Evaluating the effect of passive cooling strategies in school buildings on children's well-being in Barcelona: A quasi-experimental, mixed methods study.

Passive cooling strategies were implemented in 11 school buildings in Barcelona within a pilot project to improve thermal conditions. The present study aimed to evaluate the intervention's impact on students' comfort and well-being at school. A quasi-experimental pre-post study based on mixed methods was conducted.

Urban environment and health: a cross-sectional multiregional project based on population health surveys in Spain (DAS-EP project) - study protocol.

Introduction: The European Environment Agency estimates that 75% of the European population lives in cities. Despite the many advantages of city life, the risks and challenges to health arising from urbanisation need to be addressed in order to tackle the growing burden of disease and health inequalities in cities. This study, (DAS-EP project), aims to investigate the complex association between the urban environmental exposures (UrbEEs) and health.

Improving tuberculosis case detection through contact risk stratification by Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra and spatial parameters: Evaluation of an innovative active case finding strategy in Mozambique (Xpatial-TB).

Prompt diagnosis is critical for tuberculosis (TB) control, as it enables early treatment which in turn, reduces transmission and improves treatment outcomes. We investigated the impact on TB diagnosis of introducing Xpert Ultra as the frontline diagnostic test, combined with an innovative active-case finding (ACF) strategy (based on Xpert Ultra semi-quantitative results and spatial parameters), in a semi-rural district of Southern Mozambique. From January-December 2018 we recruited incident TB-cases (index cases, ICs) and their household contacts (HCs).

Association of drought conditions and heavy rainfalls with the quality of drinking water in Barcelona (2010-2022).

Background: Climate change influences the incidence and scope of climate extreme events that affect communities and the environment around the world. In an urban context such as Barcelona, these climate extremes can have a negative impact on drinking water quality. The worsening of drinking water quality can have important repercussions on human health, leading to the appearance of different diseases.

Blood concentrations of metals, essential trace elements, rare earth elements and other chemicals in the general adult population of Barcelona: Distribution and associated sociodemographic factors.

Background: Very little information is available on the population distribution and on sociodemographic predictors of body concentrations of rare earth elements (REE) and other chemicals used in the manufacturing of high-tech devices.

Objectives: To analyze the distribution and associated sociodemographic factors of blood concentrations of chemical elements (including some metals, essential trace elements, rare earth elements and other minority elements) in a representative sample of the general population of Barcelona (Spain).

Methods: A sample of participants in the Barcelona Health Survey of 2016 (N = 240) were interviewed face-to-face, gave blood, and underwent a physical exam.

Climate Change and Health in Urban Areas with a Mediterranean Climate: A Conceptual Framework with a Social and Climate Justice Approach.

The consequences of climate change are becoming increasingly evident and highlight the important interdependence between the well-being of people and ecosystems. Although climate change is a global phenomenon, its causes and consequences vary dramatically across territories and population groups. Among settings particularly susceptible to health impacts from climate change are cities with a Mediterranean climate.

Estimating ambient air pollution mortality and disease burden and its economic cost in Barcelona.

Background: The new WHO air quality guidelines indicate that the air pollution disease burden is greater than previously reported. We aimed to estimate the air pollution disease burden and its economic cost in Barcelona to inform local action.

Methods: We used a quantitative health impact assessment to estimate the non-accidental mortality and incidence of childhood asthma and lung cancer attributable to long-term air pollution exposure in the city of Barcelona (Spain) in 2018-2019.

The Association of Energy Poverty with Health and Wellbeing in Children in a Mediterranean City.

Children have been identified as being particularly vulnerable to energy poverty (EP), but little empirical research has addressed the effect of EP on children's health and wellbeing, especially in southern Europe. In this work we aimed to provide an in-depth description of the distribution of EP by sociodemographic, socioeconomic and housing characteristics, as well as to analyse the association between EP and health and wellbeing in children in Barcelona. We performed a cross-sectional study using data from the Barcelona Health Survey for 2016 ( = 481 children under 15 years).

Performance of Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra for tuberculosis diagnosis in the context of passive and active case finding.

Aims: We present a field evaluation of the diagnostic accuracy of Xpert MTB/RIF ("Xpert") and Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra ("Ultra") using two cohorts in a high tuberculosis/HIV burden setting in Southern Mozambique.

