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International Journal For Equity in... Jul 2023Gender-transformative health interventions that involve men and boys are gaining global reach, adaptability to specific geographical, population and epidemiological...
Gender-transformative health interventions that involve men and boys are gaining global reach, adaptability to specific geographical, population and epidemiological contexts, public endorsement, and conceptual sophistication. However, the ways in which masculinities are conceptualised and operationalised in theory and practice across these interventions remains unclear. The purpose of this scoping review is to map intervention studies that conceptually grapple with masculinities and analyse: a) how the concept of masculinities is adapted and operationalised in gender-transformative interventions, with respect to intervention population and context, b) what the relationship between the concept of masculinities and its wider theoretical embedding is, and c) on which levels transformation can be observed when working with 'masculinities'.We conducted a search in APA Psych Articles, APA PsycINFO, and CINAHL via EBSCO, MedLine, PubMed, and Web of Sciences (December 2021) looking for peer-reviewed studies on gender-transformative health interventions which engaged with masculinities conceptually. There were no restrictions regarding language, publication date, or geography. Forty-two articles were included in this review. Our abductive analysis finds that 'hegemonic masculinities' is a central concept in almost all included studies. This shows how the concept is adaptable to a range of different intervention contexts. The review further identifies five theoretical approaches, that help operationalise masculinities on an analytical level: feminist framework, affect theory, critical pedagogy, theories of social change, and ecological approaches. Lastly, this review draws out six levels on which transformation can be observed in the intervention outcomes: relational level, symbolic level, material level, affective level, cognitive-behavioural level, and community-structural level. The discussion underlines that processes and practices of (gender) transformation also require engagement with theories of transformation more widely and advocates for theoretical pluralism. Lastly, implications for practice, including preventative, ecological and community-based care models, are drawn out.
Topics: Male; Humans; Masculinity; Men; Social Change
PubMed: 37501204
DOI: 10.1186/s12939-023-01955-x -
Preventive Medicine Nov 2021Cyberbullying is associated with increased risk of suicidal and self-harm behaviors in children and adolescents. However, no review to date has explored factors that...
Cyberbullying is associated with increased risk of suicidal and self-harm behaviors in children and adolescents. However, no review to date has explored factors that exacerbate and mitigate this relationship. This systematic review concerns research on factors that influence the impact of cyberbullying on suicidal and self-harm behaviors. Four bibliographic databases were explored and references in included articles were searched. We identified 727 articles and retained 66 that met inclusion criteria. Research has identified multiple risk factors which have been associated with increased suicide risk in general (mental health problems, substance abuse, loneliness, stress, sexual orientation/gender identity issues and violent behaviors). Others risk factors more specific to cyberbullying were: Autism Spectrum Disorder, Intellectual and Developmental Disorders, obesity, having asthma and severity of cyberbullying. Fewer studies concern protective factors. School connectedness, restrictive style of parenting, parental support, life satisfaction, having a healthy diet, personal skills and having family dinners were associated with less risk of suicidal and self-harm behaviors following cyberbullying. These protective factors suggest prevention strategies to reduce the impacts of cyberbullying by teaching better personal skills, promoting school social connections and proposing family interventions. More research is needed including exploration of the differential impacts of different forms of cyberbullying, and evaluations of the impacts of programs to increase personal skills, improve family relationships and foster school connectedness to reducing suicidal and self-harm behaviors in this vulnerable population.
Topics: Adolescent; Autism Spectrum Disorder; Child; Cyberbullying; Female; Gender Identity; Humans; Male; Parenting; Protective Factors; Risk Factors; Self-Injurious Behavior; Suicidal Ideation
PubMed: 34538376
DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2021.106684 -
PloS One 2018The cultivation of bananas and other plants is limited by environmental stresses caused by climate change. In order to recognize physiological, biochemical and molecular...
BACKGROUND
The cultivation of bananas and other plants is limited by environmental stresses caused by climate change. In order to recognize physiological, biochemical and molecular components indicated to confer tolerance to water stress in Musa spp. we present the first systematic review on the topic.
METHODS
A systematic literature review was conducted using four databases for academic research (Google Academic, Springer, CAPES Journal Portal and PubMed Central). In order to avoid publication bias, a previously established protocol and inclusion and exclusion criteria were used.
