Search

Abstract Background Effective epidemic preparedness is critical for minimizing the health and societal impacts of viral respiratory infections. This study details the development of a data-driven early warning system (EWS) designed to improve outbreak detection and response utilizing the data integration and visualization capabilities of Microsoft Power BI. Methods This research utilized a structured three-phase approach to design a respiratory infections (RIs) management dashboard. Phase 1, focused on identifying critical variables through literature reviews and expert interviews. In Phase 2, Microsoft Power BI was employed for dashboard development, integrating data from diverse sources. Phase 3 involved usability testing with health professionals who evaluated navigation, data accuracy, decision-support features, providing feedback to enhance visualization clarity and filtering capabilities. Results Key data categories include individual-level variables, such as age, symptoms, and vaccination records, alongside population-level metrics like infection rates and regional vaccination coverage enabling functionalities such as identifying high-risk individuals, tracking infection dynamics, and optimizing resource allocation. The dashboard, developed using Power BI visualizes epidemiological trends, intervention outcomes, and resource utilization. A relational database schema ensures efficient data retrieval, facilitating comprehensive analysis. Conclusion The prototype EWS represents a scalable and integrative framework aimed at enhancing public health applications, particularly in the context of respiratory infections. By incorporating data from diverse health sectors, the system offers decision-makers access to critical epidemiological indicators, supporting early outbreak detection and improved epidemic management. Its potential to unify health institutions underscores its value in fostering a more cohesive and effective approach to epidemic preparedness. Nevertheless, while the system demonstrates significant promise, further evaluation in real-world settings is essential to determine its practical impact on public health outcomes and its ability to mitigate health crises.

Background and Objectives: Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are at risk of insufficient nutrient intake due to inappropriate eating habits, problems in sensory perception, and choosing monotonous foods. Minerals play an essential role in the central nervous system, and their deficiency or excess can cause a variety of health issues and can contribute to the development of ASD. This study aimed to compare the dietary intake of zinc, copper, selenium, and manganese in two groups of children, with ASD and healthy controls, in Gorgan City, Iran. Materials and Methods: In this study, the food intake of 35 ASD children aged 6 to 12 years and 70 healthy children was recorded using the semi-quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire. The average daily intake of zinc, copper, selenium, and manganese was estimated using ShaFA software. Results: There was no statistically significant difference in the dietary intake of zinc, copper, and selenium; however, the intake of manganese was significantly lower in ASD children (median±IQR: 2.39±1.83) than in healthy children (median±IQR: 3.24±1.94; P=0.03). Conclusion: Considering the existence of problems related to eating habits in children with ASD, the results of this study showed the necessity of frequent and regular nutrition assessment for ASD children. Studies with larger sample sizes are recommended.

Background and objectives: Obesity has become a global epidemic. Previous studies have reported a relationship between obesity in adults and socioeconomic factors, but the results regarding such relationship in the case of childhood obesity have been inconsistent. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the relationship between socioeconomic inequalities and overweight/obesity in children. Methods: All meta-analysis, systematic and descriptive or correlational reviews on obesity in children and adolescents that have been published in English between January 2001 and January 2019 were included in the study. We performed the search for articles in the following databases: MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and Google Scholar. Each review article was subjected to qualitative evaluation using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) tool. Results: Of 46 articles that met the inclusion criteria, five systematic reviews were included after carefully reading the abstract and the full text of the articles. The prevalence of overweight and obesity in children differed in different socioeconomic groups. Ethnicity was a confounding factor that could change this relationship. Conclusion: Strong evidence supports the relationship between socioeconomic status and overweight or obesity in children. Therefore, it is recommended to consider the socioeconomic status when planning for control and prevention of childhood obesity.

Background & Objective: Obesity is an important health problem that is dramatically increasing in developed and developing countries and is also responsible for the most leading health problems in the vast majority of countries. Then, the current survey was aimed to investigate the association between physical activity and fruit and vegetables consumption among overweight and obese women referring to health centers of Gorgan city. Methods: A cross-sectional study was accomplished among 420 overweight or obese women referring to the health centers of Gorgan city. A multi-stage cluster sampling was conducted. A researcher made questionnaire was made based on social cognitive theory constructs including demographic characteristics, HPLPII physical fitness standard questionnaire and fruit and vegetables consumption. All data were analyzed using central and distribution indices and analytical information through correlation and multivariate linear regression tests. Results: The mean score of fruit and vegetable consumption were accordingly 2.04 ± 0.78 and 1.67 ± 0.83 portion per day; while, the average score of physical activity was 23.31 minutes with standard deviation of 16.6. There were a significant relationship between the self-efficacy, availability, expectation, environment and physical activity (p=0.001) and between the availability, expectation and fruit and vegetable consumption (p= 0.001). Conclusion: The current findings suggest that structures of social cognitive theory including expectations, availability and self-efficacy play an important role in predicting physical activity and fruit and vegetables consumption.