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Globalization and Health Jun 2024Corruption exists at all levels of our global society and is a potential threat to food security, food safety, equity, and social justice. However, there is a knowledge... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Corruption exists at all levels of our global society and is a potential threat to food security, food safety, equity, and social justice. However, there is a knowledge gap in the role and impact of corruption within the context of the global food system. We aimed to systematically review empirical literature focused on corruption in the global food system to examine how it is characterized, the actors involved, its potential impacts, and the solutions that have been proposed to address corruption in the food system.
METHODS
We used a systematic scoping review methodology. Terms combining corruption and the food system were searched in Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, PsycInfo and Econlit, in October 2021. Two screeners applied a priori selection criteria to screen the articles at the title and abstract and full-text levels. Data was extracted into a charting form and thematically synthesized to describe the types of corruption in the food system, the actors involved, how corruption impacts the food system, and potential solutions. Sankey diagrams and narrative summaries were developed to summarize the included studies and findings.
RESULTS
From the 238 included records, five main types of corruption were identified in the global food system: bureaucratic corruption, fraud, bribery, organized crime, and corporate political activity. These different types of corruption spanned across various food system areas, from policy and governance structures to food environments, and involved a wide range of actors. More powerful actors like those in public and private sectors tended to instigate corruption in the food system, while community members and primary producers tended to be impacted by it. The impacts of corruption were mostly negative and corruption was found to undermine food system governance and regulatory structures; threaten health, safety, and food security; and lead or contribute to environmental degradation, economic loss, erosion of trust, social inequities, and decreased agricultural productivity. While solution-oriented literature was limited, the essential role of strong governance, use of technology and predictive modelling methods to improve detection of corruption, and organizational approaches to problem solving were identified.
CONCLUSION
Our review findings provide researchers and policymakers with a comprehensive overview of corruption in the global food system, providing insights to inform a more holistic approach to addressing the issue. Addressing corruption in the food system is an essential element of supporting the transition to a more healthy, equitable and sustainable global food system.
Topics: Humans; Food Supply; Fraud; Crime; Global Health
PubMed: 38877483
DOI: 10.1186/s12992-024-01054-8 -
BMJ Mental Health Jun 2024To describe the pattern of the prevalence of mental health problems during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic and examine the impact of containment measures on... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
AIM
To describe the pattern of the prevalence of mental health problems during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic and examine the impact of containment measures on these trends.
METHODS
We identified articles published until 30 August 2021 that reported the prevalence of mental health problems in the general population at two or more time points. A crowd of 114 reviewers extracted data on prevalence, study and participant characteristics. We collected information on the number of days since the first SARS-CoV-2 infection in the study country, the stringency of containment measures and the number of cases and deaths. We synthesised changes in prevalence during the pandemic using a random-effects model. We used dose-response meta-analysis to evaluate the trajectory of the changes in mental health problems.
RESULTS
We included 41 studies for 7 mental health conditions. The average odds of symptoms increased during the pandemic (mean OR ranging from 1.23 to 2.08). Heterogeneity was very large and could not be explained by differences in participants or study characteristics. Average odds of psychological distress, depression and anxiety increased during the first 2 months of the pandemic, with increased stringency of the measures, reported infections and deaths. The confidence in the evidence was low to very low.
CONCLUSIONS
We observed an initial increase in the average risk of psychological distress, depression-related and anxiety-related problems during the first 2 months of the pandemic. However, large heterogeneity suggests that different populations had different responses to the challenges imposed by the pandemic.
Topics: Humans; COVID-19; Prevalence; Mental Disorders; SARS-CoV-2; Pandemics; Anxiety; Mental Health; Depression
PubMed: 38876492
DOI: 10.1136/bmjment-2024-301018 -
Vaccine: X Aug 2024This study systematically reviewed the published literature from clinical trials on the efficacy and immunogenicity of single-dose HPV vaccination compared to multidose... (Review)
Review
Efficacy and immunogenicity of a single dose of human papillomavirus vaccine compared to multidose vaccination regimens or no vaccination: An updated systematic review of evidence from clinical trials.
OBJECTIVES
This study systematically reviewed the published literature from clinical trials on the efficacy and immunogenicity of single-dose HPV vaccination compared to multidose schedules or no HPV vaccination.
METHODS
Four databases were searched for relevant articles published from Jan-1999 to Feb-2023. Articles were assessed for eligibility for inclusion using pre-defined criteria. Relevant data were extracted from eligible articles and a descriptive quality assessment was performed for each study. A narrative data synthesis was conducted, examining HPV infection, other clinical outcomes and immunogenicity responses by dose schedule.
