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Perry MA, Gowland RL. Compounding vulnerabilities: Syndemics and the social determinants of disease in the past. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PALEOPATHOLOGY 2022; 39:35-49. [PMID: 36215930 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpp.2022.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This article explores the theory and utility of a syndemic approach for the study of disease in the past. Syndemic principles are examined alongside other theoretical developments within bioarchaeology. Two case studies are provided to illustrate the efficacy of this approach: Tuberculosis and vitamin D deficiency in 18th and 19th century England, and malaria and helminth infections in Early Medieval England. MATERIALS Public health studies of present syndemics, in addition to published bioarchaeological, clinical and social information relating to the chosen case studies. METHODS The data from these two historical examples are revisited within a syndemic framework to draw deeper conclusions about disease clustering and heterogeneity in the past. RESULTS A syndemic framework can be applied to past contexts using clinical studies of diseases in a modern context and relevant paleopathological, archaeological, and historical data. CONCLUSIONS This approach provides a means for providing a deeper, contextualised understanding ancient diseases, and integrates well with extant theoretical tools in bioarchaeology SIGNIFICANCE: Syndemics provides scholars a deep-time perspective on diseases that still impact modern populations. LIMITATIONS Many of the variables essential for a truly syndemic approach cannot be obtained from current archaeological, bioarchaeological, or historical methods. SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH More detailed and in-depth analysis of specific disease clusters within the past and the present, which draws on a comprehensive analysis of the social determinants of health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan A Perry
- Department of Anthropology MS 568, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC 27858, USA.
| | - Rebecca L Gowland
- Department of Archaeology, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK.
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Macip S, Yuguero O. Individual Freedom in the Initial Response to Covid-19. Front Public Health 2022; 10:765016. [PMID: 35719608 PMCID: PMC9203881 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.765016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a phenomenal challenge to global health care and will continue to be so in the upcoming months. Beyond its medical toll, COVID-19 has also exacerbated pre-existing social issues and created new inequalities. This has generated a series of ethical problems that will need to be carefully analyzed to avoid repeating similar mistakes in the context of other crises. Among those, we discuss here the bioethical implications of preserving individual freedom in the context of the early response to a pandemic and propose a global approach to the issue that could be applied in future health challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Salvador Macip
- Mechanisms of Cancer and Aging Laboratory, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
- Food Lab, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Oriol Yuguero
- Emergency Research Group, Biomedical Research Institute of Lleida (IRBLLEIDA), Lleida, Spain
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Olude MA, Mouihate A, Mustapha OA, Farina C, Quintana FJ, Olopade JO. Astrocytes and Microglia in Stress-Induced Neuroinflammation: The African Perspective. Front Immunol 2022; 13:795089. [PMID: 35707531 PMCID: PMC9190229 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.795089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Africa is laden with a youthful population, vast mineral resources and rich fauna. However, decades of unfortunate historical, sociocultural and leadership challenges make the continent a hotspot for poverty, indoor and outdoor pollutants with attendant stress factors such as violence, malnutrition, infectious outbreaks and psychological perturbations. The burden of these stressors initiate neuroinflammatory responses but the pattern and mechanisms of glial activation in these scenarios are yet to be properly elucidated. Africa is therefore most vulnerable to neurological stressors when placed against a backdrop of demographics that favor explosive childbearing, a vast population of unemployed youths making up a projected 42% of global youth population by 2030, repressive sociocultural policies towards women, poor access to healthcare, malnutrition, rapid urbanization, climate change and pollution. Early life stress, whether physical or psychological, induces neuroinflammatory response in developing nervous system and consequently leads to the emergence of mental health problems during adulthood. Brain inflammatory response is driven largely by inflammatory mediators released by glial cells; namely astrocytes and microglia. These inflammatory mediators alter the developmental trajectory of fetal and neonatal brain and results in long-lasting maladaptive behaviors and cognitive deficits. This review seeks to highlight the patterns and mechanisms of stressors such as poverty, developmental stress, environmental pollutions as well as malnutrition stress on astrocytes and microglia in neuroinflammation within the African context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Ayokunle Olude
