Sociodemographic inequalities in the incidence of COVID-19 in National Household Sample Survey cohort, Brazil, 2020 / Desigualdades sociodemográficas na incidência de COVID-19 em coorte da Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicílios, Brasil, 2020

ABSTRACT Objective: To verify the association between sociodemographic factors and the time until the occurrence of new cases of COVID-19 and positive tests for SARS-CoV-2 in Brazil, during the period from May to November 2020, based on a cohort of Brazilians participating in the COVID-19 National Household Sample Survey. Methods: A concurrent and closed cohort was created using monthly data from the PNAD COVID-19, carried out via telephone survey. A new case was defined based on the report of the occurrence of a flu-like syndrome, associated with loss of smell or taste; and positivity was defined based on the report of a positive test, among those who reported having been tested. Cox regression models were applied to verify associations. The analyzes took into account sample weighting, calibrated for age, gender and education distribution. Results: The cumulative incidence of cases in the overall fixed cohort was 2.4%, while that of positive tests in the fixed tested cohort was 27.1%. Higher incidences were observed in the North region, in females, in residents of urban areas and in individuals with black skin color. New positive tests occurred more frequently in individuals with less education and healthcare workers. Conclusion: The importance of prospective national surveys is highlighted, contributing to detailed analyzes of social inequalities in reports focused on public health policies.

RESUMO Objetivo: Verificar a associação entre fatores sociodemográficos e o tempo até a ocorrência de novos casos de COVID-19 e de testes positivos para Sars-CoV-2 no Brasil, durante o período de maio a novembro de 2020, com base em uma coorte dos brasileiros participantes da Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicílios COVID-19. Métodos: Foi constituída uma coorte concorrente e fechada utilizando dados mensais da Pnad COVID-19, realizada por inquérito telefônico. Um caso novo foi definido com base no relato da ocorrência de um quadro de síndrome gripal, associado à perda de olfato ou paladar; e a positividade foi definida com base no relato de um teste positivo, entre os que referiram ter sido testados. Foram aplicados modelos de regressão de Cox para verificar associações, considerando a ponderação amostral, calibrada para a distribuição etária, de sexos e de escolaridade. Resultados: A incidência acumulada de casos na coorte fixa geral foi de 2,4%, enquanto a de testes positivos na coorte fixa testada foi de 27,1%. Verificou-se maiores riscos nas regiões Centro-Oeste, Norte e Nordeste, entre mulheres, residentes em áreas urbanas, pessoas com escolaridade até o ensino médio, com a cor da pele declarada como preta e trabalhadores da área da saúde. Indivíduos com menor escolaridade e profissionais de saúde apresentaram maior frequência de novos testes positivos. Novos testes positivos ocorreram com maior frequência em indivíduos com menor escolaridade e trabalhadores da área da saúde. Conclusão: Foram observados riscos desiguais entre os estratos populacionais comparados. Destaca-se a importância da realização de inquéritos nacionais prospectivos na investigação de iniquidades em saúde.

Sex-ratio at birth in Nigeria: A demographic perspective.

The study attempts at estimating the sex-ratio at birth in Nigeria. The study focuses on demographic surveys with complete maternity histories, including some 0.50 million births. It compares results with published estimates from births in health facilities and a few data from vital registration, including some 1.13 million births. Results from demographic surveys give an estimate of about 106 boys for 100 girls. There were no significant variations by large region in the country, and no significant trend over the years (1990-2018). Published estimates provided a similar value (106.2), with somewhat lower value in health facilities (105.3), and somewhat higher values in local vital registration (106.8), and major variations among available studies. Despite uncertainty, Nigeria appears to have higher sex-ratios than most African countries, with the exception of Ethiopia, and higher values than its five neighboring countries. Reasons for these high values of the secondary sex-ratio are discussed.

Influenza risk groups in Norway by education and employment status.

