Community science

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recognized the need for a research program to address the underlying structural factors that impact health. To inform the development of the NIH Common Fund Community Partnerships to Advance Science for Society (ComPASS) Program, NIH obtained input through community listening sessions. Through its design, ComPASS recognizes the essential role of community organizations as the lead in addressing persistent structural and social challenges to accelerate progress toward advancing health equity...

Today, population aging is the main trend of population development. Home-based care is mainly adopted in Chinese society, and scholars have paid ample attention to the effect of intergenerational support on the mental health of older people. However, research conclusions differ. This study uses data from the 2018 China Health and Pension Tracking Survey (CHARLS), which we analyzed with STATA software to construct least squares regression and two-stage least squares regression models. The regression model included 6,647 respondents to investigate the mental health status of older people based on depression status...

BACKGROUND: Antenatal care (ANC) is one of the recommended interventions to reduce stillbirth, maternal, neonatal, and child mortality through early identification and management of pregnancy complications or pre-existing conditions. Although increasing number of ANC is a key priority of the 2016 WHO recommendations, ANC uptake in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs) is insufficient. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate factors associated with the number of ANC contacts in LMICs...

The COVID-19 outbreak led governmental officials to close many businesses and schools, including colleges and universities. Thus, the ability to resume normal campus operation required adoption of safety measures to monitor and respond to COVID-19. The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of wastewater-based epidemiology as a surveillance method in monitoring COVID-19 on a college campus. The use of wastewater monitoring as part of a surveillance program to control COVID-19 outbreaks at East Carolina University was evaluated...

Integrating the voices of service users and providers in the design and delivery of health services increases the acceptability, relevance, and effectiveness of services. Such efforts are particularly important for youth opioid use treatments and services, which have failed to consider the unique needs of youth and families. Applying community-based participatory research (CBPR) and co-design can facilitate this process by contextualizing service user experiences at individual and community levels and supporting the collaborative design of innovative solutions for improving care...

The segmentation of commuters into either blue or white-collar workers remains is still common in urban transport models. Internationally, models have started to use more elaborate segmentations, more reflective of changes in labour markets, such as increased female participation. Finding appropriate labour market segmentations for commute trip modelling remains a challenge. This paper harnesses a data-driven approach using unsupervised clustering-applied to 2017-20 South East Queensland Travel Survey (SEQTS) data...

This paper mainly addressed the study of the transmission dynamics of infectious diseases and analysed the effect of two different types of viruses simultaneously that cause immunodeficiency in the host. The two infectious diseases that often spread in the populace are HIV and measles. The interaction between measles and HIV can cause severe illness and even fatal patient cases. The effects of the measles virus on the host with HIV infection are studied using a mathematical model and their dynamics. Analysing the dynamics of infectious diseases in communities requires the use of mathematical models...

Preservation of undeveloped land near urban areas is a common conservation practice. However, ecological processes may still be affected by adjacent anthropogenic activities. Ground-dwelling arthropods are a diverse group of organisms that are critical to ecological processes such as nutrient cycling, which are sensitive to anthropogenic activities. Here, we study arthropod dynamics in a preserve located in a heavily urbanized part of the Sonoran Desert, Arizona, U.S.. We compared arthropod biodiversity and community composition at ten locations, four paired sites representing the urban edge and one pair in the Preserve interior...

Fungi are among key actors in the biogeochemical processes occurring in mangrove ecosystems. In this study, we investigated the changes of fungal communities in selected mangrove species by exploring differences in diversity, structure and the degree of ecological rearrangement occurring within the rhizospheres of four mangrove species (Sonneratia alba, Rhizophora mucronata, Ceriops tagal and Avicennia marina) at Gazi Bay and Mida Creek in Kenya. Alpha diversity investigation revealed that there were no significant differences in species diversity between the same mangrove species in the different sites...

BACKGROUND: Over recent years, cervical cancer incidence and related mortality have steadily increased in Eswatini. Low cervical cancer screening uptake partly explains the situation. Cervical cancer screening-related knowledge is positively associated with screening uptake. Little is known about women's cervical cancer screening-related knowledge in Eswatini. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess cervical cancer screening knowledge and associated factors among Eswatini women eligible for screening...

A critical driver of population health, well-being, and equity is making health a shared value, or the belief that health is a priority for oneself and one's community. For people in positions of influence, attitudes regarding their organization's perspective may result in decisions that advance health equity or reinforce inequities. Yet despite the potential role of leaders in influencing health and well-being, little is known about their attitudes regarding their organization's perspective on what shapes health, or how their attitudes translate into actions that improve population health...

The expanding urbanization of coastal areas has led to increased ocean sprawl, which has had both physical and chemical adverse effects on marine and coastal ecosystems. To maintain the health and functionality of these ecosystems, it is imperative to develop effective solutions. One such solution involves the use of biodegradable polymers as bioactive coatings to enhance the bioreceptivity of marine and coastal infrastructures. Our study aimed to explore two main objectives: (1) investigate PHA-degrading bacteria on polymer-coated surfaces and in surrounding seawater, and (2) comparing biofilm colonization between surfaces with and without the polymer coating...

BACKGROUND: Prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV service is conceptualized as a series of cascades that begins with all pregnant women and ends with the detection of a final HIV status in HIV-exposed infants (HEIs). A low rate of cascade completion by mothers' results in an increased risk of HIV transmission to their infants. Therefore, this review aimed to understand the uptake and determinants of key PMTCT services cascades in East Africa. METHODS: We searched CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Scopus, and AIM databases using a predetermined search strategy to identify studies published from January 2012 through to March 2022 on the uptake and determinants of PMTCT of HIV services...

BACKGROUND: Overweight/obesity is one of the major public health problems that affect both developed and developing nations. The co-occurrence of overweight/obesity and anemia is thought to be largely preventable if detected early. To date, no spatial analyses have been performed to identify areas of hotspots for the co-occurrence of overweight/obesity and anemia among reproductive women in sub-Saharan Africa. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the spatial distribution and associated factors of the co-occurrence of overweight/obesity and anemia among women of reproductive age...

The gene content in a metagenomic pool defines the function potential of a microbial community. Natural selection, operating on the level of genomes or genes, shapes the evolution of community functions by enriching some genes while depriving the others. Despite the importance of microbiomes in the environment and health, a general metric to evaluate the community-wide fitness of microbial genes remains lacking. In this work, we adapt the classic neutral model of species and use it to predict how the abundances of different genes will be shaped by selection, regardless of at which level the selection acts...

BACKGROUND: The cervix is the lower portion of the uterus, which connects this organ to the vagina through the endocervical canal. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the histopathologic patterns and factors associated with cervical lesions at Jimma Medical Center from September 12, 2017, to September 12, 2019. METHODS: A 2-year facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted from May 1 to June 30, 2020. RESULT: In this study, cervical cancer was the most common (71%) cause of cervical lesions...

The impact of microbiome in animal physiology is well appreciated, but characterization of animal-microbe symbiosis in marine environments remains a growing need. This study characterizes the microbial communities associated with the moon jellyfish Aurelia coerulea, first isolated from the East Pacific Ocean and has since been utilized as an experimental system. We find that the microbiome of this Pacific Aurelia culture is dominated by two taxa, a Mollicutes and Rickettsiales. The microbiome is stable across life stages, although composition varies...

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to pose a global public health threat. The pandemic overstretched already weak health systems in low- and low-middle-income countries, including Ethiopia. There is a paucity of studies on the impact of COVID-19 on antenatal care access, uptake, and provision in Ethiopia. This study examines the impact of COVID-19 on antenatal care provision in the Sidama region, Ethiopia. METHODS: A concurrent mixed-methods study was conducted between 14 February and 10 May 2022 at 15 public hospitals in the Sidama region...

BACKGROUND: It is crucial to deliver a child at nearby primary healthcare facilities to prevent subsequent maternal or neonatal complications. In low-resource settings, such as Nepal, it is customary to forgo the neighboring primary healthcare facilities for child delivery. Reports are scanty about the extent and reasons for bypassing local health centers in Nepal. This study sought to determine the prevalence and contributing factors among women bypassing primary healthcare facilities for childbirth...

BACKGROUND: About 287,000 mothers lost their lives due to pregnancy and delivery in 2020 worldwide. Birth preparedness and complication readiness (BPCR) is an approach used to utilize the timely use of skilled maternal and neonatal services. Preparing mothers for childbirth and against its dangers has great importance in reducing maternal mortality. Little is known about BPCR and influencing factors in Hargeisa town, Somaliland. OBJECTIVE: To assess the level of BPCR and its associated factors among recently delivered women in Hargeisa...