- Vertebrate Morphology, Environmental Toxicology and Neuroscience Unit, College of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria
- *Correspondence: Matthew Ayokunle Olude,
| | - Abdeslam Mouihate
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Health Sciences Centre, Kuwait University, Kuwait City, Kuwait
| | - Oluwaseun Ahmed Mustapha
- Vertebrate Morphology, Environmental Toxicology and Neuroscience Unit, College of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria
| | - Cinthia Farina
- Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCSS) San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Institute of Experimental Neurology (INSPE) and Division of Neuroscience, Milan, Italy
| | - Francisco Javier Quintana
- Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - James Olukayode Olopade
- Neuroscience Unit, Department of Veterinary Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
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Malaria and Helminthic Co-Infection during Pregnancy in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19095444. [PMID: 35564842 PMCID: PMC9101176 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19095444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Malaria and helminthic co-infection during pregnancy causes fetomaternal haemorrhage and foetal growth retardation. This study determined the pooled burden of pregnancy malaria and helminthic co-infection in sub-Saharan Africa. CINAHL, EMBASE, Google Scholar, Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science databases were used to retrieve data from the literature, without restricting language and publication year. The Joanna Briggs Institute’s critical appraisal tool for prevalence studies was used for quality assessment. STATA Version 14.0 was used to conduct the meta-analysis. The I2 statistics and Egger’s test were used to test heterogeneity and publication bias. The random-effects model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence at a 95% confidence interval (CI). The review protocol has been registered in PROSPERO, with the number CRD42019144812. In total, 24 studies (n = 14,087 participants) were identified in this study. The pooled analysis revealed that 20% of pregnant women were co-infected by malaria and helminths in sub-Saharan Africa. The pooled prevalence of malaria and helminths were 33% and 35%, respectively. The most prevalent helminths were Hookworm (48%), Ascaris lumbricoides (37%), and Trichuris trichiura (15%). Significantly higher malaria and helminthic co-infection during pregnancy were observed. Health systems in sub-Saharan Africa must implement home-grown innovative solutions to underpin context-specific policies for the early initiation of effective intermittent preventive therapy.
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Lemke MK, Brown KK. Syndemic Perspectives to Guide Black Maternal Health Research and Prevention During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Matern Child Health J 2020; 24:1093-1098. [PMID: 32696248 PMCID: PMC7372977 DOI: 10.1007/s10995-020-02983-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and related policies have led to an unequal distribution of morbidity and mortality in the U.S. For Black women and birthing people, endemic vulnerabilities and disparities may exacerbate deleterious COVID-19 impacts. Historical and ongoing macro-level policies and forces over time have induced disproportionately higher rates of maternal morbidity and mortality among Black women and birthing people, and contemporary macroeconomic and healthcare policies and factors continue to hold particular consequence. These factors induce detrimental psychological, health, and behavioral responses that contribute to maternal health disparities. The COVID-19 pandemic is likely to disproportionately impact Black women and birthing people, as policy responses have failed to account for the their unique socioeconomic and healthcare contexts. The resulting consequences may form a ‘vicious cycle’, with upstream impacts that exacerbate upstream macro-level policies and forces that can further perpetuate the clustering of maternal morbidity and mortality in this population. Understanding the impacts of COVID-19 among Black women and birthing people requires theoretical frameworks that can sufficiently conceptualize their multi-level, interacting, and dynamic nature. Thus, we advocate for the proliferation of syndemic perspectives to guide maternal disparities research and prevention during the COVID-19 pandemic. These perspectives can enable a holistic and nuanced understanding of the intersection of endemic and COVID-19-specific vulnerabilities and disparities experienced by Black women and birthing people. Syndemic-informed research can then lead to impactful multi-level prevention strategies that simultaneously tackle both endemic and COVID-19-specific factors and outcomes that lead to the clustering of vulnerabilities and disparities over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Kenneth Lemke
- Department of Social Sciences, One Main Street, University of Houston-Downtown, Suite N1025, Houston, TX, 77002, USA.
