scholarly journals Impact of breastfeeding interventions among United States minority women on breastfeeding outcomes: a systematic review

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sofia Segura-Pérez ◽  
Amber Hromi-Fiedler ◽  
Misikir Adnew ◽  
Kate Nyhan ◽  
Rafael Pérez-Escamilla

Abstract Background In the U.S., strong ethnic/racial, socioeconomic, demographic, and geographic breastfeeding (BF) inequities persist, and African American and Hispanic women are less likely to meet their breastfeeding goals compared to White women. This systematic review (SR) was designed to answer the question: What is the impact of breastfeeding interventions targeting ethnic/racial minority women in the U.S. on improving BF initiation, duration and exclusivity rates? Methods The SR was conducted following the Institute of Medicine Guidelines and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses checklist. The study protocol was developed and registered a priori in PROSPERO (ID#CRD42020177764). The electronical databases searched was MEDLINE All (Ovid). Search strategies were led by the team’s expert public health librarian using both controlled vocabulary and free text queries and were tested against a validated set of relevant papers included in existing reviews. The GRADE methodology was used to assess the quality of the studies. Results We included 60 studies that had randomized (n = 25), observational (n = 24), quasi-experimental (n = 9), or cross-sectional (n = 2) designs. The studies focused on populations that were multi-ethnic/racial (n = 22), only Hispanic (n = 24), only Black (n = 13), and only American Indian (n = 1). The study interventions were classified following the socioecological model: macrosystem/policy level (n = 6); community level (n=51), which included healthcare organizations (n = 34), The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) (n = 9), and community organizations/public health institutions (n = 8); and  interpersonal level (n = 3). Conclusions Policy and community level interventions delivered through WIC, healthcare facilities, and community agencies) are likely to improve BF outcomes among women of color. The combination of interventions at different levels of the socioecological model has not been studied among minority women in the U.S. Implementation science research is needed to learn how best to scale up and sustain effective BF interventions, taking into account the needs and wants of minority women. Thus, it is strongly recommended  to conduct large scale implementation research studies addressesing how to strengthen the different health and social environments surrounding women of color in the U.S. to improving their BF outcomes.

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 284-290
Author(s):  
Jocelyn Chan ◽  
Yue Wu ◽  
James Wood ◽  
Mohammad Muhit ◽  
Mohammed K. Mahmood ◽  
...  

Background and Objectives: Congenital Rubella Syndrome (CRS) is the leading cause of vaccine-preventable congenital anomalies. Comprehensive country-level data on the burden of CRS in low and middle-income countries, such as Bangladesh, are scarce. This information is essential for assessing the impact of rubella vaccination programs. We aim to systematically review the literature on the epidemiology of CRS and estimate the burden of CRS in Bangladesh. Methods: We conducted a systematic review of existing literature and transmission modelling of seroprevalence studies to estimate the pre-vaccine period burden of CRS in Bangladesh. OVID Medline (1948 – 23 November 2016) and OVID EMBASE (1974 – 23 November 2016) were searched using a combination of the database-specific controlled vocabulary and free text terms. We used an age-stratified deterministic model to estimate the pre-vaccination burden of CRS in Bangladesh. Findings: Ten articles were identified, published between 2000 and 2014, including seven crosssectional studies, two case series and one analytical case-control study. Rubella seropositivity ranged from 47.0% to 86.0% among all age population. Rubella sero–positivity increased with age. Rubella seropositivity among women of childbearing age was 81.0% overall. The estimated incidence of CRS was 0·99 per 1,000 live births, which corresponds to approximately 3,292 CRS cases annually in Bangladesh. Conclusion: The estimated burden of CRS in Bangladesh during the pre-vaccination period was high. This will provide important baseline information to assess the impact and cost-effectiveness of routine rubella immunisation, introduced in 2012 in Bangladesh.


2021 ◽  
pp. 026921632110198
Author(s):  
Catriona R Mayland ◽  
Rosemary Hughes ◽  
Steven Lane ◽  
Tamsin McGlinchey ◽  
Warren Donnellan ◽  
...  

Background: COVID-19 public health restrictions have affected end-of-life care experiences for dying patients and their families. Aim: To explore bereaved relatives’ experiences of quality of care and family support provided during the last days of life; to identify the impact of factors associated with perceived support. Design: A national, observational, open online survey was developed and disseminated via social media, public fora and professional networks (June–September 2020). Validated instruments and purposively designed questions assessed experiences. Analysis used descriptive statistics, logistic regression and thematic analysis of free-text responses. Participants: Individuals (⩾18 years) who had experienced the death of a relative/friend (all care settings) within the United Kingdome during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: Respondents ( n = 278, mean 53.4 years) tended to be female ( n = 216, 78%); over half were ‘son/daughter’ (174, 62.6%) to the deceased. Deceased individuals (mean 81.6 years) most frequently died in their ‘usual place of care’ ( n = 192, 69.3%). Analysis established five conceptual themes affecting individualised care: (1) public health restrictions compounding the distress of ‘not knowing’; (2) disparate views about support from doctors and nurses; (3) challenges in communication and level of preparedness for the death; (4) delivery of compassionate care; (5) emotional needs and potential impact on grief. Male respondents (OR 2.9, p = 0.03) and those able to visit (OR 2.2, p = 0.04) were independently associated with good perceptions of family support. Conclusion: Despite public health restrictions, individualised care can be enabled by proactive, informative communication; recognising dying in a timely manner and facilitating the ability to be present before death.


2012 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 535-543 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina Iacovou ◽  
Deanna C Pattieson ◽  
Helen Truby ◽  
Claire Palermo

AbstractObjectiveCommunity kitchens have been implemented by communities as a public health strategy to prevent food insecurity through reducing social isolation, improving food and cooking skills and empowering participants. The aim of the present paper was to investigate whether community kitchens can improve the social and nutritional health of participants and their families.DesignA systematic review of the literature was conducted including searches of seven databases with no date limitations.SettingCommunity kitchens internationally.SubjectsParticipants of community kitchens across the world.ResultsTen studies (eight qualitative studies, one mixed-method study and one cross-sectional study) were selected for inclusion. Evidence synthesis suggested that community kitchens may be an effective strategy to improve participants’ cooking skills, social interactions and nutritional intake. Community kitchens may also play a role in improving participants’ budgeting skills and address some concerns around food insecurity. Long-term solutions are required to address income-related food insecurity.ConclusionsCommunity kitchens may improve social interactions and nutritional intake of participants and their families. More rigorous research methods, for both qualitative and quantitative studies, are required to effectively assess the impact of community kitchens on social and nutritional health in order to confidently recommend them as a strategy in evidence-based public health practice.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ishumeet Kaur Bajwa ◽  
Navneet Kaur ◽  
Joseph L. Mathew

BACKGROUND Microneedles are defined as micron-sized projections that create microscopic holes to the skin on application so that drug molecules can penetrate across the outer layers of the skin into the dermis or deeper. Skin is a natural barrier for defense against invading pathogens. Additionally, the dermis possesses dendritic cells that are efficient for antigen presentation and initiating the cascade of immunogenic responses leading to antibody production. Therefore, intradermal delivery of vaccine antigens could be a safe and less invasive alternative for vaccine delivery compared with conventional intramuscular injection. OBJECTIVE We intend to undertake a systematic review of the literature to evaluate the efficacy and safety of intradermal delivery of vaccines using microneedles in animal models. METHODS In this systematic review, we will consider all study designs evaluating the safety and/or efficacy of intradermal delivery of vaccines using microneedles in animal models. Our search strategy will include free text terms and controlled vocabulary for, “microneedle”, “vaccine”, and “intradermal”. We will search literature through PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and OpenGrey, and we will not have language or date limits. Two review authors will independently select eligible studies and assess the risk of bias using the SYRCLE’s tool particularly for controlled studies and OHAT Risk of Bias Rating Tool for case studies, case-control studies, non-randomized studies, and cohort studies, and CAMARADES checklist to appraise the quality of the included studies. We will report structured summaries of the included studies and, if possible, conduct meta-analyses. The primary outcome to be measured is the efficacy of vaccine delivered through an intradermal route using microneedle(s) such as parameters of immunogenicity (for example antibody levels), sero-efficacy (for example sero-conversion), protective efficacy, etc. Secondary outcomes would include the safety of vaccines delivered through the intradermal route. This could include parameters to identify and/or quantify the timing and nature of local reactions, bleeding, systemic reactions, and death. Pain response during vaccination delivered through the intradermal route will also be evaluated. RESULTS This is a protocol for a systematic review; therefore, results are not available. CONCLUSIONS This is the first systematic review protocol aiming to assess the evidence on the efficacy and safety of intradermal delivery of vaccines using microneedles in various animal models. The findings will inform the safety and efficacy of intradermal delivery of vaccines in animal models, with the overall goal of considering the method for human vaccination as well. The results of this study will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. CLINICALTRIAL PROSPERO CRD42021236625


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natasha Marcella Vaselli ◽  
Daniel Hungerford ◽  
Ben Shenton ◽  
Arwa Khashkhusha ◽  
Nigel A. Cunliffe ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundA year following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, new infections and deaths continue to increase in Europe. Serological studies, through providing evidence of past infection, can aid understanding of the population dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 infection.ObjectivesThis systematic review of SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence studies in Europe was undertaken to inform public health strategies including vaccination, that aim to accelerate population immunity.MethodsWe searched the databases Web of Science, MEDLINE, EMBASE, SCOPUS, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and grey literature sources for studies reporting seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in Europe published between 01/12/2019 - 30/09/20. We provide a narrative synthesis of included studies. Studies were categorized into subgroups including healthcare workers (HCWs), community, outbreaks, pregnancy and children/school. Due to heterogeneity in other subgroups, we only performed a random effects meta-analysis of the seroprevalence amongst HCWs stratified by their country.Results109 studies were included spanning 17 European countries, that estimated the seroprevalence of SAR-CoV2 from samples obtained between November 2019 – August 2020. A total of 53/109 studies included HCWs with a reported seroprevalence among HCWs ranging from 0.7% to 45.3%, which did not differ significantly by country. In community studies significant heterogeneity was reported in the seroprevalence among different age groups and the majority of studies reported there was no significant difference by gender.ConclusionThis review demonstrates a wide heterogeneity in reported seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies between populations. Continued evaluation of seroprevalence is required to understand the impact of public health measures and inform interventions including vaccination programmes.


PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e11731
Author(s):  
Farhah Nadhirah Aiman Sahabuddin ◽  
Nazatul Izzati Jamaludin ◽  
Nurul Hidayah Amir ◽  
Shazlin Shaharudin

Background A range of non-contact injuries such as anterior cruciate ligament tear, and patellofemoral pain syndrome are caused by disordered knee joint loading from excessive dynamic knee valgus (DKV). Previous systematic reviews showed that DKV could be modified through the influence of hip strength and ankle range of motion. Therefore, the purpose of this systematic review was to examine the effects of exercise intervention which involved either top-down or bottom-up kinetic chains on minimizing DKV in male and female adults and adolescents, with and without existing knee pain. Methodology Electronic searches were conducted in SAGE, Science Direct, SCOPUS, and Pubmed. The search strategy consisted of medical subject headings and free-text search keywords, synonyms and variations of ‘exercise intervention,’ ‘knee alignment,’ ‘dynamic knee valgus’, ‘knee abduction’ that were merged via the Boolean operator ‘AND’ and ‘OR’. The search was conducted on full-text journals that documented the impact of the exercise intervention program involving either the bottom-up or top-down DKV mechanism on the knee kinematics. Furthermore, exercise intervention in this review should last at least one week which included two or three sessions per week. This review also considered both men and women of all ages with a healthy or symptomatic knee problem. The risk of bias of the included studies was assessed by Cochrane risk assessment tool. The protocol of this review was registered at PROSPERO (registration number: CRD42021219121). Results Ten studies with a total of 423 participants (male = 22.7%, female = 77.3%; adults = 249, adolescents = 123; pre-adolescent = 51) met the inclusion criteria of this review. Seven studies showed the significant effects of the exercise intervention program (range from two weeks to ten weeks) on reducing DKV. The exercise training in these seven studies focused on muscle groups directly attached to the knee joint such as hamstrings and gastrocnemius. The remaining three studies did not show significant improvement in DKV after the exercise intervention (range between eight weeks to twelve weeks) probably because they focused on trunk and back muscles instead of muscles crossing the knee joint. Conclusion Exercises targeting specific knee-joint muscles, either from top-down or bottom-up kinetic chain, are likely to reduce DKV formation. These results may assist athletes and coaches to develop effective exercise program that could minimize DKV and ultimately prevent lower limb injuries.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefanie Johanna Maria Kruger ◽  
WENDY PHOSWA

