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Okop KJ, Kedir K, Kasenda S, Niyibizi JB, Chipeta E, Getachew H, Sell K, Lambert EV, Puoane T, Rulisa S, Bunn C, King AC, Bavuma C, Howe R, Crampin AC, Levitt NS. Multi-country collaborative citizen science projects to co-design cardiovascular disease prevention strategies and advocacy: findings from Ethiopia, Malawi, Rwanda, and South Africa. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:2484. [PMID: 38087240 PMCID: PMC10714547 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-17393-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) were responsible for 20.5 million annual deaths globally in 2021, with a disproportionally high burden in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). There is growing evidence of the use of citizen science and co-design approaches in developing interventions in different fields, but less so in the context of CVD prevention interventions in SSA. This paper reports on the collaborative multi-country project that employed citizen science and a co-design approach to (i) explore CVD risk perceptions, (ii) develop tailored prevention strategies, and (iii) support advocacy in different low-income settings in SSA. METHODS This is a participatory citizen science study with a co-design component. Data was collected from 205 participants aged 18 to 75 years in rural and urban communities in Malawi, Ethiopia and Rwanda, and urban South Africa. Fifty-one trained citizen scientists used a mobile app-based (EpiCollect) semi-structured survey questionnaire to collect data on CVD risk perceptions from participants purposively selected from two communities per country. Data collected per community included 100-150 photographs and 150-240 voice recordings on CVD risk perceptions, communication and health-seeking intentions. Thematic and comparative analysis were undertaken with the citizen scientists and the results were used to support citizen scientists-led stakeholder advocacy workshops. Findings are presented using bubble graphs based on weighted proportions of key risk factors indicated. RESULTS Nearly three in every five of the participants interviewed reported having a relative with CVD. The main perceived causes of CVD in all communities were substance use, food-related factors, and litter, followed by physical inactivity, emotional factors, poverty, crime, and violence. The perceived positive factors for cardiovascular health were nutrition, physical activity, green space, and clean/peaceful communities. Multi-level stakeholders (45-84 persons/country) including key decision makers participated in advocacy workshops and supported the identification and prioritization of community-specific CVD prevention strategies and implementation actions. Citizen science-informed CVD risk screening and referral to care interventions were piloted in six communities in three countries with about 4795 adults screened and those at risk referred for care. Health sector stakeholders indicated their support for utilising a citizen-engaged approach in national NCDs prevention programmes. The citizen scientists were excited by the opportunity to lead research and advocacy. CONCLUSION The collaborative engagement, participatory learning, and co-designing activities enhanced active engagement between citizen scientists, researchers, and stakeholders. This, in turn, provided context-specific insights on CVD prevention in the different SSA settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kufre J Okop
- Chronic Disease Initiative for Africa, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa, Cape Town.
- Citizen Science Research Foundation (CSRF), Cape Town, South Africa.
| | - Kiya Kedir
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), Addis Ababa, CA, Ethiopia
| | - Stephen Kasenda
- Malawi Epidemiology and Intervention Research Unit, Lilongwe, Malawi, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - Jean Berchmans Niyibizi
- Directorate of Research and Innovation, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
| | - Effie Chipeta
- Malawi Epidemiology and Intervention Research Unit, Lilongwe, Malawi, Lilongwe, Malawi
- Centre for Reproductive Health, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi
| | | | - Kerstin Sell
- Chair of Public Health and Health Services Research, IBE, Faculty of Medicine, LMU Munich, Germany
- Pettenkofer School of Public Health, Munich, Germany
| | - Estelle Victoria Lambert
- UCT Research Centre for Health Through Physical Activity, Lifestyle and Sport, Division of Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Thandi Puoane
- School of Public Health, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Stephen Rulisa
- School of Medicine and Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
| | - Christopher Bunn
- Malawi Epidemiology and Intervention Research Unit, Lilongwe, Malawi, Lilongwe, Malawi
- College of Social Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Abby C King
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, USA, CA
- Department of Medicine (Stanford Prevention Research Center), Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, USA, CA
| | - Charlotte Bavuma
- School of Medicine and Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
| | - Rawleigh Howe
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), Addis Ababa, CA, Ethiopia
| | - Amelia C Crampin
- Malawi Epidemiology and Intervention Research Unit, Lilongwe, Malawi, Lilongwe, Malawi
- Department of Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Naomi S Levitt
- Chronic Disease Initiative for Africa, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa, Cape Town
