International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Women seeking asylum experience markedly poorer health outcomes than refugees, other migrants, and host populations, with sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs that are complex and multidimensional. This qualitative study explored the barriers to and enablers of accessing preventive SRH care among women seeking asylum in Australia. Between March 2022 and September 2023, semi-structured interviews were conducted with twelve women from eight countries. Using a socioecological framework, analysis revealed that access to preventive SRH care is shaped by intersecting factors at individual, interpersonal, community, and policy levels. Key barriers included limited knowledge of preventive care, psychosocial and financial constraints, fragmented health services, and restrictive immigration policies. Enabling factors included culturally concordant care, continuity with trusted general practitioners, and supportive community and social relationships. The findings underscore how structural and relational factors intersect to influence SRH access and highlight the need for coordinated, multi-level strategies to promote equitable SRH care for women seeking asylum in Australia.

Climate-Sensitive Infectious Diseases (CSIDs) are diseases whose prevalence and transmission are heavily influenced by climatic factors, posing a significant challenge to public health, particularly in vulnerable regions such as Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). This study employs a bibliometric analysis to evaluate the evolution and distribution of research on CSID and the analytical methods employed in the field. Using bibliometric and text-mining techniques, the analysis examines publication trends, research hotspots, and methodological developments from 2015 to 2024. The results highlight a regional concentration of research, with Brazil leading in CSID studies, particularly on arboviruses such as dengue, Zika, and chikungunya. The analysis also reveals the predominance of regression models, time-series analysis, and spatial analysis as primary methods used to forecast and analyze disease outbreaks. However, advanced techniques such as neural networks and niche modeling are gaining traction, indicating a shift towards more data-intensive approaches. The findings underscore the importance of enhancing forecasting capabilities and integrating analytical models into public-health systems to anticipate the impact of climate change on disease patterns. This study offers critical insights into methodological trends and identifies gaps for future research, contributing to more effective decision making in public health across Latin America and the Caribbean.

Urban environments play an important influence in influencing healthy lifestyles and reducing sedentary behaviour (SB), particularly as facilitators of physical activity (PA). Urban spaces often do not support healthy lifestyles. A Community of Practice (CoP) could be a valuable strategy for co-designing proposals to enhance healthy and active urban environments. We aimed to develop strategies through a CoP to promote PA and reduce SB in the urban setting of a multicultural population based in the Barcelona Metropolitan Area, with a particular focus on people with chronic diseases. A three-session CoP involving 25 participants (community members with chronic conditions, health professionals, urban planners, and local authorities) was implemented as a participatory research approach to identify barriers and facilitators to PA and co-design feasible urban improvement proposals. Ethical approval was obtained from Bellvitge University Hospital’s Ethics Committee. Participants provided informed consent and image release forms. Participants highlighted the importance of accessible, adaptable, and interconnected urban spaces to address barriers and leverage facilitators to PA. Proposed interventions targeted four selected areas of the neighbourhood and included expanding shaded areas, creating pedestrian-friendly routes and enhancing green spaces. This study highlights the effectiveness of a CoP in identifying and addressing barriers to PA within urban environments for people with chronic diseases. Findings emphasise the impact of neighbourhood design and accessibility on reducing SB and promoting active lifestyles. The participatory approach offers a replicable model for other urban settings aiming to foster health, although its qualitative and local nature limits generalisability.