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Journal of Medical Internet Research Sep 2022Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals are at higher risk of poor mental health and well-being. Social media platforms can provide LGBTQ... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals are at higher risk of poor mental health and well-being. Social media platforms can provide LGBTQ youths with a space that counters heteronormative environments and potentially supports mental health and well-being. Mental health includes an individual's state of psychological and emotional well-being and not merely the absence of mental disorders.
OBJECTIVE
We sought to identify how LGBTQ youths and adolescents use social media for connection with other LGBTQ peers and groups, identity development, and social support and how these affect mental health and well-being.
METHODS
PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) procedures were used to guide this review. Searches were conducted in ACM Digital Library, CINAHL, Ovid Embase, Ovid MEDLINE, and Web of Science in March 2021. This review focused on LGBTQ youths aged 10 to 24 years. Included peer-reviewed studies must comprise social media; explore peer connection, identity development, or social support; and be published from 2012 onward. In total, 2 researchers extracted data and performed quality assessments independently using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for quantitative articles and the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme for qualitative articles. Qualitative synthesis was performed on articles that satisfied the eligibility criteria.
RESULTS
A total of 26 studies (n=15, 58% qualitative; n=8, 31% quantitative; n=3, 12% mixed methods) met the inclusion criteria. Of the 8 quantitative studies, 6 (75%) were cross-sectional, and 2 (25%) were cohort studies. All studies ranged from moderate to high quality. Social media was a popular tool used by LGBTQ youths to connect with LGBTQ communities. In qualitative data, we found that LGBTQ youths negotiated and explored identity and obtained support from peers on social media. Instagram, Tumblr, and Twitter were commonly used to access LGBTQ content owing to ease of anonymity. Identity management was the most studied social media affordance, important to LGBTQ youths for strategic disclosure. Key strategies for managing identities included being anonymous, censoring locations or content, restricting audiences, and using multiple accounts. Quantitative studies (3/8, 38%) showed that social media was associated with reduced mental health concerns and increased well-being among LGBTQ youths. Mental health concerns arising from social media use were attributed to discrimination, victimization, and policies that did not accommodate changed identities.
CONCLUSIONS
We found that social media may support the mental health and well-being of LGBTQ youths through peer connection, identity management, and social support, but findings were limited by weaknesses in the evidence. More robust and longitudinal studies are needed to determine the relationship between social media use and LGBTQ mental health, particularly among adolescents. The findings may inform interventions to promote social media health literacy and the mental health and well-being of this vulnerable group.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
PROSPERO CRD42020222535; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=222535.
Topics: Adolescent; Female; Gender Identity; Humans; Sexual Behavior; Sexual and Gender Minorities; Social Media; Transgender Persons
PubMed: 36129741
DOI: 10.2196/38449 -
Clinical Psychology Review Aug 2020Gender dysphoria is distress due to a discrepancy between one's assigned gender and gender identity. Adults who wish to access gender clinics are assessed to ensure they... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Gender dysphoria is distress due to a discrepancy between one's assigned gender and gender identity. Adults who wish to access gender clinics are assessed to ensure they meet the diagnostic criteria for gender dysphoria. Therefore, the definition of gender dysphoria has a significant impact on the lives of individuals who wish to undergo physical gender transition. This systematic review aimed to identify and synthesize all existing qualitative research literature about the lived experience of gender dysphoria in adults. A pre-planned systematic search identified 1491 papers, with 20 of those meeting full inclusion criteria, and a quality assessment of each paper was conducted. Data pertaining to the lived experience of gender dysphoria were extracted from each paper and a meta-ethnographic synthesis was conducted. Four overarching concepts were identified; distress due to dissonance of assigned and experienced gender; interface of assigned gender, gender identity and society; social consequences of gender identity; internal processing of rejection, and transphobia. A key finding was the reciprocal relationship between an individual's feelings about their gender and societal responses to transgender people. Other subthemes contributing to distress were misgendering, mismatch between gender identity and societal expectations, and hypervigilance for transphobia.
Topics: Adult; Female; Gender Dysphoria; Gender Identity; Humans; Male; Qualitative Research; Transgender Persons
PubMed: 32629301
DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2020.101875 -
British Journal of Sports Medicine Aug 2021We systemically reviewed the literature to assess how long-term testosterone suppressing gender-affirming hormone therapy influenced lean body mass (LBM), muscular area,...
How does hormone transition in transgender women change body composition, muscle strength and haemoglobin? Systematic review with a focus on the implications for sport participation.
OBJECTIVES
We systemically reviewed the literature to assess how long-term testosterone suppressing gender-affirming hormone therapy influenced lean body mass (LBM), muscular area, muscular strength and haemoglobin (Hgb)/haematocrit (HCT).
