It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Monday, May 08, 2023
An online adaptive model for streaming anomaly detection based on human-machine cooperation
IMAGE: FIG.1 THE PROCESSING FLOW OF ISPFORESTview more
CREDIT: HIGHER EDUCATION PRESS LIMITED COMPANY
Anomaly detectors are used to distinguish differences between normal and abnormal data, which are usually implemented by evaluating and ranking the anomaly scores of each instance. A static unsupervised streaming anomaly detector is difficult to dynamically adjust anomaly score calculation.
To solve the problem, a research team led by Prof. Zhiwen Yu published their new research on 15 April 2023 in Frontiers of Computer Science co-published by Higher Education Press and Springer Nature.
The team proposed a human-machine interactive streaming anomaly detection method, named ISPForest, which can be adaptively updated online under the guidance of human feedback. In particular, the feedback will be used to adjust the anomaly score calculation and structure of the detector, ideally attaining more accurate anomaly scores in the future.
The experimental results demonstrated that the utility of incorporating feedback can improve the performance of anomaly detectors with a few human efforts.
In the research, they analyze the anomaly detection principle of the space partitioning forest model. To improve the original anomaly detector, they add the human feedback mechanism for the detection result during the streaming anomaly detection process. Firstly, in the light of the relationship between forest structure and anomaly score calculation, they construct regional likelihood function and instance likelihood function, respectively, to depict the consistency of the detection results and the human feedback. Then, the parameters and structures of the original anomaly detector are adjusted timely according to the gradient decrease process following the principle of maximum likelihood estimation. Finally, an uncertainty function of the detection results is designed to control the frequency of human-machine interaction.
Experimental results on the effects of feedback reveal that combining anomaly detectors with human feedback is meaningful for adapting to a dynamic environment, and the performance of the detector is improved promptly with a small increase in labor costs. Future work can consider the extension of the method and explore the time-series anomaly detection under the feedback mechanism.
FCS was launched in 2007. It is published bimonthly both online and in print by HEP and Springer. Prof. Zhi-Hua Zhou from Nanjing University serves as the Editor-in-Chief. It aims to provide a forum for the publication of peer-reviewed papers to promote rapid communication and exchange between computer scientists. FCS covers all major branches of computer science, including: architecture, software, artificial intelligence, theoretical computer science, networks and communication, information systems, multimedia and graphics, information security, interdisciplinary, etc. The readers may be interested in the special columns "Perspective" and "Excellent Young Scholars Forum".
FCS is indexed by SCI(E), EI, DBLP, Scopus, etc. The latest IF is 2.669. FCS solicits the following article types: Review, Research Article, Letter.
IMAGE: THIS GRAPHIC COMPARES THE LABOR MARKET INDICATORS FOR MARCH 2023 AND APRIL 2023, SHOWING A SHARP DROP IN LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATION RATE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND A SLIGHT INCREASE FOR PEOPLE WITHOUT DISABILITIES. THE EMPLOYMENT-TO-POPULATION RATIO DECREASED FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND INCREASED SLIGHTLY FOR PEOPLE WITHOUT DISABILITIES.view more
CREDIT: KESSLER FOUNDATION
East Hanover, NJ – May 5, 2023 –Declines in the April job numbers for people with disabilities raise concerns about the future of the job market, according to today’s National Trends in Disability Employment – semi-monthly update (nTIDE), issued by Kessler Foundation and the University of New Hampshire’s Institute on Disability (UNH-IOD). To assess whether this change signals a slowing of job gains for people with disabilities, nTIDE experts will look closely at the direction of next month’s employment indicators.
Month-to-Month nTIDE Numbers (comparing March 2023 to April 2023)
Based on data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Jobs Report released today, the employment-to-population ratio for working-age people with disabilities (ages 16-64), the employment-to-population ratio for people with disabilities (ages 16-64) decreased from 36.6 percent in March 2023 to 35.6 percent in April 2023 (down 2.7 percent or 1.0 percentage point). For people without disabilities (ages 16-64), the employment-to-population ratio increased from 74.9 percent in March 2023 to 75.1 percent in April 2023 (up 0.3 percent or 0.2 percentage points). The employment-to-population ratio, a key indicator, reflects the percentage of people who are working relative to the total population (the number of people working divided by the number of people in the total population multiplied by 100).
