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  1. Article ; Online: Towards Critical Analysis of the Political Determinants of Health; Comment on “How Neoliberalism Is Shaping the Supply of Unhealthy Commodities and What This Means for NCD Prevention”

    Julia Smith

    International Journal of Health Policy and Management, Vol 9, Iss 3, Pp 121-

    2020  Volume 123

    Abstract: The recent perspective article “How Neoliberalism Is Shaping the Supply of Unhealthy Commodities and What This Means for NCD Prevention,” by Lencucha and Throw, interrogates how the dominant neoliberal paradigm restricts meaningful policy action to ... ...

    Abstract The recent perspective article “How Neoliberalism Is Shaping the Supply of Unhealthy Commodities and What This Means for NCD Prevention,” by Lencucha and Throw, interrogates how the dominant neoliberal paradigm restricts meaningful policy action to prevent non-communicable diseases (NCDs). It contributes an NCD perspective to the existing literature on neoliberalism and health, which to date has been dominated by a focus on HIV, gender and trade agreements. It further advances the emerging commercial determinants of health (CDoH) scholarship by calling for more nuanced analysis of how the governance of both health and the economy facilitates corporate influence in policy-making. In political science terms, Lencucha and Throw are calling for greater structural analysis. However, their focus on the pragmatic, as opposed to political, aspects of neoliberalism reflects a hesitancy within health scholarship to engage in political analysis. This depoliticization of health serves neoliberal interests by delegitimizing critical questions about who sustains and benefits from current institutional norms. Lencucha and Throw’s call for greater interrogation of the structures of neoliberalism forms a basis from which to advance analysis of the political determinants of health.
    Keywords neoliberalism ; governance ; politics ; global health ; critical ; Public aspects of medicine ; RA1-1270
    Subject code 360
    Language English
    Publishing date 2020-03-01T00:00:00Z
    Publisher Kerman University of Medical Sciences
    Document type Article ; Online
    Database BASE - Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (life sciences selection)

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  2. Article ; Online: Multifaceted precarity

    Alice Mũrage / Julia Smith

    BMC Public Health, Vol 23, Iss 1, Pp 1-

    pandemic experiences of recent immigrant women in the accommodation and food services sector

    2023  Volume 12

    Abstract: Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected those who face historical and ongoing marginalization. In centering pandemic experience of recent immigrant women in the accommodation and food services sector in Canada, we examine how their ... ...

    Abstract Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected those who face historical and ongoing marginalization. In centering pandemic experience of recent immigrant women in the accommodation and food services sector in Canada, we examine how their precarious work translated to experiences of work precarity and wellbeing. This paper illuminates how pre-existing and ongoing marginalization are reproduced during a health crisis for those at the intersection of gender, race, migration, and labour inequities. Using semi-structured interviews and systematic analysis using the Work Precarity Framework, we found that the pandemic exacerbated pre-existing socio-economic marginalization and resulted in unique experiences of work precarity. The latter was experienced as precarity of work (unpredictable work hours and job or employment insecurity), precarity from work (inadequate incomes), and precarity at work (physical, psychological, and relational unsafety). Work precarity stood out as a social determinant of health in relation to its outcome of degraded mental health and wellbeing. Recognizing the role of policies in producing, reproducing, and distributing precarity, we recommend policy directions to reduce social inequities in pandemic recovery.
    Keywords Work precarity ; Mental health ; COVID-19 pandemic ; Recent immigrant women ; Marginalization ; Accommodation and food services sector ; Public aspects of medicine ; RA1-1270
    Subject code 360
    Language English
    Publishing date 2023-12-01T00:00:00Z
    Publisher BMC
    Document type Article ; Online
    Database BASE - Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (life sciences selection)

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  3. Article ; Online: Social determinants of mental health among older adolescent girls living in urban informal settlements in Kenya and Nigeria during the COVID-19 pandemic

    Alice Mũrage / Anne Ngunjiri / Amy Oyekunle / Julia Smith

    Global Public Health, Vol 18, Iss

    2023  Volume 1

    Abstract: The health burden due to mental health has historically been underestimated with focus on communicable diseases and deaths and little consideration of disability and comorbidity effects of poor mental health. Recent data show increasing trends of mental ... ...

