Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Genetic Assessment Of Hyperuricemia And Gout In Asian, Native Hawaiian, And Pacific Islander Subgroups Of Pregnant Women: Biospecimens Repository Cross-Sectional Study, Ali Alghubayshi, Alison Edelman, Khalifa Alrajeh, Youssef Roman

Pharmacotherapy and Outcomes Science Publications

Background

Gout, an inflammatory condition, is characterized by the precipitation of monosodium urate crystals (MSU) in or around distal joints. The latter is caused by chronic hyperuricemia (HU)—high urate levels in the blood. Genetic variations in urate transporters play a significant role in determining urate levels within the human body, rendering some racial and ethnic groups more or less susceptible to developing either HU or gout. This study aims to estimate the frequencies of HU and gout risk alleles in Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander subgroups, using biorepository DNA samples.

Methods

The biospecimens repository at the University of Hawai’i …

Urate Genetic Assessment In Asian And Pacific Islander Subgroups Of Pregnant Women: Implications For Personalized Medicine And Means To Reduce Health Disparities, Ali Alghubayshi

Theses and Dissertations

Gout is one of the most common rheumatic conditions and appears to have a higher prevalence in certain populations. Risk factors for gout and its precursor, hyperuricemia, are also significant risk factors for preeclampsia, major pregnancy-related morbidity. A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted on 1059 pregnant women from different populations whom 100% reported their ethnicities from the Asian, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander populations. Numerous uric acid (UA) genes and clinical conditions were addressed, and all study details were reviewed and exempted by the University of Hawaii human Studies Program (Protocol Number: 2018-00225). In this project, we hypothesized that UA …

Social Determinants Of Smoke Exposure During Pregnancy: Findings From Waves 1 & 2 Of The Population Assessment Of Tobacco And Health (Path) Study, Elizabeth K. Do, Tiffany L. Green, Elizabeth C. Prom-Wormley, Bernard F. Fuemmeler

Health Behavior and Policy Publications

Maternal smoking during pregnancy (MSDP) and secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure are associated with a myriad of negative health effects for both mother and child. However, less is known regarding social determinants for SHS exposure, which may differ from those of maternal smoking during pregnancy (MSDP). To identify social determinants for SHS exposure only, MSDP only, and MSDP and SHS exposure, data were obtained from all pregnant women (18–54 years; N = 726) in waves 1 and 2 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study (2014–2015). Multiple logistic regressions were conducted using SAS 9.4. Smoke exposure during pregnancy was …

A Stakeholder Examination Of Gestational Weight Gain Guidelines, Melissa Kwitowski

Theses and Dissertations

Obesity is a significant health concern for women of childbearing age. More than 40% of women have a Body Mass Index (BMI) in the overweight or obese ranges at the time they conceive, posing significant health risks for both mother and child. Excessive weight gain during pregnancy is common and associated with numerous deleterious complications. The Institute of Medicine published gestational weight gain (GWG) guidelines based on prepregnancy BMI. However, more than 50% of women gain in excess of these recommendations. Further, many women report receiving minimal guidance from their healthcare providers regarding weight gain, nutrition, and physical activity during …

Placental Eicosanoids And Sphingolipids In Preeclampsia, Daniel T. Reep

Theses and Dissertations

Placental dysfunction is implicated in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. Chemical signals between the placenta and maternal circulation are a suspect cause of endothelial dysfunction and maternal hypertension. This study examined select lipid mediators of inflammation produced by the placenta. Patients were recruited from Virginia Commonwealth University’s pregnancy clinics and placentas were collected at delivery. Forty-eight-hour explant cultures of villous placental tissue were used to model lipid production. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry was used to quantify concentrations of free lipids in the culture media. Bicinchoninic acid assays were performed to quantify protein in each culture for normalization of lipid data. After …

"To Conceive With Child Is The Earnest Desire If Not Of All, Yet Of Most Women": The Advancement Of Prenatal Care And Childbirth In Early Modern England: 1500-1770, Victoria E.C. Glover

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis analyzes medical manuals published in England between 1500 and 1770 to trace developing medical understandings and prescriptive approaches to conception, pregnancy, and childbirth. While there have been plenty of books written regarding social and religious changes in the reproductive process during the early modern era, there is a dearth of scholarly work focusing on the medical changes which took place in obstetrics over this period. Early modern England was a time of great change in the field of obstetrics as physicians incorporated newly-discovered knowledge about the male and female body, new fields and tools, and new or revived …

First Trimester Vaginal Microbiome As Pregnancy Outcome Predictor, Sarah K. Rozycki, Jennifer M. Fettwis

MD Student Summer Research Fellowship Program Posters

• We have developed clinical definiKons of healthy and complicated pregnancies based on pathologies that will be used in future VaHMP studies.

• Although one study7 found dysbioKc vagitypes in all three semesters of women who had PPROM, none of our PPROM subjects had a BVAB1 vagitype, and there were equal Gardnerella vaginalis vagitypes in both the controls and subjects who had PPROM (Fig. 2).

• While there were more PPROM subjects with Lactobacillus iners vagitypes, this Lactobacillus is less protecKve as it can coexist with pathogenic anaerobic bacteria.