AIMS: This study aimed to estimate the size of the risk group for severe influenza and to describe the social patterning of the influenza risk group in Norway, defined as everyone ⩾65 years of age and individuals of any age with certain chronic conditions (medical risk group). METHODS: Study data came from a nationally representative survey among 10,923 individuals aged 16-79 years. The medical risk group was defined as individuals reporting one or more relevant chronic conditions. The associations between educational attainment, employment status, age and risk of belonging to the medical risk group were studied with logistic regression. RESULTS: Nearly a fifth (19.0%) of respondents reported at least one chronic condition, while 29.4% belonged to the influenza risk group due to either age or chronic conditions. Being older, having a low educational level (comparing compulsory education to higher education, odds ratio (OR)=1.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2-1.8 among women, and OR=1.3, 95% CI 1.1-1.7 among men) and a weaker connection to working life (comparing disability pension to working full-time, OR=6.8, 95% CI 5.3-8.7 among women, and OR=6.5, 95% CI 4.9-8.5 among men) was associated with a higher risk of belonging to the medical risk group for severe influenza. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that the prevalence of medical risk factors for severe influenza is disproportionally distributed across the socio-economic spectrum in Norway. These results should influence both public funding decisions regarding influenza vaccination and communication strategies towards the public and health professionals.

Sex-ratio at birth in Nigeria: A demographic perspective

The study attempts at estimating the sex-ratio at birth in Nigeria. The study focuses on demographic surveys with complete maternity histories, including some 0.50 million births. It compares results with published estimates from births in health facilities and a few data from vital registration, including some 1.13 million births. Results from demographic surveys give an estimate of about 106 boys for 100 girls. There were no significant variations by large region in the country, and no significant trend over the years (1990-2018). Published estimates provided a similar value (106.2), with somewhat lower value in health facilities (105.3), and somewhat higher values in local vital registration (106.8), and major variations among available studies. Despite uncertainty, Nigeria appears to have higher sex-ratios than most African countries, with the exception of Ethiopia, and higher values than its five neighboring countries. Reasons for these high values of the secondary sex-ratio are discussed. (Afr J Reprod Health 2022; 26[4]: 92-97).

Control, trust and the sharing of health information: the limits of trust.

Clinical information about patients is increasingly being stored in electronic form and has therefore become more easily shareable. Data are collected as part of clinical care but have multiple other potential uses in relation to health system planning, audit and research. The use of clinical information for these secondary uses is controversial, and the ability to safeguard personal and sensitive data under current practices is contested.In this study, we investigate the attitudes of a representative sample of the Danish population towards transfer of clinical data from their general practice for secondary use. We specifically study: (1) patients' trust in different types of healthcare professionals, (2) their interest in being asked about secondary use of data and (3) their willingness to dispense from a requirement of informed consent based on their trust in healthcare professionals.We find that adult Danes are positive towards research that use patient data, and they generally trust general practitioners, hospitals and researchers to treat their data confidentially.Nevertheless, they feel that they have a right to control the use of their data, only 7.3% disagreeing, and that the data belong to them, only 14.0% disagreeing. Answers to further questions about the relation between trust, information and consent show that although trust modifies the wish for information and consent, there is still a strong view that the patient should control the use of data. We find no differences between those who have frequent contact with the healthcare system and those who do not.

Religious affiliation and immunization coverage in 15 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.