    Abstract The health burden due to mental health has historically been underestimated with focus on communicable diseases and deaths and little consideration of disability and comorbidity effects of poor mental health. Recent data show increasing trends of mental health disorders as a share of global health burdens and vulnerability of adolescents. This paper aims to explore social determinants of mental health as experienced by adolescent girls, drawing attention to gendered risks during the COVID-19 pandemic. Semi-structured interviews with twenty-two adolescent girls in urban informal settlements in Kenya and Nigeria reveal unique environmental, socio-cultural, economic and educational factors that threatened their mental wellbeing. The pandemic exacerbated these determinants. An equitable recovery will require a consideration of not only disproportional mental health outcomes, but also social determinants that contribute to these outcomes. As more than half of the urban population in sub-Saharan Africa reside in informal settlements, this study has implications for youth-focused mental health interventions in these and similar settings.
    Keywords mental health ; social determinants ; covid-19 pandemic ; gender ; informal settlements ; Public aspects of medicine ; RA1-1270
    Subject code 360
    Language English
    Publishing date 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z
    Publisher Taylor & Francis Group
    Document type Article ; Online
    Database BASE - Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (life sciences selection)

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  4. Article ; Online: A gendered content analysis of the World Health Organization's COVID-19 guidance and policies.

    Emily Tomsick / Julia Smith / Clare Wenham

    PLOS Global Public Health, Vol 2, Iss 6, p e

    2022  Volume 0000640

    Abstract: As with previous global public health emergencies, the COVID-19 pandemic has had distinct and disproportionate impacts on women and their health and livelihoods. As the leader in global public health, it is incumbent upon the World Health Organization ( ... ...

    Abstract As with previous global public health emergencies, the COVID-19 pandemic has had distinct and disproportionate impacts on women and their health and livelihoods. As the leader in global public health, it is incumbent upon the World Health Organization (WHO) to ensure gender is prioritized in pandemic response. We conducted a policy analysis of 338 WHO COVID-19 documents and found that only 20% explicitly discuss gender and over half do not mention women, gender, or sex at all. Considering the well documented gendered effects of pandemics and the WHO's commitment to gender mainstreaming, this paper: 1) asks to what degree and how the WHO incorporates a gender inclusive approach; 2) maps where and how gender considerations are included; and 3) analyses what this suggests about WHO's commitment to gender mainstreaming within its COVID-19 response and beyond. We demonstrate that WHO should increase its gender mainstreaming efforts and incorporate gender considerations related to health emergencies more often and in more policy areas.
    Keywords Public aspects of medicine ; RA1-1270
    Subject code 390
    Language English
    Publishing date 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z
    Publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
    Document type Article ; Online
    Database BASE - Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (life sciences selection)

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  5. Article ; Online: The gendered dimensions of the anti-mask and anti-lockdown movement on social media

    Ahmed Al-Rawi / Maliha Siddiqi / Clare Wenham / Julia Smith

    Humanities & Social Sciences Communications, Vol 9, Iss 1, Pp 1-

    2022  Volume 10

    Abstract: Abstract This paper examines the anti-mask and anti-lockdown online movement in connection to the COVID-19 pandemic. To combat the spread of the coronavirus, health officials around the world urged and/or mandated citizens to wear facemasks and adopt ... ...

    Abstract Abstract This paper examines the anti-mask and anti-lockdown online movement in connection to the COVID-19 pandemic. To combat the spread of the coronavirus, health officials around the world urged and/or mandated citizens to wear facemasks and adopt physical distancing measures. These health policies and guidelines have become highly politicized in some parts of the world, often discussed in association with freedom of choice and independence. We downloaded references to the anti-mask and anti-lockdown social media posts using 24 search terms. From a total of 4209 social media posts, the researchers manually filtered the explicit visual and textual content that is related to discussions of different genders. We used multimodal discourse analysis (MDM) which analyzes diverse modes of communicative texts and images and focuses on appeals to emotions and reasoning. Using the MDM approach, we analysed posts taken from Facebook and Instagram from active anti-mask and anti-lockdown users, and we identified three main discourses around the gendered discussion of the anti-mask movement including hypermasculine, sexist and pejorative portrayals of “Karen”, and appropriating freedom and feminism discourses. A better understanding of how social media users evoke gendered discourses to spread anti-mask and anti-lockdown messages can help researchers identify differing reactions toward pandemic measures.
    Keywords History of scholarship and learning. The humanities ; AZ20-999 ; Social Sciences ; H
    Subject code 100
    Language English
    Publishing date 2022-11-01T00:00:00Z
    Publisher Springer Nature
    Document type Article ; Online
    Database BASE - Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (life sciences selection)

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  6. Article ; Online: A Social Cure for COVID-19

    Selima Sara Kabir / Amal Chowdhury / Julia Smith / Rosemary Morgan / Clare Wenham / Sabina Faiz Rashid

    Social Sciences, Vol 12, Iss 127, p

    Importance of Networks in Combatting Socio-Economic and Emotional Health Challenges in Informal Settlements in Dhaka, Bangladesh

    2023  Volume 127

    Abstract: The Bangladesh government issued a lockdown throughout the country from March–May 2020 in response to the COVID-19. The sudden lockdown caused economic ruptures across the country due to job loss. We conducted a comprehensive analysis of the outbreak ... ...

