Labor, Health, and Marginalization: A Culture-Centered Analysis of the Challenges of Male Bangladeshi Migrant Workers in the Middle East

© The Author(s) 2020. Based on the culture-centered approach, we examine the meanings of health and negotiations of health care structures among low socioeconomic status (SES) Bangladeshi male migrant workers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). We engage in coconstructive problem definition and strategizing through 44 semistructured in-depth interviews/focus groups about health, migration, and well-being. Our analysis of the participants’ narratives elucidates the intersectionality of health as a lived experience of migrant labor within neoliberal structures focused on labor extraction, highlighting health not as a static or purely epidemiological construct, but as a combination of the physical, mental, spiritual, and socioeconomic material realities within which they are located. These include a recognition of the importance of interconnectedness of physical and mental well-being, drawing upon one’s cultural and familial roles and responsibilities, as well as locating health within structurally exploitative practices. Specifically, the participants articulate the absence of substantive health and labor protections that result in poor health outcomes for them

Culture, Structure, and Health: Narratives of Low-income Bangladeshi Migrant Workers from the United Arab Emirates

© 2020, © 2020 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. Increasingly, health scholars are paying attention to the health experiences of immigrant communities, particularly in the backdrop of the global flows of goods, services, and people across borders. In spite of the increasing public health emphasis on health outcomes of immigrants within the Middle Eastern (ME) countries, immigrant communities are often constructed as monoliths and the voices of immigrant communities are traditionally absent from mainstream health policy and program discourses. The health experiences of immigrants, their access to resources, and the health trajectories through the life-course followed by them and their descendants influence the deep-seated patterns of ethnic health disparities documented in the ME. Based on the culture-centered approach, we engaged in in-depth face-to-face interviews, and focus groups discussions with a total of 44 research participants, to understand how low-income Bangladeshi migrant workers in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), who live at the borders of mainstream Arab society, define, construct, and negotiate health issues. Participants articulate in their narratives their nuanced cultural understanding of good health as a complex, holistic practice, the achievement of which is obstructed by barriers such as immigration and insurance structures. Further, they enact their agency in resource impoverished circumstances to protect their mental health and physical well-being through daily strategies and acts of resistance

Bridging Theory to Practice: Utilizing the Culture-Centered Approach (CCA) to Address Gaps in Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) Processes

The purpose of this study is to provide recommendations to bridging the theoretical with the practical in developing community-based participatory research (CBPR) health communication projects. As illustrated through a review of several case studies from health campaigns using CBPR, often times the theoretical orientations of CBPR become secondary to its praxis, with unspoken motives and agendas become motivating factors in guiding the initiatives. These motives may come in the form of funding organization priorities, funded grant proposal constraints, and the desire to continue relationships that are fostered in the development of CBPR projects. In response, this essay reintroduces the culture-centered approach (CCA) as an additional metatheoretical lens that can be utilized in linking theory to practice. The use of specific reflexive exercises are recommended to draw out unseen power differentials within project partnerships, calling into question the fundamental objectives guiding the decision-making processes within CBPR projects. This essay aspires to compel and strengthen CBPR health communication in practice to become more authentic to the orientation’s original conceptualization

Fixed dose combination of ibuprofen and paracetamol induced toxic epidermal necrolysis

Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis (TEN) is a serious dermatological disorder and a potential life threatening condition, which can be due to drugs or infections. Fixed dose combination (FDC) of Ibuprofen plus Paracetamol is commonly used as an analgesic and antipyretic over the counter (OTC) in India. We present a case of Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis due to Fixed Drug Combination of Ibuprofen and Paracetamol. Awareness should be there both at the level the consumers and the health care professionals regarding occurrence of such rare but potentially serious side effect associated with such combination

A sustainable rice production technology: problems and prospects

The study has focused on problems and prospects perceived by farmers’ for growing rice in direct seeded cultivation mode i.e. Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) in Haryana (India). Overall adoption of DSR technology was low to moderate since 70 per cent respondents belonged to these categories. The method of sowing (weighted mean score 3.0), depth of sowing (2.93) and seed treatment (2.93) were highly adopted agronomic practices, whereas least adopted practices were like recommended seed rate (1.94), timely application of fertilizers (1.87) and their recommended doses (1.73), and ferrous sulphate use only at deficiency syndrome (1.19) not as per recommended schedule. Among constraints non-availability of quality seeds, fertilizers, weedicides and pesticides in required quantity and at proper time (1.64), high weed infestation in DSR in comparison to transplanting (2.88), wide fluctuation in prices (2.83) of basmati paddy due to lack of MSP, lack of storage facilities in villages (2.78), lack of proper knowledge of irrigation schedule (1.73), non-availability of extension personnel (1.64), lack of low credit facility (1.62), non-availability of agricultural magazines and literature in time in villages (2.78), lack of stable procurement policy for basmati rice (2.78) and lack of trained field staff to provide technical guidance during cultivation (2.02) process were serious constraints faced by farmers in adoption of DSR technology in Haryana. Since majority of respondent farmers agreed that DSR technology give better net returns in comparison to transplanting (2.95), less labour requirement (2.92) and best suited to climate change risks (2.66)