DESIGN
Systematic review.
DATA SOURCES
Four databases (BioMed Central, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science) were searched in April 2020 for papers from 1999 to 2020.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR SELECTING STUDIES
Eligible studies were those that measured at least one of the variables of interest, included transwomen and were written in English.
RESULTS
Twenty-four studies were identified and reviewed. Transwomen experienced significant decreases in all parameters measured, with different time courses noted. After 4 months of hormone therapy, transwomen have Hgb/HCT levels equivalent to those of cisgender women. After 12 months of hormone therapy, significant decreases in measures of strength, LBM and muscle area are observed. The effects of longer duration therapy (36 months) in eliciting further decrements in these measures are unclear due to paucity of data. Notwithstanding, values for strength, LBM and muscle area in transwomen remain above those of cisgender women, even after 36 months of hormone therapy.
CONCLUSION
In transwomen, hormone therapy rapidly reduces Hgb to levels seen in cisgender women. In contrast, hormone therapy decreases strength, LBM and muscle area, yet values remain above that observed in cisgender women, even after 36 months. These findings suggest that strength may be well preserved in transwomen during the first 3 years of hormone therapy.
Topics: Adipose Tissue; Androgen Antagonists; Athletic Performance; Body Composition; Cyproterone Acetate; Estradiol; Female; Hematocrit; Hemoglobin A; Humans; Male; Muscle Strength; Muscle, Skeletal; Sports; Testosterone; Time Factors; Transgender Persons; Transsexualism
PubMed: 33648944
DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2020-103106 -
Biomolecules Nov 2022The antioxidant activity of protein-derived peptides was one of the first to be revealed among the more than 50 known peptide bioactivities to date. The exploitation... (Review)
Review
The antioxidant activity of protein-derived peptides was one of the first to be revealed among the more than 50 known peptide bioactivities to date. The exploitation value associated with food-derived antioxidant peptides is mainly attributed to their natural properties and effectiveness as food preservatives and in disease prevention, management, and treatment. An increasing number of antioxidant active peptides have been identified from a variety of renewable sources, including terrestrial and aquatic organisms and their processing by-products. This has important implications for alleviating population pressure, avoiding environmental problems, and promoting a sustainable shift in consumption. To identify such opportunities, we conducted a systematic literature review of recent research advances in food-derived antioxidant peptides, with particular reference to their biological effects, mechanisms, digestive stability, and bioaccessibility. In this review, 515 potentially relevant papers were identified from a preliminary search of the academic databases PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus. After removing non-thematic articles, articles without full text, and other quality-related factors, 52 review articles and 122 full research papers remained for analysis and reference. The findings highlighted chemical and biological evidence for a wide range of edible species as a source of precursor proteins for antioxidant-active peptides. Food-derived antioxidant peptides reduce the production of reactive oxygen species, besides activating endogenous antioxidant defense systems in cellular and animal models. The intestinal absorption and metabolism of such peptides were elucidated by using cellular models. Protein hydrolysates (peptides) are promising ingredients with enhanced nutritional, functional, and organoleptic properties of foods, not only as a natural alternative to synthetic antioxidants.
Topics: Animals; Antioxidants; Biological Availability; Peptides; Protein Hydrolysates; Food Handling; Food Additives
PubMed: 36358972
DOI: 10.3390/biom12111622 -
International Journal of Molecular... Nov 2022Heart failure is defined as a clinical syndrome consisting of key symptoms and is due to a structural and/or functional alteration of the heart that results in increased... (Review)
Review
Heart failure is defined as a clinical syndrome consisting of key symptoms and is due to a structural and/or functional alteration of the heart that results in increased intracardiac pressures and/or inadequate cardiac output at rest and/or during exercise. One of the key mechanisms determining myocardial dysfunction in heart failure is oxidative stress. MicroRNAs (miRNAs, miRs) are short, endogenous, conserved, single-stranded non-coding RNAs of around 21-25 nucleotides in length that act as regulators of multiple processes. A systematic review following the PRISMA guidelines was performed on the evidence on the interplay between microRNA and oxidative stress in heart failure. A search of Pubmed, Embase, Scopus, and Scopus direct databases using the following search terms: 'heart failure' AND 'oxidative stress' AND 'microRNA' or 'heart failure' AND 'oxidative stress' AND 'miRNA' was conducted and resulted in 464 articles. Out of them, 15 full text articles were eligible for inclusion in the qualitative analysis. Multiple microRNAs are involved in the processes associated with oxidative stress leading to heart failure development including mitochondrial integrity and function, antioxidant defense, iron overload, ferroptosis, and survival pathways.
Topics: Humans; MicroRNAs; Heart Failure; Oxidative Stress; Antioxidants; Cardiomyopathies
PubMed: 36499336
DOI: 10.3390/ijms232315013 -
Advances in Clinical and Experimental... May 2024Atherosclerosis is a complex process involving endothelial dysfunction, vascular inflammation, vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation, angiogenesis, and... (Review)
Review
Atherosclerosis is a complex process involving endothelial dysfunction, vascular inflammation, vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation, angiogenesis, and calcification. One of the pathomechanisms of atherosclerosis is the upregulation of Wnt signaling. This study aimed to summarize the current knowledge regarding the role of Wnt signaling and sclerostin in atherosclerosis, vascular calcification, aneurysms, and mortality based on the PubMed database. We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) recommendation and identified 160 papers that were included in this systematic review. The published data highlight that the upregulation of Wnt components facilitates the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis, arterial remodeling, VSMCs proliferation and phenotypic transition to the osteoblastic lineage in the arterial wall. This results in protein secretion, cell migration, calcification, fibrosis and aneurysm formation. The transformation of VSMCs into osteoblast-like cells that is observed in atherosclerosis results in sclerostin expression inhibiting the Wnt pathway. Furthermore, it was shown that sclerostin, expressed in atherosclerotic plaques, inhibits aneurysm formation in a mouse model. However, in humans, while the antisclerostin antibody romosozumab inhibits bone resorption, biochemical parameters of endothelial activation and inflammation are not affected, and the incidence of aneurysms is not increased. It was suggested that detecting sclerostin in the calcified aortic atherosclerotic plaques reflects a defense mechanism against Wnt activation and inhibition of atherosclerosis, although this has only been shown in animal models. Moreover, an increased number of vascular cells converted to osteogenic phenotypes results in increased plasma sclerostin concentrations. Therefore, plasma sclerostin derived from bone limits its importance as a global marker of vascular calcification.
Topics: Humans; Vascular Calcification; Atherosclerosis; Animals; Wnt Signaling Pathway; Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; Genetic Markers
PubMed: 37676098
DOI: 10.17219/acem/169567 -
International Journal of Environmental... Jan 2022The health and safety of LGBTQI+ migrants or migrants who are of diverse sexual orientation, gender identity or expression (SOGIE) remains an under-studied area,... (Review)
Review
The health and safety of LGBTQI+ migrants or migrants who are of diverse sexual orientation, gender identity or expression (SOGIE) remains an under-studied area, particularly for the period during transit from their place of origin to destination. This systematic review aims to describe the literature on the health risks and consequences among SOGIE migrants during transit and examine their access and use of services. Six peer-reviewed databases and websites of nine large migration organisations were searched to identify the literature on forced migrants and sexual and gender minorities. Twenty English-language studies from 2000-2021 were included and analysed drawing on a conceptual framework. Studies emerged from six regions and the majority of research participants identified as gay men. In general, quality appraisal demonstrated studies as either medium or high quality. Findings suggested five common themes associated with SOGIE health and well-being, including: daily exposure to discrimination, harassment and violence; coping, social support and resilience; access to services; mental health; and physical and sexual health. Depression, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were prevalent amongst SOGIE migrants, particularly when associated with detention or camp environments, and were exacerbated by social isolation. Barriers to accessing healthcare were identified and specific sexual health services were often found lacking, especially for trans persons. Unsurprisingly, during transit, SOGIE migrants are very likely to experience the double marginalisation of their migrant or minority status and their gender identity. Results indicate that services for SOGIE migrants need to tailor service access and support approaches to respond to the particular health and protection needs of SOGIE individuals in each setting.
Topics: Anxiety Disorders; Female; Gender Identity; Humans; Male; Sexual Behavior; Sexual Health; Sexual and Gender Minorities; Transients and Migrants
PubMed: 35055698
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19020869 -
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection... 2023A number of mosquito-borne viruses (MBVs), such as dengue virus (DENV), zika virus (ZIKV), chikungunya (CHIKV), West Nile virus (WNV), and yellow fever virus (YFV) exert... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
A number of mosquito-borne viruses (MBVs), such as dengue virus (DENV), zika virus (ZIKV), chikungunya (CHIKV), West Nile virus (WNV), and yellow fever virus (YFV) exert adverse health impacts on the global population. and are the prime vectors responsible for the transmission of these viruses. The viruses have acquired a number of routes for successful transmission, including horizontal and vertical transmission. Transovarial transmission is a subset/type of vertical transmission adopted by mosquitoes for the transmission of viruses from females to their offspring through eggs/ovaries. It provides a mechanism for these MBVs to persist and maintain their lineage during adverse climatic conditions of extremely hot and cold temperatures, during the dry season, or in the absence of susceptible vertebrate host when horizontal transmission is not possible.
