Dear Editor,
The birth of a knowledge delivery mediator such as this new Journal of Health Scope is an auspiciously exciting intellectual event. Perhaps breakthrough is the more appropriate terminology, knowing the challenges encountered and overcame by the executive team. It is a praiseworthy effort since mainstream publishing, including digital ones, is dominated by the established “giants” of the developed world. Embolden by the need for publishing quickly meaningful and quality research results of various research centers and institutes, this new publication augers well infusing new hope and inspiration for researches, especially from developing countries, to excel in research and communicate their findings. It is a strategic and appropriate time to focus on the outcome of health promotion and it’s attending processes and subtleties. Worldwide, many community health programs failed to fully achieve their long-term objectives due to deficiencies especially in their continual and continuous promotions and follow-ups.
While absorbing the essence of contents and contexts of papers documented in the maiden issue of this journal, one senses and decipher clearly the manuscripts’ quality, breadth, depth, critical assessment, evaluation and presentation; and feels enlightened and elated by the open access digital structure of journal, instant accessibility and download-ability, easy-to-read format, the most up-to-date layout, and ready-for-citation configuration. Such achievement for a new publication is a rare feat! Sincere congratulation to the pioneering team.
The commencing Editorial by Professor Dr Ramazan Mirzaei (1), emphasises the journal’s aspiring devotion to promoting broad-based health sciences as framed by multidisciplinary research and collaboration. Historically and strategically, this sets a focused tone and well-defined trajectory of journey of this publication. This is indeed an open-arm invitation to submit for possible publication, researches on all relevant aspects of health promotion. The next article which endears to us is the one by Abdolvahab Baghbanian et al. (2) which uses the systems approach to analyzing decision-making in Australia’s Healthcare System. An important message from this paper is that making decisions, even in the presence of definitive policy environment, is an arduous and complex task. As rightly stated by the authors, it is an assignment which solicits adaptation within an atmosphere of uncertainty, multiplicity, and ownership of multi-stakeholders. This should ring the bell when we discuss health promotion, with its complexity and multiplicity! Perhaps to undertake such a task, knowledge enlightenment is a requisite. Hence the subsequent article which deserves our comment is that by Farideh Bastani (2, 3). The impact of education on nutritional behavior of women is an important social and family topic. The WHO Millennium Development Goal included a major provision on maternal and child’s health. Women as mothers deserve maximum focus to ensure their good health and that of the future generation even during the gestation stage. Apart from women, working adults are irrefutable assets of a nation. As such their well-being in their work environment is an increasingly major concern, worldwide. Consequently, the paper by Seyyed Ali Moussavi et al. (4, 5) grabs our instant bearing of this journal. Despite rules, guidelines, measurement, legal provision, and litigations, workers of various professions in many countries continue to suffer from musculoskeletal discomfort and its eliciting pain. If left untreated musculoskeletal symptoms hence disorder (MSD) emerges. Thus these authors rightfully concluded that preventive measures are needed at the structural, organizational, and personnel levels. From the literature, it is widely known that in many countries, the alarmingly high levels of prevalence of MSD in different job settings warrant focused attention and action by all stakeholders. It would be a welcome and celebratory occasion if more research publications can highlight on various aspects of the health promotion efforts, effects and impacts of this silent epidemic. The final, but not least, paper which is a must-read, reflects a major worldwide concern which is a definite byproduct of development i.e. pollution. The article by Ramazan Mirzei et al. (2012) (4) highlights the ordinary citizens’ knowledge on noise pollution. Significant associations of “quality-of-life” indicators with some influencing factors were found. The next logical step would to determine causation in order to increase the impact of this research line. Noise is a pervasive and continual pollution and deserves appropriate interventions. Otherwise peoples’ health as perceived through stress may deteriorate. Hence health promotion to mitigate impacts of pollution, including noise, is another growing concern in the world. The papers we have chosen offer a small but meaningful window to the bigger panoramic screen of concern and publication which we believe this journal aspires to achieve.
The statistical analyses done by the various authors are well aligned with the respective stated objectives. Nevertheless, in line with looking at the bigger picture of health promotion, risk assessments analysis would assist in identifying risk factors for particular discomforts, disorders or impairments. Hence where possible, more information can be extracted from analyses such as odds ratio and relative risks. Similarly, in situations of binary outcomes, a common outcome situation in health promotion, analyses such as logistic regression would lend more insight into predictability value of determinant variables. These analyses can enhance data extraction through apportioning of possible causative and predictors factors or variables. Consequently they would add higher impact to the utility value of the published papers, hence the intellectual asset and prestige of this neonate Journal of Health Scope. An enlightened way of viewing data is that they are the threads from which information and knowledge can be woven into fabrics of many colors and designs, for various utilitarian purposes. The various analyses and interpretations are akin to weaving of the fabrics to synthesize and productize information into varied forms of knowledge. As such information and knowledge can be empowered to influence, educate, elicit rules, regulation and legislation, and to acculturate societies and polities. Acculturation beckons leveraging on experience, social events and happenings within life ecosystems, and unraveling meanings to thoughts’ processes, actions, and their effects and impacts. Researches on such domains comprise qualitative study, which is inseparable from the realm of health promotion; and their publications here would enhance the impact factor of the journal. Hence with the vision and mission implied in this issue’s Editorial, this Journal of Health Scope is poised for a flight of intellectual emergence and human and humane practical eminence.
