scholarly journals The Value of Anthropology in Child Health Policy

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-40 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie Spray
Keyword(s):  
Health Policy ◽  
Child Health ◽  
Social Relations ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Child Health Policy ◽  
Streptococcus A ◽  
Government Initiative

AbstractWorking at the nexus of medical anthropology and the anthropology of childhood, this article challenges three assumptions often embedded in child health policy: (1) children are the passive recipients of healthcare; (2) children’s knowledge of illness and their body can be assumed based on adult understandings; and (3) children’s healthcare can be isolated from their social relations. I explore these themes through the case study of a 2011 New Zealand government initiative to reduce the rates of rheumatic fever affecting low-income Māori and Pasifika children. Drawing on fieldwork with around 80 children at an Auckland primary school, I show how the ‘sore throat’ programme does not merely treat streptococcus A infections, but plays an active role in constituting children’s experiences and understandings of their bodies and illness, and in shaping healthcare practices in ways unintended by policy-makers.

Socioeconomic differences in access to care in Australia for women fearful of birth

2019 ◽  
Vol 43 (6) ◽  
pp. 639 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jocelyn Toohill ◽  
Emily Callander ◽  
Haylee Fox ◽  
Daniel Lindsay ◽  
Jenny Gamble ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Policy ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Univariate Analysis ◽  
Perinatal Period ◽  
Positive Outcomes ◽  
Midwifery Care ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Caseload Midwifery ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Equity In Access

Objective Fear of childbirth is known to increase a woman’s likelihood of having a Caesarean section. Continuity of midwifery care is known to reduce this risk, but less than 8% of women have access to this relationship-based, primary care model. The aims of this study were to determine whether healthcare use and access to continuity models are equal across different indicators of socioeconomic status for women who are fearful of birth. Methods A secondary analysis was conducted of data obtained during a randomised controlled trial of a psychoeducation intervention by trained midwives to minimise childbirth fear (the Birth Emotions and Looking to Improve Expectant Fear (BELIEF) study). In all, 1410 women were screened, with 339 women reporting high levels of fear (Wijma-Delivery Expectancy/Experience Questionnaire ≥66). Demographic, obstetric information, birth preference and psychosocial measures were collected at recruitment and at 36 weeks gestation for the 339 fearful women, with the birth method and health service use returned by 183 women at 6 weeks after the birth. Results Univariate analysis revealed no significant difference in the number of general practitioner and midwife visits between women of high and low income and high and low education. However, women with higher levels of education had 2.51-fold greater odds of seeing the same midwife throughout their pregnancy than women with lower education (95% confidence interval 1.25–5.04), after adjusting for age, parity and hospital site. Conclusions Given the known positive outcomes of continuity of midwifery care for women fearful of birth, health policy makers need to provide equity in access to evidence-based models of midwifery care. What is known about this topic? Caseload midwifery care is considered the gold standard care due to the known positive outcomes it has for the mother and baby during the perinatal period. Pregnant women who receive caseload midwifery care are more likely to experience a normal vaginal birth. What does this paper add? There is unequal access to midwifery caseload care for women fearful of birth across socioeconomic boundaries. Midwifery caseload care is not used for all fearful mothers during the perinatal period. What are the implications for practitioners? Health policy makers seeking to provide equity in access to maternity care should be aware of these inequalities in use to target delivery of care at this specific cohort of mothers.

Promoting the uptake of preventative Aboriginal child health policy in Western Australia

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 313-317
Author(s):  
Sue Bradshaw ◽  
Leonie Hellwig ◽  
Diann Peate ◽  
Anne Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Health Policy ◽  
Child Health ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Aboriginal Child ◽  
Child Health Policy

scholarly journals Does the Narrative About the Use of Evidence in Priority Setting Vary Across Health Programs Within the Health Sector: A Case Study of 6 Programs in a Low-Income National Healthcare System

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lydia Kapiriri
Keyword(s):  
Child Health ◽  
Healthcare System ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Priority Setting ◽  
National Level ◽  
District Level ◽  
Health Programs ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Impact ◽  
And Child Health

