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Systematic Reviews Jun 2021Cancer research on sexual and gender minority (SGM) populations is gaining momentum. The purpose of this systematic review was to examine what is currently known in the...
PURPOSE
Cancer research on sexual and gender minority (SGM) populations is gaining momentum. The purpose of this systematic review was to examine what is currently known in the research literature regarding patient-reported health outcomes after cancer treatment among SGM populations.
METHODS
In March 2021, a medical librarian conducted a systematic keyword search on PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO, ClinicalTrials.gov , and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. The primary inclusion criterion was assessment of at least one physical, psychosocial, emotional, or functional patient-reported health outcome related to the impacts of cancer diagnosis and/or treatment. Articles that met inclusion criteria were reviewed in their entirety, charted in a Word Table, and assessed for quality. Quality considerations included study design, sampling approach, diversity of sample, measures used, and analytic procedures. Studies were synthesized based on type of cancer study participants experienced.
RESULTS
Sixty-four studies were included in the final analysis: most were quantitative, secondary analyses or cross-sectional studies with convenience samples, and focused on people with a history of breast or prostate cancer. Differences between sexual minority men and women in terms of coping and resilience were noted. Few studies reported on experiences of transgender persons and none reported on experiences of intersex persons.
CONCLUSIONS
A growing literature describes the patient-reported health outcomes of SGM people with a history of cancer. This study summarizes important between-group differences among SGM and heterosexual, cisgender counterparts that are critical for clinicians to consider when providing care.
IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS
Sexual orientation and gender identity are relevant to cancer survivors' health outcomes. Subgroups of SGM people have differential experiences and outcomes related to cancer and its impacts.
Topics: Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Gender Identity; Humans; Male; Neoplasms; Outcome Assessment, Health Care; Sexual Behavior; Sexual and Gender Minorities
PubMed: 34154645
DOI: 10.1186/s13643-021-01707-4 -
BMC Women's Health Dec 2023Although there are calls for women's empowerment and gender equity globally, there are still large disparities regarding women's autonomy in healthcare decision making....
OBJECTIVES
Although there are calls for women's empowerment and gender equity globally, there are still large disparities regarding women's autonomy in healthcare decision making. The autonomy of women is believed to be crucial in improving their health-related outcomes. This review discusses factors that influence autonomy among women in healthcare decision making.
DESIGN
Systematic review.
DATA SOURCES
PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus were searched from 2017-2022.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
The inclusion criteria include original articles, case studies and reports that has been written in the English Language, while manuscripts with no full article, reviews, newspaper reports, grey literatures, and articles that did not answer the review objectives were excluded.
DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS
We carried out data extraction using a standardized data extraction form, that has been organized using Microsoft Excel. A narrative synthesis was carried out to combine the findings of all included articles.
RESULTS
A total of 70 records were identified and 18 were reviewed, yielding eight articles to be included in the accepted list of studies. All studies were conducted in developing countries and most of the studies were cross sectional. Factors that were associated with women's autonomy in healthcare decision making were age, women's education and occupation, husbands'/partners' education and occupation, residential location or region of residence, household wealth index as well as culture and religion.
CONCLUSIONS
Identification of these factors may help stakeholders in improving women's autonomy in healthcare decision making. Policymakers play a crucial role in healthcare decision making by enacting laws and policies that protect women's rights, promoting gender-sensitive healthcare services, ensuring access to comprehensive information, promoting health education, and supporting vulnerable populations. These efforts ensure women's autonomy including able to access to unbiased and effective healthcare services.
Topics: Female; Humans; Women's Rights; Socioeconomic Factors; Gender Identity; Decision Making; Delivery of Health Care; Personal Autonomy
PubMed: 38042837
DOI: 10.1186/s12905-023-02792-4 -
International Journal of Environmental... Apr 2022The objective of this systematic review is to make an inventory of the representations of the professionals of specialized institutions on the sexuality of persons with... (Review)
Review
The objective of this systematic review is to make an inventory of the representations of the professionals of specialized institutions on the sexuality of persons with intellectual disabilities. The scientific studies were identified according to the PRISMA protocol using 18 databases, with keywords on sexuality and parenthood. Studies were reviewed through a methodological assessment and then a thematic analysis. Twenty-four studies were reviewed and three themes were identified: professionals' representations of gender, sexuality, and consent; professionals' perceptions of their role in supporting people's sexual lives; and the ways in which professionals construct representations of people's sexual lives. This corpus highlights deep paradoxes in the representations of professionals concerning the socio-affective needs and sexuality of people with intellectual disabilities, creating what we could define as a "system of incompatibility" and leading to difficulties in positioning. Support is still too random and subject to control logics in the name of protecting users, who are perceived as vulnerable. Training and new ways of teamwork appear to be central to supporting the evolution of the representations and practices of professionals. Future research anchored in practices and involving users as well as professionals is necessary to better understand the paradoxical aspects of professionals' representations and to draw alternative ways of constructing these representations.
