International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Active travel (AT) is a core physical activity (PA) indicator for children and youth; contributin... more Active travel (AT) is a core physical activity (PA) indicator for children and youth; contributing to health and wellbeing, at both the individual and societal levels. This analysis explores patterns of adolescent active school travel (AST) and cycling and associations with different PA measures. Secondary analysis of the cross-sectional 2018–2019 Health Behaviour in School Age Children study in Israel included an extended PA module with walking, cycling and e-cycling modes. The nationally representative sample includes students in grades 6–12 (n = 4407). Analysis of weighted data included descriptive analyses, inferential statistics, and regression analyses. AST was reported by 61.9% of adolescents; 39.3% reported 20 min or more daily AST; 27.1% reported habitual cycling (HC) and 17.4% reported habitual e-cycling (HEC). There are mixed results for socio-economic status and environment. AST and HC were associated with less sedentary hours daily (odds ratio [OR] = 1.190 and 1.397, re...
Background Brucellosis (Brucella melitensis) is endemic in many countries around the world, there... more Background Brucellosis (Brucella melitensis) is endemic in many countries around the world, therefore, identifying what is required to control and prevent the disease is essential. The health promotion concept and five areas of action, presented in the Ottawa Charter (1986) may help understand how to go forward in the prevention of the disease. Israel serves as a case study. Aim To identify barriers to the control and prevention of brucellosis (Brucella melitensis) in Israel by analyzing trends in incidence in conjunction with interventions implemented over the last seven decades, applying the health promotion areas of action. Methods 1. A document review approach was adopted to develop a list of interventions implemented in Israel to prevent and control brucellosis and identify barriers to implementation. These were analysed using the health promotion areas of action. 2. Data from the mandatory reporting of infectious diseases in Israel regarding brucellosis in humans between 1951 ...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2021
The role of social capital in the association between team sports and health-related outcomes has... more The role of social capital in the association between team sports and health-related outcomes has not been well established in the literature. The purpose of this study was to explore whether social capital components (social support, trust, and social involvement) mediate the association between team sports and health-related outcomes (self-reported health, psychosomatic symptoms, and depressive symptoms). In a cross-sectional research design, we obtained data from 759 participants in the Mamanet Cachibol League, a community team sports model for women in Israel, as well as a comparison group of 308 women who did not participate in any team sports. Team captains were sent a link with an online questionnaire, which were then delivered to team members via text message. Using three parallel mediation models, we found that social support mediated the association between team sports and self-reported health, psychosomatic symptoms, and depressive symptoms. Trust mediated the association...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2019
There is evidence that the built environment can promote unhealthy habits which may increase the ... more There is evidence that the built environment can promote unhealthy habits which may increase the risk for obesity among adolescents. However, the majority of evidence is from North America, Europe and Australia, and less is known about other world regions. The purpose of this study was to examine how the number of overweight and obese adolescents may vary in relation to the built environment, area socioeconomic status (SES), physical activity (PA) and nutritional home environment. We performed a telephone survey of 904 adolescents ages 15–18 from three different cities in Israel. The questionnaire included: reported PA, sedentary behaviors and nutritional home environment. Body Mass Index (BMI) was attained from records of Maccabi Healthcare Services (MHS). The built environment measures were calculated by Geographic Information System (GIS). Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify variables associated with adolescents’ overweight and obesity. The highes...
Rates of vaccinations of healthcare workers with recommended vaccines are generally low in the de... more Rates of vaccinations of healthcare workers with recommended vaccines are generally low in the developed countries. Our goals were to identify attitudes associated with self-reported vaccinations against pertussis and seasonal influenza among Israeli nurses in Mother and Child Healthcare Centers (MCHC) in the Haifa District. Over 100 nurses answered a self-administered questionnaire. Forty two percent of the nurses reported receiving the pertussis vaccine in the last five years and 44% reported receiving the influenza vaccine during the previous year. Attitudes toward the importance of vaccinating nurses, trust in the public health authorities and demand for autonomy were associated with receiving the pertussis vaccine. Attitudes toward the importance of vaccinating nurses and trust were associated with receiving the influenza vaccine in a bivariant analysis. However, in the logistic regression models only attitudes toward the importance of vaccinating nurses were associated with va...
The Israel Medical Association journal : IMAJ, 2010
During the last few decades much effort has been invested into lowering smoking rates due to its ... more During the last few decades much effort has been invested into lowering smoking rates due to its heavy burden on the population's health and on costs for the health care services. To compare trends in smoking rates between adult Arab men and Jewish men and women during 2000-2008. Six random telephone surveys were conducted by the Israel Center for Disease Control in 2000-2008 to investigate smoking rates. The number of respondents was 24,976 Jewish men and women and 2564 Arab men. The percent of respondents reporting being current smokers was calculated for each population group (Jews and Arabs) by age, gender and education, and were studied in relation to time. Among Jewish men aged 21-64 smoking declined during 2000-2008 by about 3.5%. In the 21-44 age group this decline occurred only among respondents with an academic education. Among Jewish women this decline also occurred at ages 21-64, and in the 45-64 age group this decline was due only to a decline in smoking among those...