RESULTS
Fifteen articles reporting data from six studies (all in healthy young females) were included. One article was included from each of three studies that prospectively randomised participants to receive a single HPV vaccine dose versus one or more comparator schedule(s). The other 12 articles reported data from three studies that randomised participants to receive multidose HPV vaccine (or control vaccine) schedules; in those studies, some participants failed to complete their allocated schedule, and evaluations were conducted to compare participants who actually received one, two or three doses. Across all efficacy studies, the incidence or prevalence of HPV16/18 infection was very low among HPV-vaccinated participants, regardless of the number of doses received; with no evidence for a difference between dose groups. In immunogenicity studies, HPV16/18 antibody seropositivity rates were high among all HPV-vaccinated participants. Antibody levels were significantly lower with one dose compared to two or three doses, but levels with one dose were stable and sustained to 11 years post-vaccination.
CONCLUSIONS
Results from this review support recent World Health Organization recommendations allowing either one- or two-dose HPV vaccination in healthy young females. Longer-term efficacy and immunogenicity data from ongoing studies are awaited. Randomised trials of single-dose HPV-vaccination are urgently needed in other populations, e.g. boys, older females and people with HIV.
PubMed: 38873638
DOI: 10.1016/j.jvacx.2024.100486 -
BMC Public Health Jun 2024Although exclusive breastfeeding is recommended for the first six months of life, research suggests that breastfeeding initiation rates and duration among Indigenous...
BACKGROUND
Although exclusive breastfeeding is recommended for the first six months of life, research suggests that breastfeeding initiation rates and duration among Indigenous communities differ from this recommendation. Qualitative studies point to a variety of factors influencing infant feeding decisions; however, there has been no collective review of this literature published to date. Therefore, the objective of this scoping review was to identify and summarize the qualitative literature regarding Indigenous infant feeding experiences within Canada, the United States, Australia, and Aotearoa.
METHODS
Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses- Scoping Reviews and the Joanna Briggs Institute Guidelines, in October 2020, Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Scopus were searched for relevant papers focusing on Indigenous infant feeding experiences. Screening and full-text review was completed by two independent reviewers. A grey literature search was also conducted using country-specific Google searches and targeted website searching. The protocol is registered with the Open Science Framework and published in BMJ Open.
RESULTS
Forty-six papers from the five databases and grey literature searches were included in the final review and extraction. There were 18 papers from Canada, 11 papers in the US, 9 studies in Australia and 8 studies conducted in Aotearoa. We identified the following themes describing infant feeding experiences through qualitative analysis: colonization, culture and traditionality, social perceptions, family, professional influences, environment, cultural safety, survivance, establishing breastfeeding, autonomy, infant feeding knowledge, and milk substitutes, with family and culture having the most influence on infant feeding experiences based on frequency of themes.
CONCLUSIONS
This review highlights key influencers of Indigenous caregivers' infant feeding experiences, which are often situated within complex social and environmental contexts with the role of family and culture as essential in supporting caregivers. There is a need for long-term follow-up studies that partner with communities to support sustainable policy and program changes that support infant and maternal health.
Topics: Female; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Australia; Breast Feeding; Canada; Qualitative Research; United States
PubMed: 38872131
DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-19060-1 -
Journal of Global Health Jun 2024As birth policy can affect maternal and infant health, we sought to identify whether and how the introduction of the two-child policy might have affected the prevalence... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
As birth policy can affect maternal and infant health, we sought to identify whether and how the introduction of the two-child policy might have affected the prevalence of placenta previa in pregnant women in mainland China.
METHODS
In this update meta-analysis and systematic review, we searched PubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, Weipu, Wanfang, and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases for studies evaluating the prevalence of placenta previa in China published between the inception of each database and March 2024, with no restrictions. Two investigators independently extracted the data from each included study. We then combined the prevalence of placenta previa using random-effects models.
RESULTS
We included 128 studies in our analysis, 48 more than in our previous review. The prevalence of placenta previa among Chinese pregnant women was 1.44% (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.32, 1.56). After the implementation of the two-child policy, the prevalence increased significantly, from 1.25% (95% CI = 1.16, 1.34) to 4.12% (95% CI = 3.33, 4.91).
CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of placenta previa increased significantly from the one-child policy period to the two-child policy period among mainland Chinese pregnant women, with varying trends across regions. This change requires the attention of health officials and timely adjustment of resource allocation policies.
REGISTRATION
PROSPERO: CRD42021262309.
Topics: Humans; Pregnancy; China; Female; Placenta Previa; Prevalence; Delivery, Obstetric
PubMed: 38867677
DOI: 10.7189/jogh.14.04108 -
Supportive Care in Cancer : Official... Jun 2024We conducted a systematic review to describe health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in rural cancer survivors (RCS), and compare HRQOL between RCS and urban cancer... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study Review
PURPOSE
We conducted a systematic review to describe health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in rural cancer survivors (RCS), and compare HRQOL between RCS and urban cancer survivors (UCS).
