Public Health England

PROTEGO Study Protocol: A Cluster Randomised Crossover Trial of Vernix Caseosa Retention for Primary Prevention of Atopic Dermatitis

Summary PROTEGO is a Chilean cluster‐randomised crossover trial of vernix caseosa retention to prevent atopic dermatitis. 1383 mother‐infant dyads will be enrolled and followed for atopic dermatitis until 12 months.

Association between prophylactic hydrocortisone and focal intestinal perforations in preterm infants born before 28 weeks gestation: an observational propensity matched population study in England and Wales

Objective To examine the association between prophylactic hydrocortisone, given to prevent bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and the risk of focal intestinal perforation (FIP) in preterm infants. Design Retrospective cohort study using routinely-collected data from infants born between...

Factors associated with loneliness and social capital in a large volunteer sample of adults in England

Abstract Background Loneliness is a pressing public health concern with wide-ranging impacts on mental, physical and social wellbeing. Building on the Measuring Loneliness in England (INTERACT) Study which represents one of the largest volunteer-based studies of loneliness and so...

Exploring the impact of recipe boxes on dietary quality and food agency: a pilot and feasibility randomized controlled trial in households with school-aged children

Abstract Background Preparing and consuming food at home is associated with healthier diets. Recipe box subscriptions may support meal preparation at home while improving dietary quality and cooking skills, reducing time-poverty, and facilitating family cohesion. We are conductin...

The impact of household-level ACEs on future pregnancy loss: evidence from the 2022–2023 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG)

Abstract Background Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have far-reaching health implications throughout an individual’s lifespan. However, their impact on pregnancy loss (PL) remains elusive. Very few studies have examined this association for a specific class of ACEs. This pap...

Avoiding erroneous decisions: evidence, population impact and acceptability of universal mental health interventions in schools – a commentary on Andrews et al.

Foulkes and colleagues argue many ‘universal’ interventions to prevent mental health problems are harmful (‘inflating prevalence’ because they raise awareness of mental health problems, encouraging those without such problems to misinterpret everyday concerns as symptoms of menta...

Artificial Intelligence‐Guided Phenotypic Drug Repurposing Against Streptococcus pneumoniae

ABSTRACT The prevalence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) within the common bacterial pathogen Streptococcus pneumoniae makes it a priority for the development of new antibiotics. While artificial intelligence (AI) has recently boosted phenotype‐based repurposing of drugs for oth...

Untangling the effects of within-host and between-host natural selection in viruses with applications to evolution of HIV-1 co-receptor usage

Abstract The fitness of a pathogen can be characterised at multiple levels corresponding to different stages of its life cycle, including replication within target cells (replicative capacity), immune evasion, and the capacity to infect new hosts (transmissibility). Pathogens evo...

Impact of high temperatures on healthcare utilisation among older adults: a scoping review

Abstract Background Rapid global ageing coincides with rising temperatures and increasing strain on healthcare services. High temperatures are associated with increased healthcare demand, yet evidence on older people’s healthcare utilisation remains fragmented and is often servic...

Primary care quality and secondary healthcare utilisation in patients with multimorbidity: a retrospective cohort study

Background High-quality primary care can improve multimorbidity management but little evidence is available to understand its impact on secondary care use over time. Aim To assess the concurrent and lagged associations between quality of primary care and planned and unplanned sec...

An assessment of the microbiological quality and safety of cheese on sale in England and Northern Ireland during 2024–2025

Foodborne outbreaks have been associated with both pasteurised and unpasteurised milk cheeses in the UK in recent years. This study aimed to assess and compare the microbiological quality of cheese made from pasteurised and unpasteurised milk on sale in England and Northern Irela...

Community-Based Nursing Interventions, Discharge Planning and Hospital Readmissions in Nyandeni Local Municipality, Eastern Cape, South Africa

Background Chronic diseases place a substantial pressure on healthcare systems, particularly in resource-constrained rural settings. Community-based nursing interventions and effective discharge planning are recognised as key strategies for improving continuity of care and reduci...

Revisiting Obesity Definitions: Impact of the 2025 Lancet Commission Criteria on Obesity Prevalence Among People With MASLD

Data sharing not applicable to this article as no datasets were generated or analysed during the current study.

COPD exacerbations and Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events (MACE) after first MACE

Whether major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) are associated with subsequent COPD exacerbations is unknown. In a generalisable COPD cohort, we determined whether (1) MACE was associated with subsequent exacerbations (by MACE-subtype, exacerbation severity, and timeframe), an...