In Israel, 58.9% of Jewish and Arab Israeli women aged 25 to 64 years are overweight or obese (bo... more In Israel, 58.9% of Jewish and Arab Israeli women aged 25 to 64 years are overweight or obese (body mass index >or=25 kg/m(2)). The objective of this analysis is to describe body weight dissatisfaction differences between Jewish and Arab Israeli women with normal or overweight-obese body mass index. This analysis included 1,393 Jewish and Arab women who participated in the Israeli National Health Interview Survey, 2003-2004. The survey covered a random sample of the Israeli general population aged 21 years or older. All variables were based on self-report. Body weight dissatisfaction was a multiple-choice question in the survey that offered the following responses: very satisfied, satisfied, reasonably satisfied, not satisfied, or very unsatisfied. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted. Overall, 39.1% of Jewish women reported body weight dissatisfaction, compared with 29.1% of Arab women. Older overweight-obese Arab women had a lower prevalence of body weight dissat...
The Israel Medical Association journal : IMAJ, 2001
A mass influx of immigrants from the former Soviet Union to western countries and Israel followed... more A mass influx of immigrants from the former Soviet Union to western countries and Israel followed the demise of the Soviet Bloc at the beginning of the 1990s. It was expected that these immigrants would have a higher morbidity and mortality rate similar to that in the former USSR. To measure and compare self-reported diseases, subjective health and health services utilization of a representative sample of veteran Israeli Jews and immigrants from the former USSR. A cross-sectional survey of Israeli adults was performed by telephone interviews. The survey included 793 Israeli Jews, of whom 124 were immigrants from the former USSR who arrived in Israel after 1989 (response rate 52%). The immigrants reported a higher rate of diseases and sub-optimal health after adjustment for other variables. However, no excess in health services utilization was reported. A time trend of reporting sub-optimal subjective health was observed: the longer the immigrants spent in Israel the more their repor...
ehps.net/ehp The European Health Psychologist Health literacy is both a personal asset and a risk... more ehps.net/ehp The European Health Psychologist Health literacy is both a personal asset and a risk factor (Nutbeam, 2008). It is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO, 1998) as "the cognitive and social skills which determine the motivation and ability of individuals to gain access to, understand and use information in ways which promote and maintain good health" (WHO, 1998). Nutbeam (2000) further elaborated and suggested the construct included functional (i.e., basic reading, writing, numeracy skills), interactive and critical skills. Health literacy was found to be a major predictor of adverse health outcomes (e.g., Baker et al., 2007; Dewalt et al. 2007; Schillinger et al. 2002; Yin et al. 2007), with outcomes ranging from difficulty following medication instructions, to applying for benefits and to all-cause mortality. The Internet-era equivalent to health literacy is eHealth literacy, which includes basic literacy as well as information, media, health, compute...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2021
The Israeli Mamanet Cachibol League (MCL) serves as a community model that incorporates physical ... more The Israeli Mamanet Cachibol League (MCL) serves as a community model that incorporates physical activity and amateur team sports among women. Team sports have been shown to bridge gaps and build positive relationships between communities. There is a paucity of data regarding the advantages of team sports to promote the health and well-being of women from different ethnic backgrounds. The purpose of this study was to examine the association of participation in MCL with social capital, health, and well-being across two ethnic groups: Jewish and Arab women. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among women aged 25–64: 102 Jewish and 96 Arab MCL participants, and 102 Jewish and 81 Arab non-MCL participants. Data regarding social capital (trust, social support and social involvement) and well-being (self-reported health and psychosomatic and depressive symptoms) were analyzed using two-way analyses of covariance and multiple regression models with sequential entry of the variables. MCL...
