Disparities Among Leading Publishers of Arthroplasty Research

BackgroundDespite the importance of diversity in advancing scientific progress, diversity among leading authors in arthroplasty has not been examined. This study aimed to identify, characterize, and assess disparities among leading authors in arthroplasty literature from 2002 to 2019.MethodsArticles published between 2002 and 2019 from 12 academic journals that publish orthopedic and arthroplasty research were extracted from PubMed. Original articles containing keywords related to arthroplasty were analyzed. Author gender was assigned using the Genderize algorithm. Gender and characterization of the top 100 male and female authors utilized available information on academic profiles.ResultsFrom the 14,692 articles that met inclusion criteria, the genders of 23,626 unique authors were identified. Women were less likely than men to publish 5 years after beginning their publishing careers (adjusted odds ratio 0.51, 95% confidence interval 0.45-0.57, P < .001). Of the top 100 authors, 96 were men, while only 4 were women. Orthopedic surgeons made up 93 of 100 top authors, of which 92 were men and 1 was a woman. Among the top 10 publishing female and male authors, 10 of 10 men were orthopedic surgeons, only 2 of 10 women were physicians, and only one was an attending orthopedic surgeon.ConclusionWhile the majority of authors with high arthroplasty publication volume were orthopedic surgeons, there were significant gender disparities among the leading researchers. We should continue working to increase gender representation and supporting the research careers of women in arthroplasty.     

Socioeconomic status and the effectiveness of treatment for first‐episode psychosis

ObjectiveTo assess whether patient socioeconomic status (SES) moderates the effectiveness of coordinated specialty care for first‐episode psychosis and to investigate possible mechanisms.Data SourcesA secondary analysis of data from the RAISE‐ETP Trial, which was conducted from 2010‐2014.Study DesignRAISE‐ETP was a cluster‐randomized trial comparing a coordinated specialty care (CSC) intervention called NAVIGATE with usual community care. We constructed a patient SES index based on parental education, parental occupational prestige, and race/ethnicity. After identifying correlates of SES, we used OLS regression analysis to estimate treatment effects on the major study outcomes across quartiles of the index. We also examined whether correlates of SES including the duration of untreated psychosis (DUP), and participation in NAVIGATE might account for the observed difference in effectiveness of CSC by SES.Principal FindingsThe trial sample had a similar SES distribution to the US population, and SES was positively correlated with all mental health outcomes and several potential moderators at baseline. CSC substantially improved the main trial outcomes compared to community care for patients in the highest SES quartile but had small and statistically insignificant benefits for the remaining 75% of patients. Intervention participation rates and several potential moderators did not explain this disparity.ConclusionsCSC may be more effective for high‐SES patients with early psychosis than low‐SES patients. Additional research is needed to understand why CSC is less effective for low‐SES patients and to develop methods to increase effectiveness for this subgroup.     

Older gay men's engagement with physical activity: A scoping review

Older gay men experience an elevated prevalence of adverse health conditions that may be compounded by age-related deterioration. Some of these conditions may be ameliorated by regular adherence to physical activity (PA). However, many gay men participate in less PA than their age-matched heterosexual counterparts. With a focus on gay men aged 60 and over, the aims of this review were to examine the evidence for older gay men's engagement with PA and the research approaches used to describe this group. A systematic search of six academic databases (Academic Search Premier, Cinahl, PubMed, Sport Discus, APA PsychInfo and APA PsychArticles) generated 23 papers from 1970 to 2020 that focused on older gay men's engagement with PA. Although surveys were well represented in the literature, further studies utilising qualitative methodological frameworks have the potential to inform targeted interventional programs aimed at reducing less health disparities. The value of PA in older adults lies principally in improved performance of activities of daily living, independent living, increased longevity, decreased cognitive decline and improved mental well-being.     

Measurement Issues in Health Disparities Research

Background. Racial and ethnic disparities in health and health care have been documented; the elimination of such disparities is currently part of a national agenda. In order to meet this national objective, it is necessary that measures identify accurately the true prevalence of the construct of interest across diverse groups. Measurement error might lead to biased results, e.g., estimates of prevalence, magnitude of risks, and differences in mean scores. Addressing measurement issues in the assessment of health status may contribute to a better understanding of health issues in cross-cultural research.
Objective. To provide a brief overview of issues regarding measurement in diverse populations.
Findings. Approaches used to assess the magnitude and nature of bias in measures when applied to diverse groups include qualitative analyses, classic psychometric studies, as well as more modern psychometric methods. These approaches should be applied sequentially, and/or iteratively during the development of measures.
Conclusions. Investigators performing comparative studies face the challenge of addressing measurement equivalence, crucial for obtaining accurate results in cross-cultural comparisons.     

Neighborhood-level risk and resilience factors: an emerging issue in childhood asthma epidemiology

Evaluation of: Gupta RS, Zhang X, Sharp LK, Shannon JJ, Weiss KB. The protective effect of community factors on childhood asthma. J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. 123(6), 1297–1304.e2 (2009).

The recent increase in the prevalence of asthma in children is now recognized as the result of a complex interplay of genetic, sociodemographic and environmental factors. Multilevel models simultaneously account for neighborhood characteristics that may be related to childhood asthma, independently of individual-level attributes. Most research that focuses on the physical and social characteristics of neighborhoods to explain disparities in childhood asthma assess such factors as persistent poverty, residential racial segregation and environmental degradation. Researchers have only begun to test models that specifically focus on risk and protective factors at the community/neighborhood level in relation to asthma. Social capital, which measures norms of reciprocity, social ties between neighborhood residents and civic engagement has the potential to buffer the effects of neighborhood risk factors on childhood asthma. Further research, specifically longitudinal studies, needs to be carried out to determine whether findings on neighborhood-level risk and protective factors can guide the development of preventive interventions for childhood asthma.