Determinants of COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake in The Netherlands: A Nationwide Registry-Based Study

By September 2022, the uptake of at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine in the Dutch adult population was 84%. Ecological studies have indicated a lower uptake in certain population groups. We aimed to investigate determinants of COVID-19 vaccine uptake in the Netherlands at individual level to evaluate and optimize implementation of the vaccination program and generate hypotheses for research on drivers of, and barriers to, vaccination. A retrospective database study was performed including the entire Dutch population ≥ 18. Vaccination data (5 January 2021-18 November 2021) were at individual levels linked to sociodemographic data. Random forest analyses ranked sociodemographic determinants of COVID-19 vaccine uptake. The most important determinant was age; uptake increased until the age of 80 (67% in 18-35 years, 92% in 67-79 years, and 88% in those > 80). Personal income and socioeconomic position ranked second and third, followed by migration status. Uptake was lower among individuals in the lowest income group (69%), those receiving social benefits (56%), and individuals with two parents born abroad (59%). Our finding that age is the most important determinant for uptake likely reflects the prioritisation of elderly in the programme and the general understanding of their increased vulnerability. However, our findings also reveal important other disparities in vaccine uptake. How to best address this inequity in future vaccination campaigns requires further research.

Comparing the magnitude of oral health inequality over time in Canada and the United States

OBJECTIVES

To assess the magnitude of, and changes in, absolute and relative oral health inequality in Canada and the United States, from the 1970s till the first decade of the new millennium.

METHODS

Data were obtained from four national surveys; two Canadian (NCNS 1970-1972 and CHMS 2007-2009) and two American (HANES 1971-1974 and NHANES 2007-2008). The slope and relative index of inequality were used to measure absolute and relative inequality, respectively. Percentage change in inequality was also calculated.

RESULTS

Relative inequality for untreated decay increased by 91% in Canada and 189% in the United States, while for filled teeth it declined by 63% in Canada and 16% in the United States. Relative inequality in edentulism rose by 200% and 78% in Canada and United States, respectively. Absolute inequality declined in both countries.

CONCLUSIONS

There was persistent absolute and relative inequality in Canada and the United States. An increase in relative inequality for adverse outcomes suggests that improvements in oral health were occurring primarily among the rich, while reductions in relative inequality for filled teeth indicate higher utilization of restorative services among the poor. These results point to the necessity of tackling the sociopolitical determinants of health to mitigate oral health inequality in Canada and the United States.

Influences on GP coping and resilience: a qualitative study in primary care

BACKGROUND

'Neoliberal' work policies, austerity, NHS restructuring, and increased GP consultation rates provide the backdrop against increasing reports of GP burnout and an impending shortage of GPs.

AIM

To explore GPs' experiences of workplace challenges and stresses, and their coping strategies, particularly focusing on understanding the impact of recent NHS workplace change.

DESIGN AND SETTING

Study design was qualitative, with data collected from two focus groups and seven one-to-one telephone interviews.

METHOD

Focus groups and one-to-one telephone interviews explored the experiences of GPs currently practising in England, recruited through convenience sampling. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview approach and analysed using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

There were 22 GP participants recruited: focus groups (n = 15) and interviews (n = 7). Interviewees understood GPs to be under intense and historically unprecedented pressures, which were tied to the contexts in which they work, with important moral implications for 'good' doctoring. Many reported that being a full-time GP was too stressful: work-related stress led to mood changes, sleep disruption, increases in anxiety, and tensions with loved ones. Some had subsequently sought ways to downsize their clinical workload. Workplace change resulted in little time for the things that helped GP resilience: a good work-life balance and better contact with colleagues. Although some GPs were coping better than others, GPs acknowledged that there was only so much an individual GP could do to manage their stress, given the external work issues they faced.

CONCLUSION

GPs experience their emotional lives and stresses as being meaningfully shaped by NHS factors. To support GPs to provide effective care, resilience building should move beyond the individual to include systemic work issues.

Prioritizing obesity in the city

A decade ago, the World Health Organization declared obesity to be a global epidemic. Accordingly, there is a growing body of research examining how "obesogenic environments" contribute to the increasing prevalence of obesity. Using the ANGELO Framework, this research explores the role of municipal policies and practices in constructing obesogenic environments in two Southern Ontario cities in order to examine how socio-cultural and political environments shape excess body weight. Data was collected from municipal policy documents, public health websites, and key informants in Hamilton and Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Results indicate that while the cities took different approaches to dealing with obesity, they both reflected the cities' overall prioritizing of health. Additionally, the findings reveal the pervasiveness of values and attitudes held in the socio-cultural environment in further shaping (and being shaped by) political as well as economic and physical environments in the cities. The importance of explicitly acknowledging the official discourse of the city, which this study demonstrates to be a significant factor in constructing obesogenic environments, is highlighted. Theoretical contributions and policy implications are also discussed.