4 research outputs found
Motivations for investigating health inequities in observational epidemiology: A content analysis of 320 studies
Objectives: To enhance equity in clinical and epidemiological research, it is crucial to understand researcher motivations for conducting equity-relevant studies. Therefore, we evaluated author motivations in a randomly selected sample of equity-relevant observational studies published during the COVID-19 pandemic.Study design and setting: We searched MEDLINE for studies from 2020 to 2022, resulting in 16,828 references. We randomly selected 320 studies purposefully sampled across income setting (high vs low-middle-income), COVID-19 topic (vs non-COVID-19), and focus on populations experiencing inequities. Of those, 206 explicitly mentioned motivations which we analyzed thematically. We used discourse analysis to investigate the reasons behind emerging motivations.Results: We identified the following motivations: (1) examining health disparities, (2) tackling social determinants to improve access, and (3) addressing knowledge gaps in health equity. Discourse analysis showed motivations stem from commitments to social justice and recognizing the importance of highlighting it in research. Other discourses included aspiring to improve health-care efficiency, wanting to understand cause-effect relationships, and seeking to contribute to an equitable evidence base.Conclusion: Understanding researchers\u27 motivations for assessing health equity can aid in developing guidance that tailors to their needs. We will consider these motivations in developing and sharing equity guidance to better meet researchers\u27 needs
Motivations for investigating health inequities in observational epidemiology : a content analysis of 320 studies
Altres ajuts: Canadian Institutes of Health Research (173269)OBJECTIVES: To enhance equity in clinical and epidemiological research, it is crucial to understand researcher motivations for conducting equity-relevant studies. Therefore, we evaluated author motivations in a randomly selected sample of equity-relevant observational studies published during the COVID-19 pandemic. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: We searched MEDLINE for studies from 2020 to 2022, resulting in 16,828 references. We randomly selected 320 studies purposefully sampled across income setting (high vs low-middle-income), COVID-19 topic (vs non-COVID-19), and focus on populations experiencing inequities. Of those, 206 explicitly mentioned motivations which we analyzed thematically. We used discourse analysis to investigate the reasons behind emerging motivations. RESULTS: We identified the following motivations: (1) examining health disparities, (2) tackling social determinants to improve access, and (3) addressing knowledge gaps in health equity. Discourse analysis showed motivations stem from commitments to social justice and recognizing the importance of highlighting it in research. Other discourses included aspiring to improve health-care efficiency, wanting to understand cause-effect relationships, and seeking to contribute to an equitable evidence base. CONCLUSION: Understanding researchers' motivations for assessing health equity can aid in developing guidance that tailors to their needs. We will consider these motivations in developing and sharing equity guidance to better meet researchers' needs
Multiple sclerosis following bariatric surgery: A report of five cases
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a debilitating chronic inflammatory demyelinating disease that affects the central nervous system. The underlying cause of multiple sclerosis is unknown, yet there are various predisposing factors. Currently, bariatric surgery is an increasingly common solution for obesity. It has been reported that bariatric procedures result in miscellaneous neurological complications. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case series to report the occurrence of MS following bariatric surgery. Here we report the cases of five patients who were recruited for inclusion following neurological examination, complete cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) study, enhanced cranial as well as spinal cord magnetic resonance (MR) images. Diagnosis of multiple sclerosis was made based on McDonalds criteria (2010). All cases were diagnosed with relapsing-remitting form of multiple sclerosis (RRMS) after various types of bariatric surgeries
Disseminated nocardiosis in a female patient with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura: A case report
Nocardiosis is a life-threatening disease if unrecognized and maltreated. We describe a case of disseminated nocardiosis in a patient with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura under steroid therapy. She presented with a 2-week history of progressive symmetrical limb weakness, fatigue, and profuse sweating. Brain MRI revealed ring-enhanced lesions at the cerebellum and left parietal lobe with brain oedema. Chest CT revealed a left upper lobe nodule. Aspirate culture confirmed the diagnosis of nocardiosis. We administered antibiotics and dexamethasone to ameliorate the brain oedema. The patient improved clinically after 2 weeks. Follow-up brain MRI showed improvement. Clinicians should consider nocardiosis in immunocompromised patients with non-specific symptoms
