Multidisciplinary Health & Wellbeing

Two years to improve the health and wellbeing of the Hungarian population

Editorial Board MEJ — 2025-03-03

Our magazine is now two years old, and the results of the past period prove that it was a good decision to start. In two years, we have published 8 regular and 1 special issue, with a total of 117 articles. Based on readership figures, we are pleased to see that the interest of professionals in the journal is growing month by month, which encourages us to continue. The abstracts of published articles have already been opened for reading nearly 19 000 times - a record number last month (1 571)-, and the articles have been downloaded more than 11 000 times. The acceptance rate of articles submitted for publication is 86.81%, with an average time to acceptance of 10 weeks.

What do we know about the physical condition of Hungarian schoolchildren? - Interview with Mónika Kaj

József Vitrai — 2025-03-03

The MEJ aims to promote an increasingly accurate and complete picture of health and well-being by presenting research on health and well-being and their social determinants by researchers from different disciplines. In addition to scientific publications, we have chosen a new format: interviews with some of the most prominent national experts in their fields, whose work, although representing different disciplines, is closely linked to health and well-being.

The interview was conducted by József Vitrai, founding editor-in-chief of MEJ on 17 January 2025.

What is population health? Or the evolution of the concept of public health

József Vitrai — 2025-03-03

BACKGROUND: In the national professional leadership circles of public health, there is no support for a discourse on the definition of public health. However, this is essential to improve the success of Hungarian public health.

OPINION: Around half a century ago, the Lalonde Report marked a major shift in public health theory and practice, with a renewed focus on lifestyle and the environment. The population health approach was the result of this turnaround, too. Looking back over the history of public health, it is possible to identify clearly stages and turning points in its development, marked by the expansion of expertise and responses to different societal challenges. A new turning point is likely in the 2020s, signaled by the publication of the World Health Organization’s Well-being Framework. It seems that Hungarian public health has not yet passed even the "New Public Health" stage, and its lagging behind the latest is becoming increasingly evident.

CONCLUSIONS: Reviewing the functioning of the national public health institutional system and modernizing it is a sine qua non for the success of public health. However, the conservatism of the professional leadership and policy gaps are a barrier to the renewal of theory and practice in Hungary. It would be a step forward if national practitioners, having read the recently developed White Paper on public health renewal, could initiate a professional debate on the different options for renewal and the steps that are likely to bring about change.

The role of „The basics of health visitor methodology, observation' course in the development of students' general and specialized knowledge related to health visiting and their professional commitment"

Antonia Magyari — 2025-03-03

INTRODUCTION: Applying for health visitor training is the first step of commitment to the profession. The successful passage of the tasks facing the students depends not only on the motivation of the students but also on the interest of the subjects preparing for the profession and the quality of education. The aim of our research is to examine whether the health visitor training in Győr, which started in the academic year 2021/2022, and the compulsory "Basics of Health Visitor Methodology, Observation" course for first-grade students play a role in their knowledge of the health visitor function and their professional commitment.

METHODOLOGY: We conducted a questionnaire survey among first-year students who successfully completed the subject course inputs and assessed their state after completing the subject. The questionnaire contained self-constructed closed and open questions, a Likert scale, and an online form (Google Forms). Students filled it in anonymously by March 28, 2022. The query was completed with a 100% response rate (N=19). In addition to socio-demographic data, we asked about their professional knowledge and characteristics related to professional commitment.

RESULTS: The average age of participants is 21.42 years; 36% are from intellectual families and typically come from large villages or Győr. The average admission score is 372 points. Changes in health visitor professional work between the input and output surveys are most marked in general knowledge growth. There is a tendentious increase in knowledge about specialized work. There is no significant correlation between admission points and the level of knowledge. Their commitment strengthened by 10.6% between September 2021 and May 2022, and more than three-quarters of them stated that they chose a good institution to obtain their degree.

CONCLUSIONS: For our students, the subject of observation is of great importance in getting to know general health visitor work and specialist fields, and it reinforces their commitment to the career.

Health-related physical fitness of Hungarian school-aged children (2024)

Mónika Kaj — 2025-03-03

In the 2023/2024 school year, the NETFIT® measurements were carried out for the tenth time.The fitness data of 654 014 pupils in 3702 school places were recorded by physical education teachers in the NETFIT® IT system.

Article review: The social value of place‐based creative wellbeing - A rapid review and evidence synthesis

Zoltán Lantos — 2025-03-03

Place-based creative wellbeing has received increasing attention in the health, social and cultural sciences over the past decade, as these programmes can make a significant contribution to improving the quality of life of individuals and communities. A place-based approach to creative wellbeing involves programmes that are based on the specific geographical environment, its cultural traditions and characteristics, and that focus on the current needs of the community. This local embeddedness has multiple benefits: it strengthens social networks, promotes community cohesion and reduces social isolation through creative expression.

Article review: How cities make us sick? – The hidden health risks of urban environments

Iván Devosa — 2025-03-03

A growing number of urban planning and public health professionals are gaining experience of how the urban environment affects the health of the population, thereby supporting preventive public health planning and implementation and improving the outcomes that can be achieved. This study aimed to respond to the growing professional interest from practitioners working in Sydney, Australia.