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Grande AJ, Dias IMAV, Jardim PTC, Vieira Machado AA, Soratto J, da Rosa MI, Roever L, Bisognin Ceretta L, Zourntos X, Harding S. University indigenous students' perspectives on climate change and survival of indigenous peoples in Brazil: a concept mapping study. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1236662. [PMID: 38098821 PMCID: PMC10720712 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1236662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction This study aimed to identify what indigenous university students in Brazil perceived to be important and feasible actions to protect the survival of indigenous peoples from climate change-related impacts. Methods Concept mapping, which is a participatory mixed methodology, was conducted virtually with 20 indigenous students at two universities in Brazil. A focus prompt was developed from consultations with indigenous stakeholders and read "To protect the survival of the Indigenous Peoples from climate change, it is necessary to…". Students brainstormed 46 statements, which they then sorted into clusters based on conceptual similarity. They rated each statement for importance and feasibility. Quantitative multivariate analyses of clusters and ratings were conducted to produce multiple visual maps of perceived actionable priorities. These analyses used the Group Wisdom TM software. Results Students agreed on 8 clusters that reflect the factors that influence the survival of indigenous peoples-preservation of lands 0.16 (SD 0.13), protection of demarcated lands 0.31 (SD 0.10), indigenous health and wellbeing 0.35 (SD 0.14), ancestral customs 0.46 (SD 0.04), global and national actions 0.61 (SD 0.13), indigenous rights 0.64 (SD 0.23), collective living 0.71 (SD 0.21), and respect 0.75 (SD 0.14). Discussion The most actionable priorities are related to the respect for their lands and customs, educational initiatives in schools about the importance of indigenous peoples to society, guarantees for basic health rights, and culturally appropriate provision of care, with specific mention of mental healthcare. The findings aligned closely with the concept of indigenous self-determination, which is rooted in autonomy and respect for cultural diversity, and the right to make decisions that impact their lives, land, and resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Jose Grande
- Medicine School, State University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
| | - Ieda M. A. V. Dias
- Department of Public Health, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Paulo T. C. Jardim
- Medicine School, State University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
| | | | - Jacks Soratto
- Public Health Department, Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense, Criciuma, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Maria Inês da Rosa
- Public Health Department, Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense, Criciuma, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Leonardo Roever
- Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine, Lebanese American University, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Luciane Bisognin Ceretta
- Public Health Department, Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense, Criciuma, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Xanthi Zourntos
- Department of Population Health Sciences, School of Population Health & Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Seeromanie Harding
- Department of Population Health Sciences, School of Population Health & Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
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Okop K, Delobelle P, Lambert EV, Getachew H, Howe R, Kedir K, Niyibizi JB, Bavuma C, Kasenda S, Crampin AC, King AC, Puoane T, Levitt NS. Implementing and Evaluating Community Health Worker-Led Cardiovascular Disease Risk Screening Intervention in Sub-Saharan Africa Communities: A Participatory Implementation Research Protocol. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 20:ijerph20010298. [PMID: 36612620 PMCID: PMC9819933 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20010298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The increasing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), particularly cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) poses a considerable threat to public health. Community-driven CVD risk screening, referral and follow-up of those at high CVDs risk is essential to supporting early identification, treatment and secondary prevention of cardiovascular events such as stroke and myocardial infarction. This protocol describes a multi-country study that aims to implement and evaluate a community health worker (CHW)-led CVD risk screening programme to enhance referral linkages within the local primary care systems in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), using a participatory implementation science approach. The study builds upon a prior community-driven multicentre study conducted by the Collaboration for Evidence-based Health Care and Public Health in Africa (CEBHA+). This is a participatory implementation research. The study will leverage on the CVD risk citizen science pilot studies conducted in the four selected CEBHA+ project countries (viz. Ethiopia, Rwanda, Malawi, and South Africa). Through planned engagements with communities and health system stakeholders, CHWs and lay health worker volunteers will be recruited and trained to screen and identify persons that are at high risk of CVD, provide referral services, and follow-up at designated community health clinics. In each country, we will use a multi-stage random sampling to select and then screen 1000 study participants aged 35-70 years from two communities (one rural and one urban). Screening will be done using a simple validated non-laboratory-based CVD risk assessment mobile application. The RE-AIM model will be used in evaluating the project implementation outcomes, including reach, fidelity, adoption and perceived effectiveness. Developing the capacities of CHWs and lay health worker volunteers in SSA to support population-based, non-invasive population-based CVD risk prevention has the potential to impact on early identification, treatment and secondary prevention of CVDs in often under-resourced communities. Using a participatory research approach to implementing mobile phone-based CHW-led CVD risk screening, referral and follow-up in SSA will provide the evidence needed to determine the effectiveness of CVD risk screening and the potential for scaling up in the wider region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kufre Okop
- Chronic Disease Initiative for Africa, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7700, South Africa
- Centre for Social Science Research, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7700, South Africa
| | - Peter Delobelle
- Chronic Disease Initiative for Africa, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7700, South Africa
