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This article features a conversation between Health Psychologist Professor Maddy Arden and Greg Fell, Director of Public Health in Sheffield, discussing the intersection of health psychology and public health. They emphasize the importance of improving health outcomes and reducing health disparities in society. They discuss various domains of public health, including public health intelligence, health protection, vaccination and screening, public health grant responsibilities, health improvements, and creating a coherent strategy. Both experts agree on the need to focus on structural determinants of health rather than individual behavior, and they discuss the challenges of conducting research in this area. They also highlight the importance of understanding why certain populations do not access necessary services and the need for more research on equity in interventions and policies. The text discusses the concept of the "nanny state" and the role of the government in regulating people's lives, arguing that government intervention is necessary to protect public health and safety. The text also addresses the influence of commercial interests, such as the gambling industry, in shaping policy debates and manipulating consumer behavior. Additionally, the text discusses vaccine hesitancy and the importance of addressing concerns rather than mandating vaccinations. The author emphasizes the need for structural changes and influencing the way people think to create meaningful and impactful change. [Extracted from the article]

IMPORTANCE: Evidence has linked age-related hearing impairment (ARHI) with cognitive decline; however, very few studies (none in the United Kingdom) explore this link in large well-characterized groups of community-dwelling individuals. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the link between ARHI and cognitive decline using a cohort of elderly individuals from the United Kingdom and explore untreated hearing loss and social isolation as potential explanations for the observed link. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cross-sectional analysis of wave 7 (June 2014 through May 2015) of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) sampled men and women 50 years or older and living in the United Kingdom in a community setting. Those with a diagnosis of dementia, Alzheimer disease, or Parkinson disease or with ear infections and cochlear implants were excluded. Data were analyzed from August 1, 2017, through May 25, 2018. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Memory and executive function as measures of cognitive function and hearing acuity derived from the HearCheck screener device (Siemens). RESULTS: Of a cohort of 9666 members in wave 7 of ELSA, 7385 were eligible for analysis after applying exclusion criteria (55.1% women; mean [SD] age, 67.4 [9.4] years). Of these, 3056 (41.4%) had mild hearing loss and 755 (10.2%) had severe hearing loss; 834 (11.3%) used a hearing aid; and 7155 (96.9%) were white. Hearing loss had a negative association with cognition; for those with moderate to severe loss, the score on memory assessment was a full 1 point less (−1.00; 95% CI, −1.24 to −0.76), ceteris paribus, relative to those with no hearing loss. However, this association was seen only in the individuals with untreated hearing loss (ie, those who did not use hearing aids) (−1.16; 95% CI, −1.45 to −0.87). Evidence suggests that social isolation acts as a mediating factor. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Although hearing loss and cognition are linked, untreated hearing loss drives the association. Social isolation is a mediating factor in the link for those who have untreated hearing loss. Cognitive decline associated with ARHI is probably preventable by early rehabilitation and increased opportunistic screening for the elderly.

AbstractThis paper describes the development of a model for the use of qualitative techniques for measuring work based stressors. The model is based on the concepts of organisational stress that have been developed by the Health Education Authority as part of their ‘Positive Stress at Work’ training. The model has been piloted in one organisation as the first part of an intervention to tackle workplace stressors. The aim of the audit in this context was to provide practical management based information that could guide the development of these interventions. This paper focuses on the development of research techniques within settings based health promotion, suggesting how qualitative techniques could be adapted to gain insight into organisational stress.

The article reports that one of the reasons why people should love New York City is that local physician Steven Schneider treated the author's son who was diagnosed with gelastic seizure.