“Given April’s fairly large decline in their employment-to-population ratio, the employment gains experienced by people with disabilities over the last two years appear to be coming to a halt. At the same time, people without disabilities had a small increase in their employment-to-population ratio,” remarked Andrew Houtenville, PhD, professor of economics and research director of the UNH-IOD. “This decline for people with disabilities is likely more than just seasonal fluctuation and/or sample variation. We will be looking to next month to see whether the employment of people rebounds or continues to decline,” he added.
With regard to labor force participation, the labor force participation rate for people with disabilities (ages 16-64) decreased from 40.2 percent in March 2023 to 38.3 percent in April 2023 (down 4.7 percent or 1.9 percentage points). For people without disabilities (ages 16-64), the labor force participation rate also decreased from 77.6 percent in March 2023 to 77.4 percent in April 2023 (down 0.3 percent or 0.2 percentage points). The labor force participation rate reflects the percentage of people who are in the labor force (working, on temporary layoff, on furlough, or actively looking for work in the last four weeks) relative to the total population (the number of people in the labor force divided by the number of people in the total population multiplied by 100).
“While the April numbers are disappointing, the employment and labor force participation of people with disabilities still remains above the levels seen pre-COVID and in April 2022,” said John O’Neill, PhD, director of the Center for Employment and Disability Research at Kessler Foundation. “With the Federal Reserve continuing to raise rates to slow the economy, we expect the job market to be impacted at some point in the coming year,” he added.
In April, among workers ages 16-64, the 5,743,000 workers with disabilities represented 3.8 percent of the total 150,217,000 workers in the U.S.
This graphic compares the labor market indicators for April 2022 and April 2023, showing increases for people with and without disabilities.
CREDIT
Kessler Foundation
Year-to-Year nTIDE Numbers (comparing April 2022 to April 2023)
Compared to the same month last year, the labor force participation rate for people with disabilities (ages 16-64) increased from 37.5 percent in April 2022 to 38.3 percent in April 2023 (up 2.1 percent or 0.8 percentage points). For people without disabilities (ages 16-64), the labor force participation rate also increased from 76.9 percent in April 2022 to 77.4 percent in April 2023 (up 0.7 percent or 0.5 percentage points).
Regarding employment, the employment-to-population ratio for working-age people with disabilities (ages 16-64) increased from 34 percent in April 2022 to 35.6 percent in April 2023 (up 4.7 percent or 1.6 percentage points). For working-age people without disabilities, the employment-to-population ratio also increased from 74.5 percent in April 2022 to 75.1 percent in April 2023 (up 0.8 percent or 0.6 percentage points).
Ask Questions about Disability and Employment
Each nTIDE release is followed by an nTIDE Lunch & Learn online webinar. This live broadcast, hosted via Zoom Webinar, offers attendees Q&A on the latest nTIDE findings, provides news and updates from the field, and features invited panelists who discuss current disability-related findings and events.
On May 5, 2023, at 12:00 pm Eastern, Jade Gingerich, director of Employment Policy for the Maryland Department of Disabilities, joins Dr. Houtenville and Denise Rozell from the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD). Join our free Lunch & Learn live or visit the nTIDE archives at: ResearchonDisability.org/nTIDE.
NOTE: The statistics in the nTIDE are based on BLS numbers but are not identical. They are customized by UNH to combine the statistics for men and women of working age (16- 64). nTIDE is funded by Kessler Foundation and was initially funded by grants from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) (90RT5037).
About the Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire
The Institute on Disability (IOD) at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) was established in 1987 to provide a university-based focus for the improvement of knowledge, policies, and practices related to the lives of persons with disabilities and their families. For information on the NIDILRR-funded Research and Training Center on Disability Statistics, visit ResearchOnDisability.org.
About Kessler Foundation Kessler Foundation, a major nonprofit organization in the field of disability, is a global leader in rehabilitation research. Our scientists seek to improve cognition, mobility, and long-term outcomes, including employment, for adults and children with neurological and developmental disabilities of the brain and spinal cord including traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and autism. Kessler Foundation also leads the nation in funding innovative programs that expand opportunities for employment for people with disabilities. For more information, visit KesslerFoundation.org.
