Frontiers in public health
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Front Public Health · Jan 2020
Indigenous Genomic Databases: Pragmatic Considerations and Cultural Contexts.
The potential to grow genomic knowledge and harness the subsequent clinical benefits has escalated the building of background variant databases (BVDs) for genetic diagnosis across the globe. Alongside the upsurge of this precision medicine, potential benefits have been highlighted for both rare genetic conditions and other diagnoses. However, with the ever-present "genomic divide," Indigenous peoples globally have valid concerns as they endure comparatively greater health disparities but stand to benefit the least from these novel scientific discoveries and progress in healthcare. ⋯ Such tools would ground their representation and participation in accompanying genomic health research and benefit acquisition. We describe two, independent but highly similar initiatives-the "Silent Genomes" in Canada and the "Aotearoa Variome" in New Zealand-as exemplars that have had to address the aforementioned issues and work to create Indigenous BVDs with these populations. Taking into account the baseline inequities in genomic medicine for Indigenous populations and the ongoing challenges of implementing genomic research with Indigenous communities, we provide a rationale for multiple changes required that will assure communities represented in BVDs, as well as Indigenous researchers, that their participation will maximize benefits and minimize risk.
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Front Public Health · Jan 2020
Knowledge and Information Sources About COVID-19 Among University Students in Jordan: A Cross-Sectional Study.
Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has rapidly spread worldwide, and it was officially declared to be a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on March 11, 2020. Most countries over the entire globe have reported some COVID-19 cases. The current study aimed to assess student knowledge about COVID-19 at different Jordanian universities and determine where they sourced their information. ⋯ Scientific websites and articles were used more commonly by medical and postgraduate students. Conclusions:The COVID-19 pandemic is a major challenge to the health of the world population; therefore, these results assessing students' knowledge provide an important baseline for planning required educational interventions such as contact tracing and self-quarantine. These results may also help public health authorities by engaging communities in implementation of protective health measures, including positive hygienic practices such as hand washing to reduce the risk of COVID-19.
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Front Public Health · Jan 2020
Transitioning Out of the Coronavirus Lockdown: A Framework for Evaluating Zone-Based Social Distancing.
In the face of elevated pandemic risk, canonical epidemiological models imply the need for extreme social distancing over a prolonged period. Alternatively, people could be organized into zones, with more interactions inside their zone than across zones. Zones can deliver significantly lower infection rates, with less social distancing, particularly if combined with simple quarantine rules and contact tracing. This paper provides a framework for understanding and evaluating the implications of zones, quarantines, and other complementary policies.
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Front Public Health · Jan 2020
A Comprehensive Evaluation of China's TCM Medical Service System: An Empirical Research by Integrated Factor Analysis and TOPSIS.
Objectives: This paper constructs a comprehensive evaluation index of the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) medical service system and summarizes the development of TCM medical services in China. Methods: We chose 31 provinces' TCM hospitals as research objects. The data were obtained from the Health Statistics Yearbook from 2013 to 2018 and from the National Statistics of Chinese Medicine from 2012 to 2017. ⋯ The per capita of medical resources in the Southwest and Northwest are stronger than those in Central and South China, but overall medical resources are weaker than those in East China and North China. TCM medical service institutions in East China, South China and Central China have achieved better service results and higher economic benefits with less resource input, which further indicates the efficient allocation of resources and the balanced operation of TCM medical service institutions. Conclusion: The development of China's TCM medical service system shows the imbalance and inadequacy of "East is strong, West is weak" and "South is superior, North is inferior."
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Front Public Health · Jan 2020
Scoping Review and Bibliometric Analysis of the Term "Planetary Health" in the Peer-Reviewed Literature.
Background: Planetary health is an emerging holistic health field to foster interdisciplinary collaborations, integrate Indigenous knowledge, facilitate education, and drive public and policy engagement. To understand to what extent the field has successfully met these goals, we conducted a scoping review and bibliometric analysis. Methods: We searched 15 databases from 2005 to 2019 for peer-reviewed publications with the term "planetary health" in the title, abstract and/or keywords, with no language or geographical location limitations. ⋯ Additionally, more global collaborations are lacking. Interdisciplinary work, as represented by keyword co-occurrence networks, is developing but could potentially be extended. The planetary health community should promote more worldwide research and interdisciplinary collaborations.