| | - Kyrah K Brown
- Department of Kinesiology, University of Texas At Arlington, 500 W. Nedderman, Maverick Activities Center, Box 19259, Arlington, TX, 76019, USA
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Lange IL, Gherissi A, Chou D, Say L, Filippi V. What maternal morbidities are and what they mean for women: A thematic analysis of twenty years of qualitative research in low and lower-middle income countries. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0214199. [PMID: 30973883 PMCID: PMC6459473 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0214199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2018] [Accepted: 03/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background With an estimated 27 million annual incidents of maternal morbidity globally, how they are manifested or experienced is diverse and shaped by societal, cultural and personal influences. Using qualitative research to examine a woman's perception of her pregnancy, its complications, and potential long-term impact on her life can inform public health approaches and complement and inform biomedical classifications of maternal morbidities, historically considered a neglected dimension of safe motherhood. As part of the WHO’s Maternal Morbidity Working Group’s efforts to define and measure maternal morbidity, we carried out a thematic analysis of the qualitative literature published between 1998 and 2017 on how women experience maternal morbidity in low and lower-middle income countries. Results and conclusions Analysis of the 71 papers included in this study shows that women’s status, their marital relationships, cultural attitudes towards fertility and social responses to infertility and pregnancy trauma are fundamental to determining how they will experience morbidity in the pregnancy and postpartum periods. We explore the physical, economic, psychological and social repercussions pregnancy can produce for women, and how resource disadvantage (systemic, financial and contextual) can exacerbate these problems. In addition to an analysis of ten themes that emerged across the different contexts, this paper presents which morbidities have received attention in different regions and the trends in researching morbidities over time. We observed an increase in qualitative research on this topic, generally undertaken through interviews and focus groups. Our analysis calls for the pursuit of high quality qualitative research that includes repeat interviews, participant observation and triangulation of sources to inform and fuel critical advocacy and programmatic work on maternal morbidities that addresses their prevention and management, as well as the underlying systemic problems for women’s status in society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle L. Lange
- Maternal Adolescent Reproductive and Child Health Centre (MARCH), London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | | | - Doris Chou
- Department of Reproductive Health and Research, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Lale Say
- Department of Reproductive Health and Research, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Veronique Filippi
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
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Choi KW, Smit JA, Coleman JN, Mosery N, Bangsberg DR, Safren SA, Psaros C. Mapping a Syndemic of Psychosocial Risks During Pregnancy Using Network Analysis. Int J Behav Med 2019; 26:207-216. [PMID: 30805768 PMCID: PMC6628702 DOI: 10.1007/s12529-019-09774-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Psychosocial risks during pregnancy impact maternal health in resource-limited settings, and HIV-positive women often bear a heavy burden of these factors. This study sought to use network modeling to characterize co-occurring psychosocial risks to maternal and child health among at-risk pregnant women. METHODS Two hundred pregnant HIV-positive women attending antenatal care in South Africa were enrolled. Measured risk factors included younger age, low income, low education, unemployment, unintended pregnancy, distress about pregnancy, antenatal depression, internalized HIV stigma, violence exposure, and lack of social support. Network analysis between risk factors was conducted in R using mixed graphical modeling. Centrality statistics were examined for each risk node in the network. RESULTS In the resulting network, unintended pregnancy was strongly tied to distress about pregnancy. Distress about pregnancy was most central in the network and was connected to antenatal depression and HIV stigma. Unintended pregnancy was also associated with lack of social support, which was itself linked to antenatal depression, HIV stigma, and low income. Finally, antenatal depression was connected to violence exposure. CONCLUSIONS Our results characterize a network of psychosocial risks among pregnant HIV-positive women. Distress about pregnancy emerged as central to this network, suggesting that unintended pregnancy is particularly distressing in this population and may contribute to further risks to maternal health, such as depression. Prevention of unintended pregnancies and interventions for coping with unplanned pregnancies may be particularly useful where multiple risks intersect. Efforts addressing single risk factors should consider an integrated, multilevel approach to support women during pregnancy. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03069417.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karmel W Choi
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, 185 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Jenni A Smit
- Maternal Adolescent and Child Health (MatCH) Research Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of the Witwatersrand, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
- School of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
| | - Jessica N Coleman
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
- Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Nzwakie Mosery
- Maternal Adolescent and Child Health (MatCH) Research Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of the Witwatersrand, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