International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 2020
The Israeli cachibol league, Mamanet, is a grass roots non-professional community sports club for... more The Israeli cachibol league, Mamanet, is a grass roots non-professional community sports club for mothers. Our aim was to assess if participants in the Mamanet League have higher levels of social capital and if social capital and wellbeing improve with time. Two groups were interviewed: a control group not participating in the league and a group of Mamanet participants. The women were interviewed within 3 months of joining (T1) and 13–15 months later (T2). The questionnaire included questions on sociodemographic characteristics, social capital (social support, social involvement, trust) and wellbeing (self-reported health (SRH), psychosomatic symptoms, depressive symptoms). At T1 the participants had higher social capital and SRH scores than the control group and lower psychosomatic and depressive symptoms compared with the control group. Participation in the Mamanet League seems to improve two of the three social capital measures: social support and social involvement, showing an i...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Active travel (AT) is a core physical activity (PA) indicator for children and youth; contributin... more Active travel (AT) is a core physical activity (PA) indicator for children and youth; contributing to health and wellbeing, at both the individual and societal levels. This analysis explores patterns of adolescent active school travel (AST) and cycling and associations with different PA measures. Secondary analysis of the cross-sectional 2018–2019 Health Behaviour in School Age Children study in Israel included an extended PA module with walking, cycling and e-cycling modes. The nationally representative sample includes students in grades 6–12 (n = 4407). Analysis of weighted data included descriptive analyses, inferential statistics, and regression analyses. AST was reported by 61.9% of adolescents; 39.3% reported 20 min or more daily AST; 27.1% reported habitual cycling (HC) and 17.4% reported habitual e-cycling (HEC). There are mixed results for socio-economic status and environment. AST and HC were associated with less sedentary hours daily (odds ratio [OR] = 1.190 and 1.397, re...
Background Brucellosis (Brucella melitensis) is endemic in many countries around the world, there... more Background Brucellosis (Brucella melitensis) is endemic in many countries around the world, therefore, identifying what is required to control and prevent the disease is essential. The health promotion concept and five areas of action, presented in the Ottawa Charter (1986) may help understand how to go forward in the prevention of the disease. Israel serves as a case study. Aim To identify barriers to the control and prevention of brucellosis (Brucella melitensis) in Israel by analyzing trends in incidence in conjunction with interventions implemented over the last seven decades, applying the health promotion areas of action. Methods 1. A document review approach was adopted to develop a list of interventions implemented in Israel to prevent and control brucellosis and identify barriers to implementation. These were analysed using the health promotion areas of action. 2. Data from the mandatory reporting of infectious diseases in Israel regarding brucellosis in humans between 1951 ...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2021
The role of social capital in the association between team sports and health-related outcomes has... more The role of social capital in the association between team sports and health-related outcomes has not been well established in the literature. The purpose of this study was to explore whether social capital components (social support, trust, and social involvement) mediate the association between team sports and health-related outcomes (self-reported health, psychosomatic symptoms, and depressive symptoms). In a cross-sectional research design, we obtained data from 759 participants in the Mamanet Cachibol League, a community team sports model for women in Israel, as well as a comparison group of 308 women who did not participate in any team sports. Team captains were sent a link with an online questionnaire, which were then delivered to team members via text message. Using three parallel mediation models, we found that social support mediated the association between team sports and self-reported health, psychosomatic symptoms, and depressive symptoms. Trust mediated the association...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2019
There is evidence that the built environment can promote unhealthy habits which may increase the ... more There is evidence that the built environment can promote unhealthy habits which may increase the risk for obesity among adolescents. However, the majority of evidence is from North America, Europe and Australia, and less is known about other world regions. The purpose of this study was to examine how the number of overweight and obese adolescents may vary in relation to the built environment, area socioeconomic status (SES), physical activity (PA) and nutritional home environment. We performed a telephone survey of 904 adolescents ages 15–18 from three different cities in Israel. The questionnaire included: reported PA, sedentary behaviors and nutritional home environment. Body Mass Index (BMI) was attained from records of Maccabi Healthcare Services (MHS). The built environment measures were calculated by Geographic Information System (GIS). Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify variables associated with adolescents’ overweight and obesity. The highes...
Rates of vaccinations of healthcare workers with recommended vaccines are generally low in the de... more Rates of vaccinations of healthcare workers with recommended vaccines are generally low in the developed countries. Our goals were to identify attitudes associated with self-reported vaccinations against pertussis and seasonal influenza among Israeli nurses in Mother and Child Healthcare Centers (MCHC) in the Haifa District. Over 100 nurses answered a self-administered questionnaire. Forty two percent of the nurses reported receiving the pertussis vaccine in the last five years and 44% reported receiving the influenza vaccine during the previous year. Attitudes toward the importance of vaccinating nurses, trust in the public health authorities and demand for autonomy were associated with receiving the pertussis vaccine. Attitudes toward the importance of vaccinating nurses and trust were associated with receiving the influenza vaccine in a bivariant analysis. However, in the logistic regression models only attitudes toward the importance of vaccinating nurses were associated with va...
The Israel Medical Association journal : IMAJ, 2010
During the last few decades much effort has been invested into lowering smoking rates due to its ... more During the last few decades much effort has been invested into lowering smoking rates due to its heavy burden on the population's health and on costs for the health care services. To compare trends in smoking rates between adult Arab men and Jewish men and women during 2000-2008. Six random telephone surveys were conducted by the Israel Center for Disease Control in 2000-2008 to investigate smoking rates. The number of respondents was 24,976 Jewish men and women and 2564 Arab men. The percent of respondents reporting being current smokers was calculated for each population group (Jews and Arabs) by age, gender and education, and were studied in relation to time. Among Jewish men aged 21-64 smoking declined during 2000-2008 by about 3.5%. In the 21-44 age group this decline occurred only among respondents with an academic education. Among Jewish women this decline also occurred at ages 21-64, and in the 45-64 age group this decline was due only to a decline in smoking among those...