    Abstract The Bangladesh government issued a lockdown throughout the country from March–May 2020 in response to the COVID-19. The sudden lockdown caused economic ruptures across the country due to job loss. We conducted a comprehensive analysis of the outbreak through 40 in-depth interviews with men and women living in three Dhaka informal settlements from January to November 2021 to identify gaps to mitigate negative downstream effects of global pandemic policies. In this paper, we explore the critical importance of social networks as coping mechanisms for those who lost livelihood due to COVID-19 lockdown. Due to the congested living conditions in informal settlements, many established residents foster close, trusting relationships, and a strong sense of community. Formal and informal networks in urban slums, whether reciprocal or strategic, played an integral role as a way of coping during times of scarcity. We found limited analysis in public health literature on the resilience of these social networks and its impact on health and wellbeing. Our paper attempts to unpack the ways our respondents drew on their own social networks to combat the socio-economic and emotional health challenges brought on by a lack of adequate formalized support as part of the pandemic response.
    Keywords COVID-19 ; gender ; social networks ; financial insecurity ; food insecurity ; stress buffering ; Social Sciences ; H
    Subject code 360 ; 300
    Language English
    Publishing date 2023-02-01T00:00:00Z
    Publisher MDPI AG
    Document type Article ; Online
    Database BASE - Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (life sciences selection)

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  7. Article ; Online: How does the British Soft Drink Association respond to media research reporting on the health consequences of sugary drinks?

    Marco Zenone / Diego Silva / Julia Smith / Kelley Lee

    Globalization and Health, Vol 17, Iss 1, Pp 1-

    2021  Volume 8

    Abstract: Abstract Background Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are the leading global source of added sugar intake and their consumption is associated with negative health outcomes, such as diabetes, cancers, cardiovascular diseases, and overall mortality. Despite ...

    Abstract Abstract Background Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are the leading global source of added sugar intake and their consumption is associated with negative health outcomes, such as diabetes, cancers, cardiovascular diseases, and overall mortality. Despite consensus within the public health community about the need to reduce sugar intake, the non-alcoholic beverage industry engages in efforts to publicly undermine the evidence base surrounding the harmful effects of SSBs. There has been limited investigation of how SSB industry actors engage in public debates to challenge public health research and policy on SSBs. To address this gap, we thematically analyze the public comments and press releases of the British Soft Drinks Association (BSDA) since May 2014. Results A total of 175 news articles and 7 press releases were identified where the BSDA commented upon new SSB research in public settings. In these comments, four strategies were observed to undermine new research. First, the BSDA challenged study rigour and research design (n = 150). They challenged the policy implications of research by stating observational studies do not demonstrate causation, refuted data sources, questioned researcher motivations, and claimed research design did not account for confounding factors. Second, the BSDA positioned themselves as an altruistic public health partner (n = 52) intent on improving population-level nutrition citing their voluntary industry commitments. Third, the BSDA promoted concepts of safety that align with industry interests (n = 47). Lastly, the BSDA argued that the lifestyle of individual consumers should be the focus of public health interventions rather than the industry (n = 61). Conclusion The findings illustrate the BSDA reliance on arguments of causation to discredit research and avoid policy interventions. Given the attention by the BSDA regarding the purported lack of evidence of causation between SSBs and non-communicable diseases, it is imperative that members of the public health community try to ...
    Keywords Sugar-sweetened beverages ; Sugary drinks ; Evidence ; Public health ; Commercial determinants of health ; Precautionary ; Public aspects of medicine ; RA1-1270
    Subject code 306
    Language English
    Publishing date 2021-07-01T00:00:00Z
    Publisher BMC
    Document type Article ; Online
    Database BASE - Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (life sciences selection)

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  8. Article ; Online: Serious games for serious crises

    Julia Smith / Nathan Sears / Ben Taylor / Madeline Johnson

    Globalization and Health, Vol 16, Iss 1, Pp 1-

    reflections from an infectious disease outbreak matrix game

    2020  Volume 8

    Abstract: Abstract Background While there is widespread recognition of global health failures when it comes to infectious disease outbreaks, there is little discussion on how policy-makers and global health organizations can learn to better prepare and respond. ... ...

