Month: June 2024

Variations in the Prevalence of Childhood Anemia by Ethnicity Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Peru

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Abstract

We aimed to determine the variations in the prevalence of childhood anemia according to the ethnic group before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Peru. Secondary analysis of the Demographic and Family Health Survey during 2016–2021. The outcome variable was anemia, and the exposure variable was maternal ethnicity. Also, we included sociodemographic and clinical confounding variables. We constructed generalized linear models of the Poisson family with a logarithmic link function. We evaluated 85,905 records; 30.34% had anemia, 50.83% were mestizo, 25.98% were Quechua, and 2% were Aymara. Compared with mestizos, Quechua children (PR: 1.11; 95% CI: 1.07–1.15; p < 0.001), Aymara (PR: 1.35; 95% CI: 1.27–1 .44; p < 0.001), natives of the Amazon (PR: 1.20; 95% CI: 1.12–1.28; p < 0.001) and those who belonged to other indigenous peoples (PR: 1.29; 95% CI: 1.05–1.57; p = 0.013) had a higher prevalence of childhood anemia. On the contrary, compared to mestizos, white children had a lower prevalence of anemia (PR: 0.93; 95% CI: 0.89–0.99; p = 0.019). During the COVID-19 pandemic, compared to mestizos, only Quechua (PR: 1.15; 95% CI: 1.08–1.23; p < 0.001) and Aymara (PR: 1.38; 95% CI: 1.23–1.55; p < 0.001) had a higher prevalence of childhood anemia. Except for Afro-descendants, children from 6 to 59 months of age who belong to an ethnic minority had a higher probability of having childhood anemia than mestizos. However, only Quechua and Aymara children had higher odds of anemia during the COVID-19 pandemic than mestizos.

African American and Hispanic Cancer Survivors’ and Caregivers’ Experiences in Nebraska

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Abstract

Racial and ethnic minority populations experience poorer cancer outcomes compared to non-Hispanic White populations, but qualitative studies have typically focused on single subpopulations. We explored experiences, perceptions, and attitudes toward cancer care services across the care continuum from screening through treatment among African American and Hispanic residents of Nebraska to identify unique needs for education, community outreach, and quality improvement. We conducted four focus groups (N = 19), April-August 2021 with people who were aged 30 or older and who self-identified as African American or Hispanic and as cancer survivors or caregivers. Sessions followed a structured facilitation guide, were audio recorded and transcribed, and were analyzed with a directed content analysis approach. Historical, cultural, and socioeconomic factors often led to delayed cancer care, such as general disuse of healthcare until symptoms were severe due to mistrust and cost of missing work. Obstacles to care included financial barriers, transportation, lack of support groups, and language-appropriate services (for Hispanic groups). Knowledge of cancer and cancer prevention varied widely; we identified a need for better community education about cancer within the urban Hispanic community. Participants had positive experiences and a sense of hope from the cancer care team. African American and Hispanic participants shared many similar perspectives about cancer care. Our results are being used in collaboration with national and regional cancer support organizations to expand their reach in communities of color, but structural and cultural barriers still need to be addressed.

Increasing Access to Medical Care for Hispanic Women Without Insurance: A Mobile Clinic Approach

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to describe the health status and barriers of people who sought care on a free mobile health clinic for women without insurance in California. Participants were 221 women who attended the Salud para Mujeres (Women’s Health) mobile medical clinic between 2019 and 2021. Medical chart abstractions provided data on sociodemographic factors, medical history, barriers to care, depressive symptoms, and dietary factors. Anthropometric measure, blood pressure, and biomarkers of cardiometabolic disease risk were also abstracted. Participants were young adult (29.1 [SD 9.3] years), Hispanic (97.6%), farm-working (62.2%) women from Mexico (87.0%). Prevalent barriers to accessing (non-mobile) medical care included high cost (74.5%), language (47.6%), hours of operation (36.2%), and transportation (31.4%). The majority (89.5%) of patients had overweight (34.0%) or obesity (55.5%), and 27% had hypertension. Among those (n = 127) receiving a lipid panel, 60.3% had higher than recommended levels of low-density lipoprotein and 89% had lower than recommended levels of high-density lipoprotein. Point-of-care HbA1c tests (n = 133) indicated that 9.0% had diabetes and 24.8% had prediabetes. Over half (53.1%) of patients reported prevalent occupational exposure to pesticides and 19% had moderate to severe depressive symptoms. Weekly or more frequent consumption of sugar sweetened beverages (70.9%) and fast food (43.5%) were also prevalent. Mobile health units have potential for reaching women who face several barriers to care and experience major risk factors for cardometabolic disease. Findings suggest a compelling need to assure that Hispanic and Indigenous women and farmworkers have access to healthcare.

Ethnic Minority Participation in Clinical Trials from Latin America and the Caribbean: A Scoping Review

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Abstract

We summarize the clinical trials (CTs) main characteristics, including members of ethnic minorities from Latin America. We carried out a systematic search in six databases. We made a descriptive synthesis of CTs, summarizing the characteristics, interventions, main findings, results, and conclusions reported. 4411 studies were acquired in search strategy, leaving 24 CTs in the final selection. Of these, ten were randomized, four were non-randomized, and the remainder had other designs. Most of the studies were carried out in the population of infants and children (08), ten of the studies included only women, and two studies included men. Nine studies were conducted in Mexico, with the Mayan ethnic minority being mostly evaluated (05). In only 15 it was mentioned that their research was approved by a research ethics committee. Finally, half of the CTs reported funding from international agencies and third reported funding from government agencies. Our results show that that CTs in ethnic minorities are limited and reduced to a few native peoples of the continent.

Aging in Indigenous Communities: Perspective from Two Ancestral Communities in the Colombian Andean–Amazon Region

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Abstract

The phenomenon of world aging is not foreign to indigenous communities. In the last few years, research about these communities around the world has increased, but aging in indigenous towns still has not been studied widely. The purpose of this research is to interpret the meaning of old age in two indigenous communities from the Colombian Andean–Amazon region (the Inga and Kamëntsa) to reinforce the relevance of the local sociocultural context within the configuration of the meaning of old age and to emphasize the importance of considering particular regional characteristics for the design of policies and interventions aiming to recognize and integrate indigenous populations. This is a qualitative study with an interactionism–symbolism approach. In total, six indigenous people older than 60 years from two ancestral communities from the Colombian Andean–Amazon region participated in the in-depth interviews. Data analysis was carried out in three moments: discovery, coding, and relativization of the information. The results show that old age means wisdom, “I am wise,” which is supported in the cosmology and the trajectory of life, reinforces the identity and autonomy, and allows them to be agents in the dynamics of their communities from the “I do,” in other words, their roles as builders of the family–society and as guards of ancestral knowledge. The loss of this knowledge and the elements that it is composed of uproot them and put them at risk of disappearing as individuals and as a collective. In conclusion, the meaning of old age in these communities is not centered on a determinate age; you are not old, you are wise, and as such, they play a central role in their communities. Moreover, wisdom is built in parallel with their cosmology and assigns them the task of safekeeping ancestral knowledge. In order to do this, they use oral tradition as a tool, words that are born in their territories, travel in a nonlinear timeline, and get strengthened by the community while also protecting it and building it. Knowing what aging means for Indigenous communities can facilitate to the development of policies and initiatives and to provide culturally appropriate and effective programs.

The supportive use of photobiomodulation on salivary glands: a narrative review and meta-analysis

Latest Results

Abstract

Purpose

Radiotherapy is one of the main strategies used in the treatment of cancer patients and it can cause early or late xerostomia and/or hyposalivation. Therapeutic management of xerostomia includes oral hygiene, sialogenic agents among others.

Methods

This study reviews the use of extra-oral salivary glands photobiomodulation in treating xerostomia and/or hyposalivation after radiotherapy and performs a meta-analysis of this data.

Results

After a broad search of the literature, eight clinical studies were selected.

Discussion

In a safe way, the studies found that extra-oral stimulation of the salivary glands has benefits in the hyposalivation and changes in salivary flow resulting from lesions by radiotherapy. A meta-analysis found significant values in pain comparing the pre- and post-treatment moments (MD – 3.02, I2 95%, IC – 5.56; – 0.48) and for stimulated salivary flow at 30 days after the end of radiotherapy (MD 2.90, I2 95%, IC 1.96; 3.84).

Conclusion

The most promising parameters comprise wavelengths between 630 and 830 nm, radiant exposure from 2 to 10 J/cm2, two-to-three times a week, before the radiotherapy damage, and homogeneously in the glands. Therefore, Light-Emitting Diode (LED) stimulation of larger areas than the punctual stimulation of small millimeters of the Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) appears to be promising.

