Publications - Research on Women and Gender, Center for

Integrating women's human rights into global health research: an action framework

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Integrating women's human rights into global health research: an action framework Baptiste, Donna; Kapungu, Chisina; Khare, Manorama H.; Lewis, Yvonne; Barlow-Mosha, Linda This article uses Scale of Change theory as a framework to guide global health researchers to synergistically target women's health outcomes in the context of improving their right to freedom, equity, and equality of opportunities. We hypothesize that health researchers can do so through six action strategies. These strategies include (1) becoming fully informed of women's human rights directives to integrate them into research, (2) mainstreaming gender in the research, (3) using the expertise of grass roots women's organizations in the setting, (4) showcasing women's equity and equality in the organizational infrastructure, (5) disseminating research findings to policymakers in the study locale to influence health priorities, and (6) publicizing the social conditions that are linked to women's diseases. We explore conceptual and logistical dilemmas in transforming a study using these principles and also provide a case study of obstetric fistula reduction in Nigeria to illustrate how these strategies can be operationalized. Our intent is to offer a feasible approach to health researchers who, conceptually, may link women's health to social and cultural conditions but are looking for practical implementation strategies to examine a women's health issue through the lens of their human rights. This is a copy of an article published in the Journal of Women's Health © 2010 Copyright Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.; Journal of Women's Health is available online at: http://www.liebertonline.com; DOI: 10.1089/jwh.2010.2119

Navigating the Challenges of Global Reproductive Health Research

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Navigating the Challenges of Global Reproductive Health Research Stenson, Amy L.; Kapungu, Chisina T.; Geller, Stacie E.; Miller, Suellen Reproductive health research in low-resource settings poses unique and complex challenges that must be addressed to ensure that global research is conducted with strict adherence to ethical principles, offers direct benefit to the research subjects, and has the potential for adoption of positive findings to the target population. This article addresses challenges to conducting reproductive health research in low-resource settings in the following areas: (1) establishment and maintenance of global collaboration, (2) community partnerships, (3) ethical issues, including informed consent and the role of incentives, (4) staff training and development, (5) data collection and management, and (6) infrastructure and logistics. Particular attention to these challenges is important to ensure that research is culturally appropriate and methodologically sound and enhances the adoption of health-promoting behaviors. Rigorous evaluation of interventions in low-resource settings may be a cost-effective and time-efficient way to identify interventions for large-scale program replication to improve women's health. This is a copy of an article published in the Journal of Womens Health © 2010 [copyright Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.]; Journal of Womens Health is available online at: http://www.liebertonline.com. DOI: 10.1089/jwh.2010.2065

Introduction to the Special Section on Global Women's Reproductive Health

Thu, 04 Nov 2010 05:00:00 GMT

Introduction to the Special Section on Global Women's Reproductive Health Geller, Stacie E.; Miller, Suellen We welcome you to the Journal of Women’s Health 2010 special section on global women’s reproductive health. Access to a full range of reproductive healthcare is fundamental to a woman’s ability to exercise her right to control her body, to self-efficacy, and to maintain her health as well as that of her family. In 2010, no woman should die or suffer the morbidity associated with lack of access to contraception, safe abortion, or delivery with a skilled attendant. This special section addresses these issues related to women’s reproductive health from multiple perspectives. This is a copy of an article published in the Journal of Women's Health © 2010 [copyright Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.]; Journal of Women's Health is available online at: http://www.liebertonline.com. DOI: 10.1089/jwh.2010.2385

Inclusion, Analysis, and Reporting of Sex and Race/Ethnicity in Clinical Trials: Have We Made Progress?

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 05:00:00 GMT

Inclusion, Analysis, and Reporting of Sex and Race/Ethnicity in Clinical Trials: Have We Made Progress? Geller, Stacie E.; Koch, Abby; Pellettieri, Beth; Carnes, Molly Background: The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Revitalization Act of 1993 requires that NIH-funded clinical trials include women and minorities as participants; other federal agencies have adopted similar guidelines. The objective of this study is to determine the current level of compliance with these guidelines for the inclusion, analysis, and reporting of sex and race/ethnicity in federally funded randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and to compare the current level of compliance with that from 2004, which was reported previously. Methods: RCTs published in nine prominent medical journals in 2009 were identified by PubMed search. Studies where individuals were not the unit of analysis, those begun before 1994, and those not receiving federal funding were excluded. PubMed search located 512 published articles. After exclusion of ineligible articles, 86 (17%) remained for analysis. Results: Thirty studies were sex specific. The median enrollment of women in the 56 studies that included both men and women was 37%. Seventy-five percent of the studies did not report any outcomes by sex, including 9 studies reporting <20% women enrolled. Among all 86 studies, 21% did not report sample sizes by racial and ethnic groups, and 64% did not provide any analysis by racial or ethnic groups. Only 3 studies indicated that the generalizability of their results may be limited by lack of diversity among those studied. There were no statistically significant changes in inclusion or reporting of sex or race/ethnicity when compared with 2004. Conclusions: Ensuring enhanced inclusion, analysis, and reporting of sex and race/ethnicity entails the efforts of NIH, journal editors, and the researchers themselves. This is a copy of an article published in the Journal of Womens Health © 2011 [copyright Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.]; Journal of Womens Health is available online at: http://www.liebertonline.com. DOI: 10.1089/jwh.2010.2469