- School of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
| | - David R Bangsberg
- MGH Center for Global Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- School of Public Health, Oregon Health and Science University-Portland State University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Steven A Safren
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Christina Psaros
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
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Bazzi AR, Yotebieng K, Otticha S, Rota G, Agot K, Ohaga S, Syvertsen JL. PrEP and the syndemic of substance use, violence, and HIV among female and male sex workers: a qualitative study in Kisumu, Kenya. J Int AIDS Soc 2019; 22:e25266. [PMID: 30983147 PMCID: PMC6462807 DOI: 10.1002/jia2.25266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Female and male sex workers experience heightened vulnerability to HIV and other health harms that are compounded by substance use, physical and sexual violence, and limited access to health services. In Kisumu, Kenya, where sex work is widespread and substance use is a growing public health concern, offering pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for HIV prevention could help curtail the HIV epidemic. Our study examines "syndemics," or mutually reinforcing epidemics of substance use, violence and HIV, in relation to PrEP acceptability and feasibility among female and male sex workers in Kenya, one of the first African countries to approve PrEP for HIV prevention. METHODS From 2016 to 2017, sex workers in Kisumu reporting recent alcohol or drug use and experiences of violence participated in qualitative interviews on HIV risk and perspectives on health service needs, including PrEP programming. Content analysis identified themes relating to PrEP knowledge, acceptability, access challenges and delivery preferences. RESULTS Among 45 female and 28 male sex workers, median age was 28 and 25 respectively. All participants reported past-month alcohol use and 91% of women and 82% of men reported past-month drug use. Violence was pervasive, with most women and men reporting past-year physical (96% women, 86% men) and sexual (93% women, 79% men) violence. Concerning PrEP, interviews revealed: (1) low PrEP knowledge, especially among women; (2) high PrEP acceptability and perceived need, particularly within syndemic contexts of substance use and violence; and (3) preferences for accessible, non-stigmatizing PrEP delivery initiatives designed with input from sex workers. CONCLUSIONS Through a syndemic lens, substance use and violence interact to increase HIV vulnerability and perceived need for PrEP among female and male sex workers in Kisumu. Although interest in PrEP was high, most sex workers in our sample, particularly women, were not benefiting from it. Syndemic substance use and violence experienced by sex workers posed important barriers to PrEP access for sex workers. Increasing PrEP access for sex workers will require addressing substance use and violence through integrated programming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela R Bazzi
- Department of Community Health SciencesBoston University School of Public HealthBostonMAUSA
| | - Kelly Yotebieng
- Department of AnthropologyOhio State UniversityColumbusOHUSA
| | | | - Grace Rota
- Kenya Medical Research InstituteKisumuKenya
| | - Kawango Agot
- Impact Research & Development OrganizationKisumuKenya
| | - Spala Ohaga
- Impact Research & Development OrganizationKisumuKenya
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Beeson JG, Homer CSE, Morgan C, Menendez C. Multiple morbidities in pregnancy: Time for research, innovation, and action. PLoS Med 2018; 15:e1002665. [PMID: 30252846 PMCID: PMC6155445 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1002665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In a Guest Editorial, James Beeson and colleagues discuss the contribution of nonobstetric morbidity to mortality during and around pregnancy and what needs to be done to address this global health challenge.
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Affiliation(s)
- James G Beeson
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Central Clinical School and School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.,Department of Medicine and Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Caroline S E Homer
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Centre for Midwifery, Child and Family Health, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Christopher Morgan
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Central Clinical School and School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.,Department of Medicine and Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Clara Menendez
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Maputo, Mozambique
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Manderson L, Levine S. Southward Focused: Medical Anthropology in South Africa. AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/aman.13097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lenore Manderson
- University of the Witwatersrand; South Africa, and Brown University USA