RESULTS
The drought tolerance response is genotype-dependent, therefore the most studied varieties are constituted by the "B" genome. Tolerant plants are capable of super-expressing genes related to reisistance and defense response, maintaining the osmotic equilibrium and elimination of free radicals. Furthermore, they have higher amounts of water content, chlorophyll levels, stomatic conductance and dry root matter, when compared to susceptible plants.
CONCLUSIONS
In recent years, few integrated studies on the effects of water stress on bananas have been carried out and none related to flood stress. Therefore, we highlight the need for new studies on the mechanisms of differentially expressed proteins in response to stress regulation, post-translational mechanisms and epigenetic inheritance in bananas.
Topics: Acclimatization; Chlorophyll; Droughts; Epigenesis, Genetic; Free Radicals; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Musa; Organism Hydration Status; Osmoregulation; Plant Proteins; Plant Stomata; Protein Processing, Post-Translational
PubMed: 30507957
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0208052 -
Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters 2021Self-administration of quality gender-affirming hormones is one approach to expanding access to hormone therapy for individuals seeking secondary sex characteristics... (Review)
Review
Self-administration of quality gender-affirming hormones is one approach to expanding access to hormone therapy for individuals seeking secondary sex characteristics more aligned with their gender identity or expression and can be empowering when provided within safe, supportive health systems. To inform World Health Organization guidelines on self-care interventions, we systematically reviewed the evidence for self-administration compared to health worker-administration of gender-affirming hormones. We conducted a comprehensive search for peer-reviewed articles and conference abstracts that addressed effectiveness, values and preferences, and cost considerations. Data were extracted in duplicate using standardised forms. Of 3792 unique references, five values and preferences articles were included; no studies met the criteria for the effectiveness or cost reviews. All values and preferences studies focused on self-administration of unprescribed hormones, not prescribed hormones within a supportive health system. Four studies from the U.S. ( = 2), Brazil ( = 1), and the U.K. ( = 1) found that individuals seeking gender-affirming hormone therapy may self-manage due to challenges finding knowledgeable and non-stigmatising health workers, lack of access to appropriate services, exclusion, and discomfort with health workers, cost, and desire for a faster transition. One study from Thailand found health worker perspectives were shaped by restrictive legislation, few transgender-specific services or guidelines, inappropriate communication with health workers, and medical knowledge gaps. There is limited literature on self-administration of gender-affirming hormone therapy. Principles of gender equality and human rights in the delivery of quality gender-affirming hormones are critical to expand access to this important intervention and reduce discrimination based on gender identity.
Topics: Cost-Benefit Analysis; Female; Gender Identity; Hormones; Humans; Male; Transgender Persons; Transsexualism
PubMed: 35312467
DOI: 10.1080/26410397.2022.2045066 -
AIDS and Behavior Sep 2021The preponderance of HIV interventions have been behavioral, targeting individual, dyadic, or group dynamics. However, structural-level interventions are required to... (Review)
Review
The preponderance of HIV interventions have been behavioral, targeting individual, dyadic, or group dynamics. However, structural-level interventions are required to decrease HIV transmission and increase engagement in care, especially for men who have sex with men (MSM), particularly Black and Latinx MSM. A systematic literature review was conducted to assess the current state of structural interventions; only two studies detailing structural interventions related to HIV for Black and Latinx MSM in the US were identified. An additional 91 studies which discussed structural-level barriers to optimal HIV outcomes among MSM, yet which did not directly evaluate a structural intervention, were also identified. While this paucity of findings was discouraging, it was not unexpected. Results of the systematic review were used to inform guidelines for the implementation and evaluation of structural interventions to address HIV among MSM in the U.S. These include deploying specific interventions for multiply marginalized individuals, prioritizing the deconstruction of structural stigma, and expanding the capacity of researchers to evaluate "natural" policy-level structural interventions through a standardization of methods for rapid evaluative response, and through universal application of sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity demographic measures.
Topics: Female; Gender Identity; HIV Infections; Homosexuality, Male; Humans; Male; Sexual and Gender Minorities; Social Stigma
PubMed: 33534056
DOI: 10.1007/s10461-021-03167-2 -
JAMA Network Open Sep 2021Women represent two-thirds of patients with Alzheimer disease (AD), and sex differences might affect results of randomized clinical trials (RCTs). However, little... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
IMPORTANCE
Women represent two-thirds of patients with Alzheimer disease (AD), and sex differences might affect results of randomized clinical trials (RCTs). However, little information exists on differences in sex as reported in RCTs for AD.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the ratio of females to males and the reporting of sex-stratified data in large pharmaceutical RCTs for AD.
