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Objective: To identify relationships between the health literacy and self-reported preventive health practices of US adults.Methods: Measured health literacy and preventive health practices for a nationally representative sample of adults (N = 18,100) and conducted probit regression analyses after controlling for age, gender, race/ethnicity, poverty level, insurance status, self-reported health status, and oral reading fluency.Results: Low literacy was associated with a decreased likelihood of using most preventive health measures under study for adults aged 65 and older, but not for adults of 2 younger age groups.Conclusion: The relationship between health literacy and preventive health practices varied substantially by adult age group.

Background Lassa fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease endemic to West Africa, particularly Nigeria. Despite efforts to control its spread, gaps in knowledge and preventive behaviours remain, particularly among mothers of young children. This study assessed the knowledge, perception, and preventive practices regarding Lassa fever among mothers of under-five children in Esan Central Local Government Area, Edo State, Nigeria. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 130 mothers with children under five using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. Participants were selected using a multi-stage sampling technique. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 30, employing descriptive and inferential statistics to assess the associations between sociodemographic factors, knowledge, and preventive practices. Results All participants (100%) had heard of Lassa fever, with health workers being the most common source of information (55.4%). Most mothers (72%) demonstrated good knowledge of Lassa fever symptoms, where as 67% reported good preventive practices, such as handwashing (71.5%) and maintaining proper drainage systems (70.8%). Ethnicity and education were significantly associated with knowledge of Lassa fever ( p  < 0.001), while marital status, ethnicity and parity were significantly associated with preventive practices ( p  < 0.05). Conclusion This study revealed high awareness and knowledge of Lassa fever among mothers, yet preventive practices were suboptimal. Public health interventions should focus on improving preventive behaviours through targeted health education, particularly in underserved communities, to reduce the disease burden in endemic regions.

Purpose Knowledge, positive attitude and good preventive practices are keys to successful myopia control, but information on these is lacking in Africa. This study determined the KAP on myopia in Ghana. Methods This was a population-based cross-sectional survey conducted among adults (aged 18 years and older) living across 16 regions of Ghana between May and October 2021. Data on socio-demographic factors (sex, age, gender, level of education, working status, type of employment, monthly income, and region of residence), respondents’ awareness, and knowledge, attitude and preventive practices (KAP) about myopia were collected. Composite and mean scores were calculated from eleven knowledge (total score = 61), eight attitude (48), and nine preventive practice items (33). Differences in mean scores were assessed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and standardized coefficients (β) with 95% confidence intervals (CI), using multiple linear regression to determine the associations between the dependent (KAP) and demographic variables. Results Of the 1,919 participants, mean age was 37.4 ± 13.4 years, 42.3% were aged 18–30 years, 52.6% were men, 55.8% had completed tertiary education, and 49.2% had either heard about myopia, or accurately defined myopia as short sightedness. The mean KAP scores were 22.9 ± 23.7, 33.9 ± 5.4, and 22.3 ± 2.8, respectively and varied significantly with many of the demographic variables particularly with age group, region, marital status, and type of employment. Multiple linear regression analyses revealed significant associations between region of residence and knowledge (β =—0.54, 95%CI:-0.87, -0.23, p  < 0.001), attitude (β =—0.24, 95%CI:-0.35,-0.14, p  < 0.001) and preventive practices (β = 0.07, 95%CI: 0.01, 0.12, p  = 0.015). Preventive practices were also associated with type of employment (self-employed vs employee: β = 0.25, 95%CI: 0.15, 4.91, p  < 0.05). Knowledge scores were significantly higher in those who lived in the Greater Accra (39.5 ± 18.5) and Eastern regions (39.1 ± 17.5) and lower among those who lived in the Upper West region (6.4 ± 15.6). Government employees and those with tertiary education had significantly higher mean knowledge scores compared with non-government employees (β = 4.56, 95%CI 1.22, 7.89, p  = 0.007), and those with primary/no education (β = 18.35, 95%CI: 14.42, 22.27, p  < 0.001). Conclusion Ghanaian participants had adequate knowledge of myopia but showed poor attitude and low preventive practices, which varied significantly between regions and were modified by socio-demographic factors. Further research into how education can be used to stimulate Ghanaians’ engagement in preventive practices is needed.

It is well established that the hiring of temporary agency workers has experienced phenomenal growth in recent years, and the main distinctive feature of this industry lies in its employment structure, known as the tripartite relationship. This article aims to identify key issues in managing occupational health and safety (OHS) for temporary agency workers and to propose new preventive practices. Using an exploratory inductive design based on grounded theory, the study draws on two empirical data sources: interviews with forty-two agency workers in the Montréal (n=28) and Québec (n=14) regions, and interviews with sixteen OHS professionals in Montréal. The findings highlight four major clusters of OHS issues—economic, legal, organizational, and risk-perception—which explain gaps in preventive measures between agency workers and regular workers, as well as the need for new practices capable of curbing rising occupational injuries and reducing inequalities in treatment. The study argues for stronger regulation of the tripartite relationship and for greater attention to the coexistence of diverse workforces (e.g., agency workers, temporary foreign workers, self-employed workers) within companies, and calls for innovation and stakeholder mobilization to transform current OHS practices.

