Yossi Harel-Fisch | Bar-Ilan University (original) (raw)

Papers by Yossi Harel-Fisch

European journal of public health, Nov 1, 2019

, TBAs performed 2272 talks about maternal and child health issues: healthy pregnancy (551 talks,... more , TBAs performed 2272 talks about maternal and child health issues: healthy pregnancy (551 talks, 24.3%), nutrition (404, 17.8%) and malaria (370, 16.3%) were the most debated topics. The total of women's presences during these educational talks was 57504, and 15379 of them (26.7%) were pregnant. TBAs referred to health facilities 226 pregnant women for a delivery assisted by SBAs. Conclusions: Angolan estimated MMR in 2015 was 477/100000 live births: therefore, more efforts should be made to contribute to the achievement of 2030 SDGs target of 70/100000 globally. Moreover, the country percentage of deliveries assisted by SBAs is less than 50%. Promoting alternative roles for TBAs into the mother and child health framework could represent an effective way to improve maternal and neonatal outcomes. Key messages: According to the World Health Organization, defining alternative roles for traditional birth attendants could represent an effective way to support the health of women and children. Traditional Birth Attendants can play an important role in providing basic health education and in the ''referral chain'' of pregnant women to health facilities with skilled birth attendants.

Archives of pediatrics & adolescent medicine, Sep 1, 1995

Health Promotion International, Dec 13, 2021

Spirituality is an ancient concept with many contemporary applications to the field of health pro... more Spirituality is an ancient concept with many contemporary applications to the field of health promotion. While recognized in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child as a basic human right, definitional misunderstandings about what spirituality is, and is not, and the mechanisms by which it affects the health of young people, remain. In this cross-national analysis involving >75 000 adolescents from 12 countries, we examined the relative importance of each of four spiritual health domains (connections to self, others, nature and the transcendent) in the lives of young people, and how these connections relate to a standard indicator of positive mental health status. Descriptive and applied regression analyses confirmed two major findings: (i) boys and girls in all 12 countries ranked the importance of each of the four domains in the same order, with 'connections to self' identified as most important; and (ii) both direct and indirect pathways are evident that connect the remaining three domains to positive mental health status, but through strong connections to self. Based on our scale items, fostering a strong connection to self, which involves cultivating a sense of meaning, purpose and joy in the lives of adolescents, appears most fundamental to fostering optimal mental health. This may be achieved directly or, dependent upon context and culture, indirectly with emphasis on the connections afforded by the other three domains. Such findings provide important insights to guide the content of adolescent health promotion interventions.

This study focuses on the effects of family psychosocial factors on the probability of injuries t... more This study focuses on the effects of family psychosocial factors on the probability of injuries throughout childhood (ages 0-17). Data from the 1981 Health Interview Survey and its associated Child Health Supplement were analyzed. The results are based on a sample of 30,070 children living in 15,416 households in the United States during 1981. Of these children, 416 reported medically attended injuries that occurred in the 14-day period before the interview. Two-week injury rates calculated for these data suggest that the effects of age on the probability of injuries in some age groups depend on the child's sex. Injury rates increased during toddler ages and midadolescence. This increase is mainly true for boys. Girls, however, show decreased injury rates during ages 14-15. Both boys and girls show relatively higher injury rates during puberty, suggesting that physiological development may affect the probability of pediatric injuries. Information about the 416 injured children and 1,500 r and omly selected uninjured children was used to analyze the effects of family psychosocial factors on the probability of childhood injuries. The results of an exploratory logistic regression analysis demonstrate that stable socioeconomic factors such as family income, race, and parental education have no direct effect on childhood injuries. Homemakers and nonemployed mothers reported more injuries than did working mothers. This effect was found only for minor injuries, suggesting a reporting bias rather than a true effect. Family composition and transition factors were strongly associated with pediatric injuries. The number of adults in the household was negatively associated with injuries. Children from large families or from families with multiple residential dislocations had higher injury rates. Indicators of health problems in the family were strongly associated with the probability of childhood injuries. These effects were weaker for home injuries and stronger for school injuries, suggesting that children carry into the school environment a set of psychobehavioral responses that place them at higher risk for injuries. Several methodological and social psychological interpretations are discussed along with some implications for preventive pediatrics. A conceptual model linking stress, behavior, and injury is suggested as a possible framework for future injury research.Ph.D.Social psychologyHealth Sciences, EducationUniversity of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162055/1/8907049.pd

PubMed, 1993

Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA. Dr. Harel is Professor, Department of Sociology, Bar I... more Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA. Dr. Harel is Professor, Department of Sociology, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel. Dr. Waxweiler is Special Assistant for Scientific Affairs, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, CDC, Atlanta.

