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Goldstein KM, Kung LCY, Dailey SA, Kroll-Desrosiers A, Burke C, Shepherd-Banigan M, Lumsden R, Sims C, Schexnayder J, Patel D, Cantrell S, Sheahan KL, Gierisch JM. Strategies for enhancing the representation of women in clinical trials: an evidence map. Syst Rev 2024; 13:2. [PMID: 38166994 PMCID: PMC10759390 DOI: 10.1186/s13643-023-02408-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Equitable sex- and gender-based representation in clinical trials is an essential step to ensuring evidence-based care for women. While multi-institutional actions have led to significant improvements in the inclusion of women in trials, inequity persists in areas like sex-neutral cancers and cardiovascular disease. We sought to identify strategies described or evaluated to boost the inclusion of women in clinical trials. METHODS We used evidence mapping methodology to examine the breadth of relevant literature. We developed an a priori protocol and followed reporting guidance from the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis where applicable. We searched MEDLINE® (via PubMed) and EMBASE (via Elsevier) databases from inception through April 4, 2023, and used standardized procedures incorporating duplication and data verification. We included articles that described strategies to improve the recruitment and retention of women in clinical trials. RESULTS We identified 122 articles describing recruitment and retention strategies for 136 trials (377,595 women). Only one article distinguished between the sex and gender identity of participants, and none defined their use of the terms such as "women" or "female". The majority of articles (95%) described recruitment for only women, and 64% were conducted in the USA. Ninety-two articles (75%) described strategies in the context of sex-specific conditions (e.g., gynecologic diagnosis). The majority of included articles evaluated a behavioral intervention (52%), with 23% evaluating pharmacologic interventions and 4% invasive interventions. The most common trial phase for reported strategies was during outreach to potential participants (116 articles), followed by intervention delivery (76), enrollment (40), outcomes assessment (21), analysis and interpretation (3), and dissemination (4). We describe specific types of strategies within each of these phases. CONCLUSIONS Most of the existing literature describing strategies to improve the inclusion of women draws from trials for sex-specific conditions and is largely related to outreach to potential participants. There is little information about how and if studies have attempted to proportionally increase the inclusion of women in trials with both men and women or those focused on invasive and pharmacologic interventions. Future work in this area should focus on how to increase the participation of women in mixed-sex studies and on those areas with remaining inequities in trial participation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen M Goldstein
- Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation, Durham Veterans Affairs Health Care System, 508 Fulton Street, Durham, NC, 27705, USA.
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, 40 Duke Medicine Circle, Durham, NC, 27710, USA.
| | - Lindsay Chi Yan Kung
- Health Management & Policy, Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA, 92182-4162, USA
| | - Susan Alton Dailey
- Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation, Durham Veterans Affairs Health Care System, 508 Fulton Street, Durham, NC, 27705, USA
| | - Aimee Kroll-Desrosiers
- VA Central Western Massachusetts Healthcare System, 421 North Main Street, Leeds, MA, 01053, USA
- UMass Chan Medical School, 55 Lake Ave. N, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA
| | - Colleen Burke
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, 215 Morris Street, Durham, NC, 27701, USA
| | - Megan Shepherd-Banigan
- Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation, Durham Veterans Affairs Health Care System, 508 Fulton Street, Durham, NC, 27705, USA
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, 215 Morris Street, Durham, NC, 27701, USA
- Duke-Margolis Center for Health Policy, 100 Fuqua Drive, Box 90120, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Rebecca Lumsden
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, 40 Duke Medicine Circle, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Catherine Sims
- Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation, Durham Veterans Affairs Health Care System, 508 Fulton Street, Durham, NC, 27705, USA
- Duke Rheumatology Division, 40 Duke Medicine Circle Clinic 1j, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Julie Schexnayder
- University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing, NB545 1720 2nd, Ave S, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Dhara Patel
- Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation, Durham Veterans Affairs Health Care System, 508 Fulton Street, Durham, NC, 27705, USA
| | - Sarah Cantrell
- Duke University Medical Center Library & Archives, Duke University School of Medicine 10 Searle Drive, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | | | - Jennifer M Gierisch
- Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation, Durham Veterans Affairs Health Care System, 508 Fulton Street, Durham, NC, 27705, USA
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, 40 Duke Medicine Circle, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, 215 Morris Street, Durham, NC, 27701, USA
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Sadie-Van Gijsen H, Kotzé-Hörstmann L. Rat models of diet-induced obesity and metabolic dysregulation: Current trends, shortcomings and considerations for future research. Obes Res Clin Pract 2023; 17:449-457. [PMID: 37788944 DOI: 10.1016/j.orcp.2023.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
Rat diet-induced obesity and metabolic dysregulation (DIO/DIMD) is widely used as a pre-clinical model for human obesity and for testing weight-loss interventions. The aim of this review was to utilise a systematic literature survey of rat DIO/DIMD studies as a tool to document trends around study design and metabolic outcomes of these studies, and to consider ways in which the design of these studies may be improved to enhance the relevance thereof for human obesity research. In total, 110 comparisons between control and obesogenic dietary groups were included in the survey. Young male rats were found to be the model of choice, but fewer than 50% of studies provided comprehensive information about diet composition and energy intake. In addition, it was found that the majority of expected DIO/DIMD responses (hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, dyslipidemia, hypoadiponectinemia) occurred at < 80% frequency, drawing into question the concept of a "typical" or "appropriate" response. We discuss the impact of differences in diet composition and energy intake on metabolic outcomes against the context of large heterogeneity of obesogenic diets employed in rat DIO/DIMD studies, and provide recommendations for the improvement of reporting standards around diet composition and dietary intake. In addition, we highlight the lack of data from female and older rats and describe considerations around the inclusion of sex and age as a variable in rat DIO/DIMD studies, aiming towards improving the applicability of these studies as a model of human obesity, which is most prevalent in women and older individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanél Sadie-Van Gijsen
- Centre for Cardio-metabolic Research in Africa (CARMA), Division of Medical Physiology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University Tygerberg Campus, PO Box 241, Cape Town 8000, South Africa.
