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Burgess R, Lekekela B, McBride RS, Eyles J. South African men's perceptions of breast cancer: impact of gender norms on health care accessibility. Health Promot Int 2022; 37:6639402. [PMID: 35810410 DOI: 10.1093/heapro/daac075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Women in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) often present to the health care system at advanced stages of breast cancer (BC), leading to poor outcomes. A lack of BC awareness and affordability issues are proposed as contributors to the delayed presentation. In many areas of the world, however, women lack the autonomy to deal with their health needs due to restrictive gender norms. The role of gender norms has been relatively underexplored in the BC literature in LMICs and little is known about what men know about BC and how they are involved in women's access to care. To better understand these factors, we conducted a qualitative descriptive study in South Africa. We interviewed 20 low-income Black men with current woman partners who had not experienced BC. Interviewees had limited knowledge and held specific misconceptions about BC symptoms and treatment. Cancer is not commonly discussed within their community and multiple barriers prevent them from reaching care. Interviewees described themselves as having a facilitative role in their partner's access to health care, facets of which could inadvertently prevent their partners from autonomously seeking care. The findings point to the need to better consider the role of the male partner in BC awareness efforts in LMICs to facilitate prevention, earlier diagnosis and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Burgess
- Global Health Program, Global Health Office, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Brown Lekekela
- Founder and Project Manager, Green Door Shelter, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - Ruari-Santiago McBride
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - John Eyles
- School of Geography & Earth Sciences, Faculty of Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.,Center for Health Policy, School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
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Rwafa-Ponela T, McBride RS, Rebombo D, Christofides N, Hatcher A. HIV non-testing, perpetration of violence against women, and sexual risk-behaviour: A cross-sectional analysis of South African peri-urban township men. Glob Public Health 2021; 17:512-525. [PMID: 33554758 DOI: 10.1080/17441692.2021.1876134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Despite HIV testing having improved globally, men remain disproportionately less likely to test for HIV. While violence against women (VAW) and HIV risk have a strong association among women, few studies explore men around VAW perpetration, risky-sexual behaviour, and HIV testing. Males aged 18-42 years were recruited from a peri-urban settlement near Johannesburg, South Africa. Data were from an endline of a trial. We used logistic regression to assess odds of non-HIV testing using STATA 13. At endline, 1508 men participated in the study. Of these nearly one-third (31.6%, n = 475) had not tested for HIV in the past year. HIV non-testing was significantly lower among men who were single, older, did not complete high school and were less food secure. VAW perpetration retained a significant association with HIV non-testing after controlling for socio-demographics (AOR = 0.73, 95%CI = 0.58-0.93). In multivariate models, HIV non-testing was also associated with inconsistent condom use (AOR = 0.64, 95%CI = 0.48-0.85), problem drinking (AOR = 0.72, 95%CI = 0.55-0.94) and reporting of all four risky sexual behaviours (AOR = 0.70, 95%CI = 0.49-1.01). Data suggests that one-third of men who never test for HIV in this setting may represent a high-risk group. Future campaigns could consider behaviour change around non-violence, relationship quality, and gender norms alongside HIV testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teurai Rwafa-Ponela
- SAMRC/Centre for Health Economics and Decision Science - PRICELESS SA, School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Ruari-Santiago McBride
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | | | | | - Abigail Hatcher
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.,Department of Health Behavior, Gillings School of Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, CA, United States
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Christofides NJ, Hatcher AM, Rebombo D, McBride RS, Munshi S, Pino A, Abdelatif N, Peacock D, Levin J, Jewkes RK. Correction to: Effectiveness of a multi-level intervention to reduce men's perpetration of intimate partner violence: a cluster randomised controlled trial. Trials 2020; 21:526. [PMID: 32546187 PMCID: PMC7296944 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-020-04386-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nicola J Christofides
- Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, 27 St Andrews Rd, Parktown, Johannesburg, 2193, South Africa.
