Review

Authors: Kjell Asplund

This report is an ethical analysis based on both facts and values. In fertilization (IVF), there is an intricate interaction between rapid scientific development and changing societal values. In most countries, the ethical discussion is no longer on whether or not IVF in itself is ethically justifiable. Therefore, in this review, I discuss other ethical aspects that have emerged since IVF was first introduced, such as upper age limits, 'ownership' of gametes and embryos, IVF in single women and same-sex couples, preimplantatory genetic testing, social egg freezing, commercialization, public funding, and prioritization of IVF. Despite secularization, since religion still plays an important role in regulation and practices of IVF in many countries, positions on IVF among the world religions are summarized. Decision-making concerning IVF cannot be based only on clinical and economic considerations; these cannot be disentangled from ethical principles. Many concerns regarding the costs, effects, and safety of IVF subtly transcend into more complex questions about what it means to society to bear and give birth to children.

Topics: Age Factors; Cost-Benefit Analysis; Fertilization in Vitro; Global Health; Humans; Ownership; Patient Safety; Religion and Medicine

PubMed: 31686575
DOI: 10.1080/03009734.2019.1684405

Meta-Analysis

Authors: John J McGrath, Carmen C W Lim, Sukanta Saha...

BACKGROUND

It has been proposed that cat ownership may be a risk-modifying factor for schizophrenia-related disorders and psychotic-like experiences (PLE). This study aimed to systematically review and meta-analyze publications that reported the relationship between cat ownership and schizophrenia-related outcomes.

METHODOLOGY

We searched Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, and gray literature for publications between January 1, 1980, and May 30, 2023, regardless of geographical location and language. Backward citation search methods were used to locate additional articles. We included studies that reported original data on cat ownership and schizophrenia-related outcomes. We meta-analyzed estimates based on broad definitions (cat ownership, cat bites, and cat contact) with estimates with or without covariate adjustments. We pooled comparable estimates using random-effects models and assessed the risk of bias, heterogeneity, and study quality.

RESULTS

We identified 1915 studies, of which 106 were chosen for full-text review, ultimately resulting in the inclusion of 17 studies. We found an association between broadly defined cat ownership and increased odds of developing schizophrenia-related disorders. For the studies reporting unadjusted odds ratios (OR; n = 10), the pooled OR was 2.14 (95% CI: 1.29-3.55). Exclusion of one outlier study resulted in a pooled OR (n = 9) of 1.56 (95% CI: 1.27-1.92). For the studies reporting adjusted estimates (n = 5), the pooled OR was 2.44 (95% CI: 1.59-3.73). After excluding one study with suboptimal exposure/design features, the pooled adjusted OR (n = 4) was 2.40 (95% CI: 1.50-3.86). We were unable to aggregate the estimates for the PLE outcomes because of the broad range of measures.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings provide support for the hypothesis that cat exposure is associated with an increased risk of broadly defined schizophrenia-related disorders; however, the findings related to PLE as an outcome are mixed. There is a need for more high-quality studies in this field.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION

PROSPERO 2023 CRD42023426974. Available from: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42023426974.

Topics: Humans; Schizophrenia; Cats; Psychotic Disorders; Animals; Ownership; Pets

PubMed: 38041862
DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbad168

Review

Authors: Maykel Verkuyten

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in collective psychology ownership in different disciplines. However, and in contrast to a feeling of personal ownership ("mine"), the theoretical thinking about a sense of collective ownership ("ours") is limited. This article proposes that the social identity perspective (social identity theory and self-categorization theory) provides a coherent framework for understanding and examining collective psychological ownership toward various targets of ownership and in a range of settings. It is argued that research on collective ownership will be enhanced by more fully considering the implications of this perspective, which include (a) the importance of the group self and self-stereotyping, (b) developing ingroup consensus and shared understandings, (c) the role of sociotropic threat and group identification, and (d) the importance of the sociocultural context. These implications have not been fully considered in the literature but indicate that the social identity perspective offers the possibility for theoretically integrating and empirically examining collective psychological ownership.

Topics: Humans; Social Identification; Self Concept; Group Processes; Psychological Theory; Ownership; Stereotyping

PubMed: 39447109
DOI: 10.1080/00223980.2024.2414286

Authors: Anthony N DeMaria

Topics: Biomedical Research; HeLa Cells; History, 20th Century; Humans; Informed Consent; Ownership; Socioeconomic Factors

PubMed: 21144976
DOI: 10.1016/j.jacc.2010.11.008

Authors: Patience Fakornam Doe, Andrews Adjei Druye, Theodora Dedo Azu...

