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Verbal Fluency In Women With The Fmr1 Premutation And The Broad Autism Phenotype, Emily Szabo

Theses and Dissertations

Women who carry a premutation allele on the FMR1 gene can experience limitations due to their genetic status, including executive function deficits. These subtle deficits are often shared by women who possess the broad autism phenotype (BAP). Poor understanding and limited research on the extent of these executive functioning deficits has led to limited clinical management of these two groups. The current study aimed to clarity whether there is a difference in verbal fluency abilities in mothers that possess the FMR1 premutation, mothers of children with autism who are at risk for the BAP, and mothers of typically developing children, …

Food Insecurity And Frailty Among Women With And Without Hiv In The United States: A Cross-Sectional Analysis, Judy Y. Tan, Lila A. Sheira, Edward A. Frongillo Jr., Deborah Gustafson, Anjali Sharma, Daniel Merenstein, Mardge H. Cohen, Elizabeth Golub, Andrew Edmonds, Igho Ofotokun, Margaret Fischl, Deborah Konkle-Parker, Torsten Neilands, Phyllis Tien, Sheri D. Weiser

Faculty Publications

Introduction: Frailty is frequently observed among people with HIV, and food insecurity is associated with frailty in the general population. Evidence is scarce on the associations between food insecurity and frailty among women with HIV who maybe particularly vulnerable to the impacts of food insecurity. The goal of this study was to assess associations between food insecurity and frailty among women with and without HIV.

Methods: There were 1265 participants from the Women’s Interagency HIV Study who participated in frailty assessments in2017. Frailty was measured using the Fried Frailty Phenotype, and women were subsequently categorized as robust, pre-frailor frail. …

Food Insecurity And Violence In A Prospective Cohort Of Women At Risk For Or Living With Hiv In The U.S., Amy A. Conroy, Mardge H. Cohen, Edward A. Frongillo Jr., Alexander C. Tsai, Tracey E. Wilson, Eryka L. Wentz, Adaora A. Adimora, Daniel Merenstein, Ighovwerha Ofotokun, Lisa Metsch, Mirjam-Colette Kempf, Adebola Adedimeji, Janet M. Turan, Phyllis C. Tien, Sheri D. Weiser

Faculty Publications

Background Food insecurity and violence are two major public health issues facing U.S. women. The link between food insecurity and violence has received little attention, particularly regarding the temporal ordering of events. The present study used data from the Women’s Interagency Human Immunodeficiency Virus Study to investigate the longitudinal association of food insecurity and violence in a cohort of women at risk for or living with HIV.

Methods Study participants completed six assessments from 2013–16 on food insecurity (operationalized as marginal, low, and very low food security) and violence (sexual or physical, and psychological). We used multi-level logistic regression, controlling …

Intervention For Women In Costa Rica Who Are Discouraged And Have Food Insecurity And Excess Body Weight, Tatiana Martínez-Jaikel

Theses and Dissertations

ntroduction: The coexistence of food insecurity and excess body weight has been wellrecognized by researchers, and it has been documented in women, but not men. Both food insecurity and excess body weight have multiple consequences for physical and mental health. Concerns have been raised about interventions aimed to reduce food insecurity because these programs might contribute to excess body weight, particularly in adult women. Our previous in-depth qualitative research in Costa Rica showed that discouragement was the primary link in the coexistence of food insecurity and excess body weight among Costa Rican women, and that the family and existing gender …

Assessment Of Patient Satisfaction With The Provision Of Fertility Information In Women With Lynch Syndrome, Rachel Elizabeth Hickey

Theses and Dissertations

Lynch Syndrome (LS), one of the most common hereditary cancer syndromes, is primarily known for its substantially increased risks for colorectal cancer. The incidence of gynecologic cancers (endometrial and ovarian cancers) equals or exceeds the incidence of colorectal cancers in female patients with LS. The prevention and treatment methods for these cancers can drastically affect fertility and reproduction. Previous studies with cancer patients have revealed challenges in acquiring information related to these topics; thus far, no research has assessed whether there is an informational gap regarding fertility information for women in the LS population. The purpose of this study was …

Perceptions And Experiences Of Human Papillomavirus (Hpv) Infection And Testing Among Low-Income Mexican Women, Leith León-Maldonado, Emily Wentzell, Brandon Brown, Betania Allen-Leigh, Leticia Torres-Ibarra, Jorge Salmerón, Deborah L. Billings, Jim Thrasher, Eduardo Lazcano-Ponce

Faculty Publications

Background

HPV infection causes cervical cancer, a major contributor to morbidity and mortality among low-income Mexican women. Human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA testing is now a primary screening strategy in Mexico’s early cervical cancer detection program (ECDP). Research on Mexican women’s perceptions of HPV and testing is necessary for establishing culturally appropriate protocols and educational materials. Here, we explore perceptions about HPV and HPV-related risk factors among low-income Mexican ECDP participants.