| | - Abigail M Hatcher
- Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, 27 St Andrews Rd, Parktown, Johannesburg, 2193, South Africa.,Division of HIV, Infectious Disease, and Global Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, USA
| | - Dumisani Rebombo
- Sonke Gender Justice, Juta Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Ruari-Santiago McBride
- Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, 27 St Andrews Rd, Parktown, Johannesburg, 2193, South Africa
| | - Shehnaz Munshi
- Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, 27 St Andrews Rd, Parktown, Johannesburg, 2193, South Africa
| | - Angelica Pino
- Sonke Gender Justice, Juta Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Nada Abdelatif
- South African Medical Research Council, 1 Soutpansberg Road, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Dean Peacock
- Sonke Gender Justice, Juta Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Jonathan Levin
- Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, 27 St Andrews Rd, Parktown, Johannesburg, 2193, South Africa
| | - Rachel K Jewkes
- Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, 27 St Andrews Rd, Parktown, Johannesburg, 2193, South Africa.,South African Medical Research Council, 1 Soutpansberg Road, Pretoria, South Africa
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Christofides NJ, Hatcher AM, Rebombo D, McBride RS, Munshi S, Pino A, Abdelatif N, Peacock D, Levin J, Jewkes RK. Effectiveness of a multi-level intervention to reduce men's perpetration of intimate partner violence: a cluster randomised controlled trial. Trials 2020; 21:359. [PMID: 32334615 PMCID: PMC7183134 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-020-4185-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Men’s perpetration of intimate partner violence (IPV) limits gains in health and wellbeing for populations globally. Largely informal, rapidly expanding peri-urban settlements, with limited basic services such as electricity, have high prevalence rates of IPV. Evidence on how to reduce men’s perpetration, change social norms and patriarchal attitudes within these settings is limited. Our cluster randomised controlled trial aimed to determine the effectiveness of the Sonke CHANGE intervention in reducing use of sexual and/or physical IPV and severity of perpetration by men aged 18–40 years over 2 years. Methodology The theory-based intervention delivered activities to bolster community action, including door-to-door discussions, workshops, drawing on the CHANGE curriculum, and deploying community action teams over 18 months. In 2016 and 2018, we collected data from a cohort of men, recruited from 18 clusters; nine were randomised to receive the intervention, while the nine control clusters received no intervention. A self-administered questionnaire, using audio-computer assisted software, asked about sociodemographics, gender attitudes, mental health, and the use and severity of IPV. We conducted an intention-to-treat analysis at the cluster level comparing the expected risk to observed risk of using IPV while controlling for baseline characteristics. A secondary analysis used latent classes (LCA) of men to see whether there were differential effects of the intervention for subgroups of men. Results Of 2406 men recruited, 1458 (63%) were followed to 2 years. Overall, we saw a reduction in men’s reports of physical, sexual and severe IPV from baseline to endpoint (40.2% to 25.4%, 31.8% to 15.8%, and 33.4% to 18.2%, respectively). Intention-to-treat analysis showed no measurable differences between intervention and control clusters for primary IPV outcomes. Difference in the cluster-level proportion of physical IPV perpetration was 0.002 (95% confidence interval [CI] − 0.07 to 0.08). Similarly, differences between arms for sexual IPV was 0.01 (95% CI − 0.04 to 0.06), while severe IPV followed a similar pattern (Diff = 0.01; 95% CI − 0.05 to 0.07). A secondary analysis using LCA suggests that among the men living in intervention communities, there was a greater reduction in IPV among less violent and more law abiding men than among more highly violent men, although the differences did not reach statistical significance. Conclusion The intervention, when implemented in a peri-urban settlement, had limited effect in reducing IPV perpetrated by male residents. Further analysis showed it was unable to transform entrenched gender attitudes and use of IPV by those men who use the most violence, but the intervention showed promise for men who use violence less. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02823288. Registered on 30 June 2016.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola J Christofides
- Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, 27 St Andrews Rd, Parktown, Johannesburg, 2193, South Africa.
| | - Abigail M Hatcher
- Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, 27 St Andrews Rd, Parktown, Johannesburg, 2193, South Africa.,Division of HIV, Infectious Disease, and Global Medicine, University of California, SanFrancisco, USA
| | - Dumisani Rebombo
- Sonke Gender Justice, Juta Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Ruari-Santiago McBride
- Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, 27 St Andrews Rd, Parktown, Johannesburg, 2193, South Africa
| | - Shehnaz Munshi
- Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, 27 St Andrews Rd, Parktown, Johannesburg, 2193, South Africa
| | - Angelica Pino
- Sonke Gender Justice, Juta Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Nada Abdelatif
- South African Medical Research Council, 1 Soutpansberg Road, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Dean Peacock
- Sonke Gender Justice, Juta Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Jonathan Levin
- Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, 27 St Andrews Rd, Parktown, Johannesburg, 2193, South Africa
| | - Rachel K Jewkes
- Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, 27 St Andrews Rd, Parktown, Johannesburg, 2193, South Africa.,South African Medical Research Council, 1 Soutpansberg Road, Pretoria, South Africa
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Hatcher AM, McBride RS, Rebombo D, Munshi S, Khumalo M, Christofides N. Process evaluation of a community mobilization intervention for preventing men's partner violence use in peri-urban South Africa. Eval Program Plann 2020; 78:101727. [PMID: 31639542 PMCID: PMC7264430 DOI: 10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2019.101727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2019] [Revised: 09/29/2019] [Accepted: 10/02/2019] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is experienced by one-third of women globally, yet few programs attempt to shift men's IPV perpetration. Community mobilization is a potential strategy for reducing men's IPV perpetration, but this has rarely been examined globally. We conducted a mixed-methods process evaluation alongside a trial testing community mobilization in peri-urban South Africa. We used in-depth interviews (n=114), participant observation (160 h), and monitoring and evaluation data to assess program delivery. Qualitative data (verbatim transcripts and observation notes) were managed in Dedoose using thematic coding and quantitative data were descriptively analyzed using Stata13. We learned that outreach elements of community mobilization were implemented with high fidelity, but that critical reflection and local advocacy were difficult to achieve. The context of a peri-urban settlement (characterized by poor infrastructure, migrancy, low education, social marginalization, and high levels of violence) severely limited intervention delivery, as did lack of institutional support for staff and activist volunteers. That community mobilization was poorly implemented may explain null trial findings; in the larger trial, the intervention failed to measurably reduce men's IPV perpetration. Designing community mobilization for resource-constrained settings may require additional financial, infrastructural, organizational, or political support to effectively engage community members and reduce IPV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail M Hatcher
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Unviersity of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, United States.