METHOD
We searched Medline, Embase, CINAHL Plus, and PsycINFO for studies with HRQOL in adult cancer survivors living in rural, regional, remote, and urban areas, who had completed definitive primary cancer treatment, without evidence of residual disease. Where available, we used normative and clinically important values to ascribe meaning to HRQOL data.
FINDINGS
Fifteen studies (16 papers) were included. Most were from the US (n = 8) and reported on breast cancer survivors (n = 9). Six HRQOL instruments, collecting data across 16 domains, were used. Three instruments were specific to the survivorship phase. Normative and clinical data were available for 12 studies. Compared with normative populations, RCS had clinically worse physical HRQOL (6/12 studies), better social/family (5/7), and functional (3/6) HRQOL, and there were no differences in emotional or/mental HRQOL (9/12). In six studies with rural-urban comparator groups and normative and clinically important data, RCS and UCS had clinically worse physical (3/6 and 2/6, respectively) and better social/family (3/4 and 2/4 studies, respectively) HRQOL than normative populations. Functional HRQOL was better in RCS (2/4 studies) than UCS and normative populations. In 3/6 studies, there were no clinical differences in emotional or/mental HRQOL between RCS, UCS, and normative populations.
CONCLUSION
Overall, HRQOL is not clearly better or worse in RCS than UCS. Future research should include different tumor types, rural residents, and survivorship-specific HRQOL instruments.
Topics: Humans; Quality of Life; Cancer Survivors; Rural Population; Urban Population; Neoplasms
PubMed: 38864894
DOI: 10.1007/s00520-024-08618-9 -
BMC Public Health Jun 2024To solve the problem of workplace bullying among nurses, it is necessary to review the effects of interventions and generalize the findings. We conducted a systematic... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
To solve the problem of workplace bullying among nurses, it is necessary to review the effects of interventions and generalize the findings. We conducted a systematic literature review and meta-analysis to evaluate the effects of cognitive rehearsal programs on workplace bullying among hospital nurses.
METHODS
Data were collected from March 30 to April 11, 2021, and 11,048 journal articles published in South Korea and internationally were examined across eight databases. Nine articles were selected for inclusion in the systematic literature review; five of the nine studies were included in the meta-analysis. For randomized controlled trials, the risk of bias was evaluated, and for non-randomized controlled trials, the study quality was evaluated using the Risk of Bias for Non-randomized Studies version 2.0. Egger's regression test was performed to determine publication bias.
RESULTS
Of the nine articles selected for this study, two were randomized controlled trials and seven were non-randomized controlled trials. The I value was 18.9%, indicating non-significant heterogeneity. The overall effect size of the cognitive rehearsal programs was -0.40 (95% confidence interval: -0.604 to -0.196; Z = -3.85; p = .0001) in a random-effects model, indicating a large effect size with statistical significance.
CONCLUSIONS
Therefore, cognitive rehearsal programs that address workplace bullying among hospital nurses are effective. Health policymakers must implement cognitive rehearsal programs in a policy manner to address the problems of bullying in the workplace.
Topics: Humans; Bullying; Nursing Staff, Hospital; Workplace; Program Evaluation; Republic of Korea; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
PubMed: 38862940
DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-18969-x -
BMC Primary Care Jun 2024Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPI) are frequently prescribed. Long-term use is associated with side-effects and patients often lack a valid indication. Inappropriate PPI...
BACKGROUND
Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPI) are frequently prescribed. Long-term use is associated with side-effects and patients often lack a valid indication. Inappropriate PPI prescribing thus needs to be addressed. This review aims to scope 1) what determinants are studied as reasons for PPI prescribing, 2) what strategies are used for changing PPI (de)prescribing, and 3) whether important determinants are addressed in these interventions.
METHODS
We searched eight databases for papers on determinants of physician PPI prescribing. Studies were included if they were conducted in a Western country and focused on oral PPIs for an adult population. By following the Behaviour Change Wheel, we extracted information regarding PPI prescribing behavior, behavioral determinants and intervention strategies.
FINDINGS
We included 74 papers. Most focused on the determinants knowledge and beliefs about consequences. The latter was consistently related to PPI prescribing. Results for knowledge were mixed. Most interventions used education or enablement (e.g., algorithms, quality check improvements, involvement of pharmacists) as strategies. Enablement consistently improved PPI prescribing, while results for education were mixed.