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Damari B, Ehsani Chimeh E. Public Health Activist Skills Pyramid: A Model for Implementing Health in All Policies. SOCIAL WORK IN PUBLIC HEALTH 2017; 32:407-420. [PMID: 28799849 DOI: 10.1080/19371918.2017.1344600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Affecting public health for society requires various competencies. In fact, the prerequisite for the implementation of health in all policies should be effectiveness of public health activists (PHAs) in these competencies. This study aims to determine the competencies of the activists in public health. The present qualitative study reviewed the literature and adopted qualitative methods like content analysis, stakeholder interviews, and conducted focus group discussions with related experts. In each stage, the required competencies were extracted through drawing the main action processes of a PHA. Thereafter, the authors reached an ultimately best-suited working model by classifying and approving extracted competencies. The competencies comprise a pyramid set of three main categories of basic, specialized/professional, and individual updating competencies. Personal management, communication, teamwork, project management, ability to apply principles and concepts of public health, anatomy, physiology, and pathology in the organizations of the society should be included in the basic category. Specialized skills should include ability to plan, public participation, intersectoral collaboration, social marketing, working with the media/media friendly attitude, advocacy, research management and knowledge translation, evaluation of health programs, network establishment and management, deployment and institutionalization, operational research, empowerment and consultation, and protocol and service pack design. Last but not least, individual updating is defined as being informed of the latest scientific articles and reports about health and its situation in different countries as well as determinants that affect health. Implementation of this pyramid requires design and establishment of specific centers for transferring effective public health competencies. This pyramid has also functional use for the revision of educational curriculums in all health study fields. Moreover, it is helpful in designing virtual health education courses and the update of employees in entire parts of society pertaining to the health sector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Behzad Damari
- a National Institute of Health Research , Tehran University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran
| | - Elham Ehsani Chimeh
- a National Institute of Health Research , Tehran University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran
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Yotebieng KA, Agot K, Rota G, Cohen CR, Syvertsen JL. A Qualitative Study of Substance use during Pregnancy: Implications for Reproductive Healthcare in Western Kenya. Afr J Reprod Health 2016; 20:51-59. [PMID: 29566319 PMCID: PMC6076375 DOI: 10.29063/ajrh2016/v20i4.5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Women who use alcohol and drugs are often in their childbearing years, creating a need for integrated substance abuse and reproductive health services. However, our understanding of the social context and drivers of substance use during pregnancy, particularly in developing countries, is limited and largely unaddressed in clinical care. Our qualitative research explored the reproductive health of women of childbearing age who inject drugs and its implications for healthcare in Kisumu, Kenya. We used in-depth, semi-structured qualitative interviews with 17 women who inject drugs to explore reproductive health topics including knowledge, practices, and clinical interactions related to substance use during pregnancy. All but one woman had a prior pregnancy and two were pregnant during our study. Alcohol and drug use was prevalent throughout pregnancy, often described as a coping mechanism for stress. Women received mixed advice from family and social contacts regarding alcohol use during pregnancy, leading to differing perceptions of its health effects. Healthcare providers infrequently screened women for alcohol or drug use. Our analysis highlights the need for culturally appropriate alcohol and drug screening and counseling to be included in integrated reproductive health services in western Kenya.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly A Yotebieng
- The Ohio State University, Department of Anthropology, 4046 Smith Laboratory, 174 W. 18th Avenue, Columbus OH, USA
| | - Kawango Agot
- Impact Research & Development Organization, P.O. Box 9171-40141, Kisumu, Kenya
| | - Grace Rota
- Kenya Medical Research Institute, P.O. Box 614-40100, Kisumu, Kenya
| | - Craig R Cohen
- University of California San Francisco, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, CA, USA
| | - Jennifer L Syvertsen
- The Ohio State University, Department of Anthropology, 4046 Smith Laboratory, 174 W. 18th Avenue, Columbus OH, USA
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13
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Miller EM. The reproductive ecology of iron in women. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2016; 159:S172-95. [PMID: 26808104 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Reproductive ecology focuses on the sensitivity of human reproduction to environmental variation. While reproductive ecology has historically focused on the relationship between energy status and reproductive outcomes, iron status is equally critical to women's reproductive health, given the wide-ranging detrimental effects of iron-deficiency anemia on maternal and infant well-being. This review interprets the vast literature on iron status and women's reproduction through an evolutionary framework. First, it will critique the evidence for iron deficiency caused by blood loss during menstruation, reinterpreting the available data as ecological variation in menses within and between populations of women. Second, it will highlight the scant but growing evidence that iron status is implicated in fertility, a relationship that has deep evolutionary roots. Third, this review proposes a new hypothesis for the transfer of iron from mother to infant via pregnancy and breastfeeding: reproductive iron withholding. In this hypothesis, mothers transfer iron to infants in a manner that helps infants avoid iron-mediated infection and oxidative stress, but trades off with potential risk of maternal and infant iron deficiency. Finally, this review explores two main factors that can modify the relationship between iron status and the gestation-lactation cycle: (1) the relationship between long-term reproductive effort (parity) and iron status and (2) supplementation schemes before and during pregnancy. The review concludes by suggesting continued research into iron homeostasis in women using evolutionary, ecological, and biocultural frameworks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth M Miller