- Department of Public Health, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, 1090 Brussel, Belgium
| | - Estelle Victoria Lambert
- UCT Research Centre for Health through Physical Activity, Lifestyle and Sport, Division of Physiological Sciences, Department of Human Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7700, South Africa
| | | | - Rawleigh Howe
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), Addis Ababa P.O. Box 1005, Ethiopia
| | - Kiya Kedir
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), Addis Ababa P.O. Box 1005, Ethiopia
| | | | - Charlotte Bavuma
- School of Medicine and Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali 4285, Rwanda
| | - Stephen Kasenda
- Malawi Epidemiology and Intervention Research Unit, Lilongwe P.O. Box 46, Malawi
| | - Amelia C. Crampin
- Malawi Epidemiology and Intervention Research Unit, Lilongwe P.O. Box 46, Malawi
| | - Abby C. King
- Department of Epidemiology & Population Health, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Thandi Puoane
- School of Public Health, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town 7535, South Africa
| | - Naomi S. Levitt
- Chronic Disease Initiative for Africa, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town 7700, South Africa
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Tanner B, George N, Brubacher LJ, Morton Ninomiya ME, Peach L, Bernards S, Linklater R, George J, Wells S. Navigating Paths to Wellness: A Strengths-Based Photovoice Study Conducted with One First Nation in Southern Ontario, Canada. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:10979. [PMID: 36078690 PMCID: PMC9518375 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191710979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Research on substance use challenges in First Nations communities is often deficit-focused and can reinforce paternalistic stereotypes that lead to further discrimination. In this article, we report on findings of a strengths-based Photovoice project done in collaboration with a First Nations' community in southern Ontario, Canada to better understand experiences with substance use challenges in the community. We analyzed interview data collected with seventeen individuals who have lived experience or are supporting a loved one with lived experience with a substance use challenge. Participants described sources of strength that characterized their path to wellness, including strong family and social connections, cultural practices, identity, spirituality, day-to-day activities, and helpful supports and services. Furthermore, participants made several suggestions for improving services, including the need for integrated and flexible systems of care and trustful client-provider relationships. At its core, nurturing wellness involved a transformative process involving social and/or cultural connections. The stories shared by participants demonstrate the unique and varied strengths drawn from by individuals dealing with a substance use challenge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan Tanner
- Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 100 Collip Circle Suite 200, London, ON N6G 4X8, Canada
| | | | - Laura Jane Brubacher
- Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 100 Collip Circle Suite 200, London, ON N6G 4X8, Canada
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Melody E. Morton Ninomiya
- Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 100 Collip Circle Suite 200, London, ON N6G 4X8, Canada
- Health Sciences, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON N2L 3C5, Canada
| | - Laura Peach
- School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Sharon Bernards
- Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 100 Collip Circle Suite 200, London, ON N6G 4X8, Canada
| | - Renee Linklater
- Shkaabe Makwa, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON M5S 2S1, Canada
| | - Julie George
- Mental Health, Addiction and Violence Support Program, Kettle & Stony Point Health Services, Kettle & Stony Point First Nation, Lambton Shores, ON N0N 1J1, Canada
| | - Samantha Wells
- Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 100 Collip Circle Suite 200, London, ON N6G 4X8, Canada
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON M5S 2S1, Canada
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3B2, Canada
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3B2, Canada
- School of Psychology, Deakin University, Melbourne, VIC 3217, Australia
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Diversifying Indigenous Vulnerability and Adaptation: An Intersectional Reading of Māori Women’s Experiences of Health, Wellbeing, and Climate Change. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14095452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Despite evidence that Indigenous peoples’ multiple subjectivities engender diverse lived experiences both between and within Indigenous groups, the influence of multiple subjectivities on Indigenous peoples’ vulnerability and adaptation to climate change is largely un-explored. Drawing on ethnographic research with Indigenous Māori women in Aotearoa New Zealand, this paper provides empirical evidence that subjectivity-mediated power dynamics operating within Indigenous societies (at the individual and household scale) are important determinants of vulnerability and adaptation which should be considered in both scholarship and policy. Using an intersectional framework, I demonstrate how different Māori women and their whānau (families) live, cope with, and adapt to the embodied physical and emotional health effects of climate change in radically different ways because of their subject positionings, even though they belong to the same community, hapū (sub-tribe), or iwi (tribe). In underlining these heterogenous experiences, I provide an avenue for reconsidering how climate adaptation scholarship, policies, and practices might better engage with the complex, amorphous realities within Māori and other Indigenous communities. I argue it is possible to develop more inclusive, tailored, and sustainable adaptation that considers divergent vulnerabilities and adaptive capacities within Indigenous communities, groups, and societies and supports customised vulnerability-reduction strategies.
