Health Science Inquiry (Journal)
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Vaccines in the 21st century: Clarifying the factors that promote vaccine hesitancy, delay, and rejection
Get PDFVaccines have been crucial in reducing mortality and morbidity around the world, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Furthermore, vaccinations have also resulted in a considerable amount of economic savings. However, there are a growing number of individuals who express a strong skepticism of vaccine safety and effectiveness. These “vaccine-hesitant” individuals choose to reject or delay vaccine administration. A number of strategies have been developed to address the various socioeconomic and cultural circumstances of each vaccine-hesitant individual. However, there is a need to clarify the various factors that promote vaccine acceptance, delay, and rejection. In this article, we discuss the factors that promote vaccine hesitancy from recent research, describe some of the interventions we know to be effective in reducing hesitancy, and develop an agenda for researchers and students interested in vaccine hesitancy research
Conceptualizing "access" of maternal health services in lower-middle-income countries
Get PDFA considerable number of women die each year worldwide due to preventable causes during pregnancy and childbirth. The high mortality of women who die from pregnancy-related issues can be attributed to inadequate access of high-quality maternal health services. However, access is a nebulous concept with a compendium of conceptualizations and definitions. In this paper, we discuss the various conceptualizations of access to maternal health services in lower middle-income countries, and compare how issues related to access differ between high- and lower middle-income countries. This discussion informs two priorities that we suggest for researchers conducting health system improvement work in lower middle-income countries: 1) develop a robust understanding of the barriers to access that continue to persist due to cultural, socioeconomic, and political factors, and 2) formulate frameworks and theories specific to lower middle-income countries to guide research
Revealing obesity through diet-gene interactions
No full textThe increasing prevalence of obesity is becoming a global health concern due to its association with chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and cardiovascular diseases. Obesity occurs when energy intake outweighs energy expenditure, leading to a conventional intervention strategy being “eat less and move more.” However, this strategy does not consider the influence of genetic factors and their interactions with environmental factors (diets and physical activity), making obesity prevention and management inefficient. To better understand obesity, research in nutrigenetics and nutrigenomics seek to explore the influence of genetic variations on dietary responses, and how dietary components alter gene expression in obese individuals. Current evidence suggests that variations in genes involved in lipid regulation, carbohydrate metabolism, and energy homeostasis are strongly associated with the risk of obesity and its related metabolic syndromes. In addition, diet-gene interactions influence intervention effectiveness for obesity management. By examining obesity-related metabolic pathways, we can reveal the functional basis of diet-gene interactions in relation to obesity risk. Although limitations exist within the current literature, emerging evidence indicates that obesity risk and intervention can be affected by diet-gene interactions, and continued research is needed for further exploration
Shedding light on maternal sunlight exposure during pregnancy and considerations for public health policy
Get PDFSunlight exposure during pregnancy could be implicated in the physiological development and growth of the fetus, as well as long-term health after birth. Although several studies suggest the involvement of ultraviolet radiation-mediated vitamin D synthesis, current knowledge regarding the effects of sunlight exposure during pregnancy remains limited. We aimed to (i) summarize the existing body of research studying the influence of sunlight exposure on fetal growth-related birth outcomes and long-term health outcomes and (ii) determine its implications for therapeutics and public health policy. Of the studies identified on birth outcomes, the majority (5/8) demonstrated an association between sunlight exposure and reduced adverse birth outcomes (e.g., low birth weight, preterm births, small for gestational age, etc.), 2/8 studies showed no association, and 1/8 suggested a negative association between sunlight exposure and reduction of these adverse birth outcomes. Of the studies examining long-term health outcomes, sunlight exposure during pregnancy was shown to promote skeletal growth and development (2/6), and reduce the incidence of multiple sclerosis (2/6), asthma (2/6) and pneumonia (1/6). However, several of these studies used different methodologies and populations making it difficult to compare and integrate findings. Based on these results, we examined: the importance of exposure at different stages of pregnancy, proposed mechanisms by which sunlight exposure could lead to optimal outcomes, epidemiological differences influencing the findings, and necessary practical considerations prior to the implementation of public health policy recommendations. While these findings are promising, more rigorous research is warranted to support these recommendations