| | - Ruari-Santiago McBride
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Unviersity of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | | | - Shehnaz Munshi
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Unviersity of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | | | - Nicola Christofides
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Unviersity of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Hatcher AM, Stöckl H, McBride RS, Khumalo M, Christofides N. Pathways From Food Insecurity to Intimate Partner Violence Perpetration Among Peri-Urban Men in South Africa. Am J Prev Med 2019; 56:765-772. [PMID: 30905482 DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2018.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2018] [Revised: 12/10/2018] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Although poverty is sometimes seen as a driver of intimate partner violence victimization, less is known about how it intersects with men's violence perpetration. Food insecurity is a sensitive marker of poverty that may have unique mechanisms leading to men's intimate partner violence perpetration given its association with gender roles and men "providing for the family." METHODS Using cluster-based sampling, the team conducted an audio-assisted questionnaire in 2016 among men living in a peri-urban settlement near Johannesburg, South Africa. The aim was to examine the relationship between men's food insecurity and their use of past-year intimate partner violence, and to explore the pathways linking these two conditions. RESULTS Among 2,006 currently partnered men, nearly half (48.4%) perpetrated intimate partner violence and more than half (61.4%) were food insecure. Food insecurity was associated with doubled odds of intimate partner violence (OR=2.15, 95% CI=1.73, 2.66). This association persisted after controlling for sociodemographics, relationship characteristics, and neighborhood clustering. In a structural equation model, food insecurity retained a direct relationship with men's violence perpetration and worked through indirect pathways of mental health and relationship quality. CONCLUSIONS Addressing men's perpetration of intimate partner violence may require examination of broader structural challenges, such as food insecurity. Future interventions should consider livelihood strategies alongside relationship and mental health approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail M Hatcher
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California.
| | - Heidi Stöckl
- Gender Violence and Health Centre, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, England
| | - Ruari-Santiago McBride
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | | | - Nicola Christofides
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Hatcher AM, Gibbs A, Jewkes R, McBride RS, Peacock D, Christofides N. Effect of Childhood Poverty and Trauma on Adult Depressive Symptoms Among Young Men in Peri-Urban South African Settlements. J Adolesc Health 2019; 64:79-85. [PMID: 30327276 DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2018.07.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2018] [Revised: 07/19/2018] [Accepted: 07/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Depressive disorders contribute to health declines among young men, but little is known about how childhood trauma alongside poverty alters depressive symptoms in young adulthood. These life-course dynamics are particularly under-researched in African settings. METHODS We assessed how childhood trauma and poverty were associated with depressive symptomology among young men (aged 18-30 years). Data were collected through community-based surveys in two peri-urban, South African settlements. Validated measures assessed childhood abuse, depressive symptomology, and food insecurity. Markers of childhood poverty and young adult socioeconomic predictors were also assessed. RESULTS A total of 2,427 young men reported low levels of income, food security, and education. One-third of the sample (39.2%) reported symptoms consistent with probable depression. The majority (76.9%) reported one or more forms of childhood abuse, which was predicted by childhood hunger. Compared with counterparts without childhood trauma, those with physical, sexual, or psychological childhood abuse had a higher risk of later depressive symptoms (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=2.37,2.42,2.39, respectively). A fully saturated linear mixed model showed each form of childhood trauma predicted increased depressive symptomology in adulthood, with the combination of physical, sexual, and psychological abuse strongly predicting increased depressive symptoms (coef=6.78, 95%CI=5.78-8.17). In all models, childhood poverty and adult poverty independently predicted young adult depressive symptoms. CONCLUSION Household poverty may be a key reason that children experience abuse and, in turn, common mental disorders in young adulthood. Structural interventions for food security, employment, and parenting are essential to break the intergenerational nexus of poverty, trauma, and health in peri-urban settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail M Hatcher
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California.
| | - Andrew Gibbs
- Gender and Health Division, South African Medical Research Council, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Rachel Jewkes
- Gender and Health Division, South African Medical Research Council, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Ruari-Santiago McBride
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Dean Peacock
- Sonke Gender Justice, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Nicola Christofides
- School of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present a case study of a programme aimed at raising standards of care and levels of professionalism in private, drug-free therapeutic communities (TCs) in Santa Catarina, Brazil.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper describes the Reviver intervention in detail and draws on subjective insights collected during its implementation.