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Orth Z, Moosajee F, Van Wyk B. Measuring Mental Wellness of Adolescents: A Systematic Review of Instruments. Front Psychol 2022; 13:835601. [PMID: 35356328 PMCID: PMC8959676 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.835601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Mental health is critical to the healthy development of adolescents. However, mental health encompasses more than the absence of mental illness; and should include indicators of mental wellness. A critical review of available mental wellness instruments for adolescents were conducted to identify operational definitions of mental wellness concepts for this population group. Method A systematic review of literature published between 2000 and 2020 was done to identify mental wellness instruments for adolescent populations. The review followed the PRISMA operational steps. Results We identified 2,543 articles from the search strategy and screened titles and abstracts for eligibility. After appraisal, 97 studies were included in the qualitative synthesis; of which, 79 mental wellness instruments were identified. Most studies did not provide a definition for mental wellness. We identified thirteen mental wellness concepts from 97 studies, namely: life satisfaction, mental wellbeing [general], resilience, self-efficacy, self- esteem, connectedness, coping, self-control, mindfulness/spiritual, hope, sense of coherence, happiness, and life purpose. Conclusion The review reflected previous research identifying a lack of consensus around the definitions of mental health, mental wellness, and mental wellbeing. This has implications for developing instruments for adolescents that adequately measure these constructs. Most of the instruments identified in the review were predominantly English and from developed countries. This indicates a need for instrument that are explicitly conceptualised and operationalised for adolescents in all their varied contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zaida Orth
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Community and Health Sciences, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa
| | - Faranha Moosajee
- Division for Postgraduate Studies, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa
| | - Brian Van Wyk
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Community and Health Sciences, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa
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Murphy K, Branje K, White T, Cunsolo A, Latimer M, McMillan J, Sylliboy JR, McKibbon S, Martin D. Are we walking the talk of participatory Indigenous health research? A scoping review of the literature in Atlantic Canada. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0255265. [PMID: 34314455 PMCID: PMC8315539 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0255265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Participatory research involving community engagement is considered the gold standard in Indigenous health research. However, it is sometimes unclear whether and how Indigenous communities are engaged in research that impacts them, and whether and how engagement is reported. Indigenous health research varies in its degree of community engagement from minimal involvement to being community-directed and led. Research led and directed by Indigenous communities can support reconciliation and reclamation in Canada and globally, however clearer reporting and understandings of community-led research is needed. This scoping review assesses (a) how and to what extent researchers are reporting community engagement in Indigenous health research in Atlantic Canada, and (b) what recommendations exist in the literature regarding participatory and community-led research. METHODS Eleven databases were searched using keywords for Indigeneity, geographic regions, health, and Indigenous communities in Atlantic Canada between 2001-June 2020. Records were independently screened by two reviewers and were included if they were: peer-reviewed; written in English; health-related; and focused on Atlantic Canada. Data were extracted using a piloted data charting form, and a descriptive and thematic analysis was performed. 211 articles were retained for inclusion. RESULTS Few empirical articles reported community engagement in all aspects of the research process. Most described incorporating community engagement at the project's onset and/or during data collection; only a few articles explicitly identified as entirely community-directed or led. Results revealed a gap in reported capacity-building for both Indigenous communities and researchers, necessary for holistic community engagement. Also revealed was the need for funding bodies, ethics boards, and peer review processes to better facilitate participatory and community-led Indigenous health research. CONCLUSION As Indigenous communities continue reclaiming sovereignty over identities and territories, participatory research must involve substantive, agreed-upon involvement of Indigenous communities, with community-directed and led research as the ultimate goal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen Murphy
- Faculty of Health, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Karina Branje
- Faculty of Health, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Tara White
- Faculty of Health, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Ashlee Cunsolo
- School of Arctic and Sub-Arctic Studies, Labrador Institute of Memorial University, Memorial University, Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada
| | - Margot Latimer
- Faculty of Health, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Jane McMillan
- Department of Anthropology, St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - John R. Sylliboy
- Department of Integrated Studies in Education (DISE), McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Shelley McKibbon
- Kellogg Health Sciences Library, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Debbie Martin
- Faculty of Health, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
