BackgroundIn 2024, Brazil celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Bolsa Família Program (BFP), one of the world's oldest and largest conditional cash transfer (CCT) programmes, covering more than 50 million Brazilians. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the BFP on overall mortality and hospitalisation rates over the past two decades, and to forecast the potential effects of expanding this programme

Cash transfer programmes have expanded rapidly across low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), from eight countries with programmes in 1960 to 134 countries in 2019, and have demonstrated effectiveness in improving a range of human capital outcomes.1, 2 However, despite their proliferation, progress against poverty has stalled—or even reversed—since the COVID-19 pandemic.3 Many programmes now

OBJECTIVES Gout is the most common inflammatory arthritis and affects quality of life. Dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have protective effects against various diseases, but its role in gout remains uncertain. Our study aims to assess the association between PUFAs intake and gout risk, the role of genetic factors, and the possible impact of metabolites. METHODS This study included 198,033

In utero exposure to diethylstilbestrol (DES) is associated with increased risk of clear cell adenocarcinoma (CCAC) of the vagina or cervix. It is not clear whether these risks remain increased at older ages, and if the risks of other cancer sites, including breast cancer, are increased. This nationwide cohort study included 12,249 DES-exposed women and 2,070 unexposed sisters. Hormone-related risk

Inflammation and insulin resistance are associated with increased mortality in the general population. However, it remains unclear how physical activity and proinflammatory/hyperinsulinemic diets influence overall survival in prostate cancer patients. We analyzed 4779 men with nonmetastatic prostate cancer from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Postdiagnosis physical activity and diet were

Background Although several studies have investigated temperature-related mortality and morbidity, only a little is known about the short-term effects of temperature on ambulance dispatches. We aimed to conduct the first nationwide analysis of the association between temperatures and ambulance dispatches in Europe, including, for the first time, a detailed description of age-specific risks for 10-year

BACKGROUND Low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) bear a heavy burden from communicable, maternal, and childhood diseases, yet access to health products addressing these burdens is lagging. We aimed to provide empirical evidence about the timelines, and influencing factors, of the end-to-end scale-up pathway of health products in LMICs. METHODS We identified products that met our prespecified

BACKGROUND Although post-tuberculosis lung disease poses a substantial threat to individuals who have recovered from pulmonary tuberculosis, data showing objective functional impairment in such people are scarce. We did a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate respiratory impairment after pulmonary tuberculosis disease and examine differences in ventilatory defects. METHODS We systematically

BACKGROUND Probiotics are commonly given to preterm and term infants to reduce gut colonisation and prevent disease. Evidence for the beneficial effect of probiotic therapy is sparse, particularly in term infants from low-income and middle-income countries with high infant morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to assess whether a 4-week course of probiotic therapy might reduce death and hospitalisation

BACKGROUND Oral HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) can effectively reduce HIV incidence. A 2020-21 demonstration project assessed the feasibility and health outcomes of offering oral PrEP to men who have sex with men (MSM) in Cotonou, Benin. We evaluated the epidemiological impact and cost-effectiveness of this project and the potential scale-up of oral HIV PrEP for MSM in Cotonou. METHODS We calibrated

BACKGROUND Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of paediatric hospital admissions worldwide, straining health systems. A lack of data on the burden of RSV infections and the impact on health systems in resource-limited settings hinders evidence-based policy decisions. Here, we aimed to assess RSV's burden on the health system in Bangladesh. METHODS From January to December, 2019, we

BACKGROUND Understanding human papillomavirus (HPV)-related cancer epidemiology in South Africa is crucial for informing cancer prevention in this high-burden country. We aimed to describe HPV-related cancer incidence in South Africa between 2011 and 2021. METHODS For this cross-sectional study, we obtained data on cancer incidence from the South African National Cancer Registry and population estimates

BACKGROUND Optimal dosing of praziquantel for schistosomiasis for children younger than 5 years is not established and some studies suggest this age group might need a higher dosing per kilogram. Our aim was to assess the safety and efficacy of a split dose of 80 mg/kg of praziquantel tablets given in a single day to preschool children versus the recommended single dose of 40 mg/kg for treatment of

BACKGROUND Although HIV incidence has considerably decreased in eastern, central, and southern Africa, new HIV infections continue to be a major public health challenge in the region. We aimed to investigate where in the HIV treatment cascade new transmissions are occurring in Malawi, Zimbabwe, and South Africa (the three countries involved in the Modelling to Inform HIV Programmes in Sub-Saharan Africa

