Bulled Nicola, Singer Merrill
InCHIP, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA.
Anthropology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA.
J Multimorb Comorb. 2024 Apr 26;14:26335565241249835. doi: 10.1177/26335565241249835. eCollection 2024 Jan-Dec.
COVID-19's heavy toll on human health, and its concentration within specific at-risk groups including the socially vulnerable and individuals with comorbidities, has made it the focus of much syndemic discourse. Syndemic theory recognizes that social factors create the conditions that support the clustering of diseases and that these diseases interact in a manner that worsens health outcomes. Syndemics theory has helped to facilitate systems-level approaches to disease as a biosocial phenomenon and guide prevention and treatment efforts. Despite its recognized value, reviews of syndemics literature have noted frequent misuse of the concept limiting its potential in guiding appropriate interventions.
To review how the term 'syndemic' is defined and applied within peer-reviewed literature in relation to COVID-19.
A scoping review of definitions within COVID-19 literature published between January 1, 2020 to May 15, 2023 was conducted. Searches took place across six databases: Academic Search Premier, CINAHL, JSTOR, MEDLINE/Pubmed, PsycINFO and Scopus. PRISMA-ScR guidelines were followed.
Content analysis revealed that COVID-19 has varied clustered configurations of communicable-non-communicable diseases and novel communicable disease interactions. Spatial analysis was presented as a new strategy to evidence syndemic arrangements. However, syndemics continue to be regarded as universal, with continued misunderstanding and misapplication of the concept.
This review found that current applications of syndemics remain problematic. Recommendations are made on the design of syndemic studies. A syndemic framework offers an opportunity for systems-level thinking that considers the full complexity of human-disease interactions and is useful to inform future pandemic preparations and responses.
新冠病毒病对人类健康造成了沉重负担，且集中在特定的高危群体中，包括社会弱势群体和患有合并症的个体，这使其成为许多综合征流行话语的焦点。综合征流行理论认识到，社会因素创造了支持疾病聚集的条件，并且这些疾病以一种使健康结果恶化的方式相互作用。综合征流行理论有助于推动将疾病作为一种生物社会现象的系统层面研究方法，并指导预防和治疗工作。尽管其价值得到认可，但对综合征流行文献的综述指出，该概念经常被误用，限制了其在指导适当干预措施方面的潜力。
回顾“综合征流行”一词在同行评审文献中与新冠病毒病相关的定义和应用。
对2020年1月1日至2023年5月15日发表的新冠病毒病文献中的定义进行范围综述。在六个数据库中进行检索：学术搜索高级版、护理学与健康领域数据库、JSTOR、医学期刊数据库/ PubMed、心理学文摘数据库和Scopus。遵循PRISMA-ScR指南。
内容分析表明，新冠病毒病具有多种传染病-非传染病的聚集组合以及新型传染病相互作用。空间分析被作为一种证明综合征流行模式的新策略提出。然而，综合征流行仍被视为普遍现象，对该概念仍存在持续的误解和误用。
本综述发现，目前综合征流行的应用仍然存在问题。针对综合征流行研究的设计提出了建议。综合征流行框架为系统层面的思考提供了机会，考虑到了人类与疾病相互作用的全部复杂性，有助于为未来的大流行防范和应对提供信息。