BACKGROUND: Although religious affiliation has been identified as a potential barrier to immunization in some African countries, there are no systematic multi-country analyses, including within-country variability, on this issue. We investigated whether immunization varied according to religious affiliation and sex of the child in sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries. METHODS: We used data from 15 nationally representative surveys from 2010 to 2016. The major religious groups were described by country in terms of wealth, residence, and education. Proportions of fully immunized and unvaccinated children were stratified by country, maternal religion, and sex of the child. Poisson regression with robust variance was used to assess whether the outcomes varied according to religion, with and without adjustment for the above cited sociodemographic confounders. Interactions between child sex and religion were investigated. RESULTS: Fifteen countries had >10% of families affiliated with Christianity and >10% affiliated with Islam, and four also had >10% practicing folk religions. In general, Christians were wealthier, more educated and more urban. Nine countries had significantly lower full immunization coverage among Muslims than Christians (pooled prevalence ratio = 0.81; 95%CI: 0.79-0.83), of which seven remained significant after adjustment for confounders (pooled ratio = 0.90; 0.87-0.92). Four countries had higher coverage among Muslims, of which two remained significant after adjustment. Regarding unvaccinated children, six countries showed higher proportions among Muslims, all of which remained significant after adjustment [crude pooled ratio = 1.83 (1.59-2.07); adjusted = 1.31 (1.14-1.48)]. Children from families practicing folk religions did not show any consistent patterns in immunization. Child sex was not consistently associated with vaccination. CONCLUSION: Muslim religion was associated with lower vaccine coverage in several SSA countries, both for boys and girls. The involvement of religious leaders is essential for increasing immunization coverage and supporting the leave no one behind agenda of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Diferenciais da prática contraceptiva no Município de São Paulo, Brasil: resultados do inquérito populacional Ouvindo Mulheres / Differences in contraceptive practice in the city of São Paulo, Brazil: results of the Ouvindo Mulheres population survey / Diferenciales de la práctica contraceptiva en el Municipio de São Paulo, Brasil: resultados de la encuesta poblacional Ouvindo Mulheres

Resumo: A contracepção é fundamental para que as mulheres possam regular sua fecundidade, exercendo uma das dimensões dos direitos reprodutivos. No entanto, desconhecemos como elas enfrentam esse desafio na maior cidade do Brasil, São Paulo. Para preencher essa lacuna, o inquérito populacional Ouvindo Mulheres: Contracepção no Município de São Paulo foi realizado junto a uma amostra probabilística de 4 mil mulheres com 15 a 44 anos de idade, residentes nessa cidade, em 2015. Neste artigo, apresenta-se a prevalência da prática contraceptiva, analisam-se os fatores associados ao não uso de contracepção e aos tipos de contraceptivos em uso. A prevalência da anticoncepção foi estimada para mulheres com, pelo menos, uma relação heterossexual nos 12 meses anteriores à entrevista e que não estavam grávidas. Regressão logística foi utilizada para verificar fatores associados ao não uso de contracepção, e o modelo CHAID, para identificar associações aos tipos de contraceptivo em uso. A prevalência da anticoncepção foi 84,8% (IC95%: 83,2-86,3). Os contraceptivos mais prevalentes foram pílula e preservativo masculino. Associaram-se ao não uso de anticoncepção, religião (Pentecostal), número de filhos (menos do que 3), não ter usado contraceptivo na primeira relação sexual, não ter parceiro e não ter tido relação sexual no mês anterior. O número de filhos tidos e a idade da mulher foram os dois primeiros níveis de discriminação dos tipos de contraceptivo utilizados. A prevalência da anticoncepção é alta, mas mantém-se a concentração em dois métodos: anteriormente, laqueadura e pílula, agora, pílula e preservativo masculino. É necessário incorporar novos contraceptivos hormonais no Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) e promover o uso de métodos de longa duração como o DIU.

Abstract: Contraception is essential for women to be able to regulate their fertility, exercising a key dimension of reproductive rights. However, little is known about how women deal with this challenge in Brazil's largest city, São Paulo. To fill this gap, the population survey Ouvindo Mulheres: Contracepção no Município de São Paulo was conducted with a probabilistic sample of 4,000 women 15 to 44 years of age living in this city in 2015. This article presents the prevalence of contraceptive practice and analyzes factors associated with lack of contraception use and with types of contraceptives. Prevalence of contraception was estimated for women with at least one heterosexual relation in the 12 months prior to the interview and who were not pregnant. Logistic regression was used to verify factors associated with lack of contraception use, and the CHAID model was used to identify associations with the types of contraceptives used. Prevalence of contraception was 84.8% (95%CI: 83.2-86.3). The most prevalent contraceptives were the pill and condoms. Factors associated with lack of contraceptive use were religion (Pentecostal), number of children (fewer than 3), not having used contraceptives in the first sexual relation, not having a partner, and not having had sex in the previous month. Number of children and woman's age were the first two levels of discrimination of the types of contraceptives used. Prevalence of contraception was high, but maintaining a concentration in two methods: historically, female sterilization and the pill prevailed, nowadays, the pill and condoms do. New hormonal contraceptives should be incorporated by the Brazilian Unified National Health System (SUS), besides promoting the use of long-acting methods such as IUDs.

