Core competencies in applied infectious disease epidemiology: a framework for countries in Europe.

In 2009, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) developed a competency framework to support European Union countries and the European Commission in ensuring a competent public health workforce for Europe. The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic emphasised the importance of harmonised public health strategies and competencies across international boundaries, specifically for infectious diseases. This perspective presents the process to update the competency framework for applied infectious disease epidemiology, highlighting ECDC's efforts to support countries with using the framework.

Using a multi-stakeholder experience-based design process to co-develop the Creating Active Schools Framework.

Background: UK and global policies recommend whole-school approaches to improve childrens' inadequate physical activity (PA) levels. Yet, recent meta-analyses establish current interventions as ineffective due to suboptimal implementation rates and poor sustainability. To create effective interventions, which recognise schools as complex adaptive sub-systems, multi-stakeholder input is necessary.

The impact of care farms on quality of life, depression and anxiety among different population groups: A systematic review.

Care farming (also called social farming) is the therapeutic use of agricultural and farming practices. Service users and communities supported through care farming include people with learning disabilities, mental and physical health problems, substance misuse, adult offenders, disaffected youth, socially isolated older people and the long term unemployed. Care farming is growing in popularity, especially around Europe.

The applicability of the UK Public Health Skills and Knowledge Framework to the practitioner workforce: lessons for competency framework development.

Background: Many countries have developed competency frameworks for public health practice. While the number of competencies vary, frameworks cover similar knowledge and skills although they are not explicitly based on competency theory.

Methods: A total of 15 qualitative group interviews (of up to six people), were conducted with 51 public health practitioners in 8 local authorities to assess the extent to which practitioners utilize competencies defined within the UK Public Health Skills and Knowledge Framework (PHSKF).

Monocular and binocular visual impairment in the UK Biobank study: prevalence, associations and diagnoses.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of, associations with and diagnoses leading to mild visual impairment or worse (logMAR >0.3) in middle-aged adults in the UK Biobank study.

Methods And Analysis: Prevalence estimates for monocular and binocular visual impairment were determined for the UK Biobank participants with fundus photographs and spectral domain optical coherence tomography images.

Assessing the impact of care farms on quality of life and offending: a pilot study among probation service users in England.

Objectives: To assess the feasibility of conducting a cost-effectiveness study of using care farms (CFs) to improve quality of life and reduce reoffending among offenders undertaking community orders (COs). To pilot questionnaires to assess quality of life, connection to nature, lifestyle behaviours, health and social-care use. To assess recruitment and retention at 6 months and feasibility of data linkage to Police National Computer (PNC) reconvictions data and data held by probation services.

The economic impact of sight loss and blindness in the UK adult population.

Background: To quantify the economic impact of sight loss and blindness in the United Kingdom (UK) population, including direct and indirect costs, and its burden on health.

Methods: Prevalence data on sight loss and blindness by condition, Census demographic data, data on indirect costs, and healthcare cost databases were used. Blindness was defined as best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of < 6/60, and sight loss as BCVA < 6/12 to 6/60, in the better-seeing eye.

Vitreoretinal interface abnormalities in middle-aged adults with visual impairment in the UK Biobank study: prevalence, impact on visual acuity and associations.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of vitreoretinal interface abnormalities (VRIA), the degree of visual impairment and associations with VRIA among adults, aged 40-69 years, in the UK Biobank study.

Methods And Analysis: Colour fundus photographs and spectral domain optical coherence tomography images were graded for 25% of the 8359 UK Biobank participants with mild visual impairment or worse (LogMAR >0.3 or Snellen <6/12) in at least one eye.

Master or apprentice: rethinking entry points and training in Public Health.

Background: The Public Health workforce needs to adapt to a policy environment in which the need to improve public health is not only a key challenge but also has to be delivered within financial constraints.

Methods: A total of 14 qualitative individual interviews or focus groups (of up to 10 people), were conducted with senior Public Health staff in 12 local authorities and in Public Health England in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. Thematic analysis was applied to the transcribed interviews.

Geographical inequalities in uptake of NHS funded eye examinations: Poisson modelling of small-area data for Essex, UK.