Title: nTIDE Year-to-Year Comparison of Labor Market Indicators for People with and without Disabilities
Caption: This graphic compares the labor market indicators for April 2022 and April 2023, showing increases for people with and without disabilities.
Title: nTIDE Month-to-Month Comparison of Labor Market Indicators for People with and without Disabilities
Caption: This graphic compares the labor market indicators for March 2023 and April 2023, showing a sharp drop in labor force participation rate for people with disabilities and a slight increase for people without disabilities. The employment-to-population ratio decreased for people with disabilities and increased slightly for people without disabilities.
Quitting smoking early linked with improved survival rates for people diagnosed with lung cancer l
Among those diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer—the most common form of lung cancer—current smokers had 68% higher mortality and former smokers had 26% higher mortality compared to never smokers
The longer a patient had gone without smoking pre-diagnosis, the more improved their odds of survival were
The study is one of few to examine mortality not just among current and never smokers, but also among former smokers—enabling more robust findings about the impacts of smoking cessation
Boston, MA—Quitting smoking early was associated with higher survival rates following a lung cancer diagnosis, according to a new study led by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Compared to those who never smoked and were being treated for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), current smokers had 68% higher mortality and former smokers had 26% higher mortality.
“Our participants’ smoking histories varied, with some having stopped smoking a few years before their diagnosis and others having stopped several decades before,” said senior author David Christiani, Elkan Blout Professor of Environmental Genetics. “This wide range gave us confidence in our results—that the benefit of pre-diagnosis smoking cessation persists even after lung cancer is diagnosed.”
The study will be published online in JAMA Network Open on May 5, 2023.
While most similar research has compared mortality among current smokers and never smokers, the majority of the study’s participants were former smokers, allowing the researchers to focus on the impacts of smoking cessation.
The study followed 5,594 patients with NSCLC—which accounts for 85% of all lung cancer cases—enrolled in the Boston Lung Cancer Survival Cohort at Massachusetts General Hospital between 1992 and 2022. Of these participants, 795 had never smoked; 3,308 were former smokers; and 1,491 were current smokers. Participants completed questionnaires about their smoking habits and other health and demographic information at baseline, with the researchers checking in on their survival every 12 to 18 months. During the study period, 3,842 of the participants died: 79.3% of the current smokers, 66.8% of the former smokers, and 59.6% of the never smokers.
While never smoking was associated with the best odds of survival after a lung cancer diagnosis, the findings showed significant associations between lower mortality and having quit smoking pre-diagnosis. The longer a patient went without smoking, the more health benefits they accrued: For former smokers, doubling the years of smoking cessation before their lung cancer diagnosis was significantly associated with prolonged survival. Conversely, doubling smoking-pack years was associated with shorter survival among current and former smokers diagnosed with NSCLC.
The researchers noted that associations between survival and smoking history may vary depending on the clinical stage at which lung cancer was diagnosed, and that the study did not account for the different kinds of treatment participants were receiving.
Other Harvard Chan School co-authors included Xinan Wang, Christopher Romero-Gutierrez, and Jui Kothari.
Funding for the study came from National Cancer Institute grant 5U01CA209414.
“Prediagnosis smoking cessation and overall survival among patients with non-small cell lung cancer,” Xinan Wang, Christopher W. Romero-Guttierez, Jui Kothari, Andrea Shafer, Yi Li, David C. Christiani, JAMA Network Open, online May 5, 2023, doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.11966
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health brings together dedicated experts from many disciplines to educate new generations of global health leaders and produce powerful ideas that improve the lives and health of people everywhere. As a community of leading scientists, educators, and students, we work together to take innovative ideas from the laboratory to people’s lives—not only making scientific breakthroughs, but also working to change individual behaviors, public policies, and health care practices. Each year, more than 400 faculty members at Harvard Chan School teach 1,000-plus full-time students from around the world and train thousands more through online and executive education courses. Founded in 1913 as the Harvard-MIT School of Health Officers, the School is recognized as America’s oldest professional training program in public health.
PHILADELPHIA (May 5, 2023) - Despite breastfeeding being recommended for at least two years, only 36 percent of all infants are still breastfed at their first birthday. Black/African American mothers are least likely to initiate breastfeeding with initiation rates of only 74 percent compared to 90 percent of Asian mothers with a national average of 84 percent. Given the disparities in breastfeeding initiation, there are likely to be equivalent disparities in breastfeeding duration.
