The Old and New Faces of Epidemiology: From the Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases to Social Epidemiology

A special issue of Healthcare (ISSN 2227-9032). This special issue belongs to the section "Health Assessments".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2025 | Viewed by 1627

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Public Health in Bytom, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, 41-902 Katowice, Poland
Interests: clinical epidemiology; neuroepidemiology; neuropathology

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant
Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Public Health in Bytom, Medical University of Silesia in Katowice, 41-902 Katowice, Poland
Interests: social epidemiology; health inequalities; childhood asthma
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Epidemiology is the foundation upon which other medical sciences that deal with health in a broader sense were built. The development of epidemiological methodology has helped to build our knowledge of the risk factors for many diseases. Initially, the efforts of epidemiology were focused on the control of infectious diseases and the identification of causative agents, as these represented significant health and social challenges for many generations. With the increasing impact of chronic non-communicable diseases, epidemiology has also been utilized with considerable success in this field. It is due to a large epidemiological cohort study (the Framingham Heart Study) that it is possible to identify risk factors for cardiovascular disease and introduce prevention in this area. The medical progress achieved in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of cardiovascular disease would not have been possible without epidemiology. Similar patterns can be seen in many other areas of medicine. Epidemiology provides 'tacit support' and is one of the driving forces in medicine. In turn, the link between medicine and social sciences expressed through the idea of the humanization of medicine has also influenced further developments in epidemiology and the formation of its new branch, social epidemiology, which takes into account not only standard risk factors, but also the determinants of the broader social environment. Thus, the individual fields within epidemiology combine to provide a holistic picture of the health status of the population and a full analysis of the factors that promote and harm health and, as a result, contribute to effective disease prevention and control programmes.

This Special Issue is a tribute to epidemiology.

We particularly want to emphasize that epidemiology is a science that represents a confident continuum between what has already been studied and discovered and new and neglected health problems. Therefore, this Special Issue covers a broad area of research. Its aim is to present epidemiological achievements in the field of infectious diseases, taking into account neglected and emergency infectious diseases and the social, economic, and environmental factors that enable the development of these diseases. In the field of the so-called civilization diseases, we wish to focus on the most pressing problems of epidemiology and public health. The development of epidemiology would not be possible without the development of new research methods and epidemiological methodologies with the use of statistical methods; therefore, publications dealing with this topic will be welcome.

We are pleased to invite you to present your research on the epidemiology of infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases (mental disorders, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer), and social epidemiology (social determinants of health, discrimination and stigmatization, and health status of vulnerable populations). Original research and review articles are welcome, as well as meta-analyses focusing on new research areas in epidemiology, key achievements, and their relevance to public health.

Original research articles and reviews are welcome for this Special Issue. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following.

  • Old and new infectious diseases and neglected and emergency infectious diseases;
  • Epidemiology of non-communicable diseases, such as mental disorders, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases;
  • Social epidemiology, with particular reference to the social determinants of health and the health needs of vulnerable populations;
  • Development of epidemiological research methods and their applications in the planning of preventive and healthcare actions;
  • Translation of epidemiological research into public health action.

We look forward to receiving your inputs and contributions.

Dr. Jerzy Słowiński
Guest Editor

Dr. Agata Wypych-Ślusarska
Guest Editor Assistant

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Healthcare is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • communicable diseases
  • non-communicable diseases
  • psychosocial determinants of health
  • social epidemiology
  • disease prevention
  • translational epidemiology

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Other

16 pages, 412 KiB  
Article
Ways of Coping with Stress in Women Diagnosed with Breast Cancer: A Preliminary Study
by Agata Wypych-Ślusarska, Sandra Ociepka, Karolina Krupa-Kotara, Joanna Głogowska-Ligus, Klaudia Oleksiuk, Jerzy Słowiński and Antoniya Yanakieva
Healthcare 2025, 13(6), 609; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13060609 - 11 Mar 2025
Viewed by 635
Abstract
Background: Cancer diagnosis causes a range of different emotions. It is also a factor that causes feelings of severe stress. Coping with stress is individual and depends on the person’s nature, environment, and support they receive. Aim: This study aimed to assess how [...] Read more.
Background: Cancer diagnosis causes a range of different emotions. It is also a factor that causes feelings of severe stress. Coping with stress is individual and depends on the person’s nature, environment, and support they receive. Aim: This study aimed to assess how women diagnosed with breast cancer cope with stress caused by the disease. Methods: A total of 111 women diagnosed with breast cancer participated in the study. The questionnaires were distributed electronically using Google Forms in online forums and groups on social media. The survey consisted of two parts: the original questions and the Mini-COPE questionnaire. The relationships between stress-coping strategies and age, having children, marital status, and life satisfaction were tested. The Mann–Whitney U test, Kruskal–Wallis test, and Dunn’s post-hoc test with Bonferroni correction were used for the analyses (p < 0.05). Results: Of the surveyed women, 54.9% reported that the moment of diagnosis was the most stressful. Feelings of fear and anxiety accompanied 30.5% of the women, and 24.7% at the time of diagnosis could not provide information about the disease. The dominant strategies were seeking emotional support (mean 2.12 ± 0.56) and seeking instrumental support (mean 2.06 ± 0.48). Women in the older age group, married women, and women with children were most likely to adopt the strategy of turning to religion. Conclusions: The dominant strategies were seeking emotional and instrumental support. The strategy of turning to religion was used more often by older patients and patients with children. Full article
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Other

Jump to: Research

21 pages, 773 KiB  
Systematic Review
Effectiveness of Advanced Practice Nursing Interventions on Diabetic Patients: A Systematic Review
by Ana Rodríguez-García, Álvaro Borrallo-Riego, Eleonora Magni and María Dolores Guerra-Martín
Healthcare 2025, 13(7), 738; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13070738 - 26 Mar 2025
Viewed by 592
Abstract
Background: Diabetes mellitus is a complex chronic condition requiring continuous healthcare. Consequently, various organisations recommend therapeutic education to enhance treatment adherence. This is often facilitated by Advanced Practice Nurses, who provide a range of advanced interventions that impact clinical health outcomes and deliver [...] Read more.
Background: Diabetes mellitus is a complex chronic condition requiring continuous healthcare. Consequently, various organisations recommend therapeutic education to enhance treatment adherence. This is often facilitated by Advanced Practice Nurses, who provide a range of advanced interventions that impact clinical health outcomes and deliver healthcare services to these patients. Objective: To analyse the effectiveness of interventions performed by Advanced Practice Nurses in patients with diabetes. Method: A peer-reviewed systematic review was conducted and registered in PROSPERO. The databases consulted included PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and CINAHL. Inclusion criteria comprised studies published between 2014 and 2024 on the effectiveness of interventions by Advanced Practice Nurses in diabetic patients. The review included qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods designs. Various screenings were carried out, including the assessment of methodological quality. Results: A total of 600 studies were identified, of which 17 were selected for final review. Among these, 12 studies focused on diabetic education. Interventions were predominantly delivered in person in primary care settings, private clinics, and hospitals. Reported outcomes included reductions in HbA1c levels, improved patient self-knowledge and self-efficacy, and decreased rates of readmission and mortality. Conclusions: The sample consisted predominantly of women over 60 years of age. Diabetic education emerged as the most common intervention, primarily delivered in person by Advanced Practice Nurses across diverse settings. Nearly all interventions proved effective in improving health outcomes for diabetic patients. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop