Abstract:
BACKGROUND:Many public health researchers conducting studies in resource-constrained settings have experienced negative 'rumours' about their work; in some cases they have been reported to create serious challenges and derail studies. However, what may appear superficially as 'gossip' or 'rumours' can also be regarded and understood as metaphors which represent local concerns. For researchers unaccustomed to having concerns expressed from participants in this manner, possible reactions can be to be unduly perturbed or conversely dismissive.This paper represents a retrospective examination of a malnutrition study conducted by an international team of researchers in Zambia, Southern Africa. The fears of mothers whose children were involved in the study and some of the concerns which were expressed as rumours are also presented. This paper argues that there is an underlying logic to these anxieties and to dismiss them simply as 'rumours' or 'gossip' would be to overlook the historic and socio-economic factors which have contributed to their production. METHODS:Qualitative interviews were conducted with the mothers whose children were involved in the study and with the research nurses. Twenty five face-to-face interviews and 2 focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted with mothers. In addition, face-to-face interviews were conducted with research nurses participating in the trial. RESULTS:A prominent anxiety expressed as rumours by the mothers whose children were involved in the study was that recruitment into the trial was an indicator that the child was HIV-infected. Other anxieties included that the trial was a disguise for witchcraft or Satanism and that the children's body parts would be removed and sold. In addition, the liquid, milk-based food given to the children to improve their nutrition was suspected of being insufficiently nutritious, thus worsening their condition.The form which these anxieties took, such as rumours related to the stealing of body parts and other anxieties about a stigmatised condition, provide an insight into the historical, socio-economic and cultural influences in such settings. CONCLUSIONS:Employing strategies to understand local concerns should accompany research aims to achieve optimal success. The concerns raised by the participants we interviewed are not unique to this study. They are produced in countries where the historic, socio-economic and cultural settings communicate anxieties in this format. By examining this study we have shown that by contextualizing these 'rumours', the concerns they express can be constructively addressed and in turn result in the successful conduct of research aims.
journal_name
BMC Public Healthjournal_title
BMC public healthauthors
Kingori P,Muchimba M,Sikateyo B,Amadi B,Kelly Pdoi
10.1186/1471-2458-10-556subject
Has Abstractpub_date
2010-09-17 00:00:00pages
556issn
1471-2458pii
1471-2458-10-556journal_volume
10pub_type
杂志文章abstract:BACKGROUND:Environmental exposure may play an important role in the incidences of neural tube defects (NTD) of birth defects. Their influence on NTD may likely be non-linear; few studies have considered spatial autocorrelation of residuals in the estimation of NTD risk. We aimed to develop a spatial model based on gene...
journal_title:BMC public health
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/1471-2458-12-951
更新日期:2012-11-07 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Health questionnaires must present accredited measurement properties such as validity, reliability and sensitivity to change, the latter being essential for interventions to be planned and for evaluating their effectiveness. The aim of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity to change of a Beach Questionn...
journal_title:BMC public health
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/s12889-015-1415-0
更新日期:2015-01-31 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Severe wasting affects 16 million under 5's and carries an immediate risk of death. Prevalence remains unacceptably high in sub-Saharan Africa and early infancy is a high-risk period. We aimed to explore risk factors for severe wasting in rural Gambian infants. METHODS:We undertook a case-control study from...
journal_title:BMC public health
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/s12889-017-4984-2
更新日期:2018-01-06 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Continued management of sanitation and hygiene services, post-intervention, is a global challenge, particularly in the school-setting. This situation threatens anticipated impacts of school sanitation and hygiene investments. To improve programming and policies, and increase the effectiveness of limited deve...
journal_title:BMC public health
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/1471-2458-14-6
更新日期:2014-01-08 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:A "diet high in sodium" is the second most important dietary risk factor for health loss identified in the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013. We therefore aimed to model health gains and costs (savings) of salt reduction interventions related to salt substitution and maximum levels in bread, including by e...
journal_title:BMC public health
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/s12889-016-3102-1
更新日期:2016-05-23 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Sexual compulsivity (SC) and its relationship with unprotected intercourse (UI) have long been an intriguing topic, but its existential meaning in the management of public health or, more precisely, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) has rarely been studied to date. This study examines whether SC plays a...
journal_title:BMC public health
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/s12889-021-10186-0
更新日期:2021-01-15 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:The nationwide "German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents" (KiGGS), conducted in 2003-2006, showed an increase in the prevalence rates of overweight and obesity compared to the early 1990s, indicating the need for regularly monitoring. Recently, a follow-up-KiGGS Wave 1 (200...
journal_title:BMC public health
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/s12889-015-2467-x
更新日期:2015-11-06 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a serious health problem globally with various health, social and psychological consequences for women. In Ethiopia, the prevalence of female genital mutilation varied across different regions of the country. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the trend and determin...
journal_title:BMC public health
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/s12889-020-08882-4
更新日期:2020-05-19 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Transportation by motorcycle and bicycle has become popular in Taiwan, this study was designed to investigate the protective effect of helmet use during motorcycle and bicycle accidents by using a propensity score-matched study based on trauma registry system data. METHODS:Data of adult patients hospitalize...
journal_title:BMC public health
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/s12889-017-4649-1
更新日期:2017-08-07 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:As India already missed maternal and child health related millennium development goals, the maternal and child health outcomes are a matter of concern to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs). This study is focused to assess the gap in coverage and inequality of various reproductive, maternal, neonata...
journal_title:BMC public health
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/s12889-020-8151-9
更新日期:2020-01-14 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Gestational diabetes increases risk for type 2 diabetes seven-fold, creating a large public health burden in a young population. In the US, there are no large registries for tracking postpartum diabetes screening among women in under-resourced communities who face challenges with access to care after pregnan...
journal_title:BMC public health
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/s12889-019-6475-0
更新日期:2019-02-04 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Since 2013, the number of violent crimes and offences by sharp instruments have increased continually, following a previous decrease, with majority of cases occurring among young people and in London. There is limited understanding surrounding the drivers influencing this change in trends, with mostly Americ...
journal_title:BMC public health
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/s12889-020-09498-4
更新日期:2020-09-25 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:The optimal dietary pattern for reducing the extent of metabolic syndrome (MetS) has not been well established yet. The aim of this study was to evaluate dietary patterns and adherence to WHO healthy diet in children and adolescents and their associations with MetS. METHODS:Subjects of this cohort study wer...
journal_title:BMC public health
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/s12889-019-7779-9
更新日期:2019-11-06 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Homeless veterans are at high risk for co-occurring disorders (COD), defined as mental illnesses that include at least one alcohol or other drug use disorder and at least one non-drug related mental disorder. However, epidemiological studies examining the prevalence of COD and associated mental health status...
journal_title:BMC public health
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/s12889-018-5700-6
更新日期:2018-06-18 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Immunization is an effective public health intervention to reduce morbidity and mortality among children and it will become more effective if the child can receive the full course of recommended immunization doses. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of childhood immunization defaulte...
journal_title:BMC public health
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/s12889-019-7561-z
更新日期:2019-09-18 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Each year in the United States, an estimated 40,000 children are born with congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, causing an estimated 400 deaths and leaving approximately 8000 children with permanent disabilities such as hearing or vision loss, or mental retardation. More children are affected by serio...
journal_title:BMC public health
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/1471-2458-5-70
更新日期:2005-06-20 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Studies have shown diverse strength of evidence for the associations between air pollutants and childhood asthma, but these associations have scarcely been documented in the early life. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impacts of various air pollutants on the development of asthma phenotypes in ...
journal_title:BMC public health
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/1471-2458-13-506
更新日期:2013-05-24 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:The scaling of malaria control to achieve universal coverage requires a better understanding of the population sub-groups that are least protected and provide barriers to interrupted transmission. Here we examine the age pattern of use of insecticide treated nets (ITNs) in Africa in relation to biological vu...
journal_title:BMC public health
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/1471-2458-9-369
更新日期:2009-10-01 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Globally, two billion workers are employed informally but there is limited research on the relationship between informal work and health. Existing studies have focused on informality as an employment condition, with little emphasis on the diversity of physical and social contexts in which informal work takes...
journal_title:BMC public health
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/s12889-020-08624-6
更新日期:2020-04-19 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Falls in older people continue to be a major public health issue in industrialized countries. Extensive research into falls prevention has identified exercise as a proven fall prevention strategy. However, despite over a decade of promoting physical activity, hospitalisation rates due to falls injuries in ol...
journal_title:BMC public health
pub_type: 杂志文章,随机对照试验
doi:10.1186/1471-2458-11-888
更新日期:2011-11-24 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Understanding the knowledge and beliefs of key stakeholders is crucial in developing effective public health interventions. Knowledge and beliefs about obesity and eating disorders (EDs) have rarely been considered, despite increasing awareness of the need for integrated health promotion programs. We investi...
journal_title:BMC public health
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/s12889-019-7971-y
更新日期:2019-12-16 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:The objective of this systematic review was to explore the association between private health insurance and health care utilization. METHODS:We searched the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) electronic databases for relevant articles since 2010. Studies were eligi...
journal_title:BMC public health
pub_type: 杂志文章,meta分析
doi:10.1186/s12889-020-08861-9
更新日期:2020-07-23 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Although several studies have reported the direct cost of oral cancer (OC), little research has invested the factors that could influence the costs of OC patient. This study analyzes the epidemiological characteristics and the direct cost of OC. More specifically, the study examines the relationship between ...
journal_title:BMC public health
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/1471-2458-10-196
更新日期:2010-04-16 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:South Africa (SA) is undergoing multiple transitions with an increasing burden of non-communicable diseases and high levels of overweight and obesity in adolescent girls and women. Adolescence is key to addressing trans-generational risk and a window of opportunity to intervene and positively impact on indiv...
journal_title:BMC public health
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/1471-2458-14-S2-S5
更新日期:2014-01-01 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:An earlier attempt to adapt the REALM (Rapid Estimate of Adult Literacy in Medicine) word recognition test to Dutch was not entirely successful due to ceiling effects. In contrast to REALM, the Short Assessment of Health Literacy (SAHL) assesses both word recognition and comprehension in the health domain. T...
journal_title:BMC public health
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/1471-2458-14-990
更新日期:2014-09-23 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:The aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes (T2D) among overweight/obese children and adolescents using different diagnostic/screening methods in comparison. METHODS:We recruited overweight/obese Emirati students; grade 6-12 (age 11-17 years) from 16 government sch...
journal_title:BMC public health
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/s12889-015-2649-6
更新日期:2015-12-24 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Ethiopia was among the 15 countries that, together accounted for 64% of the world's severe episodes of pneumonia among children below the age of 5 in 2011. To reduce this burden, the 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV 10) was introduced into the general childhood national immunization program in E...
journal_title:BMC public health
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/s12889-019-7423-8
更新日期:2019-08-09 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Shenzhen's rapid growth and urbanisation has attracted a large, mobile, migrant working population. This article explores health protection through the means of social health insurance between migrants and registrants and their point of access to healthcare. METHODS:A cross-sectional questionnaire survey wa...
journal_title:BMC public health
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/1471-2458-12-868
更新日期:2012-10-12 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:Social connectedness is an important predictor of health outcomes and plays a large role in the physical and mental health of an individual and a community. The presence of a functioning health clinic with a community health worker program may indirectly improve health outcomes by increasing the social conne...
journal_title:BMC public health
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/s12889-020-09008-6
更新日期:2020-06-03 00:00:00
abstract:BACKGROUND:The prevalence of alcohol consumption among males living in urban settlements in South Africa is high. This paper aims to measure socioeconomic inequalities in alcohol use among men residing in informal settlements and also to examine the factors associated with inequality in alcohol use among men living in ...
journal_title:BMC public health
pub_type: 杂志文章
doi:10.1186/s12889-018-5925-4
更新日期:2018-08-09 00:00:00