In the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic, Hong Kong adopted strict public health and social measures to stop community transmission of SARS-CoV-2. These include border screening and control, isolation of cases and quarantine of their contacts and universal masking. During this period, attack rates in Hong Kong were among the lowest globally.

To estimate the seroprevalence of COVID-19 among healthcare workers (HCWs) in Hong Kong in 2020 and 2021.

We reviewed contact tracing data from the Hong Kong Department of Health to identify COVID-19 cases reported among HCWs. Between June 2020 and December 2021, we conducted a longitudinal cohort study to estimate the seroprevalence of COVID-19 among HCWs working in hospitals and clinics in Hong Kong during the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Overall seropositivity of COVID-19 by plaque reduction neutralisation test during the first (May–October 2020) and second round (November 2020–April 2021) of the study was 0% (95% CI 0.00% to 0.49%) and 0.52% (95% CI 0.14% to 1.33%). After COVID-19 vaccines were offered to HCWs in February 2021, seroprevalence by surrogate virus neutralisation assay among cohort participants who provided biannual blood samples rose to 68.7% (95% CI 65.9%, 71.3%) and 80.2% (95% CI 76.8%, 83.2%) in round 3 (May–October 2021) and the first 2 months of round 4 (November–December 2021).

Seroprevalence in Hong Kong HCWs in our study was low despite considerable exposure to confirmed COVID-19 cases in some study participants. However, the low rate of community transmission may have also contributed to the observed low seroprevalence among HCWs in our cohort.

Chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs), such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), are heterogeneous conditions with a high multimorbidity burden. However, existing risk assessment instruments prioritise physiological measures while overlooking systemic comorbidities. We aim to develop and validate an electronic health record (EHR)-embedded artificial intelligence (AI) model—AiRES (AI in patients with RESpiratory disease)—to predict the 30-day, 90-day and 180-day risks of all-cause and index-disease hospitalisations. This model represents a first step towards a clinical decision support tool for personalised multimorbidity management in patients with CRD.

Patients aged ≥18 years with a validated case definition of asthma and COPD will be identified from Singapore health administrative data (2012–2020). Candidate predictors will include age, sex, ethnicity, housing type, and comorbidities, measured across multiple care settings as visit frequency, grouped at quarterly intervals in Year 1 and annually for Years 2 and 3 over a 3-year lookback window. We will predict 30-day, 90-day, and 180-day risks of (1) all-cause and (2) asthma/COPD-specific hospital admissions using up to five randomly selected index dates per individual. Three machine learning algorithms—logistic regression (LR) with Lasso regularisation, eXtreme Gradient Boosting, and Categorical Boosting—will be trained using 10-fold cross-validation (CV) with an ensemble feature selection strategy. The optimal model, selected based on performance and feature importance, will be benchmarked against two reference models: a full LR and a Zero-Inflated Negative Binomial regression with hospitalisation history as the sole predictor. Discrimination and calibration will be assessed using internal-external cluster-based and temporal CV. Clinical utility will be evaluated using decision curve analysis.

This study obtained ethics approval from the National University of Singapore (NUS-IRB-2024-849). Results will be published in international peer-reviewed journals.

To identify and prioritise the most appropriate (de)prescribing interventions in inpatient and outpatient hospital care to advance environmentally sustainable healthcare.

A modified RAND Delphi study.

Inpatient and outpatient hospital care in the Netherlands.

The Delphi panel consisted of 63 participants, comprising 36 physicians and 27 pharmacists working in Dutch hospitals.

Consensus on the appropriateness of (de)prescribing interventions for frequently used medications in inpatient and outpatient hospital care to advance environmentally sustainable healthcare and the prioritisation of interventions per care setting (inpatient/outpatient) and intervention type (deprescribing/sustainable dosage form), culminating in a top 20.

51 (de)prescribing interventions were identified for 18 medication classes, for which consensus on appropriateness was reached for 42 (82%). The top 20 highest ranked interventions were identified, starting with switching from intravenous to oral administration of paracetamol, stopping chronically used proton pump inhibitors without indication and initiating antibiotics orally in case of good bioavailability.

Most (de)prescribing interventions were considered appropriate for advancing sustainable medication use, highlighting support for their potential implementation to reduce the environmental burden of healthcare.

Paternal incarceration represents a significant stressor that disrupts family cohesion, undermines paternal identity and adversely affects children’s psychosocial well-being. While family-focused programmes show promise in improving outcomes for incarcerated parents and their children, culturally attuned prison-based parenting interventions remain underdeveloped and scarce, particularly in Asian contexts. To address this gap, a local parenting intervention grounded in the Double ABCX model of family resilience, the ‘Be My Hero’ programme, was designed for incarcerated fathers in Hong Kong, China.