Findings
Over 100 TCs applied to the Reviver project, of which 83 qualified to participate. The large majority of TCs were found to combine community-as-method, religious worship and abstinence in their treatment model.
Research limitations/implications
The paper highlights the significant role religious organisations have in the treating substance dependency in Brazil and raises ethical and practical questions regarding the incorporation of religious TCs into mainstream public mental health provision.
Practical implications
The paper outlines the qualification process, control systems and monitoring procedures employed by the Reviver project.
Originality/value
The paper attends to the gap in English language publications regarding TCs in Brazil and raises important questions regarding the role of religion, faith and spirituality in the treatment of substance dependency.
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McBride RS, Johnson AK, Lindsay EK, Walsh HJ, Richards RA. Goosefish Lophius americanus fecundity and spawning frequency, with implications for population reproductive potential. J Fish Biol 2017; 90:1861-1882. [PMID: 28233328 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.13272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2016] [Accepted: 01/06/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
To improve knowledge of goosefish Lophius americanus' reproductive biology, females were collected during 2009-2012 from the Mid-Atlantic Bight shelf region of the U.S. east coast. Batch fecundity increased with total length (LT ), from 229 100 to 2 243 300 mature oocytes per female (LT range: 55·5-112 cm; n = 54). This estimate of fecundity at LT is lower than one derived from a sample collected during 1982-1985. Examination of whole oocyte diameters in different months indicated that L. americanus is a serial spawner, releasing more than one egg veil per spawning season, as suspected or observed for other Lophius species. Seasonality of spawning was evident from whole oocytes and gonad histology, and from larval fish surveys spanning the U.S. north-east shelf, and confirmed a protracted (c. 6 months) spawning period. Peak spawning activity progressed northward from spring to autumn. The population-level implications of these results were explored by estimating population reproductive potential (PRP ), which considered the value of both current and future per capita reproduction using decade-specific age structure and fecundity at length. PRP is now more than 50% lower compared with the historical period (1982-1985), a result of the lower proportions of large females and reduced fecundity across all sizes. Mechanisms that could explain this loss of stock productivity are fishing-induced size-age truncation or regime shifts in egg production caused by changes in energy density of common forage species.
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Affiliation(s)
- R S McBride
- National Marine Fisheries Service, Northeast Fisheries Science Center, 166 Water Street, Woods Hole, MA 02543, U.S.A
| | - A K Johnson
- Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center, Department of Natural Sciences, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, MD 21853, U.S.A
| | - E K Lindsay
- Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center, Department of Natural Sciences, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, MD 21853, U.S.A
| | - H J Walsh
- National Marine Fisheries Service, Northeast Fisheries Science Center, Oceanography Branch, Narragansett, RI 02882, U.S.A
| | - R A Richards
- National Marine Fisheries Service, Northeast Fisheries Science Center, 166 Water Street, Woods Hole, MA 02543, U.S.A
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Press YK, McBride RS, Wuenschel MJ. Time course of oocyte development in winter flounder Pseudopleuronectes americanus and spawning seasonality for the Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank and southern New England stocks. J Fish Biol 2014; 85:421-445. [PMID: 24942788 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.12431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2013] [Accepted: 04/23/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Winter flounder Pseudopleuronectes americanus were collected at monthly intervals from December 2009 to May 2011, to describe the pattern and seasonality of oocyte development, including: (1) the group-synchronous transition from primary to secondary oocytes that initiates immediately after spawning, (2) the slow (months) development of vitellogenic oocytes followed by the rapid (weeks) maturation of oocytes, (3) the synchronous nature of mature oocytes ovulating, but the discrete releases of benthic eggs in batches, (4) the protracted (months) degradation of postovulatory follicles and (5) the occurrence of follicular atresia. Although fish were collected across only c. 2° latitudinal range, the spawning season was c. 1 month later in the Gulf of Maine (GOM) than on Georges Bank and in southern New England. This is probably due to lower temperatures in the GOM. These stock-specific data regarding the time course of oogenesis are of practical value. This information is discussed in relation to measuring and interpreting elements of reproductive potential such as maturation, skipped spawning and fecundity, the response of reproductive traits by this widely distributed species to changing climate and the response by this common, marine-estuarine species to urbanization, particularly environmental pollutants and dredging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y K Press
- Integrated Statistics, 16 Sumner Street, Woods Hole, MA, 02543, U.S.A
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