Topics: Gender Identity; Humans; Intellectual Disability; Persons with Mental Disabilities; Sexual Behavior; Sexuality
PubMed: 35457641
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19084771 -
Frontiers in Public Health 2023The COVID-19 pandemic has varying effects on men, women, and the transgender population. However, there is a paucity of systematic evidence on how gender and other... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
UNLABELLED
The COVID-19 pandemic has varying effects on men, women, and the transgender population. However, there is a paucity of systematic evidence on how gender and other social determinants of health during COVID-19 are affected in resource constraint urban settings. This review describes the gender dimensions of health-related challenges among the urban poor during COVID-19 in LMICs. We searched 11 scholarly online repositories including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, CINAHL using the domain "slums," "COVID-19", "LMICs" and "gender identities." We used thematic framework analysis to synthesize qualitative data, and meta-analysis to determine the pooled prevalence. We registered in PROSPERO (CRD42020203783). We identified 6490 records, and 37 articles included. The studies reported stress among 74% women and 78% men, depression among 59% women and 62% men, and anxiety among 79% women and 63% men. Men had more stress than women during COVID-19; men are primarily responsible for household sustenance. Women had more anxiety than men, possibly because they are often the primary caregivers for children and the older population. While the severity varies according to gender identity, their vulnerability mostly related to their literacy and economy, highlighting the significance of including all social determinants in future primary studies.
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION
https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/#recordDetails.
Topics: Child; Humans; Female; Male; Gender Identity; COVID-19; Developing Countries; Pandemics; Vulnerable Populations
PubMed: 37361176
DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1170386 -
Clinical Journal of the American... Sep 2022Gender-affirming hormone therapy modifies body composition and lean muscle mass in transgender persons. We sought to characterize the change in serum creatinine, other... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Gender-affirming hormone therapy modifies body composition and lean muscle mass in transgender persons. We sought to characterize the change in serum creatinine, other kidney function biomarkers, and GFR in transgender persons initiating masculinizing and feminizing gender-affirming hormone therapy.
DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS
We searched PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov from inception to September 16, 2020 for randomized controlled trials, observational studies, and case series that evaluated the change in serum creatinine, other kidney function biomarkers, and GFR before and after the initiation of gender-affirming hormone therapy in adult transgender persons. Two reviewers independently screened and abstracted data, and disagreements were resolved by a third reviewer. A random effects meta-analysis was performed to determine the change in outcomes over follow-up of 3, 6, and 12 months.
RESULTS
Of the 4758 eligible studies, 26 met the inclusion criteria, including nine studies that recruited 488 transgender men and 593 women in which data were meta-analyzed. There was heterogeneity in study design, populations, gender-affirming hormone therapy routes, and dosing. At 12 months after initiating gender-affirming hormone therapy, serum creatinine increased by 0.15 mg/dl (95% confidence interval, 0.00 to 0.29) in 370 transgender men and decreased by -0.05 mg/dl (95% confidence interval, -0.16 to 0.05) in 361 transgender women. No study reported the effect of gender-affirming hormone therapy on albuminuria, proteinuria, cystatin C, or measured GFR.
CONCLUSIONS
Gender-affirming hormone therapy increases serum creatinine in transgender men and does not affect serum creatinine in transgender women. The effect on gender-affirming hormone therapy on other kidney function biomarkers and measured GFR is unknown.
CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRY NAME AND REGISTRATION NUMBER
Change in Kidney Function Biomarkers in Transgender Persons on Gender Affirmation Hormone Therapy-A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, CRD42020214248.
Topics: Male; Adult; Humans; Female; Creatinine; Transsexualism; Biomarkers; Hormones; Kidney
PubMed: 35973728
DOI: 10.2215/CJN.01890222 -
Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism Aug 2022Existing patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may be limited in their applicability to populations that are at risk for inequities. We...
Validation studies of rheumatoid arthritis patient-reported outcome measures in populations at risk for inequity: A systematic review and analysis using the OMERACT summary of measurement properties equity table.