BACKGROUND

Insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) are pivotal tools for malaria prevention in endemic regions like Ghana. Understanding the protective factors and barriers influencing ITN ownership and usage is crucial for designing effective interventions. A scoping review was conducted to identify studies exploring protective factors and barriers related to ITN ownership and usage.

METHODS

This review followed the guidelines by Askey and O'Malley. Search was done in four major databases including PubMed, Science Direct, PubMed CENTRAL, and JSTOR. Additional searches were done in Google Scholar and Google. Peer-reviewed and grey literature were included.

RESULTS

A total of 24 papers met the eligibility criteria and were included in the review. Included studies found regional disparities in ITN ownership and usage. Furthermore, included studies reported ownership rates between 97.8 and 28% and usage rates between 94 and 20%. Protective factors facilitating ITN ownership were marital status, higher educational attainment, higher income levels, and being aged 25 years or older. In contrast, the factors for its use included community-level campaigns advocating for ITN use and awareness, individuals with secondary education or higher and those residing in urban areas. Missed opportunities in free distribution exercises and the unavailability of subsidized ITNs at health facilities were barriers to ownership.

CONCLUSION

Understanding and addressing protective factors and barriers influencing ITN ownership and usage are crucial for enhancing malaria prevention strategies and achieving sustainable progress in combating malaria in endemic areas. Collaborative and evidence-based interventions are essential for addressing these challenges effectively.

Topics: Ghana; Insecticide-Treated Bednets; Ownership; Malaria; Mosquito Control; Humans

PubMed: 39127692
DOI: 10.1186/s12936-024-05072-0

Authors: Alexander Borsa, Geronimo Bejarano, Moriah Ellen...

OBJECTIVE

To review the evidence on trends and impacts of private equity (PE) ownership of healthcare operators.

DESIGN

Systematic review.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Scopus, and SSRN.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR STUDY SELECTION

Empirical research studies of any design that evaluated PE owned healthcare operators.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The main outcome measures were impact of PE ownership on health outcomes, costs to patients or payers, costs to operators, and quality. The secondary outcome measures were trends and prevalence of PE ownership of healthcare operators.

DATA SYNTHESIS

Studies were classified as finding either beneficial, harmful, mixed, or neutral impacts of PE ownership on main outcome measures. Results across studies were narratively synthesized and reported. Risk of bias was evaluated using ROBINS-I (Risk Of Bias In Non-randomised Studies of Interventions).

RESULTS

The electronic search identified 1778 studies, with 55 meeting the inclusion criteria. Studies spanned eight countries, with most (n=47) analyzing PE ownership of healthcare operators in the US. Nursing homes were the most commonly studied healthcare setting (n=17), followed by hospitals and dermatology settings (n=9 each); ophthalmology (n=7); multiple specialties or general physician groups (n=5); urology (n=4); gastroenterology and orthopedics (n=3 each); surgical centers, fertility, and obstetrics and gynecology (n=2 each); and anesthesia, hospice care, oral or maxillofacial surgery, otolaryngology, and plastics (n=1 each). Across the outcome measures, PE ownership was most consistently associated with increases in costs to patients or payers. Additionally, PE ownership was associated with mixed to harmful impacts on quality. These outcomes held in sensitivity analyses in which only studies with moderate risk of bias were included. Health outcomes showed both beneficial and harmful results, as did costs to operators, but the volume of studies for these outcomes was too low for conclusive interpretation. In some instances, PE ownership was associated with reduced nurse staffing levels or a shift towards lower nursing skill mix. No consistently beneficial impacts of PE ownership were identified.

CONCLUSIONS

Trends in PE ownership rapidly increased across almost all healthcare settings studied. Such ownership is often associated with harmful impacts on costs to patients or payers and mixed to harmful impacts on quality. Owing to risk of bias and frequent geographic focus on the US, conclusions might not be generalizable internationally.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

PROSPERO CRD42022329857.

