Advances in Public Health
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Acceptance rate5%
Submission to final decision100 days
Acceptance to publication24 days
CiteScore4.700
Journal Citation Indicator0.760
Impact Factor4.1

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 Journal profile

Advances in Public Health publishes original research articles and review articles in all areas of public health.

 Editor spotlight

Advances in Public Health maintains an Editorial Board of practicing researchers from around the world, to ensure manuscripts are handled by editors who are experts in the field of study.

 Special Issues

We currently have a number of Special Issues open for submission. Special Issues highlight emerging areas of research within a field, or provide a venue for a deeper investigation into an existing research area.

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Research Article

Psychometric Validation of the Persian Version of Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale (MHLC-C) for Menopausal Women

Background. The Health Locus of Control (HLC) serves as a mediator between an individual’s behaviors and health status, influenced by various cultural, environmental, and situational factors. Its measurement reflects health beliefs and attitudes, ultimately leading to healthy behaviors. Menopause is a significant phenomenon in women’s lives, often resulting in a wide range of symptoms and health issues. Therefore, the perception of HLC plays a crucial role in promoting healthy behaviors and managing menopausal symptoms. This study aimed to assess the validity and reliability of the Persian version of the short form Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale (MHLC) in Iranian menopausal women and explore its interrelationships. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 271 menopausal women from September to November 2023. Psychometric properties such as construct validity (confirmed through confirmatory factor analysis), convergent validity (evaluated using average variance extracted), and internal consistency (assessed by Cronbach’s alpha, composite reliability and rho_A factor) were examined. Discriminant validity was determined using the Fornell–Larcker criterion. Reliability was further established through Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s Omega coefficients. The predictive relevance of the model and associations between constructs were analyzed using various statistical measures. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS v.27 and Smart PLS 3.0 software. Limitations of this study include that it was conducted in urban health centers, only women with at least primary education were included, and reliance on self-reported data. Results. The initial stage of construct validity involved the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, with confirmatory factor analysis demonstrating a good model fit. Significant correlations were found between internal health control and factors related to doctors and other people, indicating that internal health control directly influences these factors in managing menopausal symptoms and health problems. Cronbach’s alpha and McDonald’s Omega coefficients for the 13-item MHLC-C scale were satisfactory (0.81 and 0.72, respectively). Conclusions. The Persian version of the 13-item MHLC-C has been validated as a reliable tool for assessing the health locus of control in Iranian menopausal women. Internal health control was found to significantly impact perceptions related to doctors and other people, highlighting its importance in managing menopausal symptoms effectively.

Research Article

Mediating Role of Environmental Awareness for the Nexus between Perceived Risks of COVID-19 Pandemic and Use of Sustainable Transportation: Evidence from Urban Passengers in Ethiopia, 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a global pandemic and a threat to humankind. In addition to many cases of illness and millions of deaths, the economy and social interactions have suffered. It remarkably declined overall transportation and mobility in most countries. However, given that there is a gap between environmental sustainability awareness and what is practiced by transport users, the goal of this study was to empirically assess the mediating role of environmental awareness in the casual links between perceived risks of the COVID-19 pandemic and ecologically sustainable transportation use. The study identified relevant theories, conceptual frameworks, and variables. Mixed research and surveys were carried out on the public and private transport service users in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Comparative analysis, structural equation modeling, and structural causal model framework were applied to estimate casual relationships among variables and test the hypotheses. Despite the rising of human-caused climate change denial beliefs, findings revealed that a large part of the causes of the COVID-19 pandemic are climate change, biodiversity misuse, and wildlife degradation, all of which are environmental in nature and anthropogenic. People perceived the COVID-19 pandemic as more of a risk to others than to themselves, and climate change or global warming has become a danger to humanity, mainly during the pandemic. Accordingly, the pandemic risks increased people’s mainly passengers’ awareness of the environment, and this caused them to give greater consideration to the environmentally attractiveness of the transport they use. This, in turn, encouraged people to take personal climate-friendly measures and pro-environmental behavior, mainly greater willingness to use public transportation than private transportation during the COVID-19 pandemic than before. Thus, the total effect of the COVID-19 pandemic anxiety on the use of public transportation is completely mediated by enhanced environmental awareness. These are evidence that COVID-19 has strengthened environmental awareness and promoted sustainable action in the context of the transportation industry of developing countries. The study informs that urban planning and policy need to consider pandemic-sensitive and innovative public health and transport systems, integrated public health education, one health approach, and smart city. It suggests that maintaining the environmental awareness of societies and encouraging them to mitigate climate change through urgent climate actions and modal shifts to the use of sustainable urban transport such as public transportation.