Methods

We conducted semi-structured interviews with 24 ECDP participants from two primary care health clinics in Michoacán state, Mexico. Interviews addressed women’s understandings of and experiences with HPV and HPV …

Hiv Testing In Women: Missed Opportunities, Wayne A. Duffus, Harley T. Davis, Michael D. Byrd, Khosrow Heidari, Terri G. Stephens, James J. Gibson

Faculty Publications

Objective: To investigate opportunities for early human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing on women.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study design linked case reports from HIV surveillance to several statewide health-care databases. Medical encounters occurring before the first positive HIV test (missed opportunities) were categorized by diagnosis/procedure codes to distinguish visits that were likely to have prompted an HIV test. Women were categorized as late testers (AIDS diagnosis < 12 months from first HIV test date), non-late testers (no AIDS diagnosis during study period or diagnosis of AIDS > 12 months of HIV diagnosis), of reproductive age (13-44 years old), and not of reproductive age (> 44 years old). Adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to estimate risk …

A Randomized Trial Of A Diet And Exercise Intervention For Overweight And Obese Women From Economically Disadvantaged Neighborhoods: Sisters Taking Action For Real Success (Stars), Sarah Wilcox, Patricia A. Sharpe, Deborah Parra-Medina, Michelle L. Granner, Brent E. Hutto

Faculty Publications

Background - Lower socioeconomic status at both the individual and neighborhood level is associated with increased health risks. Weight loss can reduce this risk, but few high quality weight loss studies target this population.

Objectives - STARS tests a culturally-appropriate, group-based behavioral and social support intervention on body weight and waist circumference in women from financially disadvantaged neighborhoods.

Design - A stratified (by BMI) randomized trial. Randomization to group was generated by a random numbers table with allocation concealment by opaque envelopes.

Methods - Participants 25-50 years who had a BMI ≥ 25 kg/m² and a waist circumference ≥ …

Changes In Weight, Waist Circumference And Compensatory Responses With Different Doses Of Exercise Among Sedentary, Overweight Postmenopausal Women, Timothy S. Church, Corby K. Martin, Angela M. Thompson, Conrad P. Earnest, Catherine R. Mikus, Steven N. Blair

Faculty Publications

Background: It has been suggested that exercise training results in compensatory mechanisms that attenuate weight loss. However, this has only been examined with large doses of exercise. The goal of this analysis was to examine actual weight loss compared to predicted weight loss (compensation) across different doses of exercise in a controlled trial of sedentary, overweight or obese postmenopausal women (n=41).

Methodology/Principal Findings: Participants were randomized to a non-exercise control (n=94) or 1 of 3 exercise groups; exercise energy expenditure of 4 (n=139), 8 (n=85), or 12 (n=93) kcal/kg/week (KKW). Training intensity was set at the heart rate associated with …

Food Insecurity And Subsequent Weight Gain In Women, Sonya J. Jones, Edward A. Frongillo Jr.

Faculty Publications

Objective: Cross-sectional data indicate that a relationship between household food insecurity and overweight exists among women in the USA. Cross-sectional data cannot determine if food insecurity leads to overweight as some have hypothesised. The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship of food insecurity with subsequent weight gain in women using data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID).

Design, setting and subjects:Panel data from the 1999 and 2001 PSID, a nationally representative sample of households, were analysed using multivariate regression procedures.

Results: Average weight gain among all women (n=5595) was 1.1 kg …

Psychometric Properties Of The Self-Efficacy For Exercise Questionnaire In A Diverse Sample Of Men And Women, Sarah Wilcox, Patricia A. Sharpe, Brent E. Hutto, Michelle L. Granner

Faculty Publications

Background: Self-efficacy is a consistent correlate of physical activity, but most self-efficacy measures have not been validated in diverse populations. This study examined the construct, criterion-related, and convergent validity and internal consistency of the Self-Efficacy for Exercise Questionnaire. Methods: African American and Caucasian adults (N = 1919) from two adjacent counties in South Carolina were identified through a list-assisted random digit-dialed telephone survey. Psychometric properties of the measure were assessed by gender, race, age, education, and body weight subgroups. Results: Across all subgroups, a single-factor solution explained 93 to 98% of the common variance in an exploratory factor analysis, …

Moderate Intensity Exercise Training Improves Cardiorespiratory Fitness In Women, J. David Branch, Russell R. Pate, Sharon P. Bourque

Faculty Publications

Among women, there is an increased prevalence of sedentary lifestyle and less participation in physical activity at levels recommended by the Surgeon General. As a result, women have been identified as a target group in public health initiatives to increase physical activity. The health-related benefits of habitual, moderate intensity physical activity are well documented in the epidemiological literature, but less is known about the effect of such physical activity on cardiorespiratory fitness. Our hypothesis was that moderate and vigorous exercise training regimens of similar estimated energy expenditure would result in similar changes in cardiorespiratory fitness. Eighteen sedentary premenopausal women with …