Resumen: La contracepción es fundamental para que las mujeres puedan regular su fecundidad, ejerciendo una de las dimensiones de sus derechos reproductivos. No obstante, desconocemos cómo enfrentan este desafío en la mayor ciudad de Brasil, São Paulo. Para resolver esta cuestión, se realizó la encuesta poblacional Ouvindo Mulheres: Contracepção no Município de São Paulo, mediante una muestra probabilística de 4 mil mujeres de 15 a 44 años de edad, residentes en esa ciudad en 2015. En este artículo se presenta la prevalencia de la práctica contraceptiva, se analizan los factores asociados con el no uso de métodos anticonceptivos, así como los tipos de contraceptivos en uso. La prevalencia de la anticoncepción se estimó en mujeres con por lo menos una relación heterosexual, en los 12 meses anteriores a la entrevista, y que no estaban embarazadas. Se utilizó la regresión logística para verificar factores asociados al no uso de contracepción y el modelo CHAID para identificar asociaciones respecto a los tipos de contraceptivo en uso. La prevalencia de la anticoncepción fue 84,8% (IC95%: 83,2-86,3). Los contraceptivos más prevalentes fueron la píldora y el condón. Se asociaron al no uso de anticonceptivos: religión (Pentecostal), número de hijos (menos de 3), no haber usado contraceptivo en la primera relación sexual, no tener pareja y no haber tenido relaciones sexuales durante el mes anterior. El número de hijos y la edad de la mujer fueron los dos primeros niveles de discriminación de los tipos de contraceptivo utilizados. La prevalencia de la anticoncepción es alta, pero se mantiene la concentración en dos métodos: anteriormente, ligadura y píldora, ahora, píldora y condón. Es necesario incorporar nuevos contraceptivos hormonales en el Sistema Único de Salud (SUS), así como promover el uso de métodos de larga duración como el DIU.

Sampling Weights for Analyses of Couple Data: Example of the Demographic and Health Surveys.

In some surveys, women and men are interviewed separately in selected households, allowing matching of partner information and analyses of couples. Although individual sampling weights exist for men and women, sampling weights specific for couples are rarely derived. We present a method of estimating appropriate weights for couples that extends methods currently used in the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) for individual weights. To see how results vary, we analyze 1912 estimates (means; proportions; linear regression; and simple and multinomial logistic regression coefficients, and their standard errors) with couple data in each of 11 DHS surveys in which the couple weight could be derived. We used two measures of bias: absolute percentage difference from the value estimated with the couple weight and ratio of the absolute difference to the standard error using the couple weight. The latter shows greater bias for means and proportions, whereas the former and a combination of both measures show greater bias for regression coefficients. Comparing results using couple weights with published results using women's weights for a logistic regression of couple contraceptive use in Turkey, we found that 6 of 27 coefficients had a bias above 5 %. On the other hand, a simulation of varying response rates (27 simulations) showed that median percentage bias in a logistic regression was less than 3 % for 17 of 18 coefficients. Two proxy couple weights that can be calculated in all DHS surveys perform considerably better than either male or female weights. We recommend that a couple weight be calculated and made available with couple data from such surveys.

Healthcare professionals' understanding of the legislation governing research involving adults lacking mental capacity in England and Wales: a national survey.

OBJECTIVE: To examine health and social care professionals' understanding of the legislation governing research involving adults lacking mental capacity in England and Wales. METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted using a series of vignettes. Participants were asked to select the legally authorised decision-maker in each scenario and provide supporting reasons. Responses were compared with existing legal frameworks and analysed according to their level of concordance. RESULTS: One hundred and twenty-seven professionals participated. Levels of discordance between responses and the legal frameworks were high across all five scenarios (76%-82%). Nearly half of the participants (46%) provided responses that were discordant in all scenarios. Only two participants (2%) provided concordant responses across all five scenarios. DISCUSSION: Participants demonstrated a lack of knowledge about the legal frameworks, the locus of authority and the legal basis for decision-making. The findings raise concern about the accessibility of research for those who lack capacity, the ability to conduct research involving such groups and the impact on the evidence base for their care. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to examine health and social care professionals' knowledge and understanding of the dual legal frameworks in the UK. Health and social care professionals' understanding and attitudes towards research involving adults with incapacity may warrant further in-depth exploration. The findings from this survey suggest that greater training and education is required.

Medical students' perceptions of professional misconduct: relationship with typology and year of programme.

AIM: To examine the contribution of programme year and demographic factors to medical students' perceptions of evidence-based classification categories of professional misconduct. METHODS: Students at an Irish medical school were administered a cross-sectional survey comprising 31 vignettes of professional misconduct, which mapped onto a 12-category classification system. Students scored each item using a 5-point Likert scale, where 1 represents the least severe form of misconduct and 5 the most severe. RESULTS: Of the 1012 eligible respondents, 561 students completed the survey, providing a response rate of 55%. Items pertaining to disclosure of conflict of interest were ranked as the least severe examples of professional misconduct, and this perception was highest among finalyear students. While ratings of severity declined for items related to 'inappropriate conduct not in relation to patient' and 'inappropriate use of social media' between years 1 and 3, ratings for both categories increased again among clinical cycle (fourth and final year) students. CONCLUSIONS: Increased clinical exposure during years 4 and 5 of the undergraduate programme was associated with better recognition of the importance of selected professional domains. Disclosure of conflict of interest is identified as an area of medical professionalism that requires greater emphasis for students who are at the point of transition from student to doctor.

Estado nutricional de menores de 5 anos de idade no Brasil: evidências da polarização epidemiológica nutricional / Nutritional status of children under 5 years of age in Brazil: evidence of nutritional epidemiological polarisation

Resumo Objetivou-se avaliar o estado nutricional de crianças menores de 5 anos no Brasil no ano de 2009, o associando aos fatores sociais e demográficos. Utilizou-se dados da Pesquisa de Orçamento Familiar (POF 2008/2009), cujo perfil nutricional foi avaliado segundo os índices Peso-para-idade, Estatura-para-idade e Peso-para-estatura (n = 14.569). A associação foi estimada aplicando-se o teste de associação de Pearson, regressões logísticas e análises de correspondência. A análise de correspondência revelou maior associação da magreza com as crianças das regiões Norte e Nordeste, em famílias com menores níveis de renda e de cor/raça preta. O sobrepeso e a obesidade demonstraram maior relação com as crianças residentes nas regiões Sul, Sudeste e Centro-Oeste, do sexo masculino, da zona urbana, de cor/raça branca, com 3 anos de idade e de famílias com faixas de renda intermediárias. O sobrepeso e a obesidade demonstraram distribuição heterogênea quanto a sua espacialização dentre as Unidades da Federação. Aponta-se para uma polarização epidemiológica nutricional, sendo um grande desafio para a saúde coletiva reduzir as carências nutricionais e promover hábitos alimentares saudáveis desde a infância.

Abstract The objective of this study was to evaluate the nutritional status of children under 5 years of age in Brazil in 2009 and its association with social and demographic factors. Data from the Household Budget Survey (Pesquisa de Orçamento Familiar - POF 2008-2009) were used, in which the nutritional profile was evaluated according to the weight-for-age (W/A), height-for-age (H/A) and weight-for-height (W/H) indices (n = 14,569). The association was estimated by applying the Pearson association test, a logistic regression and a correspondence analysis. The correspondence analysis showed a higher association of thinness with children in the North and Northeast regions, in families with lower levels of income and in those of black colour/race. Overweight and obesity had a stronger relationship with children living in the South, Southeast and Central-West, in males, in those from urban areas, in those of Caucasian colour/race, in those aged 3 years and in those from families with intermediate income ranges. Overweight and obesity showed a heterogeneous spatial distribution amongst Brazilian states. A nutritional epidemiological polarisation that presents a major challenge for public health is indicated: we must reduce nutritional deficiencies and promote healthy eating habits from childhood to improve the nutritional and epidemiological profiles and mortality of the population.

Settling for second best: when should doctors agree to parental demands for suboptimal medical treatment?

BACKGROUND: Doctors sometimes encounter parents who object to prescribed treatment for their children, and request suboptimal substitutes be administered instead (suboptimal being defined as less effective and/or more expensive). Previous studies have focused on parental refusal of treatment and when this should be permitted, but the ethics of requests for suboptimal treatment has not been explored. METHODS: The paper consists of two parts: an empirical analysis and an ethical analysis. We performed an online survey with a sample of the general public to assess respondents' thresholds for acceptable harm and expense resulting from parental choice, and the role that religion played in their judgement. We also identified and applied existing ethical frameworks to the case described in the survey to compare theoretical and empirical results. RESULTS: Two hundred and forty-two Mechanical Turk workers took our survey and there were 178 valid responses (73.6%). Respondents' agreement to provide treatment decreased as the risk or cost of the requested substitute increased (p<0.001). More than 50% of participants were prepared to provide treatment that would involve a small absolute increased risk of death for the child (<5%) and a cost increase of US$<500, respectively. Religiously motivated requests were significantly more likely to be allowed (p<0.001). Existing ethical frameworks largely yielded ambiguous results for the case. There were clear inconsistencies between the theoretical and empirical results. CONCLUSION: Drawing on both survey results and ethical analysis, we propose a potential model and thresholds for deciding about the permissibility of suboptimal treatment requests.

Allocation of antiretroviral drugs to HIV-infected patients in Togo: perspectives of people living with HIV and healthcare providers.

AIM: To explore the way people living with HIV and healthcare providers in Togo judge the priority of HIV-infected patients regarding the allocation of antiretroviral drugs. METHOD: From June to September 2015, 200 adults living with HIV and 121 healthcare providers living in Togo were recruited for the study. They were presented with stories of a few lines depicting the situation of an HIV-infected patient and were instructed to judge the extent to which the patient should be given priority for antiretroviral drugs. The stories were composed by systematically varying the levels of four factors: (a) the severity of HIV infection, (b) the financial situation of the patient, (c) the patient's family responsibilities and (d) the time elapsed since the first consultation. RESULTS: Five clusters were identified: 65% of the participants expressed the view that patients who are poor and severely sick should be treated as a priority, 13% prioritised treatment of patients who are poor and parents of small children, 12% expressed the view that the poor should be treated as a priority, 4% preferred that the sickest be treated as a priority and 6% wanted all patients to get treatment. CONCLUSIONS: WHO's guideline regarding antiretroviral therapy allocation (the sickest first as the sole criterion) currently in use in many African countries does not reflect the preferences of Togolese people living with HIV. For most HIV-infected patients in Togo, patients who cannot get treatment on their own should be treated as a priority.

Prescription preferences in antipsychotics and attitude towards the pharmaceutical industry in Belgium.

OBJECTIVES: The number of antipsychotic prescriptions are increasing rapidly worldwide, a trend which is mainly driven by the steep rise in second-generation antipsychotic (SGA) prescriptions. However, the success of SGA, compared with the older first-generation antipsychotics (FGAs), cannot be explained by evidence. Several studies concluded on equal efficacy of FGA and SGA on positive, negative and cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia. Next to that, the influence of the pharmaceutical industry on prescription behaviour has drawn considerable interest. Therefore, the relationship between antipsychotic prescription patterns and exposure to information directly provided by pharmaceutical companies was studied. METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey, addressing psychiatrists, general practitioners (GPs) and trainees in Flanders, was carried out. Respondents were questioned about their prescription behaviour, opinion about efficacy of SGA versus FGA and the nature and frequency of their contact with the pharmaceutical industry. Using Spearman's rank correlations and χ2 tests, the relationship between different variables and group differences were examined. RESULTS: Psychiatrists, GPs and trainees in Flanders clearly favour olanzapine and risperidone, followed by quetiapine and aripiprazole above all other agents. This behaviour is supported by the conviction that SGAs have superior efficacy and a more benign side effect profile, compared with FGA. Frequent contact with drug representatives is correlated with a preference of SGA over FGA. 41% of the respondents acknowledge to be influenced by the pharmaceutical industry, which is more than that previously reported.

The impact of the Rasouli decision: a Survey of Canadian intensivists.

INTRODUCTION: In a landmark 2013 decision, the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) ruled that the withdrawal of life support in certain circumstances is a treatment requiring patient or substitute decision maker (SDM) consent. How intensive care unit (ICU) physicians perceive this ruling is unknown. OBJECTIVES: To determine physician knowledge of and attitudes towards the SCC decision, as well as the self-reported changes in practice attributed to the decision. METHODS: We surveyed intensivists at university hospitals across Canada. We used a knowledge test and Likert-scale questions to measure respondent knowledge of and attitudes towards the ruling. We used vignettes to assess decision making in cases of intractable physician-SDM conflict over the management of patients with very poor prognoses. We compared management choices pre-SCC decision versus post-SCC decision versus the subjective, respondent-defined most appropriate choice. Responses were compared across predefined subgroups. We performed qualitative analysis on free-text responses. RESULTS: We received 82 responses (response rate=42%). Respondents reported providing high levels of self-defined inappropriate treatment. Although most respondents reported no change in practice, there was a significant overall shift towards higher intensity and less subjectively appropriate management after the SCC decision. Attitudes to the SCC decision and approaches to disputes over end-of-life (EoL) care in the ICU were highly variable. There were no significant differences among predefined subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: Many Canadian ICU physicians report providing a higher intensity of treatment, and less subjectively appropriate treatment, in situations of dispute over EoL care after the Supreme Court of Canada's ruling in Cuthbertson versus Rasouli.

A cross-sectional survey to investigate community understanding of medical research ethics committees.

Study explanatory forms often state that an ethics committee has approved a research project. To determine whether the lay community understand the roles of ethics committees in research, we took a cross-sectional national sample from three sampling frames: the general population (n=1532); cohort study participants (n=397); and case-control study participants (n=151). About half (51.3%) of the participants had heard of ethics committees. Those who had were more likely to be those who had participated in previous surveys, older participants, those born in Australia and those with higher education. Almost all participants agreed that the roles of an ethics committee were to protect participants' privacy and ensure no harm came to study participants and most agreed that the committee's role was to ensure that the research was capable of providing answers. Case-control and cohort participants were more likely than the general population to consider that the role of an ethics committee was to design the research and obtain research funding. Overall, we found that about half of the population are aware of ethics committees and that most could correctly identify that ethics committees are there to protect the welfare and rights of research participants, although a substantial minority had some incorrect beliefs about the committees' roles. Increased education, particularly for migrants and older people, might improve understanding of the role of ethics committees in research.

Does professional orientation predict ethical sensitivities? Attitudes of paediatric and obstetric specialists toward fetuses, pregnant women and pregnancy termination.