Research Article

Use of a Food Frequency Questionnaire for the Estimation of Gut Microbiota Composition Based on Dietary Patterns and Its Association with Irritable Bowel Syndrome Symptoms in the Lebanese Adult Population: A Cross-Sectional Study

Gut microbiome analysis is costly and poses a significant challenge for determining the gut microbiota composition to facilitate the adoption of personalized nutritional interventions. Emerging evidence suggests dysbiosis as a contributor to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), but the results remain uncertain. Moreover, IBS prevalence is becoming a public health problem in the adult Lebanese population. This study aimed at estimating the gut microbiota’s composition using a Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) and exploring its correlation with IBS among Lebanese adults. A cross-sectional study was conducted for 388 adults during the summer 2023. An online questionnaire collected information about sociodemographic characteristics, anthropometric measures, health status, and dietary habits through a semiquantitative FFQ. We observed the influence of Western diet among the three patterns that were identified. Participants were clustered into two groups based on their estimated (poor or good) microbiota composition, EPMC and EGMC, respectively. We observed a significant inverse relationship between IBS symptoms and EGMC. Participants experiencing IBS symptoms were less likely to exhibit a good gut microbiota compared to those without any IBS symptoms (AOR = 0.614, 95% CI (0.402–0.937), ), and a higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet was significantly associated with lower odds of having IBS symptoms (AOR = 0.786, 95% CI (0.635–0.973), ). Our study revealed a dietary shift toward a more Westernized pattern among Lebanese adults who experienced symptoms of IBS. FFQ may be used to estimate the gut microbiota to provide customized nutritional therapy for patients suffering from IBS.

Review Article

Challenges and Advancements in the Health-Related Quality of Life of Older People

Background. With the global trend of increasing life expectancy, the health-related quality of life of older people haspersonalised become an area of significant interest. It is crucial to comprehend the advancements and identify the ongoing challenges in this domain for better health management and policy formation. Objectives. This scoping review aimed to comprehensively investigate the existing challenges and recent advancements associated with the quality of health among older people. Methods. We utilized Arksey and O’Malley’s scoping review framework for this study. A systematic literature search was performed across multiple databases, namely, PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar, targeting publications from 2018 to 2023. Selected studies were then rigorously examined based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, followed by an in-depth thematic analysis. Results. Of the initial 406 identified studies, 72 were included in the final review. The analysis underscored enduring challenges in physical and medical issues, psychological difficulties, socioeconomic obstacles, and policy-related challenges. Meanwhile, significant advancements were noted in several areas, including technology, medicine, social and societal facets, and policy. Conclusions. Despite noteworthy improvements in the health-related quality of life of older individuals, the continued presence of substantial challenges emphasizes the need for more targeted initiatives. These results suggest an immediate requirement for revising policies and implementing interventions that specifically address identified challenges, with a particular emphasis on ensuring equitable health care access, effectively managing chronic conditions, and enhancing the training of geriatric health care professionals. This comprehensive review serves as a roadmap for guiding future research and shaping policy directions in the health care of older people.

Research Article

Changes in the Step Counts of University Students Living in Hokkaido during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background. Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) countermeasures, such as lockdowns, have been reported to reduce people’s physical activity levels. Purpose. To determine changes in the step counts among university students before and after the COVID-19 pandemic and identify the risk factors for decreased step counts. Materials and Methods. An online questionnaire was sent by e-mail to 1,851 students enrolled in a university in Hokkaido, Japan; of these, 127 participated. The questionnaire items were average monthly step counts from October 2019 to March 2022, type of residence, part-time job, club activities, personal demographics, height, and weight. The average step counts in October/November 2019 (before the pandemic) were used as the baseline, and changes in step counts were studied at five time points (every 6 months): April/May 2020 (first state of emergency declared), October/November 2020 (period of contained infection), April/May 2021 (second state of emergency declared), and October/November 2021 (period of contained infection). We also examined changes in the number of steps due to different lifestyle factors and factors that contributed to decreased step counts during the study period. Results. Significantly lower step counts than those at baseline were observed in April/May 2020 and April/May 2021; however, there was no significant difference in October/November 2020 and October/November 2021 compared with baseline. In addition, significantly lower step counts were observed in April/May 2020 than in April/May 2021. The risk of decreased step counts was significantly associated with nonparticipation in club activities, even after adjustment for other variables. Conclusion. The step counts of university students decreased significantly during the declaration of a state of emergency and recovered to pre-pandemic levels after the declaration was lifted. Lifestyle status revealed differences in the number of steps taken before and after the pandemic. Nonparticipation in club activities was identified as a major risk factor for a decrease in step counts.

Research Article

Psycho-Oncological Counselling for Mental Health in South Australians with Cancer

This study aimed to understand clients’ perceptions of psycho-oncological counselling service effectiveness according to psychosocial outcomes and meeting client support needs and expectations. Clients were recruited opt-in during regular service provision (n = 28). Psychological distress, anxiety, and depression symptoms were assessed prior to and on completion of psycho-oncological counselling sessions. Clients provided a qualitative report on their expectations, experiences, and perceived outcomes of the counselling. Pre–post univariate tests and thematic analysis were used. Clients completed sessions, reporting reduced anxiety, depression, distress, and global mental health symptomology. Client experiences identified four themes on expectations: having none, needing help dealing with feelings and emotions, seeking specific coping strategies, and seeking a better understanding of their experience. Expectations were satisfied for most respondents, regardless of their prior expectations or reason for counselling. Benefits of accessing counselling included reduced symptomology, receipt of beneficial knowledge and skills, and an increased ability to manage their everyday lives.

Advances in Public Health
 Journal metrics
See full report
Acceptance rate5%
Submission to final decision100 days
Acceptance to publication24 days
CiteScore4.700
Journal Citation Indicator0.760
Impact Factor4.1
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