Buser Julie M, Auma Anna Grace, August Ella, Rana Gurpreet K, Gray Rachel, Jacobson-Davies Faelan E, Tufa Tesfaye H, Endale Tamrat, Mukeshimana Madeleine, Smith Yolanda R
Center for International Reproductive Health Training (CIRHT), University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America.
Department of Nursing and Midwifery, Lira University, Lira, Uganda.
PLOS Glob Public Health. 2024 Oct 3;4(10):e0003789. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0003789. eCollection 2024.
Sexual and reproductive health (SRH) research capacity strengthening (RCS) programs in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are needed to foster the discovery of context-specific solutions to improve patient outcomes and population health. There remains a limited understanding of SRH research strengthening programs to raise skill sets, publications, and infrastructure and ultimately influence health policy and patient outcomes in LMICs. More information is needed to understand how SRH research is sustained after program completion. To inform efforts to implement programs that strengthen SRH research and foster sustainability, we conducted a scoping review to identify and synthesize strategies used in SRH research strengthening programs in LMICs. A literature search of nine scholarly databases was conducted. We synthesized data extracted from included articles and presented results highlighting the format, duration, and topics covered of program interventions to strengthen SRH research in LMICs. We organized information about primary outcomes into themes and summarized how SRH research capacity was sustained after program completion. Twenty-four articles were included in the scoping review. The articles generally focused on outcomes within the themes of advocacy/capacity, education, policy, project life cycle, and writing/publication. Few articles reported metrics or other evidence of long-term program sustainability of SRH RCS projects in LMICs. Results from this scoping review can be used to strengthen SRH research programs in LMICs. More energy must be directed toward correcting power imbalances in capacity strengthening initiatives. To address additional gaps, future directions for research should include an exploration of SRH research mentorship, the cost of SRH RCS interventions, and how to foster institutional support.
低收入和中等收入国家（LMICs）需要性与生殖健康（SRH）研究能力加强（RCS）项目，以促进发现针对具体情况的解决方案，从而改善患者治疗效果和人群健康。目前，人们对SRH研究加强项目的了解有限，这些项目旨在提高技能水平、增加出版物数量并改善基础设施，最终影响LMICs的卫生政策和患者治疗效果。我们需要更多信息来了解SRH研究在项目结束后是如何持续开展的。为了为实施加强SRH研究并促进可持续性的项目提供参考，我们进行了一项范围审查,以确定和综合LMICs中SRH研究加强项目所采用的策略。我们在九个学术数据库中进行了文献检索。我们综合了从纳入文章中提取的数据，并展示了结果，突出了加强LMICs中SRH研究的项目干预措施的形式、持续时间和涵盖的主题。我们将关于主要结果的信息整理成主题，并总结了项目结束后SRH研究能力是如何得以维持的。范围审查纳入了24篇文章。这些文章普遍关注宣传/能力、教育、政策、项目生命周期以及写作/出版等主题内的结果。很少有文章报告了LMICs中SRH RCS项目长期项目可持续性的指标或其他证据。本次范围审查的结果可用于加强LMICs中的SRH研究项目。必须投入更多精力来纠正能力加强举措中的权力不平衡问题。为了填补其他空白，未来的研究方向应包括探索SRH研究指导、SRH RCS干预措施的成本，以及如何促进机构支持。
