patients to track their progress in achieving their personal health goals.
Originality/value
While research teams have previously built AI systems with limited applications, this study provides a framework for building global AI-based CDSS systems using one of the world’s few unified electronic health data systems.
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Yasmeen Abu Sumaqa, Manar Abu-Abbas, Omar Khraisat, Ahmad Rayan and Mohammad Othman Abudari
This study aims to identify the reasons for unmet health-care needs and related barriers among the Roma population with chronic diseases in Jordan.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to identify the reasons for unmet health-care needs and related barriers among the Roma population with chronic diseases in Jordan.
Design/methodology/approach
A descriptive survey with a cross-sectional design was conducted, involving a sample of 347 Jordanian Roma participants. Data collection was performed using a structured questionnaire based on the Canadian Community Health Survey.
Findings
The analysis revealed that within the three categories of reasons for unmet health-care needs (accessibility, availability and acceptability), “Transportation issues” under the accessibility category constitute the most reported reasons: (mean = 90.4%, SD = 22.6%), followed by “Cost” (mean = 89.0%, SD = 26.2%) and “Care not available in the area” (mean = 85.8%, SD = 23.6%). Predictors of unmet health-care needs were being married, having health insurance and self-perception of mental health (OR = 0.215, p = 0.044), (OR = 0.391, p = 0.008) and (OR = 0.302, p = 0.002) respectively.
Originality/value
Unmet health-care needs are highly prevalent among Jordanian Roma, rendering them a vulnerable group susceptible to other diseases. To address this pressing issue, concerted and comprehensive efforts should be made to improve the utilization and accessibility of health-care services within this community. Furthermore, efforts should be made to elevate their social standing and status. facilitate their integration into the broader community.
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This paper aims to explore the determinants of maternal and infant health knowledge (M&IHK) adoption and sharing in the short video from an empathy theory perspective. We explore…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the determinants of maternal and infant health knowledge (M&IHK) adoption and sharing in the short video from an empathy theory perspective. We explore how to transfer users from free health knowledge to health-related product purchase intention, which is vital for platform knowledge management and service.
Design/methodology/approach
Focusing on the M&IHK, this study proposes four processes of health knowledge adoption and sharing – knowledge quality persuasion process; source credibility persuasion process; affective empathy emotion process; and cognitive empathy emotion process – to build a framework of M&IHK adoption and sharing. Furthermore, based on adoption and sharing, we explore whether they can promote health-related product purchase intentions. A theoretical model is constructed and tested via Smart PLS in 388 samples.
Findings
In a short video context, perceived knowledge quality and perceived source credibility are still two determinants of health knowledge adoption and sharing. On the contrary, perceived affective empathy and perceived cognitive empathy are two new determinants of health knowledge adoption, but not of health knowledge sharing. Adoption of M&IHK is more driven by both rational thinking and emotional thinking than sharing-only driven by emotional thinking. Adoption and sharing both contribute to health-related product purchase intention, but the female’s intention is more related to rational adoption than the male, which is only related to emotional sharing.
Originality/value
This paper is arguably the first study to examine how short videos impact the mechanisms of M&IHK adoption, sharing and health-related products' purchase intention. It’s perhaps the first study to integrate empathy theory into health knowledge management.
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Gifty Adjei-Mensah, Collins G. Ntim, Qingjing Zhang and Frank Boateng
The objective of this paper is to synthesize and extend the existing understanding of social health accounting (SHA) literature within the perspectives of social health…
Abstract
Purpose
The objective of this paper is to synthesize and extend the existing understanding of social health accounting (SHA) literature within the perspectives of social health disclosures (SHAD) and the effect of social health problems on public and private sector accounting.
Design/methodology/approach
This study provides a comprehensive and up-to-date systematic literature review (SLR) of past studies on social health within the accounting literature. This is done by employing a three-step SLR research design to investigate a sample of papers, made up of 62 mixed, qualitative and quantitative studies conducted in over 23 countries, drawn predominantly from the extant accounting literature from 2013 to 2023 and published in 25 peer-reviewed journals.
Findings
Our SLR offers several findings. First, we find that existing SHA studies apply theories in SHAD studies, but hardly apply them to explain the impact of health problems on business outcomes. Second, we show that the extant studies have focused predominantly on rigorous empirical studies on SHAD, while this is scarce for studies examining the impact of diseases/health problems on both public and private sector accounting. Third, we identify several research design weaknesses, including a lack of primary data analysis, mixed-methods approach and rigorous qualitative studies. Finally, we present directions for future SHA research.
Originality/value
In contrast to the ever-increasing general social and environmental accounting (SEA) research, existing studies examining global health issues and challenges (e.g. diseases, epidemics and pandemics), especially from an accounting perspective are rare. Nonetheless, the past decade has witnessed a steady increase in research on corporate accounting for, and reporting of, health issues; although the emerging literature remains fragmented thereby impeding the generation of useful empirical and theoretical insights for policymakers, practitioners and researchers. Consequently, this paper offers extensive and timely SLR of the existing studies on SHA; critically reviewing past findings published in a wide range of peer-reviewed international journals that discuss the current state of global SHA research, their weaknesses and set future research agenda.
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