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Lock M, Argentieri MA, Shields AE. The contribution of ethnography to epigenomics research: toward a new bio-ethnography for addressing health disparities. Epigenomics 2021; 13:1771-1786. [PMID: 33653089 DOI: 10.2217/epi-2020-0009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
This article describes ethnography as a research method and outlines how it excels in capturing the salient experiences of individuals among diverse communities in their own words. We argue that the integration of ethnographic findings into epigenomics will significantly improve disparities-focused study designs within environmental epigenomics by identifying and contextualizing the most salient dimensions of the 'environment' that are affecting local communities. Reciprocally, epigenetic findings can enhance anthropological understanding of human biological variation and embodiment. We introduce the term bio-ethnography to refer to research designs that integrate both of these methodologies into a single research project. Emphasis is given in this article, through the use of case studies, to socially disadvantaged communities that are often underrepresented in scientific literature. The paper concludes with preliminary recommendations for how ethnographic methods can be integrated into epigenomics research designs in order to elucidate the manner in which disadvantage translates into disparities in the burden of illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret Lock
- Department of Social Studies of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal H3A 1X1, Canada
| | - M Austin Argentieri
- School of Anthropology & Museum Ethnography, University of Oxford, Oxford OX2 6PE, UK.,Harvard/MGH Center on Genomics, Vulnerable Populations, and Health Disparities, Mongan Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Alexandra E Shields
- Harvard/MGH Center on Genomics, Vulnerable Populations, and Health Disparities, Mongan Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
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Okop KJ, Murphy K, Lambert EV, Kedir K, Getachew H, Howe R, Niyibizi JB, Ntawuyirushintege S, Bavuma C, Rulisa S, Kasenda S, Chipeta E, Bunn C, Crampin AC, Chapotera G, King AC, Banchoff A, Winter SJ, Levitt NS. Community-driven citizen science approach to explore cardiovascular disease risk perception, and develop prevention advocacy strategies in sub-Saharan Africa: a programme protocol. RESEARCH INVOLVEMENT AND ENGAGEMENT 2021; 7:11. [PMID: 33637131 PMCID: PMC7907793 DOI: 10.1186/s40900-020-00246-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), which experiences a disproportionately high cardiovascular disease (CVD) burden, population-based screening and prevention measures are hampered by low levels of knowledge about CVD and associated risk factors, and inaccurate perceptions of severity of risk. METHODS This protocol describes the planned processes for implementing community-driven participatory research, using a citizen science method to explore CVD risk perceptions and to develop community-specific advocacy and prevention strategies in the rural and urban SSA settings. Multi-disciplinary research teams in four selected African countries will engage with and train community members living in rural and urban communities as citizen scientists to facilitate conceptualization, co-designing of research, data gathering, and co-creation of knowledge that can lead to a shared agenda to support collaborative participation in community-engaged science. The emphasis is on robust community engagement, using mobile technology to support data gathering, participatory learning, and co-creation of knowledge and disease prevention advocacy. DISCUSSION Contextual processes applied and lessons learned in specific settings will support redefining or disassembling boundaries in participatory science to foster effective implementation of sustainable prevention intervention programmes in Low- and Middle-income countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kufre Joseph Okop
- Chronic Disease Initiative for Africa, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
- Centre for Social Science Research, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
| | - Kathy Murphy
- Chronic Disease Initiative for Africa, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Estelle Victoria Lambert
- UCT Research Centre for Health through Physical Activity, Lifestyle and Sport, Division of Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Kiya Kedir
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | | | - Rawleigh Howe
- Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | | | | | - Charlotte Bavuma
- School of Medicine and Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
| | - Stephen Rulisa
- School of Medicine and Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
| | - Stephen Kasenda
- School of Medicine and Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda
| | - Effie Chipeta
- Malawi Epidemiology and Intervention Research Unit, Lilongwe, Malawi
- Centre for Reproductive Health, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Christopher Bunn
- Malawi Epidemiology and Intervention Research Unit, Lilongwe, Malawi
- College of Social Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Amelia C Crampin
- Malawi Epidemiology and Intervention Research Unit, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - Gertrude Chapotera
- School of Public Health and Family Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Zomba, Malawi
| | - Abby C King
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Stanford Prevention Research Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Ann Banchoff
- Stanford Prevention Research Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Sandra J Winter
- Stanford Prevention Research Center, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Naomi S Levitt
- Chronic Disease Initiative for Africa, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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