| | - Liske Kotzé-Hörstmann
- Centre for Cardio-metabolic Research in Africa (CARMA), Division of Medical Physiology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University Tygerberg Campus, PO Box 241, Cape Town 8000, South Africa; Institute for Sport and Exercise Medicine (ISEM), Department of Sport Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University Tygerberg Campus, PO Box 241, Cape Town 8000, South Africa
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5
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Bennett WL, Martin L, Shea P, Perry JL, Sherer ML, Legato M, Klein SL. Establishment of a Private Foundation-Academic Partnership to Promote Careers of Early-Stage Investigators Examining the Influence of Sex and Gender on Health and Health Care. J Womens Health (Larchmt) 2023; 32:858-864. [PMID: 37585515 PMCID: PMC10457634 DOI: 10.1089/jwh.2022.0510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Biological sex and gender-based constructs contribute significantly to the diversity of disease outcomes and treatment responses across the life course. To promote research considering sex and gender, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH) launched the Specialized Centers of Research Excellence (SCORE) on sex differences program. The Career Enhancement Core (CEC) of the Johns Hopkins SCORE on Sex and Age Differences in Immunity to Influenza (SADII) partnered with the Foundation for Gender-Specific Medicine, which matched NIH funding to support seed grants. Over 3 years we awarded 12 (10 were women faculty) seed grants to early-stage investigators. One year after the award, the seed grant awardees highlighted their progress, including publications, grant applications, and abstracts. All awardees noted challenges with their progress related to the COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain delays and shared suggestions for improving the programming of the CEC. They also highlighted the multiple ways the awards had helped them gain pilot data toward larger grants, build collaborative relationships, and present at the annual SCORE symposium. We describe a model and evidence supporting a private-academic collaboration to support the careers of early-stage investigators conducting research related to sex and gender.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wendy L. Bennett
- Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Lindsay Martin
- Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Patrick Shea
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Jamie L. Perry
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Morgan L. Sherer
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Marianne Legato
- The Foundation for Gender-Specific Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Sabra L. Klein
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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Park JE, Kim S, Kim MH, Kim T, Choe SA, Min HS. Trend of Women's Health Research in Korea, 2012-2020: Topic and Text Network Analysis. J Korean Med Sci 2023; 38:e226. [PMID: 37527909 PMCID: PMC10396432 DOI: 10.3346/jkms.2023.38.e226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND With the epidemiological transition, sociodemographic changes and differential lifetime experiences of women, women's health research improves knowledge of diverse health issues and the impact of policies. To explore the initiatives of women's health research in Korea, the present study examined the trends and topics of research on women's health funded by the government. METHODS We searched all research projects on women's health funded by the government between 2012 and 2020 in Korea using the National Science & Technology Information Service database. We reviewed all the titles and abstract of the projects and examined the research trends by year. Content analysis was performed using both deductive and inductive approaches. Text network analysis and visualization by topic were conducted for keywords with a minimum of 10 occurrences in the title and abstract. RESULTS Total number and funding amount of research projects on women's health in 2020 increased by 2.4 and 2.2 times over 2012 levels, respectively. The Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety funded 20.9% of all projects. The majority of the topics (59.8%) addressed breast and gynecological cancers. Those on sexual and reproductive health accounted for 16.7%, with steep growth in the number (6.1 times) and funding (11.1 times) over 2012 levels. The topic analysis presented a more complex keyword network in 2020 than in 2012; however, the keywords frequently used in 2020 were similar to those of 2012. CONCLUSION Women's health research projects have been growing in number and funding, with limited diversity in topics. Diversifying the topics and focusing on issues beyond the breast and pregnancy would be needed to reflect the complete life course of women. Institutionalization of diverse communication channels with various interest groups for women's health would be needed to better understand women's health needs from a public health perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Eun Park
- Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Saerom Kim
- Graduate School of Public Health, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Myoung-Hee Kim
- Center for Public Health Data Analytics, National Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
| | - Taemi Kim
- Department of Public Health, Korea University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Seung-Ah Choe
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
| | - Hye Sook Min
- Public Healthcare Research Institute, National Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
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