The Role of Public Health Interventions in Controlling Infectious Disease Outbreaks

Authors

  • Sri Ramdani Universitas Hasanuddin
  • Nurlia Nurlia Universitas Hasanuddin
  • Fajar Fajar Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Kesehatan Amanah Makassar

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.71435/595704

Keywords:

Health Resilience, Mindful Practices, Cultural Integration

Abstract

Health resilience is a critical determinant of communities' ability to adapt to and overcome health challenges, particularly in contexts with significant socio-economic and healthcare disparities, such as Nigeria. This qualitative study explored the potential of mindful practices and cultural integration to enhance health resilience within Nigerian communities. Using purposive sampling, 30 participants, including healthcare professionals, cultural leaders, and community health workers, were selected from diverse regions of Nigeria. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions and analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings highlight the positive impact of mindfulness on emotional well-being and stress management, revealing its potential to improve health outcomes when adapted to align with local traditions. Culturally embedded health practices were found to play a pivotal role in shaping health behaviors, fostering community acceptance, and strengthening resilience. However, barriers such as limited awareness, resistance to change, and insufficient policy support hinder the widespread adoption of these integrated approaches. This study addresses gaps in existing literature by offering actionable insights for designing context-specific health interventions that leverage both modern psychological tools and traditional cultural practices. The integration of mindful practices and cultural dimensions presents an innovative pathway to address Nigeria's healthcare challenges, aligning with global health goals and fostering sustainable, culturally sensitive healthcare models. Future research should focus on evaluating the long-term impacts of such interventions and their scalability across diverse communities.

References

Agboola, O. P., & Tunay, M. (2023). Urban resilience in the digital age: The influence of Information-Communication Technology for sustainability. Journal of Cleaner Production, 428, 139304. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.139304

Balogun, J. A. (2022). The vulnerabilities of the Nigerian healthcare system. In The Nigerian Healthcare System: Pathway to Universal and High-Quality Health Care (pp. 117-152). Cham: Springer International Publishing. http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/09593988809160149(Accessed

Biddle, L., Wahedi, K., & Bozorgmehr, K. (2020). Health system resilience: a literature review of empirical research. Health polic. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapol/czaa032

Graetz, N., Boen, C. E., & Esposito, M. H. (2022). Structural racism and quantitative causal inference: a life course mediation framework for decomposing racial health disparities. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 63(2), 232-249. https://doi.org/10.1177/00221465211066108

Jones, B. J., Kaur, S., Miller, M., & Spencer, R. M. (2020). Mindfulness-based stress reduction benefits psychological well-being, sleep quality, and athletic performance in female collegiate rowers. Frontiers in psychology, 11, 572980. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.572980

Lansford, J. E. (2022). Annual research review: Cross‐cultural similarities and differences in parenting. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 63(4), 466-479. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.13539

Liu, W., Gao, Y., Gan, L., & Wu, J. (2022). The Role of Chinese Language Learners' Academic Resilience and Mindfulness in Their Engagement. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 916306. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.916306

Mao, W., & Agyapong, V. I. (2021). The role of social determinants in mental health and resilience after disasters: Implications for public health policy and practice. Frontiers in public health, 9, 658528. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2021.658528

McMaughan, D. J., Oloruntoba, O., & Smith, M. L. (2020). Socioeconomic status and access to healthcare: interrelated drivers for healthy aging. Frontiers in public health, 8, 231. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2020.00231

Musa Abdul, H. (2021). Exploring midwives' experiences of workplace adversity and resilience in northern Nigeria: a constructivist grounded theory (Doctoral dissertation, Cardiff University).

Nbete, A. D. (2020). From Multiculturalism to Humanistic Secularism: Harnessing Nigeria's Cultural Diversity. AFRREV IJAH: An International Journal of Arts and Humanities, 9(1), 155-170. https://doi.org/10.4314/ijah.v9i1.15

Nuhu, D., Liman, M. M., & Moses, T. (2022) Review of Online Shopping Design in Nigeria: Challenges and Opportunities.

Nyaruaba, R., Okoye, C. O., Akan, O. D., Mwaliko, C., Ebido, C. C., Ayoola, A., ... & Oyejobi, G. K. (2022). Socio-economic impacts of emerging infectious diseases in Africa. Infectious Diseases, 54(5), 315-324. https://doi.org/10.1080/23744235.2021.2022195

O’Donnell, A., Anderson, P., Schmidt, C., Braddick, F., Lopez-Pelayo, H., Mejía-Trujillo, J., ... & Schulte, B. (2022). Tailoring an evidence-based clinical intervention and training package for the treatment and prevention of comorbid heavy drinking and depression in middle-income country settings: the development of the SCALA toolkit in Latin America. Global Health Action, 15(1), 2080344. https://doi.org/10.1080/16549716.2022.2080344

Olusola, A., Olusola, B., Onafeso, O., Ajiola, F., & Adelabu, S. (2020). Early geography of the coronavirus disease outbreak in Nigeria. GeoJournal, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.11604/PAMJ.SUPP.2020.35.2.23671

Oman, D. (2023). Mindfulness for global public health: Critical analysis and agenda. Mindfulness, 1-40. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-023-02089-5

Osei-Tutu, A. A. (2023). Developing African oral traditional storytelling as a framework for studying with African peoples. Qualitative Research, 23(6), 1497-1514. https://doi.org/10.1177/14687941221082263

Palitsky, R., & Kaplan, D. M. (2021). The role of religion for mindfulness-based interventions: Implications for dissemination and implementation. Mindfulness, 12(8), 2076-2089. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-019-01253-0

Raimi, M. O., Vivien, O. T., & Oluwatoyin, O. A. (2021). Creating the healthiest nation: Climate change and environmental health impacts in Nigeria: A narrative review. Morufu Olalekan Raimi, Tonye Vivien Odubo & Adedoyin Oluwatoyin Omidiji (2021) Creating the Healthiest Nation: Climate Change and Environmental Health Impacts in Nigeria: A Narrative Review. Scholink Sustainability in Environment. ISSN.

Shen, Y. (2022). Mitigating students’ anxiety: the role of resilience and mindfulness among Chinese EFL learners. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 940443. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.940443

Shukla, N., Pradhan, B., Dikshit, A., Chakraborty, S., & Alamri, A. M. (2020). A review of models used for investigating barriers to healthcare access in Australia. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(11), 4087. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17114087

Trenz, H. J., Heft, A., Vaughan, M., & Pfetsch, B. (2021). Resilience of public spheres in a global health crisis. Javnost-The Public, 28(2), 111-128. https://doi.org/10.1080/13183222.2021.1919385

Downloads

Published

2024-08-10

How to Cite

Ramdani, S. ., Nurlia, N., & Fajar, F. (2024). The Role of Public Health Interventions in Controlling Infectious Disease Outbreaks. Journal of Asian-African Focus in Health, 2(2), 64–75. https://doi.org/10.71435/595704