American journal of public health

Homeless Encampment Closures Before and After City of Grants Pass v Johnson

Kaur P, Gabbe CJ, Saxton KB et al. · 2026 May 28
Study Type: Retrospective descriptive analysis with geospatial mapping
Key Question: How did the US Supreme Court decision in City of Grants Pass v Johnson affect homeless encampment closure patterns in Oakland, California?
Key Findings:
  • Monthly encampment closures significantly increased after the June 2024 Supreme Court decision, with expanded geographic distribution across the city
  • Closures shifted toward census tracts with lower household incomes, higher poverty rates, and greater proportions of Hispanic and Black residents
  • Many sites experienced repeated closures, indicating ineffective resolution of encampments
Clinical Relevance: Demonstrates how judicial decisions on homelessness enforcement can redistribute vulnerable populations to more deprived areas, creating potential health inequities that UK public health teams should monitor if similar policy approaches are adopted domestically.
Limitations: Single-city analysis limits generalisability to other jurisdictions or UK contexts.
American journal of public health

Increasing Contraceptive Access at Sites Serving Cross-State Abortion Patients: Results From the Southwest Contraceptive Access Network (SCAN) Intervention

Zia Y, Alvarez A, Robinson J et al. · 2026 May 28
Study Type: Intervention study
Key Question: Can a training intervention increase contraceptive access at abortion clinics serving out-of-state patients following the Dobbs decision?
Key Findings:
  • Training intervention delivered to 6 abortion clinics in 2024-2025 focused on person-centred contraceptive care and supply connections
  • Significant increases observed in both provider knowledge and clinic-level contraceptive access
  • Patients gained greater contraceptive options at participating clinics
Clinical Relevance: This addresses post-Dobbs contraceptive access challenges relevant to UK public health given cross-border healthcare patterns and the importance of comprehensive reproductive health services.
Limitations: The abstract provides insufficient detail about study design, outcome measures, effect sizes, or follow-up duration to assess intervention effectiveness robustly.
BMC public health

The hidden burden of viral hepatitis: a comparative study of KAP and infections among rohingya refugees and host communities in Bangladesh

Islam SB, Al Fidah MF, Rasel TA et al. · 2026 May 25
Study Type: Cross-sectional study
Key Question: What are the knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding hepatitis B and C, and what is the infection burden among Rohingya refugees and host communities in Bangladesh?
Key Findings:
  • Overall hepatitis positivity was 18.97% in Rohingya refugees versus 2.01% in host community (p<0.001), driven primarily by higher HCV rates (17.24% vs 1.01%)
  • Knowledge levels were poor in both groups: only 5.17% of refugees and 12.25% of host community demonstrated satisfactory knowledge
  • Refugees had significantly lower awareness of HBV vaccination (0% vs 9.73%) and vertical transmission risks (6.90% vs 19.33%)
Clinical Relevance: This highlights substantial health inequities requiring targeted interventions for refugee populations, with implications for UK refugee health screening programmes and community hepatitis prevention strategies.
Limitations: Single-site study at a respiratory infection hospital may not represent broader population hepatitis burden or knowledge levels.
BMC public health

Spatial synergy in the digital era: a geo-analytics framework for detecting regional health patterns in urban smart city development

Chauhan R, Jena M, Yafi E et al. · 2026 May 25
Study Type: Methodological development study
Key Question: Can a geospatial analytics framework effectively detect and predict regional health disparities at county level to inform smart city public health planning?
Key Findings:
  • The Spatial Health Information Tool (SHIT) successfully identified statistically significant spatial clusters of health disparities across 3,142 US counties using CDC PLACES 2024 data with 40 health measures
  • Random forest analysis revealed predictive relationships between socioeconomic/behavioral risk factors and adverse health outcomes, with consistent top-ranking determinants
  • Graph Neural Network analysis confirmed spatially correlated health risks between neighbouring counties, demonstrating regional health disparity patterns
Clinical Relevance: This framework could inform NHS regional health planning and resource allocation by identifying geographic health inequality patterns, particularly relevant for integrated care systems and health and wellbeing boards addressing local population health needs.
Limitations: The study presents a methodological framework without validation against known interventions or demonstration of impact on actual public health decision-making.
BMC public health

Husbands' smoking and risk of diabetes in reproductive-aged Chinese women: a nationwide population-based cohort study

