S ince the end of 2015, invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) caused by Neisseria meningitidis strain W135 has emerged as a severe threat to public health in the Netherlands (1). Before 2015, IMD W135 cases occurred sporadically, averaging 4 cases per year. From 2015 on, the number of cases increased rapidly, to 103 patients in 2018 alone. Cases were reported among persons in all age groups, but the largest numbers of cases were among children <5 years of age, teenagers, and elderly persons. The case-fatality
This paper reports on the perceptions of risk related to practicing sports on fields containing rubber granulate infill, and preferences for mitigation measures, among people with and without offspring exposed to rubber granulate. Two repeated surveys were conducted among members of the general population and parents of children aged under 18, in the middle of a dynamic public discussion about the potential health risks of exposure to rubber granulate. The first survey (N = 1033) was administered in December 2016 at a time characterized by considerable public uncertainty and contrasting opinions in the public risk debate. The second survey (N = 782) was conducted in January 2017 after the publication of a risk assessment report, which concluded that practicing sport on fields containing rubber granulate is safe. Multilevel analyses were performed to study changes in perceptions of risk and mitigation preferences in the time between the two surveys, the influence of being familiar with new information following the risk assessment report, and the differences in the perceptions of risk and mitigation preferences between groups with and without offspring exposed to rubber granulate. The results of this study show that, initially, a substantial proportion of the Dutch public perceived practicing sports on fields containing rubber granulate as a potential health threat to children. Over time, after publication of a new risk assessment study stating that practicing sports on fields containing rubber granulate is safe, perceived risk and preferences for mitigation of this risk decreased, especially among those who were familiar with the new information. Parents of children under the age of 18, in particular those with children who were exposed to rubber granulate, were more likely to perceive the risk as higher and to prefer a stricter mitigation policy. These insights may be important to inform public health communication strategies with respect to the timing and tailoring of risk messages to various groups.
BackgroundThe likelihood of large-scale outbreaks of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO) is growing. MDRO outbreaks can affect a wide range of healthcare institutions. Control of such outbreaks requires structured collaboration between professionals from all involved healthcare institutions, but guidelines for cross-institutional procedures are, however, often missing. Literature indicates that such multi-actor collaboration is most promising when effective network brokers are present, and when the collaborative actors have clarity about the different roles and responsibilities in the outbreak response network, including collaborative structures and coordination roles. Studying these factors in an imaginary MDRO outbreak scenario, we gained insights into the expectations that health professionals in the Netherlands have in regard to the procedures required to best respond to any future cross-institutional MDRO outbreaks.MethodsFor exploration purpose, a focus group discussion with ten healthcare professionals was held. Subsequently, an online-survey was conducted among 56 healthcare professionals in two Dutch regions. The survey data was analysed using social network analyses (clique analysis and centrality analysis), which provided insights into the collaborative structures and potential brokers in the outbreak response networks. Additionally, respondents were asked which healthcare institutions and which professions they would prefer as coordinating actors in the collaborative network.ResultsOur results show a relatively high level of perceived clarity about the roles and responsibilities that healthcare professionals have during a joint outbreak response. The regional outbreak response networks which were studied appeared inclusive and integrated, with many overlapping groups of fully-connected healthcare actors. Social network analyses resulted in the identification of several central actors from different healthcare institutions with the potential to take on a brokerage role in the collaboration. Actors in the outbreak response networks also showed to prefer several healthcare professionals to take on the coordination roles.ConclusionExpected collaborative structures during an imaginary regional MDRO outbreak response are relatively dense and integrated. In regard to the coordination of an MDRO outbreak response, based on both the network analysis results and the preferred coordination roles, our findings support a governance structure with several healthcare institutions involved in responding to future cross-institutional MDRO outbreaks.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12889-018-6376-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
In response to the increasing incidence of meningococcal C disease in the Netherlands since 2000
, the world has been facing a new and severe threat to public health. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes mild to severe respiratory illness (coronavirus disease [COVID-19]), was fi rst found in humans in Wuhan, China (1). The virus spread rapidly over the world, and on March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared a COVID-19 pandemic (2). Globally, by January 23, 2021, a total of 96,877,399 cases had been confi rmed, including 2,098,879 deaths (3). The risks associated with COVID-19 are not equally distributed; some regions (within and between countries) are more strongly affected than others, health workers are at increased risk for infection, and elderly persons with certain chronic underlying conditions and men are at increased risk for severe COVID-19 illness and death (4). During the COVID-19 pandemic, countries all over the world rapidly adopted various measures to counter the spread of the virus. In the initial (containment) stage, the measures were aimed at identifying and isolating new cases. As the number of cases started to rise quickly, countries announced additional social distancing measures. Many countries undertook stringent mitigation measures, such as closing schools and restaurants, restraining domestic and foreign travel, and, for some, implementing a total lockdown of the society (5). For these measures to be effective, governments rely strongly on the support and compliance of the general public. To maintain support for the protective measures for a longer period, governments need insights into the dynamics of public perceptions (regarding the risks associated with COVID-19 and the recommended protective measures) and the trust in the authorities who imposed these measures. These perceptions and trust infl uence the public's compliance with the measures (6) and are essential indicators for public sentiments and information needs. Such insights enable optimal adaptation and tailoring of risk and crisis communication (7-10). The fi rst publications about public perceptions of and responses to the COVID-19 pandemic are, to our knowledge, all cross-sectional and do not provide insights into the dynamics (11-19). Previous studies about the 2009 infl uenza A(H1N1) pandemic showed considerable changes in, among other things, perceptions of risk, trust in authorities, and self-reported protective behavior over a longer crisis period (20-25).
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.