Topics: Humans; Ownership; Hospitals; Nursing Homes; Health Services; Outcome Assessment, Health Care

PubMed: 37468157
DOI: 10.1136/bmj-2023-075244

Review

Authors: T N Sherratt, M Mesterton-Gibbons

Although possession is 'nine-tenths of the law', respect for ownership is widespread in the animal kingdom even without third-party enforcement. Thus, the first individuals to find objects are frequently left unchallenged by potential competitors and tend to win contests when disputes arise. Game theory has shown that respect for ownership ('Bourgeois' behaviour) can arise as an arbitrary convention to avoid costly disputes. However, the same theory predicts that a paradoxical respect for lack of ownership ('anti-Bourgeois' behaviour) can evolve under the same conditions and in some cases is the only stable outcome. Despite these predictions, anti-Bourgeois behaviour is rare in nature, whereas respect for ownership is frequently not absolute. Here, we review extensions of the classic models involving repeated interactions, confusion over roles, strategic coordination of behaviour ('secret handshakes'), owner-intruder asymmetries and continuous control of fighting investment. Confusion over roles and owner-intruder asymmetries in fighting ability may explain why respect for ownership is often partial. Moreover, although most model extensions facilitate the evolution of Bourgeois-like behaviour, secret handshakes and continuous control of fighting investment render the alternative anti-Bourgeois convention unstable. We develop these insights to highlight several key areas for future investigation.

Topics: Animals; Biological Evolution; Competitive Behavior; Humans; Ownership; Territoriality

PubMed: 25882679
DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12648

Authors: Jeffrey M Drazen

Topics: Clinical Trials as Topic; Information Dissemination; Ownership

PubMed: 24450856
DOI: 10.1056/NEJMe1400850

Authors: Bindu Kalesan, Marcos D Villarreal, Katherine M Keyes...

We assessed gun ownership rates in 2013 across the USA and the association between exposure to a social gun culture and gun ownership. We used data from a nationally representative sample of 4000 US adults, from 50 states and District of Columbia, aged >18 years to assess gun ownership and social gun culture performed in October 2013. State-level firearm policy information was obtained from the Brady Law Center and Injury Prevention and Control Center. One-third of Americans reported owning a gun, ranging from 5.2% in Delaware to 61.7% in Alaska. Gun ownership was 2.25-times greater among those reporting social gun culture (PR=2.25, 95% CI 2.02 to 2.52) than those who did not. In conclusion, we found strong association between social gun culture and gun ownership. Gun cultures may need to be considered for public health strategies that aim to change gun ownership in the USA.

Topics: Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Culture; Firearms; Humans; Licensure; Ownership; Policy Making; Social Desirability; Socioeconomic Factors; Symbolism; United States

PubMed: 26124073
DOI: 10.1136/injuryprev-2015-041586

Authors: Manuel W Hetzel, Gibson Gideon, Namarola Lote...

BACKGROUND

Papua New Guinea (PNG) is a highly malaria endemic country in the South-West Pacific with a population of approximately 6.6 million (2009). In 2004, the country intensified its malaria control activities with support from the Global Fund. With the aim of achieving 80% ownership and usage, a country-wide campaign distributed two million free long-lasting insecticide-treated nets (LLINs).

METHODS

In order to evaluate outcomes of the campaign against programme targets, a country-wide household survey based on stratified multi-stage random sampling was carried out in 17 of the 20 provinces after the campaign in 2008/09. In addition, a before-after assessment was carried out in six purposively selected sentinel sites. A structured questionnaire was administered to the heads of sampled households to elicit net ownership and usage information.

RESULTS

After the campaign, 64.6% of households owned a LLIN, 80.1% any type of mosquito net. Overall usage by household members amounted to 32.5% for LLINs and 44.3% for nets in general. Amongst children under five years, 39.5% used a LLIN and 51.8% any type of net, whereas 41.3% of pregnant women used a LLIN and 56.1% any net. Accessibility of villages was the key determinant of net ownership, while usage was mainly determined by ownership. Most (99.5%) of the household members who did not sleep under a net did not have access to a (unused) net in their household. In the sentinel sites, LLIN ownership increased from 9.4% to 88.7%, ownership of any net from 52.7% to 94.1%. Usage of LLINs increased from 5.5% to 55.1%, usage of any net from 37.3% to 66.7%. Among children under five years, usage of LLINs and of nets in general increased from 8.2% to 67.0% and from 44.6% to 76.1%, respectively (all p ≤ 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

While a single round of free distribution of LLINs significantly increased net ownership, an insufficient number of nets coupled with a heterogeneous distribution led to overall low usage rates. Programme targets were missed mainly as a result of the distribution mechanism itself and operational constraints in this very challenging setting.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Child, Preschool; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Health Services Research; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Male; Middle Aged; Mosquito Control; Mosquito Nets; Ownership; Papua New Guinea; Pregnancy; Surveys and Questionnaires; Young Adult

PubMed: 22682111
DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-11-192