DATA SOURCES
A search for pharmaceutical RCTs for AD was conducted on September 4, 2019, using ClinicalTrials.gov with the key word Alzheimer disease, and articles related to those trials were identified using the PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar databases. Searches were conducted between September 4 and October 31, 2019, and between April 15 and May 31, 2020.
STUDY SELECTION
Controlled RCTs that had more than 100 participants and tested the efficacy of drugs or herbal extracts were included. Of 1047 RCTs identified, 409 were published and therefore screened. A total of 77 articles were included in the final analysis, including 56 primary articles on AD, 13 secondary articles on AD, and 8 articles on mild cognitive impairment.
DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS
The location and date of publication; number, sex, and age of patients enrolled; disease severity; experimental or approved status of the drug; and whether the study included a sex-stratified analysis in the protocol, methods, or results were extracted by 1 reviewer for each article, and the meta-analysis followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) reporting guideline. Data were analyzed using a mixed-effects model.
MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES
The mean proportion of women enrolled in the trials and the associations between prespecified variables were analyzed. The proportion of articles that included sex-stratified results and the temporal trends in the reporting of these results were also studied.
RESULTS
In this review of 56 RCTs for AD involving 39 575 participants, 23 348 women (59.0%) were included. The mean (SD) proportion of women in RCTs of approved drugs was 67.3% (6.9%), and in RCTs of experimental drugs was 57.9% (5.9%). The proportion of women in RCTs of experimental drugs was significantly lower than the proportion of women in the general population with AD in the US (62.1%; difference, -4.56% [95% CI, -6.29% to -2.87%]; P < .001) and Europe (68.2%; difference, -10.67% [95% CI, -12.39% to -8.97%]; P < .001). Trials of approved drugs had a higher probability of including women than trials of experimental drugs (odds ratio [OR], 1.26; 95% CI, 1.05-1.52; P = .02). Both the severity of AD at baseline and the trial location were associated with the probability of women being enrolled in trials (severity: OR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.97-1.00; P = .02; location in Europe: OR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.05-1.52; P = .01; location in North America: OR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.71-0.93; P = .002). Only 7 articles (12.5%) reported sex-stratified results, with an increasing temporal trend (R, 0.30; 95% CI, 0.05-0.59; P = .03).
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
In this systematic review and meta-analysis, the proportion of women in RCTs for AD, although higher than the proportion of men, was significantly lower than that in the general population. Only a small proportion of trials reported sex-stratified results. These findings support strategies to improve diversity in enrollment and data reporting in RCTs for AD.
Topics: Alzheimer Disease; Europe; Female; Gender Identity; Humans; Male; Patient Selection; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Severity of Illness Index; United States
PubMed: 34515784
DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.24124 -
Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) Oct 2021Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive disease that is characterized by a state of persistent inflammation and oxidative stress. The presence of... (Review)
Review
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive disease that is characterized by a state of persistent inflammation and oxidative stress. The presence of oxidative stress in COPD is the result of an imbalance between pro-oxidant and antioxidant mechanisms. The aim of this review was to investigate a possible association between glutathione peroxidase (GPx), a key component of antioxidant defense mechanisms, and COPD. A systematic search for relevant studies was conducted in the electronic databases PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar, from inception to June 2021. Standardized mean differences (SMDs) were used to express the differences in GPx concentrations between COPD patients and non-COPD subjects. Twenty-four studies were identified. In 15 studies assessing whole blood/erythrocytes (GPx isoform 1), the pooled results showed that GPx concentrations were significantly lower in patients with COPD (SMD = -1.91, 95% CI -2.55 to -1.28, < 0.001; moderate certainty of evidence). By contrast, in 10 studies assessing serum/plasma (GPx isoform 3), the pooled results showed that GPx concentrations were not significantly different between the two groups (very low certainty of evidence). The concentration of GPx-1, but not GPx-3, is significantly lower in COPD patients, suggesting an impairment of antioxidant defense mechanisms in this group.
