{"title":"Inequalities in the Utilization of Recommended Antenatal Care in india: Further Analyses of the Poor-non-Poor Divide.","authors":"Suraj Sharma","doi":"10.1177/27551938251345658","DOIUrl":"10.1177/27551938251345658","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The present research tries to explore unequal access to recommended antenatal care (RANC) among groups and subgroups, especially between poor and non-poor mothers in India. This study used data from the National Family Health Survey 2019-2021. Early initiation for antenatal care (ANC), husband's presence during ANC, pregnancy complications, exposure to mass media, birth interval, and pregnancy wantedness were factors affecting the utilization of RANC. Mothers who were educated, belonged to the Other Backward Classes (OBC) and General social group, were Christian and Sikh, resided in urban areas, were non-poor, and were located in western and southern regions had a significantly higher likelihood of receiving the RANC. The lowest RANC levels were found in the central region, regardless of caste or place of residence. Compared to the other regions, mothers who were poor from the western and southern regions had higher odds of receiving the RANC in their category of poor and even larger odds than women in non-poor categories from various regions. The decomposition analyses revealed that the largest factor explaining the poor and non-poor gaps in utilization of RANC was the region, followed by mothers' education, mothers' exposure to mass media, and place of residence.</p>","PeriodicalId":73479,"journal":{"name":"International journal of social determinants of health and health services","volume":" ","pages":"477-487"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144183634","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Deborah Yates, Kim Brislane, Jennifer Coles, Elham Hosseini-Beheshti, Anthony Linton
{"title":"Comment on the Paper by Cavalin et al. The Banning of Engineered Stone in Australia: An Evidence-based and Precautionary Policy.","authors":"Deborah Yates, Kim Brislane, Jennifer Coles, Elham Hosseini-Beheshti, Anthony Linton","doi":"10.1177/27551938251344405","DOIUrl":"10.1177/27551938251344405","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":73479,"journal":{"name":"International journal of social determinants of health and health services","volume":" ","pages":"424-427"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144638788","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Wealth Extraction from a Nursing Home Chain With Individual, Private Equity, and Real Estate Owners.","authors":"Charlene A Harrington","doi":"10.1177/27551938251335565","DOIUrl":"10.1177/27551938251335565","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>For-profit nursing home (NH) chains have become increasingly financialized in order to maximize short-term profits. This descriptive case study focused on the wealth extraction from a mid-sized for-profit California NH chain, from its founding in 1999 until its sale in 2021. The chain had individual founders/owners, a private equity owner, and a real estate group owner. The aims were to analyze the chain's (<i>a</i>) history and profits, organizational structure, and board; (<i>b</i>) management, operations, and strategies; (<i>c</i>) financial status; and (<i>d</i>) quality outcomes. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected and analyzed from multiple public and private sources. The company grew to 63 NHs and related companies with an estimated enterprise value of US$1.3 billion in 2020, while making substantial profits for its owners. The private equity owners had a strong, direct influence on the chain's organizational structure, board, management, operations, strategies, and financial controls from 2016-2020. Its cost controls appeared to be associated with a negative impact on NH nurse staffing levels, nursing wages, turnover rates, resident complaints, penalties, and litigation. Future research should study NH policies that improve ownership and financial transparency while ensuring that government funds are used for NH residents and care providers.</p>","PeriodicalId":73479,"journal":{"name":"International journal of social determinants of health and health services","volume":" ","pages":"441-454"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12371139/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144060002","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Temporal Impact of Socioeconomic Deprivation on Child Health Outcomes in India: Evidence from the Demographic Health Survey 2015-2021.","authors":"Charu Tayal, Rajesh Sharma, Kusum Lata","doi":"10.1177/27551938251353008","DOIUrl":"10.1177/27551938251353008","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In India, poor child health is a pertinacious issue. This article investigates the impact of water and sanitation, maternal health care service utilization (MHCSU) and breastfeeding practices on under-five child health outcomes (CHOs) in India using the two rounds of the Indian Demographic and Health Survey (DHS), 2015-2016 and 2019-2021. In 2019-2021, unprotected sources of drinking water were associated with an increased prevalence of under-five wasting. Unimproved sanitation facilities were likely to increase the prevalence of under-five stunting; however, unlike in DHS 2015-2016, it had no statistically significant effect on wasting and underweight (2019-2021). Mothers who had not received at least four antenatal care visits were more likely to have stunted and underweight children (2019-2021). The absence of early initiation of breastfeeding was associated with an increased prevalence of under-five wasting and underweight but did not influence CHOs (2015-2016). In 2019-2021, the absence of exclusive breastfeeding for the initial six months was associated with increased odds of stunting and underweight among children. To improve CHOs, policymakers must focus on providing financial, material, and human resources along with soft knowledge to provide hygiene education and promote MHCSU, breastfeeding practices, engagement with frontline health workers and women's empowerment.</p>","PeriodicalId":73479,"journal":{"name":"International journal of social determinants of health and health services","volume":" ","pages":"488-505"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144638790","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Daniel Eisenkraft Klein, Quinn Grundy, Benjamin Hawkins, Robert Schwartz