- Department of Anthropology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33620
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Zhang SX, Zhou YM, Xu W, Tian LG, Chen JX, Chen SH, Dang ZS, Gu WP, Yin JW, Serrano E, Zhou XN. Impact of co-infections with enteric pathogens on children suffering from acute diarrhea in southwest China. Infect Dis Poverty 2016; 5:64. [PMID: 27349521 PMCID: PMC4922062 DOI: 10.1186/s40249-016-0157-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2016] [Accepted: 06/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Acute diarrhea is a global health problem, resulting in high morbidity and mortality in children. It has been suggested that enteric pathogen co-infections play an important role in gastroenteritis, but most research efforts have only focused on a small range of species belonging to a few pathogen groups. This study aimed to assess the impact of co-infections with a broad range of enteric pathogens on children aged below five years who suffer from acute diarrhea in southwest China. Method A total of 1020 subjects (850 diarrhea cases and 170 healthy controls) were selected from four sentinel hospitals in Kunming, Yunnan province, southwest China, from June 2014 to July 2015. Stool specimens were collected to detect five virus (rotavirus group A, RVA; norovirus, NoV; Sapovirus, SaV; astrovirus, As; and adenovirus, Ad), seven bacterial (diarrheagenic Escherichia coli, DEC; non-typhoidal Salmonella, NTS; Shigella spp.; Vibrio cholera; Vibrio parahaemolyticus; Aeromonas spp.; and Plesiomonas spp.), and three protozoan (Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia lamblia, and Blastocystis hominis, B. hominis) species using standard microbiologic and molecular methods. Data were analyzed using the partial least square regression technique and chi-square test. Results At least one enteric pathogen was detected in 46.7 % (n = 397) of acute gastroenteritis cases and 13.5 % (n = 23) of healthy controls (χ2 = 64.4, P < 0.05). Single infection with RVA was associated with acute diarrhea (26.5 % vs. 5.8 %, P < 0.05). The prevalence of a single infection with B. hominis in diarrhea cases was higher than in healthy controls (3.1 % vs. 0.5 %, OR = 4.7, 95 % CI: 1.01–112.0). Single infection with NoV GII was not associated with diarrhea (4.4 % vs. 3.5 %, OR = 1.2, 95 % CI: 0.5–3.3). Single infections with bacterial species were not observed. The prevalence of co-infections with two enteric pathogens in diarrhea cases was higher than in asymptomatic children (20.1 % vs. 5.3 %, P < 0.05). RVA-NoV GII was the most common co-infection in symptomatic children (4.4 %), with it aggravating the severity of diarrhea. Conclusions Although it is clear that RVA has an overwhelming impact on diarrhea illnesses in children, co-infection with other enteric pathogens appears to also aggravate diarrhea severity. These findings should serve as evidence for public health services when planning and developing intervention programs. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40249-016-0157-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shun-Xian Zhang
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, 200025, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory for Parasite and Vector Biology, Ministry of Health of China, WHO Collaborating Center for Tropical Diseases, National Center for International Research on Tropical Diseases, Shanghai, 200025, People's Republic of China
| | - Yong-Ming Zhou
- Yunnan Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Kunming, People's Republic of China
| | - Wen Xu
- Yunnan Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Kunming, People's Republic of China
| | - Li-Guang Tian
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, 200025, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory for Parasite and Vector Biology, Ministry of Health of China, WHO Collaborating Center for Tropical Diseases, National Center for International Research on Tropical Diseases, Shanghai, 200025, People's Republic of China
| | - Jia-Xu Chen
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, 200025, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory for Parasite and Vector Biology, Ministry of Health of China, WHO Collaborating Center for Tropical Diseases, National Center for International Research on Tropical Diseases, Shanghai, 200025, People's Republic of China
| | - Shao-Hong Chen
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, 200025, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory for Parasite and Vector Biology, Ministry of Health of China, WHO Collaborating Center for Tropical Diseases, National Center for International Research on Tropical Diseases, Shanghai, 200025, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhi-Sheng Dang
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, 200025, People's Republic of China.,Key Laboratory for Parasite and Vector Biology, Ministry of Health of China, WHO Collaborating Center for Tropical Diseases, National Center for International Research on Tropical Diseases, Shanghai, 200025, People's Republic of China
| | - Wen-Peng Gu
- Yunnan Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Kunming, People's Republic of China
| | - Jian-Wen Yin
- Yunnan Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Kunming, People's Republic of China
| | - Emmanuel Serrano
- Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Departamento de Biología, Universidade de Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal.,Servei d'Ecopatologia de Fauna Salvatge, Departament de Medicina i Cirurgia Animals, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Xiao-Nong Zhou
- National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, 200025, People's Republic of China. .,Key Laboratory for Parasite and Vector Biology, Ministry of Health of China, WHO Collaborating Center for Tropical Diseases, National Center for International Research on Tropical Diseases, Shanghai, 200025, People's Republic of China.