Background Rhesus factor incompatibility (RhFI) remains a preventable cause of adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where gaps in antenatal education and preventive care persist. Despite the availability of effective prophylaxis such as anti-D immunoglobulin, inadequate maternal knowledge and poor uptake of preventive measures continue to limit progress. This study assessed knowledge and preventive practices regarding RhFI among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in selected General Hospitals in Oyo State, Nigeria. Methods A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 136 pregnant women selected through simple random sampling. Data were collected using a structured, pretested questionnaire with established reliability. Descriptive statistics summarised variables, while chi-square tests assessed associations between socio-demographic characteristics and outcomes at a significance level of p  < 0.05. Results The mean age of respondents was 28.4 ± 7.5 years; all participants (100%) acknowledged the importance of blood group testing, but only 21% had heard of Rh incompatibility. Furthermore, 90% lacked knowledge of its risk factors, and only 6% reported receiving antenatal education on the condition. Uptake of anti-D prophylaxis was low (7%) among those eligible. Overall, 94% of respondents demonstrated inadequate knowledge of preventive measures, and 79% had poor awareness of associated risks. No significant associations were found between educational level or parity and knowledge or perceptions ( p  > 0.05). Conclusion Substantial gaps in knowledge and preventive practices persist despite high antenatal attendance. Strengthening structured antenatal education and improving access to preventive interventions are essential to reduce avoidable maternal and neonatal complications.

Background Malaria remains a major public health challenge in Ethiopia, affecting more than two‑thirds of the population living in endemic regions. Although local studies have explored community perceptions, nationally representative evidence on household‑level malaria risk perception is limited. Objectives To examine socioeconomic and geographic correlates of household malaria risk perception in Ethiopia. Methods We analyzed data from 9,157 households in the 2022–2023 Ethiopian National Health Equity Survey (NHES) using multilevel mixed‑effects logistic regression to account for clustering at region, zone, and woreda‑levels. Spatial analysis was conducted using Global Moran's I, and Getis Ord Gi* was used to identify geographic patterns. Results Overall, 76.4% of households reported feeling at risk of malaria (95% CI: 74.9–77.9). Rural households had 54% higher odds of perceiving risk compared to urban households (AOR = 1.54, 95% CI: 1.22–1.95). Households with higher education were nearly twice as likely to perceive risk (AOR = 1.89, 95% CI: 1.36–2.63), while older household heads were about half as likely (AOR = 0.49, 95% CI: 0.35–0.67). Households without a mobile phone (AOR = 0.59, 95% CI: 0.51–0.69) or bank/microfinance account (AOR = 0.59, 95% CI: 0.50–0.70) were less likely to perceive risk. Approximately 38% of the variability in malaria risk perception occurred between woredas, indicating strong local geographic clustering. Approximately 38% of the variability in perception occurred between woredas, with a Median Odds Ratio of 2.62, indicating strong local clustering. Spatial autocorrelation was significant (Global Moran’s I = 0.42, p < 0.001), with 11% of areas identified as High–High clusters. Conclusions Household malaria risk perception in Ethiopia is shaped by socioeconomic disparities and geographic clustering. Integrating perception indicators into malaria surveillance and control strategies will strengthen precision public health and support equitable progress toward malaria elimination.

In Pakistan effective border control measures and school closures were implemented after declaration of COVID-19 pandemic. Public awareness campaigns were started to educate public including adolescents. This study aims to assess adolescent’s knowledge, attitudes and preventive practices during pandemic in Pakistan. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 328 individuals from October 2021 to February 2022 among school going adolescents aged 10–19 years in Pakistan. An online questionnaire was administered using online platforms. The questionnaire included sections on socio-demographic information, knowledge, attitudes, preventive practices, vaccine practice and information on new COVID-19 variants. Data was analyzed using multiple linear regression method. Among these individuals, mean knowledge scores were 9.64 (3.53), mean attitude score were 4.12 (1.77) and mean preventive practice score were 17 (6.83). Older adolescents exhibited better adherence to preventive measures and support to travel bans and adherence to SOPs during lock down. Multiple linear regression revealed that higher knowledge (β = 0.22, p = 0.03) and positive attitudes (β = 0.92, p < 0.001) were significantly associated with better preventive practices. This indicated that adolescents living in Pakistan have moderate knowledge about COVID-19 pandemic, with positive attitudes towards preventive measures taken by the government. However, there is a need for targeted educational interventions to enhance understanding and adherence to preventive measures among adolescents to better manage the pandemic in near future.

