Browsing 4. EI Fellow Publications and Resources by Title
Now showing items 81-100 of 110
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Qualitative evaluation of enabling factors and barriers to the success and sustainability of national public health institutes in Cambodia, Colombia, Liberia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda and Zambia
(2022-03-03)
Objectives: The success of National Public Health Institutes (NPHIs) in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) is critical to countries’ ability to deliver public health services to their populations and effectively respond to public health emergencies. However, empirical data are limited on factors that promote or are barriers to the sustainability of NPHIs. This evaluation explored stakeholders’ perceptions about enabling factors and barriers to the success and sustainability of NPHIs in seven countries where the U.S. Centers for Disease ... -
A qualitative exploration of factors that influence the uptake of tuberculosis services by low-skilled migrant workers in Singapore
(2023-09-02)
Introduction: Singapore relies heavily on migrant workers to build its country and harbours a relatively large population of these workers. Importantly, tuberculosis (TB) remains a pernicious threat to the health of these workers and in line with the United Nations High-Level Meeting in 2023, this paper aims to uncover the qualitative discourse facing migrant workers’ uptake of TB services and provide policy recommendations to enable more equitable access to TB services for this population. Methods: In-depth interviews were carried out with ... -
A qualitative exploration of tuberculosis patients who were lost to follow-up in Malaysia
(2023-09-07)
Background: Loss to follow-up (LTFU) is an unsuccessful treatment outcome for tuberculosis (TB) patients. In Malaysia, LTFU affects around 1 in 20 TB patients. Integration of qualitative research methods and evidence will provide a better understanding of LTFU and its underlying issues. In this study, we qualitatively explored TB patients’ experiences in receiving treatment and their reasons for leaving TB care. Method: In-depth interviews of 15 patients with a history of LTFU were conducted from January to September 2020. Interview ... -
A qualitative study on gender barriers to eye care access in Cambodia
(2018-08-29)
Background: The Fred Hollows Foundation (FHF) Cambodia recently partnered with the Ministry of Women’s Affairs (MoWA) and National Program for Eye Health (NPEH, part of the Ministry of Health) to establish the Gender Equality in Eye Health Project. As part of this project, a qualitative study was carried out to identify barriers affecting women’s access to eye health in Cambodia. Methods: A cross-sectional qualitative study was conducted in four provinces in both urban and rural locations between May and June 2015. Purposive sampling was ... -
Refining index to measure physical activity inequality: which group of the population is the most vulnerable?
(2022-08-31)
Background: The existing body of research mostly discusses inequality in physical activity (PA) based on the difference in the level of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Evidence is lacking on the quantified inequality measures (e.g., how big the inequality is, and the distribution) in order to identify the most vulnerable groups of a population. This study measured PA inequality among Thai adults by using three parameters to construct an inequality index: (1) Proportion of the population with sufficient MVPA; (2) Cumulative minutes ... -
Report card grades on physical activity for children and adolescents from 18 Asian countries: Patterns, trends, gaps, and future recommendations
(2022-10-29)
Background/Objective: Physical inactivity is a persistent and worsening population health concern in Asia. Led by the Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance, Global Matrix (GM) initiative provides an opportunity to explore how regional and cultural differences across 18 Asian countries relate to physical activity (PA) participation among children and adolescents. The purpose of study was to synthesize evidence from the GM2.0 to GM4.0 (2016–2022) in Asian countries. Methods: Report Card grades on behavioral/individual and sources of influence ... -
Resilience and Health-Related Quality of Life among Hepatitis C Patients in Pahang, Malaysia
(2022-01-01)
Background: Hepatitis C is one of the most common causes of liver disease worldwide. Health impacts of hepatitis C are not limited to physical morbidity but include psychosocial dimensions such as quality of life (QOL), depression, anxiety, and stigmatization. In Malaysia, modifiable factors that can improve QOL among hepatitis C patients have not been adequately studied. Resilience – defined as the capacity to endure hardships and rebound from life adversities – is associated with mental health and well-being. Our study aims to test the association ... -
Risk Communication Distributed among Migrant Workers during the COVID-19 Crisis in Thailand: Analysis on Structural and Networking Gaps
(2022-10-12)
Language and cultural barriers among migrant workers hamper access to health risk information. This study aims to explore health risk communication structure and processes and identify the communication network of migrant workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand. This study used a parallel mixed-methods design combined with in-depth interviews and questionnaires for social network analysis from November 2020 to June 2021 in the headquarter district of Samut Sakhon, Ranong, and Phuket provinces. We conducted purposive sampling of representatives ... -
Saving babies’ lives (SBL) – a programme to reduce neonatal mortality in rural Cambodia: study protocol for a stepped-wedge cluster-randomised trial
(2021-09-07)
Background: Neonatal mortality remains unacceptably high. Many studies successful at reducing neonatal mortality have failed to realise similar gains at scale. Effective implementation and scale-up of interventions designed to tackle neonatal mortality is a global health priority. Multifaceted programmes targeting the continuum of neonatal care, with sustainability and scalability built into the design, can provide practical insights to solve this challenge. Cambodia has amongst the highest neonatal mortality rates in South-East Asia, with rural ... -
Saving more lives on time: Strategic policy implementation and financial inclusion for safe abortion in Indonesia during COVID-19 and beyond
(2022-09-06)
Abortion is common in Indonesia, with 79% being unsafe. Unsafe abortion is one of the top five causes of maternal deaths globally. Meanwhile, in Indonesia, the maternal mortality rate (MMR) is still high, with up to 30% of it being related to unsafe abortion. In the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of unsafe abortions is expected to increase along with a 15–30% increase in unintended pregnancies. This will add to the number of maternal deaths on top of direct deaths caused by COVID-19. In Indonesia, access to safe abortion is still limited based on ... -
Self-assessment of attitudes towards conditions to provide safe abortion among new medical graduates in Thailand, 2018: an application of cross-sectional survey with factor analysis
(2021-07-21)
Background: Unsafe abortion is one of the major public health problems in Thailand. Although the penal code of Thailand and the Thai Medical Council permit doctors to perform safe abortion in certain conditions, little is known about the attitudes that new medical doctors have towards abortion. The objectives of this article are to explore the attitudes towards abortion in certain conditions among new medical graduates and to identify factors related to those attitudes. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2018 among 2017 medical ... -
Sexual and reproductive health literacy of school adolescents in Lao PDR
(2019-01-16)
Rationale: Adolescent pregnancy in Lao PDR is the highest in Southeast Asia. It leads to negative health and social consequences in young people. It is anticipated that this problem is partly caused by limited sexual and reproductive health literacy (SRHL), leading to poor sexual and reproductive health (SRH) decisions. Based on the concept of health literacy, SRHL goes beyond knowledge and behavior and is the self-perceived ability of an individual to access the needed information, understand the information, appraise and apply the information ... -
Social capital in the prevention and management of non-communicable diseases among migrants and refugees: a systematic review and meta-ethnography.