The supportive use of photobiomodulation on salivary glands: a narrative review and meta-analysis

Latest Results

Abstract

Purpose

Radiotherapy is one of the main strategies used in the treatment of cancer patients and it can cause early or late xerostomia and/or hyposalivation. Therapeutic management of xerostomia includes oral hygiene, sialogenic agents among others.

Methods

This study reviews the use of extra-oral salivary glands photobiomodulation in treating xerostomia and/or hyposalivation after radiotherapy and performs a meta-analysis of this data.

Results

After a broad search of the literature, eight clinical studies were selected.

Discussion

In a safe way, the studies found that extra-oral stimulation of the salivary glands has benefits in the hyposalivation and changes in salivary flow resulting from lesions by radiotherapy. A meta-analysis found significant values in pain comparing the pre- and post-treatment moments (MD – 3.02, I2 95%, IC – 5.56; – 0.48) and for stimulated salivary flow at 30 days after the end of radiotherapy (MD 2.90, I2 95%, IC 1.96; 3.84).

Conclusion

The most promising parameters comprise wavelengths between 630 and 830 nm, radiant exposure from 2 to 10 J/cm2, two-to-three times a week, before the radiotherapy damage, and homogeneously in the glands. Therefore, Light-Emitting Diode (LED) stimulation of larger areas than the punctual stimulation of small millimeters of the Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) appears to be promising.

Small-Scale Wind Tunnel for the Investigation of the Influence of Environmental Conditions on the Performance of Building Materials

Latest Results

Abstract

Climate significantly affects the performance of building materials and its changing patterns are posed to increasingly exacerbate the projected impacts. Prevention strategies are indeed necessary to ensure avoiding excessive degradation and serious damage to the built environment. In this context, innovative and accessible methodologies and tools are required to investigate and characterize the interaction between material properties and climatic factors. This paper presents an innovative device for the simulation of natural ventilation, relative humidity and temperature fluctuations and for evaluating the performance of building materials subjected to different environmental scenarios. The presented results include the design, construction and validation of a small-scale wind tunnel (2 m × 1.8 m ca. vertical orientation). Key findings outline the adequacy of the tool in reproducing a stable, quality airflow with the following characteristics: achievable operational airflow speed ranges between 0.2 and 0.7 m/s, safe operational temperature is included between 10℃ and 35℃ and allowable operational relative humidity varies between 30 and 99%. Advantages and limitations for laboratory applications are outlined in the paper and future work is also suggested.

Deformation of Aluminum Investigated by Digital Image Correlation: Evidence of Simultaneous Crystal Slip and Grain Boundary Sliding

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Abstract

We investigate the multiscale micromechanical behavior of nearly pure polycrystalline aluminum exhibiting randomly oriented coarse grains (ca. 300 μm in size) between room temperature and 400 °C. We present the results from in situ mechanical testing obtained through scanning electron microscopy and full-field strain measurements by digital image correlation (DIC) during uniaxial compression, with controlled displacement rate. Direct observation of the process of developing strain heterogeneities allows for identification of the active mechanisms, characterization of their interactions, and quantification of their respective contributions to the overall strain. The full-field strain measurements were carried out, from the sample scale, to the scales of the aggregate of grains, and finally the single grain. DIC analysis was performed thanks to specific surface marking patterns obtained by electron microlithography appropriate for the different scales of interest. The strain localization patterns showed dominant crystal plasticity. Except at room temperature, we always observed simultaneous and continuous activity of grain boundary sliding, whose relative contribution increased with temperature. We suggest that for coarse-grained microstructures, grain boundary sliding acts as a complementary mechanism for the accommodation of local plastic incompatibilities inherent to the anisotropy of crystal plasticity.

African indigenous vegetables, gender, and the political economy of commercialization in Kenya

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Abstract

This study investigates the increased commercialization of African indigenous vegetables (AIV)—former subsistence crops such as African nightshade, cowpea leaves and amaranth species grown mainly by women—from a feminist economics perspective. The study aims to answer the following research question: How does AIV commercialization affect the gendered division of labor, women’s participation in agricultural labor, their decision-making power, and their access to resources? We analyze commercialization’s effects on gender relations in labor and decision-making power and also highlight women’s agency. Based on a mixed method design and analyzing household-level panel data and qualitative focus groups from Kenya, we observe an economic empowerment of women that we relate to women’s individual and collective strategies as well as their retention of control over AIV selling and profits. Yet, while we see economic empowerment of women through commercialization—how they broaden their scope of action and are empowered by generating revenue—that does not contribute to a redistribution of labor or land rights, which are key for gender equality, instead it increases women’s labor burden.