    Abstract Abstract Background While there is widespread recognition of global health failures when it comes to infectious disease outbreaks, there is little discussion on how policy-makers and global health organizations can learn to better prepare and respond. Serious games provide an underutilized tool to promote learning and innovation around global health crises. In order to explore the potential of Serious Games as a policy learning tool, Global Affairs Canada, in collaboration with the Department of National Defense and academic partners, developed and implemented a matrix game aimed at prompting critical reflection and gender-based analysis on infectious disease outbreak preparedness and response. This commentary, written by the core development team, reflects on the process and outcomes of the gaming exercise, which we believe will be of interest to others hoping to promote innovative thinking and learning around global health policy and crisis response, as well as the application of serious games more broadly. Main body Participants reported, through discussions and a post-game survey, that they felt the game was reflective of real-world decision-making and priority-setting challenges during a crisis. They reflected on the challenges that emerge around global health co-operation and outbreak preparedness, particularly noting the importance of learning to work with private actors. While participants only sporadically applied gender-based analysis or considered the social determinants of health during the game, post-game discussions led to reflection on the ways in which equity concerns are put aside during a crisis scenario and on why this happens, offering critical learning opportunities. Conclusion Matrix games provide opportunities for policy-makers and health professionals to experience the challenges of global health co-operation, test ideas and explore how biases, such as those around gender, influence policy-making and implementation. Due to their flexibility, adaptability and accessibility, serious games ...
    Keywords Games ; Training ; Outbreaks ; Health security ; Gender ; Public aspects of medicine ; RA1-1270
    Subject code 700
    Language English
    Publishing date 2020-03-01T00:00:00Z
    Publisher BMC
    Document type Article ; Online
    Database BASE - Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (life sciences selection)

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  9. Article ; Online: “All Weather Friends”

    Jennifer Fang / Lauren De Souza / Julia Smith / Kelley Lee

    International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Vol 17, Iss 3, p

    How China Transformed Zimbabwe’s Tobacco Sector

    2020  Volume 723

    Abstract: Recent research documents the globalization strategy of the Chinese tobacco industry since the early 2000s and risks posed to global health. There are limited analyses to date of how this strategy is playing out in specific countries. This paper analyses ...

    Abstract Recent research documents the globalization strategy of the Chinese tobacco industry since the early 2000s and risks posed to global health. There are limited analyses to date of how this strategy is playing out in specific countries. This paper analyses the expansion of the China National Tobacco Company (CNTC) in Zimbabwe, the largest producer of tobacco leaf globally, since the early 2000s, through document analysis. It applies a political economy framework—identifying material, ideational and institutional forces—to demonstrate how CNTC capitalized on the unique features of China-Africa development cooperation to pursue its expansion goals, which threaten global public health efforts to reduce tobacco supply. In a context of economic crisis, CNTC offered substantial resources to revive Zimbabwe’s tobacco industry, promoting a shift to contract farming of its preferred leaf. It benefited from perceptions of state friendship, which it fostered through corporate social responsibility initiatives. Through ties with the Chinese embassy and economic actors, CNTC embedded its interests in development institutions. While contributing to improved foreign exchange earnings and some farmers’ livelihoods, CNTC’s expansion has increased the dependence on China as a development partner and tobacco as a crop, benefitting its “go global” strategy, while contributing to public health and environmental challenges locally and globally. The expansion of the Chinese tobacco industry interests in Zimbabwe offers lessons for global tobacco control and efforts to support alternatives to tobacco growing.
    Keywords tobacco ; china ; zimbabwe ; development ; aid ; globalization ; agriculture ; tobacco control policies ; tobacco farming ; tobacco supply ; Medicine ; R
    Subject code 950
    Language English
    Publishing date 2020-01-01T00:00:00Z
    Publisher MDPI AG
    Document type Article ; Online
    Database BASE - Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (life sciences selection)

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  10. Article ; Online: Gendered and differential effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on paid and unpaid work in Nigeria

    Alice Mũrage / Amy Oyekunle / Uche Ralph-Opara / Patience Agada / Julia Smith / Kate Hawkins / Rosemary Morgan

    Cogent Social Sciences, Vol 8, Iss

    2022  Volume 1

    Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent policy responses continue to have widespread social and economic effects across the globe. These effects are not experienced equally. Taking Lagos as a case study, we explored gendered and differential effects of ... ...

    Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent policy responses continue to have widespread social and economic effects across the globe. These effects are not experienced equally. Taking Lagos as a case study, we explored gendered and differential effects of COVID-19 and subsequent policy responses on paid and unpaid work. Using an intersectionality framework and qualitative methodology, we analyze how social divisions interacted, contributing to individual experiences of the pandemic. Drawing on gender-disaggregated interviews with sixty market traders, adolescents, persons with disabilities, and health workers, we bring to the forefront nuanced experiences of marginalization and social inequalities which are often invisible or ignored. We find gender to be a crucial social division in the experience of paid and unpaid work in Nigeria, with other divisions such as occupation, age, ability, class, and parenthood further determining the extent of this experience. Consequently, we offer insights for social and policy actions that can ameliorate identified inequalities. We encourage other researchers to adopt an intersectional approach in research that contributes to building back better in the aftermath of the pandemic.
    Keywords COVID-19 pandemic ; gender ; intersectionality ; unpaid work ; paid work ; Social Sciences ; H
    Subject code 300
    Language English
    Publishing date 2022-12-01T00:00:00Z
    Publisher Taylor & Francis Group
    Document type Article ; Online
    Database BASE - Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (life sciences selection)

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