(2021-12-05)
Globally, the burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) falls disproportionately on underserved populations. Migrants and refugees are particularly vulnerable due to economic instability and systemic poverty. Despite the myriad of health risks faced by migrants and refugees, access to appropriate healthcare is hindered by structural, cultural and socioeconomic barriers. We conducted a systematic review and meta-ethnography to obtain critical insight into how the interplay of social capital and structural factors (eg, state policies and socioeconomic ... -
The social determinants of chronic disease management: perspectives of elderly patients with hypertension from low socio-economic background in Singapore
(2019-01-03)
Background: In Singapore, the burden of hypertension disproportionately falls on the elderly population of low socio-economic status. Despite availability of effective treatment, studies have shown high prevalence of sub-optimal blood pressure control in this group. Poor hypertension management can be attributed to a number of personal factors including awareness, management skills and overall adherence to treatment. However, these factors are also closely linked to a broader range of community and policy factors. This paper explores the perceived ... -
Socio-demographic and geographic disparities of population-level food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand
(2023-01-13)
Introduction: This study investigated the prevalence of food insecurity, and the association between socio-demographic and geographic factors and food insecurity in Thailand during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The study extracted data on 5,066 persons age 15 years or older from a nationally-representative sample survey of Thai households, conducted during June-December 2021. The respondents were asked about food insecurity, socio-demographic characteristics, debt, and role of the primary household food provider. Binary logistic regression ... -
Socioeconomic inequalities in effective service coverage for reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health: a comparative analysis of 39 low-income and middle-income countries
(2021-09-07)
Background: Reducing socioeconomic inequalities in access to good quality health care is key for countries to achieve Universal Health Coverage. This study aims to assess socioeconomic inequalities in effective coverage of reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health (RMNCH) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Methods: Using the most recent national health surveys from 39 LMICs (between 2014 and 2018), we calculated coverage indicators using effective coverage care cascade that consists of service contact, crude coverage, ... -
Stigma of mental illness and cultural factors in Pacific Rim region: a systematic review
(2021-01-07)
Background: Although cultural factors play a crucial role in experience of stigma, there is scant review on the impact and importance of culture on stigma of mental illness across Pacific Rim Region. This study aims to investigate: 1) the cultural factors related to stigmatizing beliefs about mental illness in Pacific Rim region, and 2) culture-specific measures and interventions on stigma of mental illness. Methods: A systematic search of papers was conducted in the MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, PsycINFO, Scopus, Cochrane Library ... -
Strengthening the migrant-friendliness of Thai health services through interpretation and cultural mediation: a system analysis
(2020-12-08)
Background: In addition to healthcare entitlements, ‘migrant-friendly health services’ in Thailand include interpretation and cultural mediation services which aim to reduce language and cultural barriers between health personnel and migrants. Although the Thai Government started implementing these services in 2003, challenges in providing them still remain. This study aims to analyse the health system functions which support the interpretation and cultural mediation services of migrant health worker (MHW) and migrant health volunteer (MHV) ... -
Strong structuration analysis of patterns of adherence to hypertension medication
(2022-05-18)
Achieving blood pressure control is among the highest priorities for reducing the burden of cardiovascular diseases globally. Control is poor in the Philippines, especially in socioeconomically marginalised communities. This paper explores long-term adherence to anti-hypertensive medication in these communities, identifying 4 distinct medication adherence patterns. We draw on Strong Structuration Theory to explore motivations of action for those who are consistently adherent, consistently non-adherent, and those who became more or less adherent ... -
System dynamics modelling of health workforce planning to address future challenges of Thailand’s Universal Health Coverage
(2021-03-10)
Background: System dynamics (SD) modelling can inform policy decisions under Thailand's Universal Health Coverage. We report on this thinking approach to Thailand's strategic health workforce planning for the next 20 years (2018–2037). Methods: A series of group model building (GMB) sessions involving 110 participants from multi-sectors of Thailand's health systems was conducted in 2017 and 2018. We facilitated policymakers, administrators, practitioners and other stakeholders to co-create a causal loop diagram (CLD) representing a shared ...