BACKGROUND: To determine (1) whether fetal care paediatric (FCP) and maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) specialists harbour differing attitudes about pregnancy termination for congenital fetal conditions, their perceived responsibilities to pregnant women and fetuses, and the fetus as a patient and (2) whether self-perceived primary responsibilities to fetuses and women and views about the fetus as a patient are associated with attitudes about clinical care. METHODS: Mail survey of 434 MFM and FCP specialists (response rates 60.9% and 54.2%, respectively). RESULTS: MFMs were more likely than FCPs to disagree with these statements (all p values<0.005): (1) 'the presence of a fetal abnormality is not an appropriate reason for a couple to consider pregnancy termination' (MFM : FCP-78.4% vs 63.5%); (2) 'the effects that a child born with disabilities might have on marital and family relationships is not an appropriate reason for a couple to consider pregnancy termination' (MFM : FCP-80.5% vs 70.2%); and (3) 'the cost of healthcare for the future child is not an appropriate reason for a couple to consider pregnancy termination' (MFM : FCP-73.5% vs 55.9%). 65% MFMs versus 47% FCPs disagreed that their professional responsibility is to focus primarily on fetal well-being (p<0.01). Specialists did not differ regarding the fetus as a separate patient. Responses about self-perceived responsibility to focus on fetal well-being were associated with clinical practice attitudes. CONCLUSIONS: Independent of demographic and sociopolitical characteristics, FCPs and MFMs possess divergent ethical sensitivities regarding pregnancy termination, pregnant women and fetuses, which may influence clinical care.

Togolese lay people's and health professionals' views about the acceptability of physician-assisted suicide.

AIM: To study the views on the acceptability of physician-assisted-suicide (PAS) of lay people and health professionals in an African country, Togo. METHOD: In February-June 2012, 312 lay people and 198 health professionals (75 physicians, 60 nurses and 63 health counsellors) in Togo judged the acceptability of PAS in 36 concrete scenarios composed of all combinations of four factors: (a) the patient's age, (b) the level of incurability of the illness, (c) the type of suffering and (d) the patient's request for PAS. In all scenarios, the patients were women receiving the best possible care. The ratings were subjected to cluster analysis and analyses of variance. RESULTS: Most lay people (59%) were not systematically opposed to PAS, whereas most health professionals (80%) were systematically opposed to it. The most important factors in increasing acceptability among people not systematically opposed were advanced age of the patient and incurability of the illness. Additional acceptability was provided by the patient's request to have her life ended, although much less so than in studies in Western countries, and by suffering characterised by complete dependence rather than by extreme physical pain. CONCLUSIONS: These empirical findings--the first ones gathered in the African continent--suggest that most Togolese lay people are not categorically for or against PAS, but judge its degree of acceptability as a function of concrete circumstances.

Ethics by opinion poll? The functions of attitudes research for normative deliberations in medical ethics.

Empirical studies on people's moral attitudes regarding ethically challenging topics contribute greatly to research in medical ethics. However, it is not always clear in which ways this research adds to medical ethics as a normative discipline. In this article, we aim to provide a systematic account of the different ways in which attitudinal research can be used for normative reflection. In the first part, we discuss whether ethical judgements can be based on empirical work alone and we develop a sceptical position regarding this point, taking into account theoretical, methodological and pragmatic considerations. As empirical data should not be taken as a direct source for normative justification, we then delineate different ways in which attitudes research can be combined with theoretical accounts of normative justification in the second part of the article. Firstly, the combination of attitudes research with normative-ethical theories is analysed with respect to three different aspects: (a) The extent of empirical data which is needed, (b) the question of which kind of data is required and (c) the ways in which the empirical data are processed within the framework of an ethical theory. Secondly, two further functions of attitudes research are displayed which lie outside the traditional focus of ethical theories: the exploratory function of detecting and characterising new ethical problems, and the field of 'moral pragmatics'. The article concludes with a methodological outlook and suggestions for the concrete practice of attitudinal research in medical ethics.