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is a regional organisation comprised of ten member states: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Viet Nam. Home to more than 676 million people, the ASEAN is a geopolitical and economic collaboration network, with stark economic, political, ethnic, and cultural diversities among countries. As

In the Article by Tara Gomes and colleagues,1 it was concluded that initiation of safer opioid supply (SOS) programmes was associated with improvements in the rate of opioid toxicities, all-cause emergency department visits, all-cause inpatient hospitalisations, incident infections, and non-primary care-related health-care costs. The benefits in these factors were attributed to the initiation of SOS

We thank Robert Tanguay and Nickie Mathew for their comments and welcome the opportunity to clarify key aspects of our study.1 The authors raise concerns about higher opioid toxicity rates among safer opioid supply (SOS) recipients compared with those initiating methadone. We believe it is important to emphasise our finding that opioid toxicity events declined markedly following both SOS and methadone

Tobacco smoking has long been a regional health priority for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Despite decades of commitment to implementing tobacco control measures, the ASEAN region continues to face substantial challenges in reversing the epidemic. We aimed to analyse longitudinal data on smoking prevalence and attributable disease burden to understand the trajectory of the smoking

Injuries are among the top causes of mortality and disability in southeast Asia. Although injury prevention is a key health priority in the Post-2015 Health Development Agenda of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the focus was placed solely on road injuries. The absence of a broader recognition of injury burden and trends hinders future intervention efforts. This study aims to provide

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has undergone substantial epidemiological changes over the past three decades, characterised by a growing burden of cardiovascular disease. This study provides an epidemiological overview of cardiovascular diseases across ASEAN.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a geopolitical and economic network of ten member states, recognises mental disorders as a health priority; however, sparse epidemiological data hinder the development of effective strategies to reduce their prevalence and burden. We aimed to examine the prevalence, morbidity, and disease burden associated with ten mental disorders from 1990 to 2021

Hearing loss is highly prevalent among older adults and has been associated with an increased likelihood of falling. We aimed to examine the effect of a hearing intervention on falls over 3 years among older adults in a secondary analysis of the ACHIEVE study.

Workplaces are an important setting for health promotion, offering established infrastructure, daily access to large populations, and opportunities to engage groups that are often under-represented in such initiatives. Although the effectiveness of workplace health promotion has been evaluated in reviews focusing on specific interventions, a comprehensive overview is needed. To address this gap, we

Background The COVID-19 pandemic induced an unprecedented response from the scientific research community. Previous studies have described disruption of the norms of academic publishing during this time. This study uses an epidemiological statistical toolkit alongside machine-learning methods to investigate the functioning of the scientific information-generation and -consumption ecosystem throughout

Little is known about cancer disparities faced by diverse sexual and gender minority (SGM) populations globally, with unique barriers in many low-income and middle-income countries. This Viewpoint examines the intersectional challenges faced by SGM groups across multiple settings in accessing high-quality equitable cancer care. In India, the Hijra population (a legally recognised third gender) experiences

BACKGROUND In November, 2020, WHO authorised novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) use under Emergency Use Listing in response to outbreaks of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2). Although no concerns were identified in nOPV2 trials, the Global Advisory Committee on Vaccine Safety requested more extensive vaccine safety data during emergency use. The Uganda Ministry of Health declared

Objectives. To measure the associations between access to paid sick leave (PSL) and COVID-19 vaccination status in the United States, both overall and stratified by occupation and industry of employment. Methods. We extracted data on employed adults aged 18 to 64 years from the 2021 and 2022 US Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. We assessed associations between PSL and COVID-19 vaccination status using

Climate change poses profound threats to human safety, health, and well-being. Public health agencies, especially state, territorial, local, and Tribal health departments, can play an essential role in climate change adaptation and mitigation. Public health climate action can protect health, promote health equity, and increase climate change resilience. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Objectives. To determine whether the minimum legal age (MLA) for cannabis purchases is associated with reductions in cannabis-related hospitalizations in youths. Methods. We performed a population-based study examining all hospitalizations for cannabis use in Canada for individuals aged 15 to 44 years (n = 14.6 million in 2018) between January 1, 2015, and March 31, 2022. MLAs varied across Canada

