Journal of epidemiology and community health
-
J Epidemiol Community Health · Mar 2006
ReviewWhat same sex civil partnerships may mean for health.
A growing number of countries have introduced a form of marriage or civil partnership registration for same sex couples. Marriage confers health benefits on heterosexual men and women and similar benefits could arise from same sex civil unions. The authors argue that legal and social recognition of same sex relationships may reduce discrimination, increase the stability of same sex relationships, and lead to better physical and mental health for gay and lesbian people.
-
J Epidemiol Community Health · Nov 2005
Review Meta AnalysisMeta-analysis of randomised trials of monetary incentives and response to mailed questionnaires.
To quantify the increase in mailed questionnaire response attributable to a monetary incentive. ⋯ This meta-analysis of the best available evidence shows that monetary incentives increase mailed questionnaire response. Researchers should include small amounts of money with mailed questionnaires rather than give no incentive at all.
-
J Epidemiol Community Health · Oct 2005
ReviewAssessment of publication bias in meta-analyses of cardiovascular diseases.
To examine variables related with publication bias assessment in a sample of systematic reviews with meta-analysis on cardiovascular diseases. ⋯ The frequency of assessment of publication bias in meta-analysis is still very low, although it has improved with time. It is more frequent in meta-analyses on observational studies and it is related to other methodological characteristics of reviews.
-
This paper addresses a fundamental question in evidence based policy making--can scientists and policy makers work together? It first provides a scenario outlining the different mentalities and imperatives of scientists and policy makers, and then discusses various issues and solutions relating to whether and how scientists and policy makers can work together. Scientists and policy makers have different goals, attitudes toward information, languages, perception of time, and career paths. ⋯ The suggested solutions include providing new incentives to encourage scientists and policy makers to work together, using knowledge brokers (translational scientists), making organisational changes, defining research in a broader sense, re-defining the starting point for knowledge transfer, expanding the accountability horizon, and finally, acknowledging the complexity of policy making. It is hoped that further discussion and debate on the partnership idea, the need for incentives, recognising the incompatibility problems, the role of civil society, and other related themes will lead to new opportunities for further advancing evidence based policy and practice.