TY - JOUR
T1 - The epidemiology of gynaecologic health
T2 - Contemporary opportunities and challenges
AU - Hoffman, Sarah R.
AU - Farland, Leslie V.
AU - Doll, Kemi M.
AU - Nicholson, Wanda K.
AU - Wright, Maya A.
AU - Robinson, Whitney R.
N1 - Funding Information:
women’s reproductive health, are under-resourced.10 The study identified 150 topical clusters funded by the NIH in 2011–2015. The cluster with the absolute lowest likelihood of funding was the one characterised by the words ‘ovary’, ‘fertility’ and ‘reproductive’. This area’s funding likelihood was 7.5%, compared to 28.7% for the cluster most likely to be funded. This funding discrepancy shows that even reproduction-focused reproductive health is underfunded in the U.S. A sub-field like gynaecologic health is even less likely to receive funding. Globally, there is also limited funding dedicated to gynaecologic research in other high-income countries.11 12 And there is anecdotal evidence that, in many low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), there is little dedicated funding at all.13
Funding Information:
Funding Maya Wright was supported in part by a training grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Development [T32 HD52468].
Publisher Copyright:
© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.
PY - 2021/4/1
Y1 - 2021/4/1
N2 - The field of reproductive epidemiology has primarily focused on reproductive outcomes and gynaecologic cancers. The study of non-cancerous, gynaecologic conditions (eg, uterine fibroids, endometriosis) has not received serious treatment in existing epidemiology textbooks and reproductive epidemiology curricula. Further, these conditions do not neatly fit into the other common subdisciplines within epidemiology (eg, infectious disease, cardiovascular, injury and occupational epidemiology and so on). In this commentary, we identify and illustrate three critical challenges to advancing the epidemiologic research of non-cancerous, gynaecologic conditions. With greater investment and a patient-centred approach, epidemiology can advance knowledge about this critical area of human welfare.
AB - The field of reproductive epidemiology has primarily focused on reproductive outcomes and gynaecologic cancers. The study of non-cancerous, gynaecologic conditions (eg, uterine fibroids, endometriosis) has not received serious treatment in existing epidemiology textbooks and reproductive epidemiology curricula. Further, these conditions do not neatly fit into the other common subdisciplines within epidemiology (eg, infectious disease, cardiovascular, injury and occupational epidemiology and so on). In this commentary, we identify and illustrate three critical challenges to advancing the epidemiologic research of non-cancerous, gynaecologic conditions. With greater investment and a patient-centred approach, epidemiology can advance knowledge about this critical area of human welfare.
KW - Clinical epidemiology
KW - Epidemiological methods
KW - Gender
KW - Gynaecology
KW - Reproductive health
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85102338063&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1136/jech-2019-213149
DO - 10.1136/jech-2019-213149
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85102338063
SN - 0143-005X
VL - 75
SP - 398
EP - 401
JO - Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
JF - Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
IS - 4
ER -