Article review: Integrating health into wellbeing leads to the Public Wellbeing System

József Vitrai — 2025-03-03

Today, there is a growing emphasis on public health initiatives that put wellbeing first. The main question of this paper is whether this process can really be a new response to the challenges of previous strategies, or whether it increases the chances that a mere change of name without a change of approach will only reproduce old problems.

Article review: Update on epidemiological theories for the 21st century

József Vitrai — 2025-03-03

Who and what determines people's health? This question goes to the heart of epidemiology as a population science. This question cannot be answered by methods alone. Rather, the question concerns the substantive - and contested - epidemiological theories of disease distribution that epidemiologists and other public health researchers, practitioners, and advocates rely on for causal relationships, hypotheses and interpretations, accountability and exposure to risk, and measures of disease associations.

Article review: Is excessive corporate power one of the causes of poor public health?

Iván Devosa — 2025-03-03

In many sectors of the economy, profit-oriented giant corporations have excessive power over governments and civil society. These imbalances in the balance of power are a major contributor to many pressing and complex social problems, such as unhealthy diets, climate change and growing socio-economic inequalities.

Article review: Is community-based food production the key to healthy eating?

Iván Devosa — 2025-03-03

In some regions of high-income countries, including Australia, access to healthy (health-promoting) foods is limited, while rates of diet-related chronic diseases are high. Sustainable and widely applicable strategies to strengthen community food systems could be a promising solution to reduce these inequalities.

Article review: Study of childhood obesity - are boys more health-conscious than girls?

Iván Devosa — 2025-03-03

Healthy Together Victoria (HTV) was an Australian Victorian State Government initiative aimed at reducing the prevalence of overweight and obesity through the management of chronic disease risk factors such as physical inactivity, poor diet, smoking and alcohol consumption. The programme involved more than 170 local staff working in 12 communities to support the health and well-being of individuals, families and communities.

Article review: Interpreting the concept of masculinity for interventions aimed at modifying gender roles

Iván Devosa — 2025-03-03

Health interventions involving men and boys and changing gender roles are gaining ground globally. While these programmes are adaptable to geographical, demographic and epidemiological specificities, are widely supported and are based on increasingly sophisticated theoretical foundations, it remains unclear how the concept of masculinity is understood and applied in these interventions at the theoretical and practical level.

Article review: Joint flexibility as a measure of health

Iván Devosa — 2025-03-03

Flexibility is recognised as a key component of physical fitness and is often recommended as part of exercise programmes for all ages. However, little data is available on the relationship between flexibility and survival. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of body flexibility with natural and non-Covid-19-related mortality risk in middle-aged men and women, disaggregated by sex.

Report: THE HEALTH OF HUNGARIANS DESERVES MORE! Position of the Hungarian Medical Chamber

József Vitrai — 2025-03-03

The law on professional chambers in the health sector stipulates that the Hungarian Medical Chamber should contribute to the shaping of health policy and other decisions affecting health care, as well as to the improvement of health care for the population, to the extent of its social weight and intellectual capital. With this in mind, the Hungarian Medical Chamber launched a social campaign in February. The campaign is independent of any political party or organisation and has the broad mandate of the Hungarian medical community.

The campaign aims to promote public interest, to raise health awareness among citizens, to support the importance of the health system and the development of a robust public health system. The campaign is based solely on official data publicly available in the databases of the National Statistical Institutes of Health (NHS), Eurostat and the OECD.

The campaign website features a short general introduction and seven animated videos outlining the Hungarian Medical Chamber's views on the problems of the Hungarian health care system and the solutions proposed. Each video is accompanied by a textual explanation. Below are summaries of each point.

Report: Cancer in Hungary

József Vitrai — 2025-03-03

In Hungary, the incidence of new cancer cases and cancer mortality is above the EU average for both men and women. Despite a decrease in cancer mortality since 2011, Hungary still had the highest cancer mortality in the EU with 310 cancer deaths per 100 000 population in 2021. In Hungary, participation in organized screening programs for breast and cervical cancer has decreased over time, to 30% for breast cancer and 26% for cervical cancer in 2022. Many women, however, seek cervical cancer screening in the private health sector. In the coming years, cancer is expected to have a more significant negative impact on life expectancy and mental health in Hungary than in other parts of the EU.

Book review: Demographic portrait. Health status of young children and Mortality

József Vitrai — 2025-03-03

For the sixth time, the Population Research Institute of the HCSO has published the Demographic Portrait, launched in 2009 and published every three years. The aim of the volume is to provide a comprehensive overview of population trends in Hungary. As in previous editions, this volume of studies presents knowledge and context based on scientific analysis, in a concise and accessible way, illustrated with graphs and tables. The target audience, in addition to the narrow professional community, is policy-makers, higher education lecturers and students, as well as the lay reader interested in demographic issues.

Short news from around the world

József Vitrai — 2025-03-03

A selection of the health and well-being news of most interest to the world's professionals.

Public Health 3.0 - Activities of the Association for the Renewal of Hungarian Public Health

József Vitrai — 2025-03-03

We believe that health is the primary condition for a full and happy life, and that modern and effective public health is essential to achieve this. Significant health losses in Hungary and their inequalities across regions and regions highlight the fact that the solutions to public health problems have not been effective and efficient in Hungary. Therefore, the aim of our association is to develop the theory and practice of public health in Hungary with a new approach.