Research Findings

Why does gender influence survival in obstructive sleep apnoea? A gender-based analysis of sleep apnea by Morrish E, Shneerson JM, and Smith IE. at the Respiratory Support and Sleep Centre, Papworth Hospital , Papworth Everard, Cambridge, UK . Published in the Respiratory Medical Journal, July 8, 2008. The study aim was to compare the mortality risk of men and women diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). View the abstract on PubMed.

Baby Steps: Comparison of Neonatal Services Points to National Health Care Lessons by Michael Hallsworth (an analyst at RAND Europe) and Evi Hatziandreu (director of health and health care studies at RAND Europe). An international comparison of neonatal services in Scotland , Wales , Northern Ireland , England , the United States , Canada , Australia , and Sweden shows a downward trend in mortality rates in all areas over the past decade. The study also points to several lessons that government health agencies can learn from one another. See the RAND website for more information.

This review assesses the effectiveness of programmes seeking to engage men and boys in achieving gender equality and equity in health. The review analysed data from 58 evaluation studies of interventions with men and boys. Interventions were rated on their gender approach, using the following categories: gender-neutral - programmes that distinguish little between the needs of men and women, neither reinforcing nor questioning gender roles; gender-sensitive - programmes that recognise the specific needs and realities of men based on the social construction of gender roles; or gender-transformative - approaches that seek to transform gender roles and promote more gender-equitable relationships between men and women.

Download the publication.

Contraception and Unintended Pregnancies in Africa and Eastern Europe & Central Asia

The report consists of three parts: global trends in fertility, contraceptive use and unintended pregnancies; studies of two regions (Africa and Eastern Europe/Central Asia) and two countries (Nigeria and Kazakhstan) on the costs of fertility regulation behaviors and provider attitudes towards contraceptive use.  The complete report is available on-line.

The report "Coverage of Cervical Cancer Screening in 57 Countries: Low Average Levels and Large Inequalities" by researchers at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington and Harvard Medical School, Boston, is now available online.

Canadian AIDS Society and the Canadian Harm Reduction Network release the report "Learning from Each Other: Enhancing Community-Based Harm Reduction Programs and Practices in Canada" June 17, 2008. The report funded by the federal government's Drug Strategy Community Initiatives Fund outlines how programs were developed and implemented and the lessons learned. See the Canadian AIDS Society website or the Canadian Harm Reduction Network's website for the full report.

A National Survey of Canadians' Use of Alcohol and Other Drugs - Canadian Addiction Survey (CAS) is now available online. The report is a follow-up from the Canadian Addiction Survey (2004) and presents an analysis of alcohol and illicit drug use with respect to gender. Prepared by researchers from the Office of Research and Surveillance, Drug Strategy and Controlled Substances Programme, Health Canada; British Columbia Centre of Excellence for Women's Health; and the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse. Download the report.

The World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe and European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies 2008 released the report "Where are the patients in decision-making about their own care?" looking at patients' roles in health care and how policies can change to better engage patients in care. Available online.

The use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) by senior Canadian women in five provinces has dropped from 14% to 5% since the publication of the 2002 Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study, which found the health risks of using HRT outweighed the benefits. A new analysis of public drug claims from the *Canadian Institute for Health Information* (CIHI) shows that the use of HRT among female seniors (aged 65 and older) in five provinces declined each year between 2001--2002 and 2006--2007, with the highest average annual rate of decline (30%) occurring in the two-year period following the publication of the WHI study. The five provinces included in the CIHI analysis were Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.   Read the complete study.

The Canadian Coalition for Global Health Research (CCGHR) is pleased to provide a  copy of the Spring issue of CONNECTIONS. It can accessed on-line.