Lancet
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Substance misuse has extensive effects on individuals and communities, ranging from the poor health of people who use drugs to the pressure placed on health care, social services, and the criminal justice system. Strategies to curtail the supply and demand of drugs and reduce these effects typically focus on supply, with less emphasis placed on the drivers of demand. We piloted and evaluated a public health approach for understanding the drivers and effects of substance misuse in a local area, and how these might be targeted for prevention through multi-agency partnership action. ⋯ No funding received.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has affected people experiencing homelessness in multiple ways. The Everyone In initiative during 2020 was initially transformative in providing short-term accommodation for this group but was accompanied by major disruptions to treatment and support services. Understanding how these changes have affected health needs of people experiencing homelessness in the inner-city London Borough of Tower Hamlets can inform future service commissioning. ⋯ None.
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Agent based models are a computational methodology in which systems of simulated heterogeneous agents interact with one another and their environment; they are a research tool with the potential to provide greater understanding of the complex, interdependent, and systemic determinants of population health challenges, particularly when co-produced with the decision makers, practitioners, and public who understand and experience these challenges from a variety of perspectives. Although agent-based modelling is becoming more widely used in health research, this methodology is currently underutilised in non-communicable disease prevention. We aim to highlight the potential role of agent-based modelling in supporting policy and practice decision-making in non-communicable disease prevention, using an obesity example to show how an agent-based model can capture the social influences in diet. ⋯ Population health Agent-based Simulation nEtwork (PHASE).
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A Free School Meals (FSM) policy is a well recognised intervention for tackling food insecurity among children (up to the age 18 years) whose parents receive state benefits. National school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the need to rapidly adapt the delivery of FSM to protect the most disadvantaged children in the UK from increased food insecurity. A range of food assistance policies were implemented, but whether they were evidence-based is unclear. The aim of study was to establish the transparency of evidence use behind FSM policy decisions in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic and to identify other factors influencing decision making. ⋯ Newton's Apple (registered charity number 1121719). The authors are funded by the UK National Institute for Health and Care Research's School for Public Health Research. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the National Institute for Health and Care Research or the UK Department of Health and Social Care.
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Review
Participatory and deliberative processes in the UK related to income insecurity: a scoping review.
Democratising decision making related to socioeconomic policy is an area of growing interest in health inequalities research; however, there is a recognised gap between the democratic theory and practical application at a macro socioeconomic level. This gap is notable in the current UK policy context defined by over a decade of austerity, rising income insecurity, and an increase in health inequalities. Underpinned by theories related to participatory, deliberative, and economic democracy, particularly those concerned with democratic innovations, this scoping Review investigates how, when, and where participatory and deliberative processes have been used to influence socioeconomic policy over the past 15 years in the UK and how this influence might inform any so-called democratic rejuvenation moving forward. ⋯ This study is part of a PhD studentship with the Medical Research Council and Chief Scientist Office, Social and Public Health Sciences Research Unit at the University of Glasgow. The studentship is funded by the Medical Research Council (MC_UU_00022/3) and Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government Health Directorates (SPHSU18). KS is funded by the Medical Research Council (MC_UU_12017/11 and MC_UU_00022/3) and Strategic Award (MC_PC_13027) and Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government Health Directorates (SPHSU18). GF is funded through the UK Medical Research Council (MC_ UU_00022/2) and the Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government Health Directorates (SPHSU17).