JMIR Public Health and Surveillance

Ambient ozone (O) exposure has been found to be associated with gestational hypertension, which, in turn, increases the risk of term low birth weight (LBW). As such, gestational hypertension acts as a potential mechanism mediating restricted fetal growth; however, few epidemiological studies have quantified this specific mediation pathway.

Despite the vast growth of vaccine studies during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, clinical trials failed to adequately represent diverse societal groups, resulting in the underrepresentation of specific populations. Understanding the factors hampering participation in vaccine clinical trials is essential to better identify structural, ethical, and communication barriers and to improve inclusive strategies for broader and more equitable participation in future vaccine research.

The Philippines accounts for 7% of the global tuberculosis (TB) burden. In 2022, an estimated 741,000 Filipinos developed TB, and 40,000 died as a result. Approximately 350,000 new TB diagnoses remain unreported annually.

Utilization of the maternal continuum of care (CoC)—comprising adequate antenatal care (ANC), skilled birth attendance, and postnatal care (PNC)—is critical for improving maternal and child health outcomes. However, dropout from the CoC remains substantial in Bangladesh, with women discontinuing services at different stages of pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum care.

Air pollution continues to impose a substantial health and economic burden in China. Despite recent improvements, national annual average PM2.5 (fine particulate matter) concentrations remain substantially above the levels deemed safe by the World Health Organization (WHO), underscoring the need for more stringent air quality control.

Contact tracing (CT), the process of identifying and managing contacts of infected cases, is one public health and social measure that may reduce the spread of infectious diseases. While previous systematic reviews of CT exist, a comprehensive review of both the effectiveness and potential unintended consequences has not been undertaken to our knowledge. Understanding effective CT strategies could help governments and health authorities prepare effectively for emergency epidemic or pandemic situations.

The prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and its associated factors have not been investigated in Vietnam, especially in rural areas.

In the last 2 decades, there has been an increasing number of sexually transmissible enteric infection (STEI) outbreaks among gay, bisexual, or other men who have sex with men (GBMSM). There remain important gaps in our understanding of how STEI transmission is sustained that repeated collection of samples could help to address.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a significant global health threat. Several public health campaigns aimed to raise AMR awareness and inspire related behavioral changes have been delivered in a time-specific, coordinated manner, while others have placed less emphasis on campaign timing. Social media platforms can be leveraged as key vehicles for delivering public health campaigns, particularly by collaborating with health content creators who serve as influential messengers. Increasingly, organizations such as the World Health Organization and TikTok have created health content creator networks; however, the impact of such networks in public health campaigns, especially when delivered in a coordinated, time-specific manner, remains uncertain.

With rapid population aging, both traumatic injuries and hearing disability have become increasingly prevalent among older adults. Hearing disability may increase vulnerability to injury through impaired balance, reduced environmental awareness, and functional limitations; however, longitudinal evidence examining the association between hearing disability and injury risk remains limited.

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed structural vulnerabilities in the global health emergency workforce. Sustained monitoring of response competence dynamics is critical for maintaining health system resilience during protracted outbreaks.

Renal disease represents a significant and growing public health concern globally and within Saudi Arabia. Despite the increasing burden of noncommunicable diseases, population-based data on the prevalence and determinants of renal disease in Saudi Arabia remain limited. Understanding epidemiology, including prevalence and associated risk factors of renal disease in the context of Saudi Arabia, is essential for designing preventive and early detection strategies.