In Israel, 58.9% of Jewish and Arab Israeli women aged 25 to 64 years are overweight or obese (bo... more In Israel, 58.9% of Jewish and Arab Israeli women aged 25 to 64 years are overweight or obese (body mass index >or=25 kg/m(2)). The objective of this analysis is to describe body weight dissatisfaction differences between Jewish and Arab Israeli women with normal or overweight-obese body mass index. This analysis included 1,393 Jewish and Arab women who participated in the Israeli National Health Interview Survey, 2003-2004. The survey covered a random sample of the Israeli general population aged 21 years or older. All variables were based on self-report. Body weight dissatisfaction was a multiple-choice question in the survey that offered the following responses: very satisfied, satisfied, reasonably satisfied, not satisfied, or very unsatisfied. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted. Overall, 39.1% of Jewish women reported body weight dissatisfaction, compared with 29.1% of Arab women. Older overweight-obese Arab women had a lower prevalence of body weight dissat...
The Israel Medical Association journal : IMAJ, 2001
A mass influx of immigrants from the former Soviet Union to western countries and Israel followed... more A mass influx of immigrants from the former Soviet Union to western countries and Israel followed the demise of the Soviet Bloc at the beginning of the 1990s. It was expected that these immigrants would have a higher morbidity and mortality rate similar to that in the former USSR. To measure and compare self-reported diseases, subjective health and health services utilization of a representative sample of veteran Israeli Jews and immigrants from the former USSR. A cross-sectional survey of Israeli adults was performed by telephone interviews. The survey included 793 Israeli Jews, of whom 124 were immigrants from the former USSR who arrived in Israel after 1989 (response rate 52%). The immigrants reported a higher rate of diseases and sub-optimal health after adjustment for other variables. However, no excess in health services utilization was reported. A time trend of reporting sub-optimal subjective health was observed: the longer the immigrants spent in Israel the more their repor...
ehps.net/ehp The European Health Psychologist Health literacy is both a personal asset and a risk... more ehps.net/ehp The European Health Psychologist Health literacy is both a personal asset and a risk factor (Nutbeam, 2008). It is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO, 1998) as "the cognitive and social skills which determine the motivation and ability of individuals to gain access to, understand and use information in ways which promote and maintain good health" (WHO, 1998). Nutbeam (2000) further elaborated and suggested the construct included functional (i.e., basic reading, writing, numeracy skills), interactive and critical skills. Health literacy was found to be a major predictor of adverse health outcomes (e.g., Baker et al., 2007; Dewalt et al. 2007; Schillinger et al. 2002; Yin et al. 2007), with outcomes ranging from difficulty following medication instructions, to applying for benefits and to all-cause mortality. The Internet-era equivalent to health literacy is eHealth literacy, which includes basic literacy as well as information, media, health, compute...
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2021
The Israeli Mamanet Cachibol League (MCL) serves as a community model that incorporates physical ... more The Israeli Mamanet Cachibol League (MCL) serves as a community model that incorporates physical activity and amateur team sports among women. Team sports have been shown to bridge gaps and build positive relationships between communities. There is a paucity of data regarding the advantages of team sports to promote the health and well-being of women from different ethnic backgrounds. The purpose of this study was to examine the association of participation in MCL with social capital, health, and well-being across two ethnic groups: Jewish and Arab women. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among women aged 25–64: 102 Jewish and 96 Arab MCL participants, and 102 Jewish and 81 Arab non-MCL participants. Data regarding social capital (trust, social support and social involvement) and well-being (self-reported health and psychosomatic and depressive symptoms) were analyzed using two-way analyses of covariance and multiple regression models with sequential entry of the variables. MCL...
International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 2020
The Israeli cachibol league, Mamanet, is a grass roots non-professional community sports club for... more The Israeli cachibol league, Mamanet, is a grass roots non-professional community sports club for mothers. Our aim was to assess if participants in the Mamanet League have higher levels of social capital and if social capital and wellbeing improve with time. Two groups were interviewed: a control group not participating in the league and a group of Mamanet participants. The women were interviewed within 3 months of joining (T1) and 13–15 months later (T2). The questionnaire included questions on sociodemographic characteristics, social capital (social support, social involvement, trust) and wellbeing (self-reported health (SRH), psychosomatic symptoms, depressive symptoms). At T1 the participants had higher social capital and SRH scores than the control group and lower psychosomatic and depressive symptoms compared with the control group. Participation in the Mamanet League seems to improve two of the three social capital measures: social support and social involvement, showing an i...
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Papers by Orna Baron-epel