Enablers to high vaccination uptake among a disadvantaged minority population: a qualitative study of the Arab population of Israel.

Background: Over 1.9 million Arabs live in Israel and constitute 21% of the total population. Despite being a disadvantaged minority population with wide gaps in health indicators, Arabs have higher Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccination rates compared with the general Jewish population.

Understanding the health system barriers and enablers to childhood MMR and HPV vaccination among disadvantaged, minority or underserved populations in middle- and high-income countries: a systematic review.

Background: Child vaccinations are among the most effective public health interventions. However, wide gaps in child vaccination remain among different groups with uptake in most minorities or ethnic communities in Europe substantially lower compared to the general population. A systematic review was conducted to understand health system barriers and enablers to measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) and human papilloma virus (HPV) child vaccination among disadvantaged, minority populations in middle- and high-income countries.

The impact of Muslim and Christian religious leaders responding to COVID-19 in Israel.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the most significant public health emergencies in decades and has affected all countries worldwide. Religious leaders have been recognized as playing a pivotal role in health promotion during times of crisis. This study explored the role that Muslim and Christian religious leaders played in Israel during the pandemic, and the impact that their activities had on the community.

Medical student lifestyle counselling for non-communicable disease: impact on students' competence and patients' health behaviors.

Background: Promoting healthy lifestyle is key to tackling lifestyle-induced diseases, yet many doctors feel unskilled and medical schools lack its inclusion in their curricula. The impact of a novel elective lifestyle course is described, where students provided 3 months' coaching to at-risk patients.

Methods: Students' attitudes, competence and lifestyle were assessed pre- and post the 18-month course.

Keeping our children safe: piloting a hospital-based home-visitation program in Israel.

Background: Unintentional childhood injuries are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Attempts to prevent child home injuries have rarely been implemented in hospital settings which present an important opportunity for intervention. The SHABI ('Keeping our Children Safe; SHomrim Al BetIchut Yeladenu') program recruits at-risk families presenting with child injury to the Emergency Department.

Development of a novel social incubator for health promoting initiatives in a disadvantaged region.

Background: Bottom-up approaches to disparity reduction present a departure from traditional service models where health services are traditionally delivered top-down. Raphael, a novel bottom-up social incubator, was developed in a disadvantaged region with the aim of 'hatching' innovative health improvement interventions through academia-community partnership.

Methods: Community organizations were invited to submit proposals for incubation.

Keeping children safe: a model for predicting families at risk for recurrent childhood injuries.

Objective: Existing research on recurrent unintentional injury (UI) focuses on the individual child rather than family risks. This study developed a statistical model for identifying families at highest risk, for potential use in targeting public health interventions.

Study Design: A retrospective birth cohort study of hospital and emergency room (ER) medical records of children born in Ziv hospital between 2005 and 2012, attending ER for UI between 2005 and 2015, was conducted.

Can non-clinical community placements enhance medical students' understanding of the social determinants of ill health?

Objectives: Teaching the social determinants of health using classroom methods and medical settings is not effectual, yet few institutions require students to undertake placements in non-clinical settings. We sought to understand through qualitative investigation how non-clinical community placements contributed to students' understanding of health disparities.

Study Design: Qualitative methods.

Leading Healthy Lives: Lifestyle Medicine for Medical Students.

. Doctors have a special role in helping patients make lifestyle changes, and they are more credible and effective if they are role models. Yet few medical schools have incorporated lifestyle medicine into their curricula.

What impact does community service learning have on medical students' appreciation of population health?

Objectives: The Bar Ilan Faculty of Medicine places public health as a priority in its medical curriculum, emphasizing its importance by strategically placing the required course as first on entry into medical school. Students are introduced to the importance of population health and community engagement through participatory community learning experiences. This study aims to examine how participatory community teaching methods impact students' understanding and attitudes towards community health.

A web-based program to increase knowledge and reduce cigarette and nargila smoking among Arab university students in Israel: mixed-methods study to test acceptability.

Background: Among Arab citizens in Israel, cigarette and nargila (hookah, waterpipe) smoking is a serious public health problem, particularly among the young adult population. With the dramatic increase of Internet and computer use among Arab college and university students, a Web-based program may provide an easy, accessible tool to reduce smoking rates without heavy resource demands required by traditional methods.

Objective: The purpose of this research was to examine the acceptability and feasibility of a pilot Web-based program that provides tailored feedback to increase smoking knowledge and reduce cigarette and nargila smoking behaviors among Arab college/university students in Israel.

How can medical schools contribute to bringing about health equity?

The role of medical schools is in a process of change. The World Health Organization has declared that they can no longer be ivory towers whose primary focus is the production of specialist physicians and cutting edge laboratory research. They must also be socially accountable and direct their activities towards meeting the priority health concerns of the areas they serve.