Updates for Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, & Neonatal Nursing in 2024.

to follow.

Gender and the impact of COVID-19 on demand for and access to health care: Intersectional analysis of before-and-after data from Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa.

Background: Global health emergencies can impact men and women differently due to gender norms related to health care and social and economic disruptions. We investigated the intersectionality of gender differences of the impact of COVID-19 on health care access with educational and socio-economic factors in Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa. Methods: Data were collected by Opinion Research Business International using census data as the sampling frame. We used conditional logistic regression to estimate the change in access to health care after the emergence of the pandemic among men and women, stratified by educational level. We also examined the change in demand for various health care services, stratified by self-reported experiences of financial difficulty due to the pandemic. Results: Among those reporting a need to seek health care in South Africa, there was a statistically significant decline in the ability to see a health care provider during the pandemic among women, but not among men; this gender gap was more evident in those who did not have post-secondary education (odds ratio (OR) = 0.08, P = 0.041 among women; no change among men) than for those with post-secondary education (OR = 0.20, P = 0.142 among women; OR = 0.50, P = 0.571 among men). South African women financially affected by the pandemic had a significant decline in seeking preventive care during the pandemic (OR = 0.23, P = 0.022). No conclusive effects were noted in Nigeria or Kenya. Conclusions: In South Africa, the pandemic and its strict control measures have adversely and disproportionately impacted disadvantaged women, which has implications for the nature of the long-term impact as well as mitigation and preparedness plans.

JOGNN's Editorial Statement on Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, 2021.

A summary of JOGNN's commitment to promoting justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in health and health care through editorial policies and processes and published articles.

Factors Associated with the Rapid and Durable Decline in Malaria Incidence in El Salvador, 1980-2017.

A decade after the Global Malaria Eradication Program, El Salvador had the highest burden of malaria in Mesoamerica, with approximately 20% due to Plasmodium falciparum. A resurgence of malaria in the 1970s led El Salvador to alter its national malaria control strategy. By 1995, El Salvador recorded its last autochthonous P. falciparum case with fewer than 20 Plasmodium vivax cases annually since 2011. By contrast, its immediate neighbors continue to have the highest incidences of malaria in the region. We reviewed and evaluated the policies and interventions implemented by the Salvadoran National Malaria Program that likely contributed to this progress toward malaria elimination. Decentralization of the malaria program, early regional stratification by risk, and data-driven stratum-specific actions resulted in the timely and targeted allocation of resources for vector control, surveillance, case detection, and treatment. Weekly reporting by health workers and volunteer collaborators-distributed throughout the country by strata and informed via the national surveillance system-enabled local malaria teams to provide rapid, adaptive, and focalized program actions. Sustained investments in surveillance and response have led to a dramatic reduction in local transmission, with most current malaria cases in El Salvador due to importation from neighboring countries. Additional support for systematic elimination efforts in neighboring countries would benefit the region and may be needed for El Salvador to achieve and maintain malaria elimination. El Salvador's experience provides a relevant case study that can guide the application of similar strategies in other countries committed to malaria elimination.

Is malignant otitis externa on the increase? A retrospective review of cases.

We performed a retrospective review of all patients with malignant otitis externa (MOE) treated in our center between July 2004 and December 2012 to evaluate the current epidemiology in our region and to ascertain causative factors associated with the perceived increase in the number of cases diagnosed. Eleven patients were identified (5 men and 6 women), with a mean age of 77 years (range: 38 to 97 years). Diabetes was present in 36%. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the causative organism in 64% of cases; all pathogens were sensitive to ciprofloxacin. We noted a significant increase in the diagnostic frequency of MOE during the study period (p = 0.0027) No obvious causative factors were identified. Due to the mortality associated with this condition, further studies are required to establish national trends.