JMIR Public Health and Surveillance

The demand for high-quality population health data at the local level calls for expanded tools for those working to enhance the health of communities across the country to easily calculate small area estimates. Statistical models that generate small area estimates often utilize Bayesian estimation techniques which are computationally complex and not readily accessible to most public health professionals. We developed two tools to facilitate small area estimation. For ESRI users, we developed the RSTbx ArcGIS plugin and for R users we developed the RSTr R package. In this tutorial, we demonstrate how to use these tools to calculate small area estimates and evaluate their reliability. We also demonstrate three key benefits from using either of these tools: 1) decreased number of geographic units with suppressed estimates, 2) flexibility to set the threshold for statistical reliability, and 3) credible intervals that can be used to identify statistically significant differences between geographic units. Additionally, both tools offer built-in age-standardization capabilities. We created census tract-level maps from North Carolina mortality data and Rhode Island hospitalization data to showcase the benefits of generating small area estimates with these tools. RSTbx and RSTr are powerful tools that can be used to meet the demand for high-quality local-level data to inform public health programs and tailor health promotion activities to the needs of communities across the country.

Widespread misinformation and low critical health literacy pose major barriers to public health worldwide. Rapid, scalable, and evidence-informed digital interventions are urgently needed to strengthen the public’s ability to make informed health decisions.

Drug-induced parkinsonism (DIP) predominantly occurs due to antipsychotic drugs (APDs) blocking dopamine D2 receptors (D2R). However, in vitro assays often fail to fully reflect real-world variability in clinical outcomes.

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major public health concern. Despite improved diagnostic tools, delays in TB diagnosis persist and hinder control efforts.

Facing the threats of emerging and reemerging health issues requires One Health surveillance systems to provide information for integrated responses. Malawi started enhancing the electronic integrated disease surveillance and response (eIDSR) system in 2015, progressing with the aim of developing a One Health Surveillance Platform (OHSP) using District Health Information Software 2 (DHIS2) as its technical backbone, thereby supporting the COVID-19 pandemic response more resiliently and impacting the integrated disease surveillance and response (IDSR) performance. Digital solutions are critical components of One Health surveillance; however, evidence of the successful establishment and implementation of adaptive digital One Health surveillance systems is scarce.

Drug-facilitated sexual assaults (DFSAs) in youth partying contexts represent a growing public health concern, affecting approximately half of women and 1 in 4 men. These assaults often occur in environments where alcohol and other psychoactive substances are consumed, leading to impaired consent and increased vulnerability. At the same time, young people are increasingly exposed to pornography, often using it as a primary source of sexual information. However, pornography can disseminate misleading or harmful messages about sexuality and consent. Of particular concern is a subtype of pornographic material (hereafter referred to as DFSA pornography) that depicts nonconsensual sexual acts involving individuals who are asleep, unconscious, or under the influence of psychoactive substances, including alcohol and other drugs.

Globally, cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death. Primary prevention relies heavily on health risk assessments and lifestyle changes, which can significantly reduce long-term risk and mortality. Digital health offers an accessible and cost-effective approach to support prevention, enabling data sharing and visualization of key indicators such as blood pressure and glucose fluctuations. These visual insights may help patients better understand the effects of lifestyle changes and enhance communication with healthcare providers.

The COVID-19 pandemic amplified digital divides in Brazil, restricting vulnerable groups’ online access to health information and preventive guidance, with limited intersectional analyses of these inequities.

Positive expectancies of cannabis use (CPE), the beliefs about the anticipated positive effects of cannabis, are a robust cognitive precursor of adolescent cannabis initiation and escalation. However, little is known about how sociodemographic, familial, and psychopathology predict CPE or how CPE evolves across early adolescence.

Vaccine hesitancy has increased in recent decades internationally, which sets up a critical barrier to the rapid deployment of novel vaccines against infection with SARS-CoV-2.

Scales for measuring health literacy and numeracy have been broadly classified into performance-based (objective) and self-reported (subjective) scales. Both types of scales have been widely used in research and practice; however, they are not always consistent and may assess different latent constructs. Furthermore, an increasing number of objective measures have been developed and it is unclear how many latent factors should be assumed.

The burden of seasonal influenza on emergency department (ED) visits is poorly quantified due to case ascertainment and data availability challenges. This study estimates county-level respiratory ED visits attributable to influenza using time-series models and examines spatial heterogeneity in county-level burden in 3 states.