New research from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing (Penn Nursing) published in the journal Breastfeeding Medicine shares Black mothers’ descriptions of their needs and experiences during breastfeeding. The results can help health care providers understand how to better support Black breastfeeding families.
“The goal of this research was to hear from Black mothers who had long-term breastfeeding experiences to understand the barriers and facilitators of setting and reaching long-term breastfeeding goals,” explains Stephanie N. Acquaye, Hillman Scholar at Penn Nursing and article coauthor. “This research provides insight for developing interventions to support optimal breastfeeding duration for Black families. Population-specific interventions must always be guided by the voices and experiences of members of that population. Therefore, we urge that any intervention developed accounts for variations in sociocultural factors among those who identify as Black/African American.”
The study indicates that for Black families, a variety of psychological and social factors influence the desire for and achievement of breastfeeding a child beyond infancy. “Factors positively affecting achieving long-term breastfeeding goals include accessible breastfeeding education and support from community and providers,” says coauthor Diane L. Spatz, PhD, RN-BC, FAAN, Professor of Perinatal Nursing, and Helen M. Shearer Term Professor of Nutrition at Penn Nursing.
The article “Lactation Experiences of Black Mothers Who Breastfed a Child Beyond Age One” is available online.
# # #
About the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing
The University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing is one of the world’s leading schools of nursing. For the eight year in a row, it is ranked the #1 nursing school in the world by QS University. For the second year in a row, our Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program is ranked # 1 in the 2023 U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges rankings. Penn Nursing is also consistently ranked highly in the U.S. News & World Report annual list of best graduate schools and is ranked as one of the top schools of nursing in funding from the National Institutes of Health. Penn Nursing prepares nurse scientists and nurse leaders to meet the health needs of a global society through innovation in research, education, and practice. Follow Penn Nursing on: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, & Instagram.
JOURNAL
Breastfeeding Medicine
ARTICLE TITLE
Lactation Experiences of Black Mothers Who Breastfed a Child Beyond Age One
UCF scientist uncovers roots of antibiotic resistance
By understanding how mutations occur, researchers can better understand and develop therapeutics to combat resistant infections
Bacteria naturally adapt to various environmental stimuli and as they mutate, these changes can make them resistant to drugs that would kill or slow their growth.
In a recent article published in PLoS Genetics, UCF College of Medicine microbiologist Dr. Salvador Almagro-Moreno uncovers the evolutionary origins of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in bacteria. His studies on the bacterium that causes cholera, Vibrio cholerae, provide insight into deciphering what conditions must occur for infectious agents to become resistant.
“How AMR occurs in bacterial populations and the pathways leading to these new traits are still poorly understood,” he said. “This poses a major public health threat as antimicrobial resistance is on the rise.“
Dr. Almagro-Moreno studied genetic variants of a protein found in bacterial membranes called OmpU. Using computational and molecular approaches, his team found that several OmpU mutations in the cholera bacteria led to resistance to numerous antimicrobial agents. This resistance included antimicrobial peptides that act as defenses in the human gut. The researchers found that other OmpU variants did not provide these properties, making the protein an ideal system for deciphering the specific processes that occur to make some bacteria resistant to antimicrobials.
By comparing resistant and antibiotic sensitive variants, the researchers were able to identify specific parts of OmpU associated with the emergence of antibiotic resistance. They also discovered that the genetic material encoding these variants, along with associated traits, can be passed between bacterial cells, increasing therisk of spreading AMR in populations under antibiotic pressure.
By understanding how mutations occur, researchers can better understand and develop therapeutics to combat resistant infections. Dr. Almagro-Moreno is also looking at environmental factors such as pollution and warming of the oceans, as possible causes of resistant bacteria. “We are studying the genetic diversity ofenvironmental populations, including coastal Florida isolates, to develop a new approach to understandinghow antimicrobial resistance evolves,” he explained.
Understanding the bacteria that causes cholera, an acute diarrheal illness linked to infected water and foods, has global implications. The disease sickens up to 4 million people worldwide and severe cases can cause death within hours.