Zhang MJ, Wang L, Ding S et al. · 2026 May 25
Study Type: Prospective cohort study
Key Question: Does husbands' smoking status affect the risk of developing impaired fasting glucose and diabetes in reproductive-aged Chinese women?
Key Findings:
  • Among 2.8 million couples followed for median 2.12 years, women with consistently smoking husbands had 7% higher odds of diabetes (AOR 1.07, 95% CI 1.03-1.11) compared to those with non-smoking husbands
  • Dose-response relationship observed: higher cumulative pack-years of husband's smoking associated with increased risk of both impaired fasting glucose and diabetes
  • Among women with baseline impaired fasting glucose, husband's smoking cessation reduced odds of diabetes progression by 9% (AOR 0.91, 95% CI 0.84-0.99)
Clinical Relevance: This supports household smoking cessation interventions within NHS preconception care pathways, as spousal smoking represents a modifiable risk factor for gestational diabetes and maternal metabolic health.
Limitations: Study limited to Chinese population where male smoking prevalence is particularly high, potentially limiting generalisability to UK demographics.
BMC public health

Investigating the effect of educational intervention based on the theory of planned behavior on environmentally responsible behaviors among lower secondary school students

Ebrahimi Z, Khalkhali HR, Navidjouy N et al. · 2026 May 25
Study Type: Quasi-experimental controlled trial
Key Question: Does an educational intervention based on Theory of Planned Behavior improve environmentally responsible behaviors among lower secondary school students?
Key Findings:
  • 100 Iranian students (50 intervention, 50 control) received TPB-based environmental education over three 45-minute sessions plus one parent/staff session
  • At 3-month follow-up, intervention group showed statistically significant improvements (p<0.05) in all TPB constructs (attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, intention, and behavior) compared to controls
  • Environmental knowledge and environmentally responsible behaviors also significantly increased in the intervention group
Clinical Relevance: Demonstrates that brief, theory-based environmental education can effectively modify adolescent environmental behaviors, offering a low-cost intervention model potentially applicable to UK school-based public health programs targeting climate change and environmental sustainability.
Limitations: Quasi-experimental design without randomization of individual participants and single cultural context limits generalizability to UK populations.
BMC public health

Systematic review and meta-analysis of toluene concentration: a comparative assessment of indoor air quality in residential buildings

Rostami R, Momen A, Taherkhani A et al. · 2026 May 25
Study Type: Systematic review and meta-analysis
Key Question: What are the pooled residential indoor air toluene concentrations globally, and what factors influence these levels?
Key Findings:
  • Pooled residential toluene concentration was 27.13 µg/m³ (95% CI: 20.05-34.20), with significant declining temporal trend over two decades (β = -0.034, p = 0.004)
  • Rural areas showed significantly higher toluene levels than urban areas (p < 0.001)
  • Non-cancer health risk was minimal across all studies (mean hazard quotient = 3.10 × 10⁻⁴, all <1)
Clinical Relevance: Provides baseline data for UK housing assessments and environmental health risk evaluations, particularly relevant for rural housing policies and indoor air quality guidelines.
Limitations: Publication bias detected, limiting confidence in pooled estimates and trend interpretations.
BMC public health

Relationship between short-term exposure to ambient sulfur dioxide and length of hospital stay after surgery for osteoporotic fractures: a distributed lag non-linear analysis

Liu YX, Liang JQ, Lin GJ et al. · 2026 May 25
Study Type: Retrospective cohort study
Key Question: Does short-term exposure to ambient sulfur dioxide affect length of hospital stay following surgery for osteoporotic fractures?
Key Findings:
  • J-shaped association identified with inflection point at 8.1 µg/m³ SO₂ exposure
  • Moderate exposure (P75) increased length of stay by 1.03% (95% CI: 0.46-1.59%) with peak effect at 5-day lag
  • High exposure (P95) increased length of stay by 2.37% (95% CI: 1.00-3.76%) with peak effect at 12-day lag, suggesting more persistent toxicity
  • Female patients and winter admissions showed higher susceptibility
Clinical Relevance: Findings suggest air quality monitoring should inform perioperative planning for vulnerable populations, particularly relevant given UK's aging population and rising osteoporotic fracture burden in NHS orthopaedic services.
Limitations: Single-centre Chinese study limits generalisability to UK population and healthcare systems.

…and 85 more Public Health articles in that week's digest.

Subscribers get the complete brief, every Monday.

Get the Public Health digest in your inbox every Monday

4 weeks completely free, then £20/year. Cancel any time during your trial — no charge.

Start your free trial — Public Health → No card needed to browse. We'll ask for payment details to start the trial.