Renal Stones: A Clinical Review

Renal stones are a common condition causing significant morbidity and economic burden. The prevalence of urinary tract stones in the developed nations ranges from 4–20%. Renal stones are of different types, the most common being the calcium oxalate stones. Various dietary, non-dietary, and urinary risk factors contribute to their formation. Their frequent association with systemic diseases (like hypertension, diabetes, and obesity) highlights the role of dietary and lifestyle changes in their occurrence, recurrence, and possible prevention. Non-contrast computed tomography (CT) identifies almost every stone and is the preferred investigation for identification. Ultrasound has its advantages, as it is low cost and requires no radiation, but is observer dependent. Metabolic profiles (including blood calcium, phosphate, magnesium, creatinine, uric acid, sodium, and potassium) should be measured and a detailed urinalysis should be done. This review further discusses the formation in depth, and covers risk factors and management of renal stones, and lays down the importance of preventive measures to avoid their recurrence

Negotiating healthcare structures in the United States: Reassessing resettlement through Burmese refugee voices

In mainstream health literature refugees have traditionally been portrayed as en masse carriers of exotic disease. This has resulted in a development of the literary discussion of health interventions in refugee communities primarily through the lens of diagnosis, management and prevention of communicable disease There has been a systematic erasure of culturally constructed understandings of health derived from the refugee experience, through the predominant propagation of the disease containment discourse in health interventions. These forms of health communication, preclude any participatory role for the refugees discursively engaging in decision making spaces about healthcare policy. This pilot project, through fieldwork with resettled Burmese refugees in the city of Indianapolis, attempts to reclaim the discursive space for community voice, by drawing on recommendations from the refugees for their active participation in local healthcare decision-making processes. The meta-theoretical lens of the culture-centered-approach is used to focus on exploring the culturally situated meanings refugees bring to the healthcare context in the United States post-resettlement through in-depth participant interviews in the community. Overall this project deconstructs the complex interaction of structural agents, such as NGOs and health providers with the resettled Burmese refugees, uncovering the agentic strategies and solutions articulated by community members in negotiating these enabling and constraining structures

Development and standardization of a COVID-19 Vaccination Anxiety scale for Adult Urban Indian Population (CVAS-A)

Given the ongoing COVID-19 vaccination drive across the globe, a significant amount of confusion, mistrust, misunderstanding, and hesitancy had surfaced regarding the vaccine. A standardized tool to understand the possible reasons of COVID-19 vaccination anxiety and hesitancy would be valuable in this context. The current study aimed at developing a standardized tool to measure COVID-19 Vaccination Anxiety among Urban Indian adults. A 19-item scale was administered to an Urban adult Indian population (N = 760) between the period of February 2021- May 2021 to obtain factors associated with COVID-19 Vaccination Anxiety and establish reliability estimates of the scale. Infection-related anxiety, information-related anxiety and vaccine side-effect-related anxiety were the three factors determined through Factor Analysis. The scale was validated with Convergent and Discriminant Validity by finding correlation between the three factors of the scale and five factors of the Brief version of the Big-Five personality Inventory (extraversion, agreeableness, openness to experience, conscientiousness, and neuroticism). It is expected that a tool such as CVAS-A would help in understanding and managing COVID-19-related vaccination hesitancy

Studies on hydroquinone based maleate bolaamphiphile organogels and their drug formulations

<p>Now a day’s there is an upsurge in topical gel formulations, they can be prepared by varying physico-chemical methods and provide better localized action. A maleate based symmetric bolaamphiphile was synthesized by using cost-effective starting materials under mild reaction condition. The gelation ability of bolaamphiphile in aqueous medium was examined for a series of organic solvents. In hexane, the gelator showed better gelation ability with relatively higher critical strain (54 Pa) values. Further, the microscopic images of the gel revealed flakes like morphology, both the XRD and DFT studies revealed the presence of non covalent interactions. These gels showed a high internal-phase mole ratio of the topical drugs in the order of curcumin < salicylic acid < Ibuprofen. Formation of aqueous and organic gel-phase formulation may facilitate the topical medications for various applications related to ophthalmic and skin infections.</p