Methods: Single respiratory specimens from symptomatic adults accessing healthcare services (passive case finding (PCF) cohort) and from household and community close contacts (active case finding (ACF) cohort) were tested by smear microscopy, culture, Xpert and Ultra. Liquid and solid culture served as a composite reference standard.

[A public health surveillance system applied to climate change for cities].

This paper makes a first proposal for a public health surveillance system for climate change in cities, and describes the process that led to its definition. After several years of monitoring different aspects related to climate change and its impact, the public health services of Barcelona made a preliminary proposal and gathered a working group of experts to discuss and review it. Four categories of components were defined: climate data, health impacts of climate change and its determinants, contributions of the city to mitigation (especially those with health co-benefits), and actions to reduce vulnerability to extreme events.

Energy poverty and health: Trends in the European Union before and during the economic crisis, 2007-2016.

The aim of this study is to analyse the time trends in the European Union (EU) before and during the economic crisis in 1) the energy poverty (EP) prevalence; 2) the association between EP and health and 3) the impact of EP on health. We analyse trends among women and men in two EU macro regions, defined by a novel index of structural vulnerability to EP. The study shows how EP and its impact on health worsened during the economic crisis and identifies groups at higher risk such as women and people living in Mediterranean and Eastern European countries, which have been found to be countries with higher structural vulnerability to EP.

The association of energy poverty with health, health care utilisation and medication use in southern Europe.

Energy poverty (EP) is defined as the inability of a household to secure a socially and materially required level of energy services in the home. The main objective of this study was to analyse the association between EP and distinct indicators of health status, health services utilisation and medication use in southern Europe, using the city of Barcelona as a case study. We conducted a cross-sectional study using the data of the Barcelona Health Survey for 2016 (n = 3519, 53.

Energy poverty, its intensity and health in vulnerable populations in a Southern European city.

Objective: To describe and compare the health status between vulnerable population participating in a program to tackle energy poverty (Energía, la justa) and the non-energy poor Barcelona (Spain) population and to analyse among participants the effect of energy poverty intensity on health.

Method: Cross-sectional study based on data from program participants obtained before the intervention. Participants (1799 women and 671 men) were compared to non-energy poor population of Barcelona (1393 women and 1215 men) sampled from the Barcelona Public Health Survey (2016).

Promoting physical activity through primary health care: the case of Catalonia.

Background: In adults, as little as 10 minutes of moderate physical activity (PA) three times a day can help prevent non-communicable diseases and prolong life expectancy. The aim of the study was to evaluate the process and impact of scaling up a complex intervention (PAFES) implemented in Catalonia, aimed to increase the proportion of adults complying with PA recommendations (especially those with cardiovascular risk factors).

Methods: The intervention, piloted in 2005, had three elements: 1) establishing clinical guidelines for PA; 2) identifying local PA resources; 3) PA screening and advice in primary health care (PHC) settings, based on stage of change.

Weak surveillance and policy attention to cancer in global health: the example of Mozambique.

Cancer is an emerging public health problem in sub-Saharan Africa due to population growth, ageing and westernisation of lifestyles. The increasing burden of cancer calls for urgent policy attention to develop cancer prevention and control programmes. Cancer surveillance is an essential prerequisite.

IP-10 Kinetics in the First Week of Therapy are Strongly Associated with Bacteriological Confirmation of Tuberculosis Diagnosis in HIV-Infected Patients.

Simple effective tools to monitor the long treatment of tuberculosis (TB) are lacking. Easily measured host derived biomarkers have been identified but need to be validated in larger studies and different population groups. Here we investigate the early response in IP-10 levels (between day 0 and day 7 of TB therapy) to identify bacteriological status at diagnosis among 127 HIV-infected patients starting TB treatment.

Rubella susceptibility in pregnant women and results of a postpartum immunization strategy in Catalonia, Spain.

Background: Elimination of congenital rubella syndrome depends not only on effective childhood immunization but also on the identification and immunization of rubella susceptible women. We assessed rubella susceptibility among pregnant women and evaluated the adherence and response to postpartum immunization with measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine.

Methods: Cross-sectional study of women who gave birth at the Hospital Clinic de Barcelona (Spain) between January 2008 and December 2013.