Allelic diversity uncovers protein domains contributing to the emergence of antimicrobial resistance
Case report: former football player’s cognitive symptoms improved after study revealed alternative diagnosis and treatment
After receiving treatment for hydrocephalus, the former professional athlete regained cognitive functioning, illustrating the importance of taking a comprehensive approach when addressing health concerns among athletes
Football players who have had repetitive head trauma and concussion are at heightened risk for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), an irreversible condition that leads to dementia. But not every case of cognitive decline means CTE, as illustrated by a new case study published by researchers from Mass General Brigham in Current Sports Medicine Reports.
In the publication, Adam Tenforde, MD, a physician in Mass General Brigham’s Sports medicine program and medical director of the Spaulding National Running Center, co-authored a study that described the case of a 54-year-old former professional football player who was suffering from life-altering cognitive, behavioral and personality changes when he enrolled in the Harvard Football Players Health Study. As part of the study, which comprehensively assesses each participants’ health over the course of a three-day study visit, the participant received a brain MRI. The MRI revealed signs of hydrocephalus—swelling in the brain that can be treated and reversed. After receiving treatment, the participant experienced improvements in mood and cognition.
“We see with this case report that it’s important to always be curious as to why an individual experiences a change in function,” said Tenforde. “There can be unconscious bias in how we approach former and current athletes, and those biases can affect care. Providers might assume a decline in cognition is indicative of a diagnosis or condition that is untreatable. But one of the key findings from our work on this ongoing study is that when we take a more comprehensive approach, we may find alternative explanations and a treatable diagnosis.”
Reversible cognitive decline in a former American-style football player
COI STATEMENT
: R.Z. reported receiving royalties from Springer/Demos publishing for serving as coeditor of the text Brain Injury Medicine; serving on the scientific advisory board of Myomo Inc., and onecare.ai Inc.; evaluating patients in the Massachusetts General Hospital Brain and Body–TRUST Program, which is funded by the NFL Players Association; and receiving grants from the NIH. A.T. serves as senior editor for PM&R Journal. He gives professional talks such as grand rounds and medical conference plenary lectures and receives honoraria from conference organizers. He has participated in research funded by Arnold P. Gold Foundation (physician and patient care disparities), American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (bone density research), Uniform Health Service and Enovis (Achilles tendinopathy). He evaluates patients in the Massachusetts General Hospital Brain and Body–TRUST Program, which is funded by the NFL Players Association; He is a paid consultant for State Farm Insurance and Strava.
Adolescents, young adults with advanced heart disease show desire to take active role in medical care decisions
One center finds discord between medical decision-making preferences of youth with heart failure and their parents
Adolescents and young adults with advanced heart disease are at high risk of dying in the hospital, often require invasive treatment and experience significant symptoms that impact their quality of life.
And while most of their parents prefer that decision making about their treatment and care options remain between parents and physicians, many young people want to be actively involved in medical decisions affecting them, a new study suggests.
“As a pediatric psychologist, I have found that healthcare communication is one of the most critical – yet most underappreciated aspects of care,” said lead author Melissa Cousino, Ph.D., director of the U-M Congenital Heart Center Psychosocial and Educational Program (M-COPE) at University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital.
“How we communicate about diagnosis, prognosis, treatment options and more impacts coping, medical adherence, and health outcomes. In pediatric healthcare, it is critical that we better understand the communication and medical decision-making preferences of the young people we care for.”
Researchers surveyed 53 young adults ages 12-24 with advanced heart diseases, including heart failure – a lifelong condition in which the heart muscle can't pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs – along with 51 of their parents at Mott.
“In our sample of patients with serious heart disease, we found that the majority of teens and young adults want to be aware of their treatment options, risks and prognosis information and desire active involvement in their medical decision making,” Cousino said.
But there was a notable gap between the preferences of young patients and their parents, according to the research published in JAMA Network Open.
Nearly 45 % of patients desired active, patient-led decision making specific to their heart disease management with a considerable majority wanting to discuss adverse effects or risks of treatment, surgical details, quality of life and life expectancy.
Many youth surveyed agreed with the statement “I should make the decision but strongly consider the physician’s and my parents’ opinions.” More than half wanted to be involved in their end-of-life care decision making if critically ill.
Meanwhile, parents and guardians preferred an approach involving shared decision making between them and their child’s doctors.
“The largest proportion of parents felt they should make medical decisions for their teen or young adult in partnership with the medical team,” Cousino said. “Even though half of our patient sample were adults themselves, only six parents felt medical decision-making should be patient-led.”
