Insights into How HIAs are Characterized in the Press: Findings from a Media Analysis of Widely Circulated United States Newspapers

Background: Health impact assessments (HIAs) are burgeoning tools in the policy process, where the media plays a critical role by focusing attention on issues, informing consumers, and influencing positions. Examining how media portrays HIAs is critical to understanding HIAs in the policy context. Methods: This study considered how widely circulated, U.S. newspapers represent HIAs. After searching newspaper databases, we used a qualitative document analysis method consisting of open and axial coding to examine specific phrases of HIA depictions. Results: In coding over 1,000 unique phrases from the 62 documents generated in our search, we found an uptick in HIA-related publications since 2010. Coding these documents identified 46 distinct codes across 10 different themes. The two most prominent HIA-centered themes focused on HIA engagement and the HIA setting. While themes of policy and science, health determinants, and explanations of HIAs were also frequently featured, specific mentions of projected impacts, HIA processes, HIA values, and health outcomes were less prevalent. Conclusions: HIA media portrayals warrant further inquiry from researchers and practitioners. Focusing on how media portrays HIAs is consistent with several HIA steps. It is also important for a broader strategy to educate stakeholders about HIAs and to understand HIAs’ utility. HIA practitioners should develop and implement guidelines for media interaction and tracking that encourage practitioners to seek additional media attention and to focus such attention on health impacts and outcomes, HIA recommendations, and HIA values. Building on our work, researchers should examine HIA media portrayals beyond the context of this study

Application of Multidisciplinary Collaborations for the Advancement of Public Health

The history of public health and urban planning are intertwined, yet it is a recent phenomenon that the fields are once again working together. Such collaborations can have significant positive implications for community design and overall health. This project will discuss the process and lessons learned from a collaborative effort between public health professionals and a multidisciplinary team towards the overall goal of a plan for sustainable development of Southern Nevada. The City of Henderson, NV was awarded a three year planning grant to assess the sustainability of Southern Nevada and develop a planning document to guide growth and promote sustainable development over the next 20 years. Step one of this process was to provide a baseline assessment of the existing conditions of the region which pertain to issues of sustainability including health, transportation, economic development, housing, environment and social equity. Our team consisted of planners from four local jurisdictions, the Regional Transportation Commission, local utilities companies, the health district, and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (School of Community Health Sciences, the Lincy Institute, Urban Sustainability Initiative). We will present the strategies of the overall process, including important data sources for gathering diverse information, the selection process for peer regions and benchmarks against which to measure, share highlights from the final document, and discuss the next steps towards meeting the end goal. Collaborative efforts such as this are critical for the betterment of public health. Sharing strategies and lessons learned only serves to further advance the field of public health

Housing in Southern Nevada

Access to healthy and affordable housing is essential to public health. The purpose of this manuscript is to describe existing conditions surrounding housing in Southern Nevada. The housing market in Southern Nevada has been hit particularly hard with the recent economic downturn, with housing prices decreasing by 61.7% from the peak in 2007 to the lowest point in 2012. This has resulted in a record number of foreclosures, high rates of vacancy, and left nearly 60% of homeowners with negative equity. There are fewer owner occupied units in the region when compared to the national average. Median monthly rent prices are higher in Las Vegas than the national average and 53% of renters and 46% of home owners have a housing cost burden. The Southern Nevada Strong Housing task group used this data to develop a number of goals and strategies aimed at creating a healthy and sustainable community as part of the Southern Nevada Regional Plan for Sustainable Development (SNvRPSD); a single, integrated and consolidated plan that will promote and guide sustainable regional development in Southern Nevada over the next 20 years

Effects of Peer Sexual Health Education on College Campuses: A Systematic Review

Objective. College peer health education groups have grown in popularity to provide information about health and wellness topics. The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate the effectiveness of peer education groups on reducing sexual health risks and increasing sexual health knowledge on a college campus. Method. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses guidelines were followed in searching, extracting, appraising, and synthesizing the evidence. A quality assessment was also conducted. The review was conducted in April 2017. Results. The initial search yielded 2,503 records. After critical appraisal, eight articles remained. Peer education was beneficial for increasing knowledge of sexual health topics and creating some behavior change such as increased condom use and HIV testing. Additionally, interventions developed specifically for women were effective. Conclusions. Peer education is an effective way to disseminate sexual health information and can be a reliable resource for college students

Effect of a congregation-based intervention on uptake of HIV testing and linkage to care in pregnant women in Nigeria (Baby Shower): a cluster randomised trial

Background: Few effective community-based interventions exist to increase HIV testing and uptake of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in pregnant women in hard-to-reach resource-limited settings. We assessed whether delivery of an intervention through churches, the Healthy Beginning Initiative, would increase uptake of HIV testing in pregnant women compared with standard health facility referral. Methods: In this cluster randomised trial, we enrolled self-identified pregnant women aged 18 years and older who attended churches in southeast Nigeria. We randomised churches (clusters) to intervention or control groups, stratified by mean annual number of infant baptisms (<80 vs ≥80). The Healthy Beginning Initiative intervention included health education and on-site laboratory testing implemented during baby showers in intervention group churches, whereas participants in control group churches were referred to health facilities as standard. Participants and investigators were aware of church allocation. The primary outcome was confirmed HIV testing. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier number NCT 01795261. Findings: Between Jan 20, 2013, and Aug 31, 2014, we enrolled 3002 participants at 40 churches (20 per group). 1309 (79%) of 1647 women attended antenatal care in the intervention group compared with 1080 (80%) of 1355 in the control group. 1514 women (92%) in the intervention group had an HIV test compared with 740 (55%) controls (adjusted odds ratio 11·2, 95% CI 8·77–14·25; p<0·0001). Interpretation: Culturally adapted, community-based programmes such as the Healthy Beginning Initiative can be effective in increasing HIV screening in pregnant women in resource-limited settings. Funding: US National Institutes of Health and US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief