“American Indian” as a Racial Category in Public Health: Implications for Communities and Practice

2021 ◽  
pp. e1-e7
Author(s):  
Danielle R. Gartner ◽  
Rachel E. Wilbur ◽  
Meredith L. McCoy
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Identity Formation ◽  
Indigenous People ◽  
Disease Status ◽  
Power Dynamics ◽  
Racial Categories ◽  
Native Communities ◽  
Political Status ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
Alternative Approaches

When public health considers the health and disease status of Indigenous people, it often does so using a racial lens. In recent decades, public health researchers have begun to acknowledge that commonly employed racial categories represent history, power dynamics, embodiment, and legacies of discrimination and racism, rather than innate biology. Even so, public health has not yet fully embraced an understanding of other components of identity formation for Indigenous people, including political status within Native nations. In this article, we discuss why the continued racial conceptualization of Indigeneity in US public health is inadequate. We begin by providing a brief account of racialization as a tool of colonization, of failure to recognize and acknowledge Indigenous sovereignty, and of common public health practices of Indigenous data collection and interpretation. We then articulate the stakes of racialized health data for Native communities. We end by offering alternative approaches, many drawn from scholarship from Indigenous researchers. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print October 28, 2021:e1–e7. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306465 )

scholarly journals Evaluation of 16S rRNA primer sets for characterisation of microbiota in paediatric patients with autism spectrum disorder

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Palkova ◽  
A. Tomova ◽  
G. Repiska ◽  
K. Babinska ◽  
B. Bokor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
16S Rrna ◽  
Dna Amplification ◽  
Disease Status ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Sequencing Analysis ◽  
Key Factor ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
Primer Sets

AbstractAbstract intestinal microbiota is becoming a significant marker that reflects differences between health and disease status also in terms of gut-brain axis communication. Studies show that children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have a mix of gut microbes that is distinct from the neurotypical children. Various assays are being used for microbiota investigation and were considered to be universal. However, newer studies showed that protocol for preparing DNA sequencing libraries is a key factor influencing results of microbiota investigation. The choice of DNA amplification primers seems to be the crucial for the outcome of analysis. In our study, we have tested 3 primer sets to investigate differences in outcome of sequencing analysis of microbiota in children with ASD. We found out that primers detected different portion of bacteria in samples especially at phylum level; significantly higher abundance of Bacteroides and lower Firmicutes were detected using 515f/806r compared to 27f/1492r and 27f*/1495f primers. So, the question is whether a gold standard of Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio is a valuable and reliable universal marker, since two primer sets towards 16S rRNA can provide opposite information. Moreover, significantly higher relative abundance of Proteobacteria was detected using 27f/1492r. The beta diversity of sample groups differed remarkably and so the number of observed bacterial genera.

Health(y) education: A critical analysis of the role of public health regulation in and on tertiary education in Aotearoa New Zealand

2021 ◽  
pp. 147821032199501
Author(s):  
Susan Shaw ◽  
Keith Tudor
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Critical Analysis ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Power Dynamics ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Educational Design ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Public Health Regulation

This article offers a critical analysis of the role of public health regulation on tertiary education in Aotearoa New Zealand and, specifically, the requirements and processes of Responsible Authorities under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act for the accreditation and monitoring of educational institutions and their curricula (degrees, courses of studies, or programmes). It identifies and discusses a number of issues concerned with the requirements of such accreditation and monitoring, including, administrative requirements and costs, structural requirements, and the implications for educational design. Concerns with the processes of these procedures, namely the lack of educational expertise on the part of the Responsible Authorities, and certain manifested power dynamics are also highlighted. Finally, the article draws conclusions for changing policy and practice.

scholarly journals Genetics and Public Health

2019 ◽  
pp. 529-546
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Genetic Diseases ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Biological Knowledge ◽  
Cellular Mechanisms ◽  
Health Concerns ◽  
Environmental Models ◽  
The Social ◽  
Health And Disease

This chapter wraps up by discussing the crucial role played by public health specialists who must reconcile traditional public health concerns of health inequality and equity with safe and effective health interventions and diagnostics that meet individual health needs. Since most genetic diseases in the realm of public health are an interplay of different genetic, lifestyle, and environmental factors, genomic science has given greater emphasis to the importance of molecular and cellular mechanisms in health and disease. New biological knowledge must be integrated with the social and environmental models to improve health at individual and population levels. Public health specialists must now be able to integrate genome-based knowledge into public health in a responsible, ethical, and effective way and anticipate the increase in the health service requirements likely to occur in the future. The foundational pillars of bioethics (beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy, and justice) must be protected by all public health stakeholders.