BACKGROUND
Existing patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may be limited in their applicability to populations that are at risk for inequities. We conducted a systematic review to identify and rate evidence in the validation studies for PROMs in populations at risk for inequity.
METHODS
A systematic review of MEDLINE and EMBASE was completed. The search strategy was developed to identify measurement property studies for PROMs of interest (selected pain, disease activity, global evaluation and quality of life scales) in patients with RA. We identified experimental, observational, and qualitative studies reporting analysis of feasibility, construct validity and discriminant ability metrics for populations at risk for inequity by various factors including race, ethnicity, culture or language; employment status; sex and gender identity; education level; socioeconomic status; social support; age; health literacy and disability. These were rated based on the OMERACT Summary of Measurement Properties Equity table.
RESULTS
From 19,786 titles and abstracts screened, we identified 14 unique studies reporting validation metrics for pain (n = 3), DAS28-ESR or DAS28-CRP (n = 2), ACR20 (n = 1), patient global assessment (n = 2), EQ5D (n = 4), and PROMIS® (n = 3) by race (n = 10 studies), age (n = 6 studies), sex (n = 5 studies), education level (n = 2 studies), and disability, literacy, employment status, social support level and socioeconomic status (n = 1 study each). Five studies reported on feasibility, 12 reported construct validity metrics, and 4 studies reported on discriminant validity metrics. All studies by culture or language were rated as having good measurement property metrics. There was limited assessment of measurement property metrics for other populations at risk for inequity.
CONCLUSION
Our study highlights important gaps in patient representation in rheumatology research for accepted outcome measures. New outcome measures being developed for research purposes and clinical practice should ensure and report representation of patients from populations at risk for inequities in the testing of metrics of feasibility, construct validity and discriminant ability metrics.
Topics: Arthritis, Rheumatoid; Female; Gender Identity; Humans; Male; Pain; Patient Reported Outcome Measures; Quality of Life; Risk Factors
PubMed: 35640489
DOI: 10.1016/j.semarthrit.2022.152029 -
Autism : the International Journal of... Nov 2023Although exclusion of racially and ethnically minoritized autistic individuals from research is a long-standing issue, we have yet to determine how exclusion impacts... (Review)
Review
Although exclusion of racially and ethnically minoritized autistic individuals from research is a long-standing issue, we have yet to determine how exclusion impacts areas of autism research important for identifying language impairment. Diagnosis depends on the quality of the evidence (i.e. research) and is often the pathway to gaining access to services. As a first step, we examined how research studies related to language impairment in school-age autistic individuals report participant socio-demographics. We analyzed reports using age-referenced assessments in English ( = 60), which are commonly used by both practitioners and researchers to diagnose or identify language impairment. Findings showed only 28% of studies reported information on race and ethnicity; in these studies, most (at least 77%) of the participants were white. In addition, only 56% of studies reported gender or sex specified what they were reporting (gender, sex, or gender identity). Just 17% reported socio-economic status using multiple indicators. Altogether, findings indicate broad issues with underreporting and exclusion of racially and ethnically minoritized individuals, which might overlay with other aspects of identity including socio-economic status. It is impossible to determine the extent and precise nature of exclusion without intersectional reporting. To ensure that language in autism research is representative of the autistic population, future research must implement reporting guidelines and broaden inclusion of who participates in research studies.
Topics: Humans; Female; Male; Autistic Disorder; Gender Identity; Autism Spectrum Disorder; Language; Language Development Disorders
PubMed: 37157821
DOI: 10.1177/13623613231166749 -
Vaccine Jun 2021The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) makes recommendations for vaccines in Canada. To inform considerations for equity when making recommendations, the...
INTRODUCTION
The National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) makes recommendations for vaccines in Canada. To inform considerations for equity when making recommendations, the NACI Secretariat developed a matrix of factors that may influence vaccine equity. To inform the matrix we mapped the evidence for PROGRESS And Other factors potentially associated with unequal levels of illness or death from vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) and systematically reviewed the evidence for interventions aimed at reducing inequities.
METHODS
In October 2019 we searched Medline, Embase, and CINAHL. Two reviewers agreed on the included studies. Our primary outcomes were VPD-related hospitalizations and deaths. Secondary outcomes were differential vaccine access, and exposure, susceptibility, severity, and consequences of VPDs. Two reviewers appraised the certainty of evidence. We mapped the evidence for PROGRESS And Other factors and summarized the findings descriptively. We summarized the interventions narratively.