PubMed: 34829616
DOI: 10.3390/antiox10111745 -
Nutrition & Metabolism 2017Tannins are often cited for antinutritional effects, including chelation of non-heme iron. Despite this, studies exploring non-heme iron bioavailability inhibition with... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Tannins are often cited for antinutritional effects, including chelation of non-heme iron. Despite this, studies exploring non-heme iron bioavailability inhibition with long-term consumption have reported mixed results. Salivary proline-rich proteins (PRPs) may mediate tannin-antinutritional effects on non-heme iron bioavailability.
AIM
To review evidence regarding biochemical binding mechanisms and affinity states between PRPs and tannins, as well as effects of PRPs on non-heme iron bioavailability with tannin consumption in vivo.
METHODS
Narrative systematic review and meta-analysis. Common themes in biochemical modeling and affinity studies were collated for summary and synthesis; data were extracted from in vivo experiments for meta-analysis.
RESULTS
Thirty-two studies were included in analysis. Common themes that positively influenced tannin-PRP binding included specificity of tannin-PRP binding, PRP and tannin stereochemistry. Hydrolyzable tannins have different affinities than condensed tannins when binding to PRPs. In vivo, hepatic iron stores and non-heme iron absorption are not significantly affected by tannin consumption ( = -0.64-1.84; -2.7-0.13 respectively), and PRP expression may increase non-heme iron bioavailability with tannin consumption.
CONCLUSIONS
In vitro modeling suggests that tannins favor PRP binding over iron chelation throughout digestion. Hydrolyzable tannins are not representative of tannin impact on non-heme iron bioavailability in food tannins because of their unique structural properties and PRP affinities. With tannin consumption, PRP production is increased, and may be an initial line of defense against tannin-non-heme iron chelation in vivo More research is needed to compare competitive binding of tannin-PRP to tannin-non-heme iron complexes, and elucidate PRPs' role in adaption to non-heme iron bioavailability in vivo.
PubMed: 28769992
DOI: 10.1186/s12986-017-0197-z -
International Journal of Environmental... Nov 2022Inflammation is considered to be a vital defense mechanism for health, acting as a protective response of the immune system through a satisfactory inflammatory biomarker... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Inflammation is considered to be a vital defense mechanism for health, acting as a protective response of the immune system through a satisfactory inflammatory biomarker response (IBR). IBR, as well as being beneficial to the organism, can be also responsible for a variety of chronic inflammatory diseases. Whole-body vibration (WBV) exercise is a type of physical exercise that can act on inflammation responses due its capacity for stimulating the sensory components that promote systemic responses. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of WBV on IBR in different clinical status.
METHODS
This is a systematic review that includes randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the effects of WBV exercise on IBR. The methodological quality, risk of bias, and level of evidence were rated.
RESULTS
Four RCTs met the selection criteria. The studies showed benefits associated with IBR (e.g., cytokines, adipokines, and C-reactive protein) in various clinical conditions, including healthy populations and some chronic diseases (such as obesity, aging disorders, and knee osteoarthritis), using several WBV protocols.
CONCLUSIONS
WBV might be useful in the management of inflammatory conditions.
Topics: Humans; Vibration; Physical Therapy Modalities; Osteoarthritis, Knee; Biomarkers; Inflammation
PubMed: 36429572
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192214853 -
Current HIV/AIDS Reports Aug 2023Sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals are diagnosed with HIV at disproportionate rates, and hazardous alcohol use can increase their HIV risk. This review... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE OF REVIEW
Sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals are diagnosed with HIV at disproportionate rates, and hazardous alcohol use can increase their HIV risk. This review assessed the state of the literature examining interventions for addressing alcohol use and sexual HIV risk behaviors among SGM individuals.
RECENT FINDINGS
Fourteen manuscripts from 2012 to 2022 tested interventions that address both alcohol use and HIV risk behaviors among SGM populations, with only 7 randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Virtually all the interventions targeted men who have sex with men, with none focused on transgender populations or cisgender women. While they demonstrated some evidence of effectiveness in reducing alcohol use and/or sexual risk, the outcomes varied widely between studies. More research is needed that tests interventions in this area, particularly for transgender individuals. The use of larger-scale RCTs with diverse populations and standardized outcome measures are needed to strengthen the evidence base.
Topics: Male; Female; Humans; HIV Infections; Sexual and Gender Minorities; Sexual Behavior; Alcohol Drinking; Transgender Persons; Gender Identity
PubMed: 37225923
DOI: 10.1007/s11904-023-00660-2