The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the issue of vaccine hesitancy, leading researchers to study the determinants of people's willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. This study is the first to comprehensively investigate the role of preventive practices at both the individual and contextual level, drawing on the theoretical concept of “cultural health capital”. Utilizing data from the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement (SHARE), covering information from 18,454 individuals aged 50 years and above residing in 25 European countries, we examined the influence of past engagement in preventive practices and the prevalence of such practices within a country on the likelihood of COVID-19 vaccine uptake. Our analysis included (i) previous vaccination behaviors, (ii) other healthcare-related behaviors, and (iii) lifestyle factors at both the individual and contextual levels. Leveraging the longitudinal design of the SHARE, we accounted for the temporal ordering of the relationships. At the individual level, almost all preventive behaviors were significantly related to people's willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Individuals who (i) had received an influenza vaccination prior to the COVID-19 outbreak and during childhood, (ii) had regularly participated in dental and blood pressure check-ups throughout their lives, and (iii) did not engage in lifestyle-related risk behaviors, were more likely to accept the COVID-19 vaccine. Notably, alcohol use was not significantly associated. At the contextual level, only the vaccination coverage rate for influenza was found to be robustly related, indicating that individuals were more inclined to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in countries with higher influenza vaccination rates prior to the pandemic. Active participation in preventive practices and effective implementation of vaccination campaigns can contribute to the development of (institutional) cultural health capital, which ultimately promotes a greater willingness to get vaccinated against COVID-19. •Individual and contextual factors are related to COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy.•Prior preventive practices relate to lower COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy.•Higher pre-COVID influenza vaccination relate to lower COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy.•(Institutionalized) social learning effects play a key role.•The concept of cultural health capital deserves further attention within the field.

Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has had a profound global impact. Vaccination remains a key strategy for controlling transmission and reducing morbidity and mortality. However, vaccine hesitancy poses a significant public health challenge, particularly in low- and middle-income settings. This study assessed COVID-19 vaccine acceptability and the determinants of vaccine hesitancy among adults in Lagos State, Nigeria. Methods A cross-sectional, community-based study was conducted among 854 adults selected through multistage sampling across three Local Government Areas in Lagos State. Data were collected using a pretested, semi-structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize variables, while chi-square tests and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with vaccine hesitancy. Statistical significance was set at p  ≤ 0.05. Results The mean age of respondents was 42.5 ± 13.6 years, and 51.2% were female. Overall, 44.1% of participants accepted the COVID-19 vaccine, while 55.9% were hesitant. Vaccine hesitancy was significantly associated with age, gender, marital status, ethnicity, religion, and educational level ( p  ≤ 0.05). Multivariable analysis showed that respondents aged ≤ 20 years (OR = 5.5) and 21–40 years (OR = 2.0), as well as those with secondary education (OR = 2.0), were more likely to be hesitant. Independent predictors of vaccine hesitancy included secondary education (AOR = 2.3; p  < 0.001), low perceived risk of COVID-19 (AOR = 1.7; p  = 0.011), and poor preventive practices (AOR = 1.8; p  = 0.002). Conclusions COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy remains high among adults in Lagos State despite generally good knowledge levels. Targeted, context-specific health promotion interventions addressing risk perception, misinformation, and safety concerns are essential to improve vaccine uptake and strengthen pandemic response efforts.

Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in young calves and a major driver of antibiotic use in the United Kingdom (UK), making veterinary decision-making central to antimicrobial stewardship (AMS). This study used a mixed-methods survey of UK farm veterinarians (  = 95), combining quantitative and qualitative questions, to explore diagnostic tools, antibiotic choices, and factors influencing the use of ancillary therapies. For BRD diagnosis in calves, clinical examination (36.8%), necropsy (33.7%), and rectal temperature (31.6%) were the tools most regarded as extremely important. Oxytetracycline was the most commonly used primary antibiotic (52.6%), tulathromycin was the secondary option (38.9%), and NSAIDs were represented as the most common ancillary therapy (80.0%). The risk of antimicrobial resistance (AMR; 22.1%) and clinical experience (21.1%) primarily drove antibiotic selection. Prevention focused on colostrum management (80.0%), ventilation (65.3%), intranasal vaccines (46.3%), and injectable vaccines (40.0%). Influences on prescribing behaviours included motivations regarding responsible antibiotic use (68.4%), avoiding blame (45.3%), and veterinarian-farmer relationships (42.1%). Bacterial culture and sensitivity testing were the least important (24.2%), suggesting a need to strengthen AMS. These results showed a phenomenon in clinical diagnosis, specific antimicrobial classes used, and relational factors in prescribing. The study showed that clinical assessment, social pressures, and policy contexts jointly shaped antimicrobial prescribing decisions. Enhancing diagnostic capacity, embedding evidence-based preventive measures, and applying behavioural frameworks to support veterinarian-farmer communication were identified as essential to improve AMS. The targeted interventions within One Health approach are required to support sustainable UK dairy health management.