Longitudinal associations between air pollution and incident dementia as mediated by MRI-measured brain volumes in the UK Biobank.

Background: Although there is increasing evidence that environmental exposures are associated with the risk of neurodegenerative conditions, there is still limited mechanistic evidence evaluating potential mediators in human populations.

Methods: UK Biobank is a large long-term study of 500,000 adults enrolled from 2006 to 2010 age 40-69 years. ICD-10 classified reports of dementia cases up to 2022 (Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, dementia in other classified diseases, and unspecified dementia) were identified from health record linkage.

Air pollution, traffic noise, mental health, and cognitive development: A multi-exposure longitudinal study of London adolescents in the SCAMP cohort.

Background: There is increasing evidence that air pollution and noise may have detrimental psychological impacts, but there are few studies evaluating adolescents, ground-level ozone exposure, multi-exposure models, or metrics beyond outdoor residential exposure. This study aimed to address these gaps.

Methods: Annual air pollution and traffic noise exposure at home and school were modelled for adolescents in the Greater London SCAMP cohort (N=7555).

Ultra-processed food consumption in UK adolescents: distribution, trends, and sociodemographic correlates using the National Diet and Nutrition Survey 2008/09 to 2018/19.

Purpose: We quantified levels of ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption and investigated consumption patterns in a representative sample of UK adolescents.

Methods: We used data from 4-day food diaries from adolescents in the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) (2008/09-2018/19). UPF were identified using the NOVA classification.

Measuring How Public Health Stakeholders Seek to Influence Alcohol Premises Licensing in England and Scotland: The Public Health Engagement In Alcohol Licensing (PHIAL) Measure.

Objective: In the United Kingdom, some public health teams (PHTs) routinely engage with local alcohol premises licensing systems, through which licenses to sell alcohol are granted. We aimed to categorize PHT efforts and to develop and apply a measure of their efforts over time.

Method: Preliminary categories of PHT activity were developed based on prior literature and were used to guide data collection with PHTs in 39 local government areas (27 in England; 12 in Scotland), sampled purposively.

Levelling up health: A practical, evidence-based framework for reducing health inequalities.

There are substantial inequalities in health across society which have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The UK government have committed to a programme of levelling-up to address geographical inequalities. Here we undertake rapid review of the evidence base on interventions to reduce such health inequalities and developed a practical, evidence-based framework to 'level up' health across the country.

Impact of public health team engagement in alcohol licensing on health and crime outcomes in England and Scotland: A comparative timeseries study between 2012 and 2019.

Background: Public health teams (PHTs) in England and Scotland engage to varying degrees in local alcohol licensing systems to try to reduce alcohol-related harms. No previous quantitative evidence is available on the effectiveness of this engagement. We aimed to quantify the effects of PHT engagement in alcohol licensing on selected health and crime outcomes.

Using group model building to frame the commercial determinants of dietary behaviour in adolescence - proposed methods for online system mapping workshops.

Background: Group model building (GMB) is a participatory approach whereby diverse stakeholders can share their views about a problem to create a collective understanding of a complex system. In this article we report our methodological approach to adapt face-to-face GMB processes to an online format to explore the mechanisms by which commercial drivers influence adolescents' dietary behaviour. We use our experiences to make recommendations on how online GMB could be delivered.

Association between cigarette smoking status and voting intentions: Cross sectional surveys in England 2015-2020.

Background And Aims: Cigarette smoking takes place within a cultural and social context. Political views and practices are an important part of that context. To gain a better understanding of smoking, it may be helpful to understand its association with voting patterns as an expression of the political views and practices of the population who smoke.

An exploration of the challenges of providing person-centred care for older care home residents with obesity.

The aim of this study was to explore care home staff's views on the prevalence of obesity in older people and how well prepared they were for any rise in applications for placements. Thematic analysis was used to analyse focus group interview data collected from seven care homes/33 participants in N.E.

Evaluating the effects of the Licensing Act 2003 on the characteristics of drinking occasions in England and Wales: a theory of change-guided evaluation of a natural experiment.

Background And Aims: The Licensing Act 2003 deregulated trading hours in England and Wales. Previous evaluations have focused upon consumption and harm outcomes, finding mixed results. Several evaluations speculated on the reasons for their results, noting the role of changes in the characteristics of drinking occasions.