{"title":"Reframing the Overdose Crisis: Stigma, Industry Influence, and the Politics of Abuse-Deterrent Opioids.","authors":"Daniel Eisenkraft Klein, Quinn Grundy, Benjamin Hawkins, Robert Schwartz","doi":"10.1177/27551938251378941","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/27551938251378941","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Between 2013 and 2017, Canadian federal policymakers grappled with mandating abuse-deterrent formulations (ADFs) for oxycodone products as a response to the overdose crisis. Marketed as a safeguard against misuse and diversion, ADFs promised a technological fix to opioid-related harms, yet their population-level effectiveness remained contested. This study systematically analyzes federal parliamentary debates and committee hearings, identifying key arguments in framings to support or oppose ADF mandates. Proponents framed the crisis through the lens of individual misuse, positioning ADFs as pharmaceutical safeguards that protected \"legitimate\" patients while curbing illicit opioid use. Opponents challenged ADFs' effectiveness, highlighted Purdue Pharma's role in the crisis, and warned of unintended consequences, including shifts to more dangerous illicit markets. These discursive struggles reinforced a bifurcation between \"legitimate\" and \"illegitimate\" opioid use, shaping perceptions of responsibility, medical necessity, and the scope of appropriate intervention. Divergent framings reflected deeper ideological fissures over the etiology of the overdose crisis and who should be considered a justifiable opioid patient. By demonstrating how ADF debates entrenched a dichotomy between acceptable and unacceptable opioid use, this study advances theories of problem framing to demonstrate how policy debates actively shape regulatory paradigms and the boundaries of acceptable government intervention.</p>","PeriodicalId":73479,"journal":{"name":"International journal of social determinants of health and health services","volume":" ","pages":"27551938251378941"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145180069","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Osama Tanous, Yara M Asi, Bram Wispelwey, David Mills, Weeam Hammoudeh, Rania Muhareb
{"title":"The Formation and Transformation of Medical Apartheid in Palestine: A Historical Examination.","authors":"Osama Tanous, Yara M Asi, Bram Wispelwey, David Mills, Weeam Hammoudeh, Rania Muhareb","doi":"10.1177/27551938251380186","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/27551938251380186","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Apartheid is clearly defined as a crime against humanity under international law, involving inhuman(e) acts committed in the context of systematic oppression and domination by one racial group over any other. The term apartheid has long been used to describe the experience of the Palestinian people. Despite its increased use in recent years, the term \"medical apartheid\" has not been as formally defined by public health bodies. In this article, we use a settler colonial lens to track the formation and expansion of health care services in Palestine/Israel that has mirrored the current reality of systematic oppression and domination, where Jewish Israelis and Palestinians across fragmented geographies enjoy differential access to the full enjoyment of their right to health. We examine the development of the health care services accessible to Palestinians to explore larger notions of statehood/statelessness, (denial of) sovereignty, citizenship, de-development, dependency, humanitarianism, and aid as they shape the life, health, illness, and death of Palestinians. By exploring the historical events that led to the formation of separate and unequal health care systems, built by and for different populations in Palestine/Israel, we identify the contours of Israel's medical apartheid system.</p>","PeriodicalId":73479,"journal":{"name":"International journal of social determinants of health and health services","volume":" ","pages":"27551938251380186"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145152126","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Decimation of Gaza's Health Care System-Hospitals Destroyed and Lives Endangered.","authors":"Bilal Hamamra, Maysa Abuzant, Fayez Mahamid","doi":"10.1177/27551938251378096","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/27551938251378096","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Israel's escalation of genocidal violence and apartheid policies in Gaza, particularly after October 7, 2023, has intentionally targeted health care systems as part of a strategy to annihilate Palestinian life, which has significantly degraded the lives of Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip. This exploratory study aimed to analyze the health crisis faced by the Palestinian health system following the recent Israeli war on the Gaza Strip. The study involved thirty participants from diverse professions, including doctors, nurses, midwives, hospital administrators, paramedics, pharmacists, humanitarian workers, mothers, and other health care providers from the Gaza Strip. Thematic content analysis of the interview transcripts led to the identification of five main themes: (<i>a</i>) collapse of health care infrastructure; (<i>b</i>) loss of medical personnel and resources; (<i>c</i>) maternal and infant health; (<i>d</i>) the spread of preventable and contagious diseases; and (<i>e</i>) mental health challenges for health care providers and patients. Establishing political freedom, ensuring human rights, and dismantling structural inequities are essential to safeguarding health and survival in Gaza. The health crisis in Gaza is a direct result of Israel's genocidal policies, and addressing this crisis requires ensuring accountability, dismantling apartheid structures, and restoring Palestinian sovereignty.