📄 Category

public and global health

386 papers

Public and global health examines how we protect communities from disease, manage outbreaks, and improve well-being across the world. This vital field connects diverse research on everything from infectious disease control and vaccination strategies to the social factors that shape our collective health. Because these studies often impact policy and daily life, understanding them quickly is more important than ever.

At Gist.Science, we track every new preprint published in this category on medRxiv to ensure you never miss a breakthrough. We process each submission to provide both plain-language explanations for general readers and detailed technical summaries for experts, making complex findings accessible to everyone.

Below are the latest papers in public and global health, freshly summarized from the most recent medRxiv releases.

📄 public and global health

Neonatal fecal abundance of Bifidobacterium longum subspecies infantis is not associated with anthropometric outcomes up to 6 months of age in Bangladeshi infants

In a study of generally healthy infants in Dhaka, Bangladesh, neonatal fecal abundance of *Bifidobacterium longum* subspecies *infantis* was found to be unrelated to growth outcomes, diarrhea risk, or hospitalizations up to six months of age, suggesting that promoting early colonization of this bacterium may not improve growth in populations experiencing postnatal faltering.

Heasley, C., Stefanova, V., Funk, C., Freitas, A. C., Li, G., Pell, L., Bassani, D. G., O'Callaghan, K., Shah, P., Shawo (…)2026-01-30
📄 public and global health

Perceptions of COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy in CHASING COVID Cohort of US adults in 2023

This study of the Chasing Covid Cohort reveals that fewer than half of U.S. adults perceived COVID-19 vaccines as safe or effective during pregnancy, with positive perceptions significantly linked to having a regular healthcare provider and trusting public health institutions.

Piltch-Loeb, R., Balasubramanian, S., Robertson, M., Teasdale, C., Fleary, S., Sahr, J. N., Nash, D., Penrose, K., Chan (…)2026-01-30
📄 public and global health

The potential impact, cost and cost-effectiveness of tuberculosis interventions - a modelling exercise

This modeling study across Brazil, India, and South Africa demonstrates that while only a few tuberculosis interventions—specifically vaccination, community-wide screening, and prison screening—can significantly reduce incident cases by 2050, many of these high-impact strategies are also cost-effective, necessitating a strategic shift in funding and policy toward broader population targets beyond clinic-diagnosed individuals.

Horton, K., Schwalb, A., Harker, M., Gosce, L., Venero-Garcia, E., O'Brien, L., Gun, A., Sumner, T., McQuaid, F., Clark (…)2026-01-29
📄 public and global health

Developing an initial program theory for peer support groups for substance-affected family members: a participatory realist evaluation

Using a participatory realist evaluation framework, this study develops an initial program theory for peer support groups serving substance-affected family members in Canada, identifying how organizational support, skilled facilitation, and positive group culture interact to foster emotional wellbeing, self-efficacy, and reduced social isolation.

Hawkins, J., Whittaker, A., Salmon, A., Kenny, F., King-Roskamp, M. R.2026-01-29
📄 public and global health

Parenting with Hope program among bereaved families in Colombia: A pre-post and quasi-experimental evaluation.

This study demonstrates that the "Parenting with Hope" program, adapted from a Ukrainian model and delivered via home visits to bereaved Colombian families, significantly improved caregiver mental health, parenting practices, and child behavioral outcomes while reducing violence against children in a post-pandemic crisis setting.

Villaveces, A., Tucker, S., Arroyo, S., Blanco, P. J., Colon, M., Prias, H. E., Pecserke, S., Baldonado, N., Flaxman, S. (…)2026-01-28
📄 public and global health

State-level RN density and age-adjusted covid-19 mortality: Contribution of the nursing workforce to pandemic response

This cross-sectional ecological analysis of 2021 U.S. data reveals that higher state-level registered nurse density is significantly associated with lower age-adjusted COVID-19 mortality, explaining nearly 11% of the variability in death rates and underscoring the critical role of the nursing workforce in pandemic response.

Louis, R., Sakib, S. N., Qinglin, P., Parker, L. A., Morris, J. G.2026-01-27
📄 public and global health

Growing up without violence (GWV): Results of a cluster randomised trial of a school-based intervention preventing adolescent sexual abuse and exploitation in Brazil

A cluster randomised controlled trial in Brazil evaluating the "Growing up without violence" school-based intervention found no statistically significant improvement in adolescents' knowledge regarding child sexual abuse and exploitation risks compared to the control group.

Kiss, L., Leal, M., Portella, A. P., Paiva, H., Iuliano, A., Pires, M., Lo, Y., Anderson, E., Shipman, H., Brito, D., Ba (…)2026-01-25
📄 public and global health

Expert consensus on barriers, facilitators and digital strategies to improve mental health service access for adolescents and young people living with HIV in Zambia 2025: A Delphi study

This 2025 Delphi study involving Zambian experts reached a strong consensus on key barriers, facilitators, and digital strategies—such as decentralizing services, integrating mental health into HIV care, and implementing secure, low-data mHealth tools—to improve mental health service access for adolescents and young people living with HIV in Zambia.

Muleya, C., Folotiya, J. J., Chipimo, P. J., Baumhart, C., Claassen, C., Dalal, N., Mulenga, L., Likwa, R. N.2026-01-25