Publications

Leveraging the Translational Science Benefits Model to plan and measure early impact in the heart failure polypill implementation trial in Sri Lanka.

Journal of clinical and translational science

Feasibility, acceptability and implementation of a whole-family mental health intervention for displaced adolescent girls in Colombia: A mixed-methods pilot randomized controlled trial.

Adolescent girls affected by displacement face substantial mental-health risks. The Sibling Support for Adolescent Girls in Emergencies (SSAGE) is a 12-week, gender-transformative, family-based program designed to improve adolescent girls' mental health in humanitarian settings. This mixed-methods pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) assessed SSAGE's feasibility, acceptability and potential effects among 186 Venezuelan migrant and Colombian returnee families in Colombia. Adolescent girls aged 13-19 years, their male siblings and caregivers participated in parallel sessions on gender dynamics, communication and relationships. Implementation outcomes drew on the Mental Health Implementation Science Tools (acceptability and feasibility subscales), attendance records and qualitative interviews. Analyses followed an intent-to-treat approach using adjusted linear and logistic regression models. Quantitative analyses did not identify measurable changes in adolescent girls' mental health outcomes at endline; however, attendance was modest, with only ~10% of families meeting the predefined protocol threshold. Implementation findings revealed strong participant satisfaction and high acceptability of SSAGE content and mentor relationships. Engagement was constrained by economic hardship, transportation and venue barriers, and some caregivers' acute emotional distress, which likely limited feasibility and potential impact. SSAGE shows promise as a gender-transformative, family-based approach, but successful delivery in urban migrant settings will require tailored and refined implementation strategies.

Global mental health (Cambridge, England)

Physical activity for public health in the 21st century.

With over 5 million attributed deaths per year, physical inactivity is a major global public health issue. Although the importance of physical activity is well recognized within the scope of obesity and cardiometabolic disease prevention and control, its broader benefits for the health of individuals and societies are yet to be fully harnessed. Furthermore, the role of active leisure, active transport and active labor-primary domains of physical activity-in supporting or hindering social and health equity has been largely overlooked. Here we (1) used a health equity lens to describe global domain-specific physical activity inequalities through an analysis of World Health Organization STEPwise approach to NCD risk factor surveillance (WHO STEPS) data from 68 countries; (2) summarized evidence linking physical activity with health outcomes beyond cardiometabolic disease, including immunity and infectious disease, depression and cancer; and (3) developed a new model reconceptualizing physical activity to better respond to 21st-century public health challenges. Our global, intersectional analysis of gender and socioeconomic physical activity inequalities revealed a 40-percentage-point gap in active leisure-the only domain consistently driven by choice-between historically privileged groups (wealthy men in high-income countries) and historically disadvantaged ones (poor women in low-income countries). Robust evidence supports the benefits of physical activity for immunity and infectious disease, depression and cancer. Our reconceptualized model recognizes the influence of social identities, norms, policies and structures on physical activity for health and wellbeing and emphasizes the urgent need to develop and roll out policies and programs that disseminate and harness the full benefits of physical activity for human, societal and planetary health.

Nature medicine

Application of implementation science frameworks to a community-based healthy eating and activity intervention: a cross-sectional analysis.

To contribute to the growing literature applying implementation science frameworks, this study utilized the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) and the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) frameworks. Our objectives were to (1) describe surveys used to assess CFIR context and RE-AIM implementation outcomes and (2) explore correlations between constructs within and across the frameworks in a community-based home-visiting organization.

Frontiers in health services

Progress towards Healthy People 2030 population health goals.

We aimed to quantify progress towards all 23 Healthy People 2030 leading health indicators (LHIs) national set targets. Understanding progress on these LHIs can guide policy reform that aims to improve US population health.

Health affairs scholar

Triggering Change: Evaluating the Impact of ATF Actions on Firearm Assault Rates in a Large US City.

Interpersonal firearm violence claims approximately 15,000 lives annually in the USA. 5% of gun stores-known as 'trace stores'-account for 90% of firearms used in crimes. Oversight of these stores falls to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF). However, the efficacy of ATF enforcement on reducing firearm-related violence remains understudied. This study evaluates the relationship between ATF interventions and local firearm crimes and assaults.

Injury prevention : journal of the International Society for Child and Adolescent Injury Prevention

Advancing child health through applied qualitative research.

Despite a decrease in child mortality since the establishment of the Millennium Development Goals, children and young people (CYP) continue to face threats to their health and well-being, including acute and chronic diseases, mental illness, and trauma-related injury. Qualitative research is underutilized in certain contexts, yet it is an essential methodology to advance child health outcomes. This paper presents recommendations generated by multidisciplinary experts at the Symposium on Applied Qualitative Research, outlining a value proposition for qualitative inquiry to illuminate the complex social, economic, and environmental factors affecting CYP. We advocate for greater integration of qualitative approaches in paediatrics to center the perspectives, experiences, needs, and preferences of CYP across the research continuum. We also discuss challenges in applied qualitative research in paediatrics and propose expert recommendations to guide best practices to ensure the quality and credibility of qualitative approaches, with the goal of advancing inclusive, responsive, and effective child health interventions, programs, and policies worldwide.

EClinicalMedicine

Physical Activity as a Human Health Right for Displaced Populations.

Journal of physical activity & health

A Multicomponent Strategy to Increase Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Rates in Primary Care: A Cluster Randomized Clinical Trial.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination prevents multiple cancers, yet vaccination rates by the recommended age remain well below national goals.

JAMA network open