scholarly journals Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids: Impact on Health and Disease Status

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 12
Author(s):  
Samina Akbar ◽  
Muhammad Zeeshan Bhatti ◽  
Rida Fatima Saeed ◽  
Asma Saleem Qazi
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids ◽  
Disease Status ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Lipid Lowering ◽  
Therapeutic Effects ◽  
Omega 3 ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Omega 6 ◽  
Health And Disease

Over the last decades, the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have been largely explored not only for their nutritional value but also for the numerous biological functions and therapeutic effects. The serum and erythrocyte levels of PUFAs depend on the genetic control of metabolism as well as the dietary intake and are considered to reflect the health and disease status of an individual. Two families of PUFAs, omega-3 (n-3) and omega-6 (n-6), have gained much attention because of their involvement in the production of bioactive lipid mediators and therefore, a balanced omega-6/omega-3 ratio is crucial in maintaining the overall health of an individual. Omega-3 PUFAs, notably eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) have been shown to exert beneficial effects, possibly due to their lipid-lowering, anti-inflammatory, anti-hypertensive and cardioprotective effects, whereas omega-6 fatty acids such as arachidonic acid (ARA, 20:4n-6) exhibit the opposite properties. Even though, numerous epidemiological studies and clinical interventions have clearly established the effectiveness of omega-3 PUFAs in various pathological conditions including dyslipidemia, obesity, diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, some controversies do exist about the beneficial effects of omega-3 PUFAs and need to be clarified. Larger clinical trials with extended follow-up periods are required along with a careful dose selection, in order to confirm the clinical significance and efficacy of omega-3 PUFAs as therapeutic agents.

Memory, National Identity Formation, and (Neo)Colonialism in Hannah Khalil’s A Museum in Baghdad

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 304-319
Author(s):  
Majeed Mohammed Midhin ◽  
David Clare ◽  
Noor Aziz Abed
Keyword(s):  
Identity Formation ◽  
Collective Memory ◽  
Community Building ◽  
Postcolonial Studies ◽  
Power Dynamics ◽  
Shared Experiences ◽  
Time Periods ◽  
Gertrude Bell ◽  
National Identity Formation ◽  
Future Date

Abstract According to Ernest Renan, a nation is formed by its collective memory; it is a country’s shared experiences which enable it to become (in Benedict Anderson’s much later coinage) an “imagined community.” Building on these ideas, commentators such as Kavita Singh and Lianne McTavish et al. have shown how museums play a key role in helping nations to form an identity and understand their past. However, as these critics and those from other disciplines (including postcolonial studies) have noted, museums can also reflect and reinforce the unequal power dynamics between nations which result from colonialism and neocolonialism. This article demonstrates that these ideas are directly relevant to the 2019 play A Museum in Baghdad by the Palestinian-Irish playwright Hannah Khalil. This play is set in the Museum of Iraq in three different time periods: “Then (1926), Now (2006), and Later” (an unspecified future date) (3). Khalil uses specific characters – most notably, Gertrude Bell during the “Then” sections, the Iraqi archaeologists Ghalia and Layla during the “Now” sections, and a “timeless” character called Nasiya who appears across the time periods – to question the degree to which the museum is perpetuating Western views of Iraq.

Health and disease

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Emerson ◽  
Hussein Solomon
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Original Source ◽  
Economic Issues ◽  
International Borders ◽  
Security Challenge ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
Disease Epidemics ◽  
Globalized World

More often viewed as a developmental or a humanitarian challenge rather than a security challenge, addressing the vast array of African public health problems has increasingly come to be seen as a critical human security priority. While many have criticized the securitization of health issues, the cross-cutting linkages to other political, social, and economic issues are real and so too are their implications for security. In addition, most health challenges in Africa were previously seen as localized problems threatening only the well-being of specific populations, but in today’s globalized world they can have profound negative implications far beyond the original source of the problem. While some international public health threats, such as disease pandemics, are nothing new the ability of new disease epidemics to transcend international borders and continents at a speed and breadth is heretofore unknown in human history.