RESULTS
We identified 413 studies reporting on PROGRESS And Other factors. The most commonly investigated factors included age (n = 374, 89%), pre-existing conditions (n = 179, 42%), and gender identity or sex (n = 144, 34%). We identified 2 trials investigating the effects of interventions. One (n = 1249) provided very low certainty evidence that staff vaccination policies may reduce hospitalizations and deaths from influenza among private care home residents. The other (n not reported) provided very low certainty evidence that universal vaccination by nurses in clinics may reduce hospitalizations for rotavirus gastroenteritis compared with vaccination by physicians or no intervention.
CONCLUSIONS
There is a large body of studies reporting on hospitalizations and deaths from VPDs stratified by PROGRESS And Other factors. We found only two trials examining the effects of interventions on hospitalization for or mortality from VPDs. This review has been helpful to NACI and will be helpful to similar organizations aiming to systematically identify and target health inequities through the development of vaccine program recommendations.
Topics: Canada; Female; Gender Identity; Humans; Influenza Vaccines; Influenza, Human; Male; Vaccination
PubMed: 34092425
DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2021.05.054 -
Health & Social Care in the Community Sep 2019Transgender issues are under-explored and marginalised within mainstream social work and social care professional practice. The experience of gender transition has a...
Transgender issues are under-explored and marginalised within mainstream social work and social care professional practice. The experience of gender transition has a profound impact on the individuals who have diverse gender identities and their family members. We present findings from a systematic review of studies concerning the experiences of transgender parenting conducted during January-September 2017. We took a life course approach, examining the research studies that investigated the experience of people identifying as transgender, who were already parents at the time of their transition or who wished to be parents following transition. The review evaluated existing findings from empirical research on transgender parenting and grandparenting to establish how trans people negotiate their relationships with children following transition, and sought to consider the implications for professional practice with trans people in relation to how best to support them with their family caring roles. We used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) method. Empirical studies published from 1 January 1990 to 31 April 2017 in the English language, and which had transgender parenting as a significant focus, were included in the review. Twenty-six studies met the criteria. Key themes reported are: how trans people negotiate their relationships with children following disclosure and transition; the impact of parental transitioning on children; relationships with wider families; trans people's desires to be parents; and the role of professional practice to support trans families. We discuss how the material from the review can inform social work education and practice, including to help identify future research, education and practice priorities in this area.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Child; Female; Gender Identity; Humans; Male; Parenting; Parents; Transgender Persons
PubMed: 30983067
DOI: 10.1111/hsc.12759 -
BMJ Open Oct 2020To assess the sex difference in the prevalence of COVID-19 confirmed cases. (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
OBJECTIVE
To assess the sex difference in the prevalence of COVID-19 confirmed cases.
DESIGN
Systematic review and meta-analysis.
SETTING
PubMed, Cochrane Library and Google Scholar were searched for related information. The authors developed a data extraction form on an Excel sheet and the following data from eligible studies were extracted: author, country, sample size, number of female patients and number of male patients. Using STATA V.14 for analysis, the authors pooled the overall prevalence of men and/or women using a random-effect meta-analysis model. The authors examined the heterogeneity in effect size using Q statistics and I statistics. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were performed. Publication bias was also checked.
PARTICIPANTS
Studies on COVID-19 confirmed cases were included.
INTERVENTION
Sex (male/female) of COVID-19 confirmed cases was considered.
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES
The primary outcome was prevalence of COVID-19 among men and women.
RESULTS
A total of 57 studies with 221 195 participants were used in the analysis. The pooled prevalence of COVID-19 among men was found to be 55.00 (51.43-56.58, I=99.5%, p<0.001). Sensitivity analysis showed the findings were not dependent on a single study. Moreover, a funnel plot showed symmetrical distribution. Egger's regression test p value was not significant, which indicates absence of publication bias in both outcomes.
CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of symptomatic COVID-19 was found to be higher in men than in women. The high prevalence of smoking and alcohol consumption contributed to the high prevalence of COVID-19 among men. Additional studies on the discrepancies in severity and mortality rate due to COVID-19 among men and women and the associated factors are recommended.
Topics: Alcohol Drinking; Betacoronavirus; COVID-19; Coronavirus; Coronavirus Infections; Female; Gender Identity; Humans; Male; Pandemics; Pneumonia, Viral; SARS-CoV-2; Sex Factors; Smoking
PubMed: 33028563
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-040129