</p>","PeriodicalId":73479,"journal":{"name":"International journal of social determinants of health and health services","volume":" ","pages":"27551938251378096"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145076116","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lucinda Cash-Gibson, Helena M Constante, João L Bastos
{"title":"Intersectional Analysis of Health Inequalities Research Authorship in the United Kingdom (1970-2023): Towards an Inclusive Scholarship?","authors":"Lucinda Cash-Gibson, Helena M Constante, João L Bastos","doi":"10.1177/27551938251375863","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/27551938251375863","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Gender inequalities in authorship have extensively been investigated, yet evidence on ethnic inequalities remains limited, with even fewer studies examining the intersections of the two. Our study aims to identify and measure the magnitude of intersectional (gender-by-ethnicity) inequalities among United Kingdom (U.K.)-affiliated-first authors in health inequalities research (1970-2023), and investigate how ethnic inequalities are distributed between and within gender groups over time. The study focuses on U.K. authorship due to its long health inequalities research tradition. We conducted bibliometric analysis of the health inequalities field using the Scopus database, limiting our analysis to U.K.-affiliated authors. Based on first and family names, four strategies were adopted to identify the authors' gender; the Consumer Data Research Centre's Ethnicity Estimator software was used to identify their ethnicity. Despite a decline in the representation of White male first authors over time, all other intersectional groups-especially Black/British Caribbean and Asian/British Bangladeshi authors-show markedly lower representation overall and consistently, with minimal contributions compared to their White male and female counterparts. Our findings offer a nuanced understanding of how different social groups have contributed to the U.K.'s health inequalities research field over time. Addressing these epistemic injustices is essential to enrich the field and strengthen efforts to tackle health inequalities.</p>","PeriodicalId":73479,"journal":{"name":"International journal of social determinants of health and health services","volume":" ","pages":"27551938251375863"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145016790","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Brewing Inequality: A Sociological Investigation of the Health Challenges of Women tea Workers in Assam.","authors":"Vaishali Saikia, Pradeep Kumar Parida","doi":"10.1177/27551938251366878","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/27551938251366878","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Despite being one of the largest organized industries in India, the tea plantation sector faces a significant crisis, especially in Assam. The workers, especially women, are some of the most underpaid, exacerbating their marginalization. Through an extensive review of existing literature, this study aims to explore the social disparities experienced by female tea workers, contributing to their health disparities. The article illuminates the urgent need for comprehensive policies aimed at improving their well-being. It explores why, despite assurances of adequate health care under the Tea Plantation Act of 1951, there continues to be a rise in reported diseases among female laborers in Assam's tea gardens. This investigation will not only focus on their health but will also explore various aspects of their lives to fully understand the factors impacting their overall health. The primary objective of the study is to illustrate how labor-particularly \"female labor\"-in the tea industry is coerced by management to produce surplus value at the expense of their sanitation, hygiene, and health.</p>","PeriodicalId":73479,"journal":{"name":"International journal of social determinants of health and health services","volume":" ","pages":"27551938251366878"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145016752","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Hegemony of far-Right Populism, Project 2025, and the Dangers Ahead for Science and Public Health.","authors":"Corrado Piroddi, Lynda Gilby, Meri Koivusalo, Alison McCallum, Abbe Brown, Chloe Stephenson","doi":"10.1177/27551938251367853","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/27551938251367853","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>According to the World Health Organization, the spread of misinformation and disinformation are dangerous threats to public health. The popular legitimacy of far-right politics in the United States, across Europe, and other continents constitutes a new phase that threatens to jeopardize countermeasures adopted by social, political, and scientific institutions to counter the phenomena of mis- and disinformation.</p>","PeriodicalId":73479,"journal":{"name":"International journal of social determinants of health and health services","volume":" ","pages":"27551938251367853"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144877141","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}