Genetics and Public Health

2021 ◽  
pp. 630-646
Author(s):  
Oscar J. Wambuguh
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Service ◽  
Genetic Diseases ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Biological Knowledge ◽  
Cellular Mechanisms ◽  
Health Concerns ◽  
Environmental Models ◽  
The Social ◽  
Health And Disease

This chapter wraps up by discussing the crucial role played by public health specialists who must reconcile traditional public health concerns of health inequality and equity with safe and effective health interventions and diagnostics that meet individual health needs. Since most genetic diseases in the realm of public health are an interplay of different genetic, lifestyle, and environmental factors, genomic science has given greater emphasis to the importance of molecular and cellular mechanisms in health and disease. New biological knowledge must be integrated with the social and environmental models to improve health at individual and population levels. Public health specialists must now be able to integrate genome-based knowledge into public health in a responsible, ethical, and effective way and anticipate the increase in the health service requirements likely to occur in the future. The foundational pillars of bioethics (beneficence, non-maleficence, autonomy, and justice) must be protected by all public health stakeholders.

scholarly journals Genomic epidemiology reveals transmission patterns and dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 in Aotearoa New Zealand

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jemma L. Geoghegan ◽  
Xiaoyun Ren ◽  
Matthew Storey ◽  
James Hadfield ◽  
Lauren Jelley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Genomic Diversity ◽  
Reproductive Number ◽  
Genomic Epidemiology ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Essential Services ◽  
Health And Disease

AbstractNew Zealand, a geographically remote Pacific island with easily sealable borders, implemented a nationwide ‘lockdown’ of all non-essential services to curb the spread of COVID-19. Here, we generate 649 SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences from infected patients in New Zealand with samples collected during the ‘first wave’, representing 56% of all confirmed cases in this time period. Despite its remoteness, the viruses imported into New Zealand represented nearly all of the genomic diversity sequenced from the global virus population. These data helped to quantify the effectiveness of public health interventions. For example, the effective reproductive number, Re of New Zealand’s largest cluster decreased from 7 to 0.2 within the first week of lockdown. Similarly, only 19% of virus introductions into New Zealand resulted in ongoing transmission of more than one additional case. Overall, these results demonstrate the utility of genomic pathogen surveillance to inform public health and disease mitigation.

Atlantic Creoles

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriana Chira
Keyword(s):  
Identity Formation ◽  
Cultural Difference ◽  
Slave Trade ◽  
18Th Century ◽  
African History ◽  
Religion And Science ◽  
Racial Categories ◽  
Historical Moment ◽  
Shed Light

Berlin 1996 (cited under Overviews) introduced the term “Atlantic Creoles” to describe Afro-descendants whose experiences in the age of the Atlantic slave trade were not primarily defined by the plantation. According to Berlin, Atlantic Creoles distinguished themselves through behaviors that “were more akin to those of confident, sophisticated natives than of vulnerable newcomers.” They displayed “linguistic dexterity, cultural plasticity, and social agility.” The term “Creole” is supposed to denote transformations in identity through encounters across cultural difference. Berlin applied this term to a generation that preceded the consolidation of plantation systems (prior to the 18th century), even though he alluded to the possibility of using this concept spatially, too—to describe Afro-descendants living outside plantation systems as late as the end of the 18th century. Landers 1999 (cited under Overviews) took up this latter approach systematically. Scholars have since applied the label “Atlantic Creoles” broadly to cultural and political brokers who drew on repertoires from Africa, Europe, and the Americas as seamen, traders, diplomats, litigants, settlers, wives, workers, or healers. According to Berlin, the term was not meant to obscure the violence that Afro-descendants were subjected to, but to capture a historical moment when racial categories were more fluid and some could access opportunities. Berlin’s piece has a vast legacy. It drew attention to an array of Afro-diasporic experiences and emphasized the role of West Africans in the making of early Atlantic networks. Since 1996, attention to Africans in Atlantic networks has expanded. Scholars have also examined more closely how their actions and trajectories can shed light on the arc of African history, not just the American one. Yet some scholars have critiqued the term “Atlantic Creoles” for excessive capaciousness. In Ferreira 2012 (cited under 18th Century and the Age of Revolutions), Roquinaldo Ferreira argues that it obliterates the specificity of African experiences within pluralistic communities in Africa. Other scholars have critiqued it for romanticizing mobility and insertion into state apparatuses. Upward mobility for some Afro-descendants could often only come with fewer opportunities for enslaved people. Finally, the term assumes a somewhat linear identity formation. In Sweet 2013 (cited under Healing, Religion, and Science), James Sweet argues that historians too often assume that Creole Afro-descendant identities move away from African cosmologies toward Western ones.

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