Frontiers in Psychology, Jun 21, 2023

Cultural accommodation of internet-based interventions for substance use and related disorders: a... more Cultural accommodation of internet-based interventions for substance use and related disorders: a proposed comprehensive framework based on a pilot study and a literature review.

PLOS ONE, Feb 21, 2013

Then aims of the current study were 1) to provide cross-national estimates of the prevalence of p... more Then aims of the current study were 1) to provide cross-national estimates of the prevalence of physical fighting and weapon carrying among adolescents aged 11-15 years; (2) To examine the possible effects of physical fighting and weapon carrying on the occurrence of physical (medically treated injuries) and emotional health outcomes (multiple health complaints) among adolescents within the theoretical framework of Problem Behaviour Theory. 20,125 adolescents aged 11-15 in five countries (Belgium, Israel, USA, Canada, FYR Macedonia) were surveyed via the 2006 Health Behaviour in School Aged Children survey. Prevalence was calculated for physical fighting and weapon carrying along with physical and emotional measures that potentially result from violence. Regression analyses were used to quantify associations between violence/weapon carrying and the potential health consequences within each country. Large variations in fighting and weapon carrying were observed across countries. Boys reported more frequent episodes of fighting/weapon carrying and medically attended injuries in every country, while girls reported more emotional symptoms. Although there were some notable variations in findings between different participating countries, increased weapon carrying and physical fighting were both independently and consistently associated with more frequent reports of the potential health outcomes. Adolescents engaging in fighting and weapon carrying are also at risk for physical and emotional health outcomes. Involvement in fighting and weapon carrying can be seen as part of a constellation of risk behaviours with obvious health implications. Our findings also highlight the importance of the cultural context when examining the nature of violent behaviour for adolescents.

Harm Reduction Journal

Background Few studies have analyzed harm reduction behaviors and attitudes among rave party atte... more Background Few studies have analyzed harm reduction behaviors and attitudes among rave party attendees. Since the late 1980s, there has been a large Israeli rave scene, also known as 'Nature Parties'. However, only a few studies have been conducted among nature party attendees and almost all of them are from a qualitative perspective. This study's aim was to fill the gap and conduct quantitative research to investigate the patterns of substance use, harm reduction attitudes and behaviors among Israeli nature rave party attendees. Methods A cross-sectional online survey recruited 1,206 people who reported having attended nature rave parties. All of the participants were aged 18–60 years (M = 29.9; SD = 7.4), and 770 (64%) were male. Results The most common illicit substances used at Israeli nature rave parties in the past year were cannabis (62.2%), followed by LSD (41.4%), MDMA (31.7%), mushrooms/psilocybin (23.9%), ketamine (19.6%) and cocaine (17.2%). A significant but...

Psychology in the Schools

Volunteering can serve as a protective factor against substance abuse. Yet, it is unclear whether... more Volunteering can serve as a protective factor against substance abuse. Yet, it is unclear whether volunteering in specific community organizations, such as emergency services, promotes or protects against substance use. We aimed to (1) describe community volunteering characteristics among adolescents; (2) investigate differences in the prevalence of substance use according to community volunteering type; and (3) determine whether volunteering type was a predictor of substance use. We analyzed data from the 2018–2019 Health Behavior in School‐aged Children survey among Israeli adolescents aged 11–17 years (N = 3972). Most participants (N = 2452; 61.7%) did not volunteer at all, 27.1% (N = 1077) volunteered in youth movements/councils, and 11.2% (N = 443) volunteered in community emergency services. In comparison to the emergency services group, there was a higher volunteering frequency among the youth movements/councils group. Of the three groups (nonvolunteering, volunteering in you...