Abstract Introduction: Tuberculosis is a worldwide health risk factor, especially among immunocompromised groups such as in pregnant women. Diagnosis for TB is complex and appropriate initiation of treatment must be timely and cannot be postponed. This systematic review aims to assess the impact of TB drug exposure linked with pregnancy complications.Methods: Electronic databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, Elsevier and the Cochrane Library) will be screened that covers original articles published from 2010 to 2020, using medical subject headings (MeSH) and free text searches. Population study of TB-infected pregnant women with control being non-infected pregnant women, defined by maternal age between 15 ≤ 44 years, which reported pregnancy outcomes after exposure to TB treatment during pregnancy will be included. PICOS for research question eligibility, PRISMA-P guidelines and flow diagram will be adhered to and assessed by two independent reviewers. Software manager Zotero v5.0.81 will be used to eliminate duplicates and assess eligibility criteria.Ethics and dissemination: We anticipate finding a large number of studies reporting on the impact of TB drugs on the incidence of pregnancy complications which, once summarised, will be useful to establishing the link between TB drugs and pregnancy complications induced by these drugs. The protocol for the systematic review will be registered in PROSPERO. The study will be disseminated electronically and in print. It will also be presented to conferences related to TB and pregnancy.Trial registration: PROSPERO CRD42021226233; Registered on 14 January 2021


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-11
Author(s):  
Brijesh Sathian ◽  
Mohammad Asim ◽  
Ahammed Mekkodathil ◽  
Edwin R. Van Teijlingen ◽  
Supram Hosuru Subramanya ◽  
...  

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, caused by the pathogenic severe acute respiratory syndrome-2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus, is exponentially spreading across the globe. As there is paucity of published literature, the influence of COVID-19 on community health remains unclear. Therefore, we aimed to conduct a systematic review of the literature on the impact of COVID-19 on community health. The current systematic review was performed utilizing electronic databases, i.e., PubMed, MEDLINE, and EMBASE. We searched for the keywords "COVID-19" AND "community health" between January 1, 2020, until May 10, 2020. Although, limited evidence is available regarding quarantine to prevent COVID‐19, most studies considered quarantine as an essential public health measure to minimize rate of infection and mortality. Under these circumstances, people should focus on maintaining personal hygiene, proper nutrition, and extreme social distancing to reduce the risk of COVID-19. Besides, that there is a need to provide professional psychological support to reduce mental ill-health. We have highlighted two different public health approaches in South Asian countries, namely Nepal and India.


2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 554-562
Author(s):  
Christiana R. Dallas ◽  
Curtis H. Harris ◽  
Cham E. Dallas

AbstractIn the U.S., migration has been documented to affect the prevalence of infectious disease. As a mitigation entity, border security has been recorded by numerous scholarly works as being essential to the support of the health of the U.S. population. Consequently, the lack of current health care monitoring of the permeable U.S. border places the U.S. population at risk in the broad sectors of infectious disease and interpersonal violence. Visualizing border security in the context of public health mitigation has significant potential to protect migrant health as well as that of all populations on both sides of the border. Examples of how commonly this philosophy is held can be found in the expansive use of security-focused terms regarding public health. Using tools such as GIS to screen for disease in people before their entrance into a nation would be more efficient and ethical than treating patients once they have entered a population and increased the impact on the healthcare system. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2018;12:554–562)


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