METHODS
The publications discussed in this systematic review were searched for using the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases, and websites such as those of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, using the search terms "transovarial transmission" and "mosquito-borne viruses" from 16 May 2023 to 20 September 2023.
RESULTS
A total of 2,391 articles were searched, of which 123 were chosen for full text evaluation, and 60 were then included in the study after screening and removing duplicates.
CONCLUSION
The present systematic review focuses on understanding the above diseases, their pathogenesis, epidemiology and host-parasite interactions. The factors affecting transovarial transmission, potential implications, mosquito antiviral defense mechanism, and the control strategies for these mosquito-borne viral diseases (MBVDs) are also be included in this review.
Topics: Animals; Female; Humans; Aedes; Mosquito Vectors; Mosquito-Borne Diseases
PubMed: 38235494
DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1304938 -
The Lancet. Public Health Dec 2021Transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) individuals are at a high risk of adverse mental health outcomes due to minority stress-the stress faced by individuals...
Transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) individuals are at a high risk of adverse mental health outcomes due to minority stress-the stress faced by individuals categorised as stigmatised social minority groups. This systematic review sought to summarise the key mental health findings of the research on TGNC individuals in mainland China. We also aimed to consolidate research on the topic, identify specific mental health disparities, and offer new perspectives for future research to inform both policy and clinical practice. An extensive search of the literature, published in English and Chinese, was done between Jan 1, 1990, and Aug 1, 2021, using PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, Wanfang (in Chinese), and CNKI (in Chinese). Overall, two qualitative and 28 quantitative articles were identified. The quantitative findings showed a high prevalence of mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, substance use disorders, and stress-related issues, and greater disparities in psychological wellbeing. High prevalence is also reported in suicidality and self-harm behaviours in this group. Across the two qualitative studies, attributable factors included gender-related discrimination, barriers to accessing health services, low social support, decreased knowledge and awareness of HIV prevention, and demographic characteristics-such as marital status, educational level, and gender identity. This Review also found little evidence of gender-affirming care and mental health interventions in mainland China. Following from these results, the next step is to integrate multi-level, social-psychological interventions with education to reduce cultural stereotypes and transphobia in mainland China. Political and social implications are also discussed to inform a standard set of guidelines for transgender-inclusive health-care services, including advocating for funding to create these special care programmes and services.
Topics: Anxiety; China; Depression; Female; Gender Identity; Humans; Male; Mental Health; Self Concept; Self-Injurious Behavior; Sexual and Gender Minorities; Social Stigma; Stereotyping; Stress, Psychological; Suicidal Ideation; Transgender Persons
PubMed: 34838199
DOI: 10.1016/S2468-2667(21)00236-X -
Biology of Sex Differences Nov 2021Despite growing recognition of the importance of sex and gender considerations in health research, they are rarely integrated into research design and reporting. We... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Despite growing recognition of the importance of sex and gender considerations in health research, they are rarely integrated into research design and reporting. We sought to assess the integration of sex, as a biological attribute, and gender, as a socially constructed identity, in published reporting guidelines.
METHODS
We conducted a systematic review of published reporting guidelines listed on the EQUATOR website ( www.equator-nework.org ) from inception until December 2018. We selected all reporting guidelines (original and extensions) listed in the EQUATOR library. We used EndNote Citation Software to build a database of the statements of each guideline identified as a "full bibliographic reference" and retrieved the full texts. Reviewers independently extracted the data on use of sex and gender terms from the checklist/abstract/main text of guidelines. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and narrative synthesis.
RESULTS
A total of 407 reporting guidelines were included; they were published between 1995 and 2018. Of the 407 guidelines, 235 (57.7%) mentioned at least one of the sex- and gender-related words. In the checklist of the reporting guidelines (n = 363), "sex" and "gender" were mentioned in 50 (13.8%) and 40 (11%), respectively. Only one reporting guideline met our criteria (nonbinary, appropriate categorization, and non-interchangeability) for correct use of sex and gender concepts. Trends in the use of "sex" and "gender" in the checklists showed that the use of "sex" only started in 2003, while "gender" has been in use since 1996.
CONCLUSIONS
We assessed the integration of sex and gender in reporting guidelines based on the use of sex- and gender-related words. Our findings showed a low use and integration of sex and gender concepts and their incorrect use. Authors of reporting guidelines should reduce this gap for a better use of research knowledge. Trial registration PROSPERO no. CRD42019136491.
Topics: Biomedical Research; Checklist; Female; Gender Identity; Humans; Male
PubMed: 34801060
DOI: 10.1186/s13293-021-00404-0