Sustainability, Nov 14, 2022

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY

Public expenditure on drug control policies Annual report from Social Services Department Data on... more Public expenditure on drug control policies Annual report from Social Services Department Data on Social Services Department expenditures at regional level and the number of drug users receiving social benefits in connection with drug use.

European Journal of Public Health, 2020

Background Youth whose parents are unemployed have poorer health and well-being, including more i... more Background Youth whose parents are unemployed have poorer health and well-being, including more injuries that result in hospitalization. The current study examined the possibility of an association of parents’ employment status with youth injury and the interaction of this status with other socio-economic factors and ethnicity. Methods We distributed to adolescents aged 11–15 years, in class, the Israel Health Behavior in School-Aged Children Survey. We distinguished between any injury and severe injury, defining the latter as one necessitating the use of a cast, stitches and crutches or overnight hospitalization. Results Of 13 705 respondents, 6224 (45%) had an injury in the past year that required medical treatment and 1827 pupils (13.5%) reported severe injuries. The odds of any injury were 1.86 for boys as against girls (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.73–1.99), 0.80 for school grade (95% CI 0.78–0.82), 1.56 for Arabs vs. Jews (95% CI 1.43–1.70) and 1.10 for high Family Affluence...

American Journal of Health Behavior, 2019

T he relationship between insufficient physical activity (PA) and chronic disease morbidity and p... more T he relationship between insufficient physical activity (PA) and chronic disease morbidity and premature mortality is wellestablished. 1 High PA and cardiorespiratory fitness levels in adolescence are related to better health in adolescence and early adulthood, 2,3 and to an increased probability that a physically active lifestyle will be maintained through life. 3 Among adolescents (11-17-year-olds), physical inactivity may increase the risk of numerous non-communicable diseases. 4 The establishment of healthy PA patterns during childhood and adolescence appears to be an important contributor to the prevention of chronic diseases. 5,6 As the impact of PA on health is becoming more salient, stakeholders and governmental organizations have increasingly emphasized the importance of meeting and adhering to PA recommendations for children and adolescents aged 5 to 18 years-that is, engaging in moderate-to-vigorous intensity PA for at least 60 minutes daily. 7,8 A comparison of adolescents from Israel with adolescents from over 40 European countries revealed that Israeli youth take part in low amounts of PA.

Journal of Adolescence, 2018

ABSTRACTThe study examines psychosomatic symptoms, and host and heritage identities as mediators ... more ABSTRACTThe study examines psychosomatic symptoms, and host and heritage identities as mediators of the relationship between discrimination and aggressive behavior and substance use. Israeli data from the 2013‐14 Health Behaviors of School‐aged Children study included a representative sample of 1503 first‐ and second‐generation immigrant adolescents aged 11–17 years (45.2% male) from the Former Soviet Union and Ethiopia in Israel. Structural equation modeling, controlling for age, gender, family affluence and immigrant generation, showed different pathways for the two groups. For FSU‐heritage adolescents, the relationship between discrimination and aggressive behavior and substance use was partially mediated by psychosomatic symptoms. Lower host and heritage identities also predicted psychosomatic symptoms. For Ethiopian‐heritage adolescents, the relationship between discrimination and outcomes was fully mediated by psychosomatic symptoms and a weaker host identity. Results support ...

Anxiety, Stress, & Coping, 2021

ABSTRACT Background and Objectives Stressors related to the COVID-19 pandemic are risk factors fo... more ABSTRACT Background and Objectives Stressors related to the COVID-19 pandemic are risk factors for psychopathology, but psychosocial protective factors might play a crucial role in buffering the pathogenic effects of the outbreak. Design In the current study, we examined the association of inner resources and potential external sources of support for coping with the pandemic and related lockdowns to mental health during the pandemic, while controlling for sociodemographic variables as covariates. Methods We tested the model in a probability-based internet survey of a representative sample of the Israeli adult population (N = 812) conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results Perceived support in close relationships was negatively associated with the intensity of depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Larger rings of potential support such as perceived belongingness to a community and trust in government were also negatively related to anxiety and depression but were positively associated with the intensity of OCD and PTSD. Conclusions Findings support the “tend and befriend” theory in the social distancing era and highlight the importance of keeping personal relationships alive when facing a mass trauma.