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15
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Harris B, Eyles J, Goudge J. Ways of Doing: Restorative Practices, Governmentality, and Provider Conduct in Post-Apartheid Health Care. Med Anthropol 2016; 35:572-587. [DOI: 10.1080/01459740.2016.1173691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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16
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González-Fernández D, Koski KG, Sinisterra OT, Del Carmen Pons E, Murillo E, Scott ME. Interactions among urogenital, intestinal, skin, and oral infections in pregnant and lactating Panamanian Ngäbe women: a neglected public health challenge. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2015; 92:1100-10. [PMID: 25825387 PMCID: PMC4458810 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.14-0547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2014] [Accepted: 02/21/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Interrelationships among bacteria, protozoa, helminths, and ectoparasites were explored in a cross-sectional survey of 213 pregnant and 99 lactating indigenous women. Prevalences in pregnancy and lactation, respectively, were: vaginitis (89.2%; 46.8%), vaginal trichomoniasis (75.3%; 91.1%), bacterial vaginosis (BV; 60.6%; 63.3%), hookworm (56.6%; 47.8%), asymptomatic bacteriuria/urinary tract infection (AB/UTI; 56.2%; 36.2%), cervicitis (33.3%; 6.3%), vaginal yeast (24.9%; 11.4%), Ascaris (32.5%; 17.4%), vaginal diplococci (20.4%; 31.6%), caries (19.7%; 18.2%), scabies (17.4%; 8.1%), and Trichuris (12.5%; 8.7%). Multiple regressions revealed positive associations during pregnancy (trichomoniasis and AB/UTI; diplococci and Ascaris) and lactation (yeast and scabies). Negative associations were detected in pregnancy (BV and trichomoniasis; hookworm and diplococci) and lactation (BV and yeast). Vaginal Lactobacillus reduced odds of diplococci in pregnancy and lactation, but increased Ascaris eggs per gram (epg) and odds of trichomoniasis in pregnancy and yeast in lactation. These associations raised a concern that treatment of one condition may increase the risk of another.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doris González-Fernández
- Institute of Parasitology and Centre for Host-Parasite Interactions, McGill University, Ste-Anne de Bellevue, Quebec, Canada; School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition, McGill University, Ste-Anne de Bellevue, Quebec, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, University of Panamá, Panamá City, Panamá; Department of Nutritional Health, Ministry of Health, Panamá City, Panamá
| | - Kristine G Koski
- Institute of Parasitology and Centre for Host-Parasite Interactions, McGill University, Ste-Anne de Bellevue, Quebec, Canada; School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition, McGill University, Ste-Anne de Bellevue, Quebec, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, University of Panamá, Panamá City, Panamá; Department of Nutritional Health, Ministry of Health, Panamá City, Panamá
| | - Odalis Teresa Sinisterra
- Institute of Parasitology and Centre for Host-Parasite Interactions, McGill University, Ste-Anne de Bellevue, Quebec, Canada; School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition, McGill University, Ste-Anne de Bellevue, Quebec, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, University of Panamá, Panamá City, Panamá; Department of Nutritional Health, Ministry of Health, Panamá City, Panamá
| | - Emérita Del Carmen Pons
- Institute of Parasitology and Centre for Host-Parasite Interactions, McGill University, Ste-Anne de Bellevue, Quebec, Canada; School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition, McGill University, Ste-Anne de Bellevue, Quebec, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, University of Panamá, Panamá City, Panamá; Department of Nutritional Health, Ministry of Health, Panamá City, Panamá
| | - Enrique Murillo
- Institute of Parasitology and Centre for Host-Parasite Interactions, McGill University, Ste-Anne de Bellevue, Quebec, Canada; School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition, McGill University, Ste-Anne de Bellevue, Quebec, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, University of Panamá, Panamá City, Panamá; Department of Nutritional Health, Ministry of Health, Panamá City, Panamá
| | - Marilyn E Scott
- Institute of Parasitology and Centre for Host-Parasite Interactions, McGill University, Ste-Anne de Bellevue, Quebec, Canada; School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition, McGill University, Ste-Anne de Bellevue, Quebec, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, University of Panamá, Panamá City, Panamá; Department of Nutritional Health, Ministry of Health, Panamá City, Panamá
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