Conceptualising natural and quasi experiments in public health.

Background: Natural or quasi experiments are appealing for public health research because they enable the evaluation of events or interventions that are difficult or impossible to manipulate experimentally, such as many policy and health system reforms. However, there remains ambiguity in the literature about their definition and how they differ from randomized controlled experiments and from other observational designs. We conceptualise natural experiments in the context of public health evaluations and align the study design to the Target Trial Framework.

Facilitating social coping-'seeking emotional and practical support from others'-as a critical strategy in maintaining the family care of people with dementia.

The aim of this study was to identify how the family care of people living with dementia could be supported to make reliance on family care sustainable in the long term despite the impact of stress. A Realist Evaluation (Pawson & Tilley, 1997) was conducted to investigate this aim. An initial review established 'coping' as a primary means of mediating stressors associated with caregiving.

Assessing the contribution of alcohol-specific causes to socio-economic inequalities in mortality in England and Wales 2001-16.

Background And Aims: When measuring inequalities in health, public health and addiction research has tended to focus on differences in average life-span between socio-economic groups. This does not account for the extent to which age of death varies between individuals within socio-economic groups or whether this variation differs between groups. This study assesses (1) socio-economic inequalities in both average life-span and variation in age at death, (2) the extent to which these inequalities can be attributed to alcohol-specific causes (i.

A systematic review protocol examining workplace interventions that aim to improve employee health and wellbeing in male-dominated industries.

Background: The workplace environment potentially provides access to a large population who are employed, and it is an employer's responsibility to provide appropriate conditions for its employees. Whilst the aetiology of cardiovascular disease is multifactorial, it is generally acknowledged that working conditions, gender and age are involved in its development. Male-dominated industries (comprising > 70% male workers, e.

Understanding decisions to use e-cigarettes or behavioural support to quit tobacco: a qualitative study of current and ex-smokers and stop smoking service staff.

Aim: To examine factors influencing current and ex-smokers' decisions to use e-cigarettes or behavioural support, including potential impacts of any differences in perspectives between smokers and their local stop smoking services (SSSs).

Design: Semi-structured qualitative interviews followed by framework analysis, with the 'capability', 'opportunity', 'motivation' and 'behaviour' (COM-B) model of behaviour change used to frame findings.

Setting: SSSs and surrounding local areas in England.

Motivation to reduce alcohol consumption and subsequent attempts at reduction and changes in consumption in increasing and higher-risk drinkers in England: a prospective population survey.

Aims: To assess how far motivation to reduce alcohol consumption in increasing and higher-risk drinkers in England predicts self-reported attempts to reduce alcohol consumption and changes in alcohol intake during the following 6 months.

Methods: This study used self-reported data from 2928 higher-risk drinkers in the Alcohol Toolkit Study (ATS): a series of monthly cross-sectional household surveys of adults aged 16+ years of age in England. Alcohol consumption was measured in an initial survey and in a 6-month telephone follow-up interview using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT)-C questionnaire.

The intervention effect of local alcohol licensing policies on hospital admission and crime: a natural experiment using a novel Bayesian synthetictime-series method.

Background: Control of alcohol licensing at local government level is a key component of alcohol policy in England. There is, however, only weak evidence of any public health improvement. We used a novel natural experiment design to estimate the impact of new local alcohol licensing policies on hospital admissions and crime.

E-cigarettes and equity: a systematic review of differences in awareness and use between sociodemographic groups.

Objective: To assess whether electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) awareness, 'ever use' and current use vary significantly between different sociodemographic groups.

Design: Systematic review.

Data Sources: Published and unpublished reports identified by searching seven electronic databases (PubMed, MEDLINE, Web of Science, EMBASE, Global Health, PsycINFO, CINAHL Plus) and grey literature sources.

Temporal patterns of alcohol consumption and attempts to reduce alcohol intake in England.

Background: The Alcohol Toolkit Study (ATS) is a monthly survey of approximately 1700 adults per month aged 16 years of age or more in England. We aimed to explore patterns of alcohol consumption and motivation to reduce alcohol use in England throughout the year.

Methods: Data from 38,372 participants who answered questions about alcohol consumption (March 2014 to January 2016) were analysed using weighted regression using the R survey package.