A concurrent mixed-methods design will be used to evaluate the intervention. A convenience sample of 20–30 incarcerated fathers of children aged 3–11 will be recruited from three correctional facilities. Quantitative measures assessing paternal competence, father–child attachment, communication and resilience will be collected preintervention and postintervention. Qualitative data will be triangulated through semistructured interviews with participants, their children and social workers, supplemented by session logs documenting perceived shifts in paternal identity and programme feasibility. The intervention is expected to mitigate disruptions in paternal identity and strengthen father–child bonds. This may, in turn, reduce intergenerational disadvantage and improve overall family well-being.

This study has received ethical approval from The University of Hong Kong. Informed consent and assent will be obtained from the participants, their children and current guardians. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals or conferences to inform correctional rehabilitation practices, encouraging the integration of family-focused and resilience-based approaches. Stakeholders, including practitioners and policymakers, may adopt similar interventions to promote healthier re-entry outcomes and reduce intergenerational disadvantage.

Research on the impact of smoking behaviour across generations has primarily focused on grandmaternal smoking during pregnancy. However, the broader multigenerational effects of smoking behaviour, notably through environmental and behavioural pathways, remain underexplored. This study evaluated previous studies on the possibility of transgenerational transmission, rather than in utero transmission, regarding the effects of grandparental smoking behaviour on offspring’s development outcomes.

This study is a systematic review with qualitative evidence synthesis.

A comprehensive search was conducted across multiple online databases, including PubMed, EBSCOhost, Web of Science and Scopus. To ensure a broad scope of relevant studies, publication dates, study locations and language were restricted to English only.

After duplicates were removed, 3916 articles remained from the 4133 identified articles. Based on the predefined eligibility criteria, 38 articles were selected for full-text assessment. The selection process involved multiple reviewers, with disagreements resolved through consensus.

Multiple reviewers independently extracted data using a standardised protocol. The Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tool was used to assess the quality of the included studies, with inter-rater reliability tests indicating moderate-to-high agreement. Extracted data included study design, participant demographics, exposure details and measured outcomes.

This systematic review included seven studies because of heterogeneity in reported outcomes and effect measures. Three independent reviewers extracted data using a standardised coding sheet. The synthesis compared methodologies, identified gaps, key findings and conclusions across studies.

Seven included articles examined grandchildren’s behaviour, such as hyperactivity disorder, oppositional defiant disorder and conduct problems, body composition and IQ concerning grandparents’ smoking habits. Most studies used robust statistical methods; two included parental factors as mediators. The synthesis of results indicated that the associations were primarily indirect. Key findings revealed that grandparents’ smoking status was significantly associated with their grandchildren’s physical and cognitive outcomes. Furthermore, the reviewed studies demonstrated sex-specific transgenerational effects of ancestral smoking on grandchildren’s health, with stronger effects often observed in male descendants.

This review highlights the methods and findings of previous studies on the potential transgenerational transmissions through which grandparents’ smoking behaviour may influence grandchildren’s behavioural, physical and cognitive development. Although the findings emphasise the importance of environmental and behavioural factors, further research is needed to address existing gaps and clarify mechanisms.

This systematic review protocol was registered in the PROSPERO database under registration number CRD42024571725.

Antenatal care (ANC) is a critical component for improving maternal and newborn health. It provides a platform for essential healthcare services, including health promotion, screening and diagnosis, injury and disease prevention, birth preparedness and preparation for the postnatal period. By implementing timely and appropriate evidence-based practices, ANC can reduce maternal and child morbidity and mortality and optimise overall health and well-being.

To assess the magnitude of utilisation of ANC with eight or more contacts and its associated factors among pregnant women attending ANC in Yayo District, 2023.

A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 301 randomly selected pregnant women attending ANC follow-up in selected health facilities in Yayo District, Southwest Ethiopia, from 1 June 2023 to 30 June 2023. Data were collected using an interviewer-administered structured questionnaire. The collected data were coded and entered into Epi Data V.4.6 and then exported to SPSS V.26 for descriptive and inferential analysis. Both bivariate and multivariate logistic regression models were fitted. Adjusted OR (AOR) with a 95% CI was estimated to assess the strength of associations. A p value

A total of 298 pregnant women participated in the study, yielding a response rate of 99%. Most of the pregnant women, 139 (46.6%), were housewives, and the majority, 248 (83.2%), were married. Adequate utilisation of ANC with eight or more contacts was found to be 7.7%. Factors significantly associated with ANC 8+ contacts utilisation include previous pregnancy-related complications (AOR 5.238 (95% CI 1.004 to 27.31)) and early initiation of ANC (AOR 29.09 (95% CI 8.87 to 95.3)).

The magnitude of ANC 8+ contacts utilisation was remarkably low in the study area. Therefore, greater investment is needed to promote the new ANC approach, emphasising ANC 8+ contacts. Special attention should be given to mobilising mothers to initiate ANC before 12 weeks of gestation to reduce the risk of complications and ensure maximum utilisation of ANC 8+ contacts.