Health Literacy and Environmental Risks Focusing Air Pollution: Results from a Cross-Sectional Study in Germany.

(1) Background: Environmental risks such as air pollutants pose a threat to human health and must be communicated to the affected population to create awareness, such as via health literacy (HL); (2) Methods: We analyzed HL in the context of environmental health risks, including sources of information and prior knowledge, in a sample from the German general population using Kendall's rank correlations, regression analyses, and explorative parallel mediation analysis; (3) Results: The survey included 412 German participants aged between 18 and 77. HL was found to be problematic to inadequate. The internet, family and friends, and newspapers were the most frequently cited sources of information. Mobile apps were mostly unknown but were requested by sample subjects. Although subjects expressed environmental concerns and exhibited rather good levels of knowledge, the majority perceived no risk to human health and rated air quality quite positively. Knowledge on particulate matter, the term "ultrafine particles", and protective measures was found to be rather low. HL was associated with the use of newspapers and commercials as sources of information. The relationship between age and HL is fully mediated by the use of newspapers and information from TV commercials; (4) Conclusions: HL should be promoted by raising awareness of the health effects of environmental pollutants. In particular, the information channels preferred by the affected population should be used and further information opportunities such as apps should be publicized, e.g., through campaigns. An improved HL can assist policy makers in creating a healthier environment by empowering individuals to become more environmentally aware and protect their own health. This, in turn, has the potential to reduce health-related costs.

[Environmental risks and health literacy: a systematic review]. / Umweltrisiken und Gesundheitskompetenz: Eine systematische Übersichtsarbeit.

BACKGROUND: Environmental factors can play an important role in pathogenesis. However, the understanding of the relationship between environmental risks and health in the general population appears to be poor. The aim of this systematic review is to describe the state of research on the relationship between health literacy (HL) or environmental health literacy (EHL) and environmental risks differentiated by the researched environmental risks, the affected population, the measurement and level of HL or EHL, and their interaction with other variables. METHODS: A systematic literature search was conducted using the Pubmed, Scopus, and LIVIVO databases. Original studies in German or English that investigated HL or EHL in the context of an environmental risk or pollutant in a population were included. The Navigation Guide was used to assess the methodological quality of the studies. RESULTS: Twenty-four studies were included in the qualitative analysis. The operationalization of HL or EHL was heterogeneous in 22 studies. Nine studies referred to environmental issues in general, and 15 studies analyzed individual environmental risks. Eleven studies referred to the general population, 12 to specified target groups, and 1 study examined both. The level of HL or EHL proved to be in need of improvement in all populations. Interventions such as trainings were able to increase HL or EHL. DISCUSSION: The heterogeneous operationalizations impede the comparability of the studies. Future work should target the standardization of methodological aspects. Overall, it appears that interventions such as trainings were conducive to improving HL or EHL. In practice, this should therefore be given greater focus in order to increase HL or EHL.

Science communication on the public health risks of air pollution: a computational scoping review from 1958 to 2022.

BACKGROUND: Air pollutants are a health risk for the entire population. Particulate matter (PM) including the smallest fraction, ultra-fine particles (UFP), therefore continue to be the focus of scientific research in this area. To protect the population from the harmful effects of exposure to PM, communication and information of research results are of special relevance as individuals with heightened awareness of the harms of poor air quality are more likely to take action to improve their exposure. METHODS: We conducted a scoping review of the scientific literature on science communication of public health information about risks associated with air pollutants to generate an initial over-view of existing research in this field. We searched the PubMed and Scopus databases and analyzed the data using a structured topic modeling (STM) approach. RESULTS: The existing scientific literature dates back to 1958 but increases significantly from the 1990s onwards. Publications are mainly found in the discipline of environmental research and are primarily concerned with health effects. It is often stated that adequate communication of the results to the public would be important, but specific approaches are rare. Overall, the topic of risk communication seems to be underrepresented for both air pollutants and UFP. CONCLUSIONS: To protect public health, it is important to conduct more intensive science and risk communication related to scientific findings on the risks of air pollutants. For adequate communication and information, further research is needed to provide specific approaches that also involve the affected population and take different target groups into account. In addition, the effectiveness of communication efforts should also be analyzed.

[Current Evidence for Assessing Fitness to Drive of People with Cognitive Impairment: A Systematic Review]. / Aktuelle Evidenzlage zur Beurteilung der Fahrtauglichkeit von Menschen mit kognitiven Einschränkungen: Ein systematisches Review.

BACKGROUND: Assessment of driving ability in people with cognitive impairment is a topic of great social relevance due to the high prevalence of dementia. METHODS: A comprehensive systematic literature review was conducted on the research question, "Which evidence-based methods are suitable for assessing the fitness to drive of people with dementia or mild cognitive impairment?" for the period 2015-2020. The search was conducted in the Medline, PsycINFO, LIVIVO, PubPsych, Scopus, Cinahl, and CENTRAL databases. RESULTS: Thirty studies were included in the qualitative analysis. Driving ability can be assessed with practice-based testing procedures such as On-road Driving, Simulator, and Naturalistic Driving. Theory-based methods include neuropsychological testing, driving-specific testing, and self-assessment questionnaires. Studies show that single neuropsychological tests are not sufficient to determine fitness to drive. Practice-based test procedures, driving-specific tests, and combinations of evidence-based methods have a higher informative value. CONCLUSIONS: In view of the progressive course of dementia, the assessment of driving ability of people with cognitive impairment should be performed in a close-meshed way by a combination of theory- and practice-based methods.