Background: There is a growing body of literature on evidence-informed priority setting. However, the literature on the use of evidence when setting healthcare priorities in low-income countries (LICs), tends to treat the healthcare system (HCS) as a single unit, despite the existence of multiple programs within the HCS, some of which are donor supported. Objectives: (i) To examine how Ugandan health policy-makers define and attribute value to the different types of evidence; (ii) Based on 6 health programs (HIV, maternal, newborn and child health [MNCH], vaccines, emergencies, health systems, and non- communicable diseases [NCDs]) to discuss the policy-makers’ reported access to and use of evidence in priority setting across the 6 health programs in Uganda; and (iii) To identify the challenges related to the access to and use of evidence. Methods: This was a qualitative study based on in-depth key informant interviews with 60 national level (working in 6 different health programs) and 27 sub-national (district) level policy-makers. Data were analysed used a modified thematic approach. Results: While all respondents recognized and endeavored to use evidence when setting healthcare priorities across the 6 programs and in the districts; more national level respondents tended to value quantitative evidence, while more district level respondents tended to value qualitative evidence from the community. Challenges to the use of evidence included access, quality, and competing values. Respondents from highly politicized and donor supported programs such as vaccines, HIV and maternal neonatal and child health were more likely to report that they had access to, and consistently used evidence in priority setting. Conclusion: This study highlighted differences in the perceptions, access to, and use of evidence in priority setting in the different programs within a single HCS. The strong infrastructure in place to support for the access to and use of evidence in the politicized and donor supported programs should be leveraged to support the availability and use of evidence in the relatively under-resourced programs. Further research could explore the impact of unequal availability of evidence on priority setting between health programs within the HCS.

scholarly journals Engaging youth in alcohol policy: The Lee Law Project

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 113-118
Author(s):  
James F. Mosher ◽  
Maia E. D’Andrea
Keyword(s):  
Youth Development ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Alcohol Policy ◽  
State Law ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Liquor Stores ◽  
Liquor Store ◽  
Racial Ethnic

Mosher, J., & D’Andrea, M. (2015). Engaging youth in alcohol policy: The Lee Law Project. The International Journal Of Alcohol And Drug Research, 4(2), 113-118. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.7895/ijadr.v4i2.206Aims: (1) Conduct a pilot project to test the effectiveness of a youth development “toolkit” designed to reduce youth exposure tosignage on liquor store windows; (2) Highlight the disparity in violation rates of a state law limiting window signage on liquorstore windows between low income communities of color and higher income, predominantly Anglo communities.Design: Pilot project/case study. Participating young people, working with adult coaches, photographed liquor store windows inthree communities and determined level of compliance with state law limiting liquor store window signage to 33 percent of totalwindow area and requiring clear view of cash register area in the store.Setting: Three communities in Santa Cruz County, California, with diverse income and racial/ethnic compositions.Participants: 71 liquor stores.Measures: Compliance rates of participating liquor stores with state law limiting the amount and placement of window signage.Findings: Low income, predominantly Latino community had significantly lower compliance rates than two nearby higherincome, Anglo communities. Youth participants successfully engaged community organizations and policy makers in advocatingfor voluntary compliance.Conclusions: The toolkit provides a promising model for engaging youth in alcohol policy reform and reducing youth exposureto liquor store signage.

scholarly journals Analysis of changes in maternal and child health policy in a capital of northeastern Brazil. Dilemmas and challenges for care

10.3823/2150 ◽  
2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ricardo de Sousa Soares ◽  
Ulisses U Anjos ◽  
Rodrigo PT Vianna ◽  
Adernanda R Guimarães ◽  
Luciano B Gomes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Policy ◽  
Child Health ◽  
Maternal And Child Health ◽  
Northeastern Brazil ◽  
Child Health Policy ◽  
And Child Health

scholarly journals Syrian Crisis in Jordan: Case Study of Hosting Community Psycho-social in Low Income areas in Amman

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 171
Author(s):  
Manal Fathi Anabtawi
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Syrian Crisis ◽  
Syrian Refugee

This paper explores the influence that the Syrian crisis has on hosting community psycho-social in low income areas in Amman, Capital of Jordan. Case study was chosen as a design that would support a wider and in-depth exploration because it would be able to address the sensitivity of the issue; based on data from a qualitative study involving ten focus groups conducted from July to October 2017. Available reports and researches have investigated Syrian refugee needs and experiences, while few studies have explored the experiences of Jordanians in a hosting community, especially their psycho-social. In this paper, researcher argues that policy makers and service providers have to pay attention to hosting community experiences; especially their psycho-social. Paper concludes that Jordanians living in low income areas in Amman have been influenced by the Syrian crisis; suffering from  frustration and despair, fears, anger, low self-esteem and hopelessness.

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