Background: Small-area analysis of National Health Service (NHS)-funded sight test uptake in Leeds showed significant inequalities in access among people aged <16 or ≥60.

Methods: Data were extracted from 604 126 valid General Ophthalmic Services (GOS)1 claim forms for eye examinations for Essex residents between October 2013 and July 2015. Expected GOS1 uptake for each lower super output area was based on England annual uptake.

A proposed minimum data set for international primary care optometry: a modified Delphi study.

Purpose: To identify a minimum list of metrics of international relevance to public health, research and service development which can be extracted from practice management systems and electronic patient records in primary optometric practice.

Methods: A two stage modified Delphi technique was used. Stage 1 categorised metrics that may be recorded as being part of a primary eye examination by their importance to research using the results from a previous survey of 40 vision science and public health academics.

Can data in optometric practice be used to provide an evidence base for ophthalmic public health?

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the potential of using primary care optometry data to support ophthalmic public health, research and policy making.

Methods: Suppliers of optometric electronic patient record systems (EPRs) were interviewed to gather information about the data present in commercial software programmes and the feasibility of data extraction. Researchers were presented with a list of metrics that might be included in an optometric practice dataset via a survey circulated by email to 102 researchers known to have an interest in eye health.

Influence of legal status on the uptake of cannabis in young people.

Purpose Of Review: Policies that limit young people's access to cannabis may reduce early onset of use and minimize health-related harm. This review article provides an update of recent research examining the influence of the cannabis policy frameworks on the use of cannabis by young people.

Recent Findings: There are significant concerns that ongoing policy changes in favour of legalization will increase the uptake of cannabis by young people.

Addressing inequalities in eye health with subsidies and increased fees for General Ophthalmic Services in socio-economically deprived communities: a sensitivity analysis.

Objectives: Poor knowledge of eye health, concerns about the cost of spectacles, mistrust of optometrists and limited geographical access in socio-economically deprived areas are barriers to accessing regular eye examinations and result in low uptake and subsequent late presentation to ophthalmology clinics. Personal Medical Services (PMS) were introduced in the late 1990 s to provide locally negotiated solutions to problems associated with inequalities in access to primary care. An equivalent approach to delivery of optometric services could address inequalities in the uptake of eye examinations.

Mind the public health leadership gap: the opportunities and challenges of engaging high-profile individuals in the public health agenda.

Background: Public health leadership has been criticized as being ineffective. The public health profession is relatively small. Critics have argued that there is over-emphasis on technical aspects and insufficient use of the 'community as a source of public health actions'.

Training public health superheroes: five talents for public health leadership.

Background: Public health leaders have been criticized for their policy stances, relationships with governments and failure to train the next generation. New approaches to the identification and training of public health leaders may be required. To inform these, lessons can be drawn from public health 'superheroes'; public health leaders perceived to be the most admired and effective by their peers.

Why don't older adults in England go to have their eyes examined?

Purpose: Preventable sight loss is one of the Public Health Outcome Indicators in England. Despite availability of NHS-funded eye examinations, many people do not take up their entitlement. This paper explores older adults understanding of eye health and the purpose of eye examinations and the reasons why they do or do not attend for eye examinations.

Why don't younger adults in England go to have their eyes examined?

Purpose: Most research on attitudes to eye health has focussed on older people, reflecting the higher prevalence of eye diseases in older age groups. Little is known about younger people's attitudes to eye health. This paper explores young adults understanding of eye health and the purpose of eye examinations and the reasons why they do or do not attend for eye examinations.

Cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking in a representative sample of English school pupils: cross-sectional and longitudinal associations.

Objective: The aim of our study was to examine cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking, in a representative sample of English pupils.

Method: Data from 13,635 school pupils in the Longitudinal Study of Young People in England (LSYPE) on usage of cigarettes from 2004 (typical age 14) to 2006 (age 16) and alcohol from 2004 to 2007 (age 17), analyzed with latent growth curve models.

Results: The weighted percentage of pupils drinking alcohol increased from 26% at age 14 to 71% by age 17, smoking from 12% to 27% by age 16.