INTERPRETATION
There is an overemphasis on reflective processes in studies on PPI prescribing. Future research should comprehensively identify behavioral determinants, focusing on reflective and impulsive processes, such that interventions can address the most important determinants.
Topics: Proton Pump Inhibitors; Humans; Practice Patterns, Physicians'; Inappropriate Prescribing; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Drug Prescriptions
PubMed: 38862886
DOI: 10.1186/s12875-024-02459-5 -
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases Jun 2024Despite its well-regarded vector control program, Singapore remains susceptible to dengue epidemics. To assist evaluation of dengue interventions, we aimed to synthesize...
BACKGROUND
Despite its well-regarded vector control program, Singapore remains susceptible to dengue epidemics. To assist evaluation of dengue interventions, we aimed to synthesize current data on the epidemiologic and economic burden of dengue in Singapore.
METHODOLOGY
We used multiple databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, international/national repositories, surveillance) to search for published and gray literature (2000-2022). We included observational and cost studies, and two interventional studies, reporting Singapore-specific data on our co-primary outcomes, dengue incidence and dengue-related costs. Quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and an adapted cost-of-illness evaluation checklist. We performed a narrative synthesis and grouped studies according to reported outcomes and available stratified analyses.
FINDINGS
In total, 333 reports (330 epidemiological, 3 economic) were included. Most published epidemiological studies (89%) and all economic studies were of good quality. All gray literature reports were from the Ministry of Health or National Environment Agency. Based predominantly on surveillance data, Singapore experienced multiple outbreaks in 2000-2021, attaining peak incidence rate in 2020 (621.1 cases/100,000 person-years). Stratified analyses revealed the highest incidence rates in DENV-2 and DENV-3 serotypes and the 15-44 age group. Among dengue cases, the risk of hospitalization has been highest in the ≥45-year-old age groups while the risks of dengue hemorrhagic fever and death have generally been low (both <1%) for the last decade. Our search yielded limited data on deaths by age, severity, and infection type (primary, secondary, post-secondary). Seroprevalence (dengue immunoglobulin G) increases with age but has remained <50% in the general population. Comprising 21-63% indirect costs, dengue-related total costs were higher in 2010-2020 (SGD 148 million) versus the preceding decade (SGD 58-110 million).
CONCLUSION
Despite abundant passive surveillance data, more stratified and up-to-date data on the epidemiologic and economic burden of dengue are warranted in Singapore to continuously assess prevention and management strategies.
Topics: Singapore; Humans; Dengue; Cost of Illness; Incidence; Dengue Virus; Hospitalization; Adult
PubMed: 38857260
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0012240 -
Supportive Care in Cancer : Official... Jun 2024In current clinical practice, recommendations regarding restrictions in daily life for children with cancer are often lacking or not evidence-based. Critically reviewing...
PURPOSE
In current clinical practice, recommendations regarding restrictions in daily life for children with cancer are often lacking or not evidence-based. Critically reviewing the evidence and formulating recommendations are therefore of great importance as social restrictions (e.g., swimming, school attendance, sports) can impair the quality of life of these children severely. Therefore, our aim was to develop a clinical practice guideline for clinicians, children, and their parents regarding social restrictions in children with cancer.
METHODS
A comprehensive multidisciplinary panel was assembled, comprising 21 professionals and patient representatives. A systematic literature review was performed, including dual appraisal of all citations. The GRADE methodology was used to extract, summarize, and assess the evidence. Multiple in-person meetings were held to rank outcomes, discuss evidence, complete evidence-to-decision frameworks, and formulate recommendations. Final recommendations were unanimously supported by all panel members.
RESULTS
Six studies, including 758 children, formed the evidence base for the recommendations. Given the scarcity of the available evidence and various designs of studies in children with cancer, additional evidence was extracted from adult oncology guidelines, and shared expert opinions were utilized. In total, 14 recommendations were formulated of which multiple result in changes in current policy and standard of practice in the Netherlands. Topics covered in this guideline are swimming, having pets, visiting the zoo or farm, performing sports or high-velocity events, attending school or kindergarten, and use of public transport. This guideline is not intended to provide recommendations for patients after end of treatment, for palliative care settings, or for children undergoing a stem cell transplantation.
CONCLUSIONS
In this clinical practice guideline, we provide recommendations regarding restrictions in daily life in children with cancer. These include evidence-based recommendations and, in the absence of sufficient evidence, recommendations based on expert evidence. With these recommendations, we provide guidance for clinicians, children, and parents and contribute to improving quality of life for children with cancer.
Topics: Humans; Child; Neoplasms; Quality of Life; Activities of Daily Living; Netherlands
PubMed: 38850341
DOI: 10.1007/s00520-024-08537-9