“I often find that parents, as well as pediatric healthcare clinicians, are understandably trying to protect young people from the bad, sad, or difficult news,” she added. “Yet, for a large number of young people, keeping them from fully understanding or engaging in their healthcare, even when information is related to death or dying, can be more isolating and anxiety-provoking.”
Cousino says research on patient communication and medical decision making was recently identified as a top priority in the field of palliative care in pediatric cardiology.
“There is not a one-size-fits all approach to medical communication and decision making. Each child, teen, young adult and family system has different needs and preferences,” she said.
“It is on us to better understand youth needs and preferences to best incorporate their voice into medical care decisions in a way that is aligned with their needs. Ultimately, this will inform the development of interventions to support parents and healthcare clinicians working with young people facing serious illnesses and arduous medical courses.”
Senior author, Kurt Schumacher, M.D., a pediatric cardiologist at Mott, says the study has important implications for clinicians caring for children and young adults with serious heart disease.
“The study should get the attention of all clinicians who care for children with significant heart disease. We all communicate with families, but not everyone is aware of the information that our patients would like to receive and discuss,” he said. “Both parents and providers may be underestimating how actively involved adolescents and young adults want to be when it comes to decisions about their heart disease.”
“These findings underscore the importance of understanding each individual’s preferences and personalizing communication methods with each young patient regardless of their diagnosis, disease severity or symptoms,” Schumacher added.
“We need to continue to pursue individualized conversation tools and decision-making interventions with young patients with advanced heart disease. And we need to help providers be comfortable and open with these discussions as well.”
JOURNAL
JAMA Network Open
Calls for more positive health messaging around fertility
The language used to communicate fertility awareness should be more empathetic and target both men and women, finds a new study involving UCL researchers.
The review, published in Human Reproduction Open, gives five recommendations on how to promote fertility awareness in a more positive way.
While education about fertility is not intrinsically controversial, finding the right language to address the topic can be difficult – with the risk of causing negative effects such as anxiety, culpability, and stigma.
After reviewing previous studies and literature on the subject, the team were particularly keen to resolve issues around language that could evoke feelings of personal blame, the marginalisation of those struggling to conceive and distress caused by focusing on idealised health situations.
Consequently, they found that it was important to:
Frame fertility awareness messages with reproductive autonomy in mind and aim to be inclusive of those who do not represent the traditional nuclear family.
Be empathetic and steer clear of blame.
Avoid scaremongering and offer a positive angle.
Give due consideration to both women and men in fertility health messaging.
Tailor the messages to particular contexts and audiences and develop resources in close collaboration with the target groups.
Professor Joyce Harper (UCL EGA Institute for Women’s Health), founder and chair of the International Reproductive Health Education Collaboration who wrote the paper said: “Wording messages about fertility in a way that people are willing to accept and without causing offense is a difficult balance. And, while reproductive health education resources exist, the field of reproductive health promotion is in its infancy and more work needs to be done.”
With regards to autonomy, the researchers found that it was important to stress that parenthood is a choice and not everybody may want to have children.
The team also wanted to ensure that reproductive health information was representative of non-binary individuals and those whose sex at birth does not match their gender identity.
Meanwhile, to avoid unnecessary blame or stigma, the researchers say that it may be more useful to offer positive advice about the impact of healthy eating and regular exercise on reproductive health – rather than reinforcing taboos about factors such as weight and obesity, which may cause people to feel shame or distress.
The same positive tone should be used for messaging about the impact of age on fertility. For example, while the chances of having a healthy pregnancy diminish with age, it is not always possible or desirable for people to have children when they are young.
The researchers also recommend not overstating risks to fertility – as this could lead to anxiety.
And they believe it is important to create male-focused messages about how men can contribute to the chance of pregnancy and the health of a future baby – highlighting how reproductive outcomes depend on both sexes.
Finally, in order to tailor health messaging to particular contexts and audiences, the researchers recommend involving those with lived-experience, to ensure that priorities and wording are accurate, helpful and approachable.
Professor Harper said: “Reproductive health communication is a particularly challenging endeavour and needs involvement from different target groups in order to get the messaging right.
“We hope that our five recommendations will provide a basis for more positive communication of reproductive health awareness in the future.”