Sexuality and reproduction are central to people's life experiences and their ability to thrive. Existing frameworks and measurements related to sexuality and reproduction are predominantly focused on the presence or absence of adverse outcomes, neglecting the critical question of whether people experience positive outcomes and have the sexual and reproductive lives they wish to have. The increased

There is an unsettled concern that treatment with aromatase inhibitors (AIT) may adversely affect lipid-levels. In light of the improved survival of women with breast cancer and increased risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease in older people, unfavorable effects on lipid-levels may represent a significant health concern for this group of patients. We used linked data from nationwide registries

BACKGROUND People with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis experience burdensome symptoms, clinical uncertainty, and high mortality. Palliative care is a designated essential health service under Universal Health Coverage. We aimed to test the hypothesis that receipt of additional nurse-led palliative care would improve patient-reported outcomes for patients with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, compared

BACKGROUND Anthropogenic land modification influences human-livestock-wildlife interactions and zoonotic spillover emergence. However, the extent of this impact remains unclear and could be better understood through the collaborative use of advanced predictive and explanatory analytical tools, alongside, an up-to-date dataset on zoonotic spillover events. OBJECTIVE The main objective is to develop

BACKGROUND Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) have been associated with numerous deleterious health outcomes including liver damage. However, whether exposure to PFAS is associated with liver cancer risk remains unclear. METHODS We conducted a matched nested case-control study among 12 prospective cohort studies located in the United States. Pre-diagnostic PFAS, namely perfluorooctanesulfonate

BACKGROUND Emerging observational studies suggest air pollution can influence the gut microbiome. However, this association is often highly confounded by factors such as diet and poverty. The gut virome may influence respiratory health independent of the gut microbiome. We recently demonstrated in a randomized waitlist-controlled trial (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03351504) that a clean lighting intervention

BACKGROUND Traditional temperature-health studies have predominantly relied on temperature measurements from stations or modelled spatial averages from gridded temperature datasets. It has been suggested that population-weighted spatial averages would perform better in remote regions with large temperature and population variability. This would be particularly true in regions other than North America

BACKGROUND Quantitative characterization of the health impacts associated with exposure to chemical mixtures has received considerable attention in current environmental and epidemiological studies. With many existing statistical methods and emerging approaches, it is important for practitioners to understand which method is best suited for their inferential goals. OBJECTIVE The goal of this paper

BACKGROUND Both environmental exposure and type 2 diabetes (T2D) genetic susceptibility affect fetal growth. However, most previous studies used single exposure rather than an exposome strategy to explore the association between environmental factors and fetal growth, and the interactions of environmental exposures with maternal and fetal genes were often overlooked. OBJECTIVES To explore the associations

BACKGROUND Heat wave frequency and intensity is increasing and this trend is more pronounced in urban areas. Heat waves may be acutely associated with early birth. OBJECTIVES To examine the acute relationship between heat waves and preterm (<37 weeks) and early-term (37-38 weeks) birth in eight states: California, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, and Oregon. METHODS Daily

Background Maternal pre-pregnancy diabetes is associated with a higher risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Few large, cohort studies have assessed associations with a wide large range of causes of infant death. Methods This retrospective cohort study included all singleton live births to women aged 18–49 years in the US National Vital Statistics System from 2011 to 2020. Multivariable Poisson regression

The Swedish population is characterized by high life expectancy and low avoidable mortality rates. This review outlines the Swedish healthcare system, which offers universal access to all residents and has a long tradition of reforms for social equity. Responsibility for healthcare is shared between the state, the regions, and the municipalities. The Ministry of Health and Social Affairs provides the

The aim was to determine the profile of long-term symptoms after known and undetected SARS-CoV-2 infections and to generate tools for risk and diagnostic assessment of Post-COVID syndrome (PCS). In the population-based Gutenberg COVID-19 Study (N = 10,250), sequential, systematic screening for SARS-CoV-2 was performed in 2020/2021. Individuals received a standardized interview on newly occurred or

Acute and chronic problems related to alcohol, drugs, and self-harm are important public health challenges and are compounded by socioeconomic inequalities. People with substance use disorders or mental ill health, or both, are attended to by ambulance and emergency departments at higher rates than the general population and their outcomes are often poor, with mortality ranging from 5% to 15% within

Objective. To enumerate crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) in the United States in 2024 and examine changes before and after Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization and associations with selected state characteristics. Methods. Repeated cross-sectional analyses used CPC Map data to describe the number of CPCs in the United States after Dobbs and examine changes since 2021. We used negative binomial