• “Candidatus Mycoplasma girerdii”, Lactobacillus jensenii, and Ureaplasma were significantly associated …

Predictors Of Sexual Relationship Power, Communication And Sexual Decision Making Among Latino Couples, Yui Matsuda

Theses and Dissertations

Unintended pregnancy (UP) is increasing among Latinos in the United States. Unintended pregnancy contributes to many negative consequences for infants, mothers and families. Concurrently, various factors affect Latino couples’ sexual relationship power, communication and decision making about family planning, including sexual relationship power, relationship commitment, dyadic adjustment, individual background, and cultural characteristics. Previous research has not focused on understanding the factors that affect Latino couples’ sexual relationship power, communication and sexual decision making from each partner’s perspective. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between sexual relationship power, communication, and sexual decision making from each partner’s perspective …

The Association Between Prenatal Care Content And Quality With Preterm Birth And Maternal Postpartum Health Behaviors, Susan Cha

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Health policies that seek to improve pregnancy outcomes focus on increasing the availability and access to prenatal care (PNC) services based on studies that support an association between insufficient PNC and adverse birth outcomes. These studies employ PNC utilization indices that measure the adequacy of PNC use, but these indices fail to account for the content or specific components of PNC. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to utilize PRAMS and birth certificate data to evaluate the content and quality of PNC in Virginia, and its impact on preterm birth and maternal postpartum health behaviors. Methods: Data was …

The Effects Of Motivational Interviewing In Pregnancy On Knowledge And Retention Of Infant Oral Health Information, Andrew Zima

Theses and Dissertations

THE EFFECTS OF MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING IN PREGNANCY ON KNOWLEDGE AND RETENTION OF INFANT ORAL HEALTH INFORMATION By Andrew D. Zima, Jr., B.S., M.S., D.D.S. A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Science in Dentistry at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2010 Major Director: Tegwyn H. Brickhouse, D.D.S., Ph.D Associate Professor, Department of Pediatric Dentistry Purpose: The purpose was to examine the effect of motivational counseling in pregnancy with readiness and acceptance of infant oral health information. Methods: The study used a prospective cohort design to examine the effect of prenatal education …

Intimate Partner Violence And Pregnancy: Data From The Chicago Women's Health Risk Study, Anne Zehner

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy increases the risks of adverse outcomes for both mothers and their unborn children, including maternal and fetal death. However, more research is needed to determine if IPV increases in frequency or severity during pregnancy and to determine what the risk factors are for IPV during pregnancy. Objectives: To use data from the Chicago Women’s Health Risk Study to determine (1) if abuse is more prevalent during the pregnancy period, 2) if abuse during the pregnancy period increases in frequency or severity, 3) if pregnant women who are abused are at increased risk for …

Examination Of Birth Outcomes With Mode Of Delivery For Breech Presentation, Kelly Marie Arey

Theses and Dissertations

Introduction: Approximately 3% to 4% of all pregnancies at term will have a fetus with a breech presentation. Studies have shown that the US has almost completely abandoned vaginal delivery for breech presentation through the influence of the "Term Breech Trial" (TBT) which concluded that a policy of planned caesarian section would reduce perinatal mortality, late neonatal mortality, and serious neonatal morbidity by approximately two-thirds for term fetuses. However, the recommendations are still being challenged by others.Objectives: The purpose of the study was to describe who in Virginia is having a vaginal delivery for a breech presentation and to determine …

Factors Associated With High Sexual Risk Behavior In Single Women, Thomas B. M. Leecost

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: This study was to identify factors associated with High Sexual Risk Behavior (HSRB) in single Afro American women seen in an Epidemiology/Sexual transmitted disease (EPID/STD) Clinic in Richmond, Virginia from January 2006 through April 2006.Method: Participants were 154 single women (no history of marriage) between the ages of 18-30 visiting the EPID/STD clinic for the first time.Demographic information was obtained from their records. A volunteer interview was given that contained 101 variables to evaluate for High Sexual Risk Behavior (HSRB). HSRB was defined to response 'yes' to the question, "During the past 3 months did you have sex with …

Lack Of Knowledge Of Mother-To-Child Transmission In Kenya Among Women Ages 15-49, Nisha Warrier

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: The epidemic of mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV/AIDS in resource-poor countries is dramatic; it is responsible for nearly 90% of childhood infections. The primary purpose of analysis was to understand the distribution of factors and their association with lack of knowledge of MTCT in Kenya. In parallel, another aim was to identify the relationship between media, particularly frequency of radio exposure, and lack of knowledge.Methods: This study used the 2003 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) collected for 8,195 women, ages 15-49. Descriptive analysis, univariate analysis, and logistic regression were completed on SPSS 14 software.Results: In the sample, 1151 …

Predictors Of Primary Elective Cesarean Delivery Among Apparently Healthy Pregnant Women In Virginia, Brooke W. Rossheim

Theses and Dissertations

Objectives. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate whether certain maternal variables were associated with the performance of a primary cesarean delivery rather than a spontaneous vaginal delivery among apparently healthy pregnant women in the Commonwealth of Virginia.Methods. This study utilized the 2004 Virginia Statistics File for Live Births which contained 103,830 records. From this dataset, the following groups of women were excluded: multiparous women, women who had had a previous delivery by any method, women with medical and obstetric problems, women with any labor and delivery complications, women with premature births and women with multiple gestations. The …

Predictors Of Induced Abortion Among Female Youth Center Users In Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, Rachel Barker

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: Induced abortions occur in every country in the world. However sixty percent of the world's women live in countries where abortion is illegal. 19 million pregnancies end in unsafe and/or illegal abortions. Annually, 68,000 women die from unsafe abortions. Legal or not, unsafe abortion is one of the great neglected problems of health care in developing countries like Haiti and is a serious concern to women during their reproductive lives. Methods: The data for this study was collected from youth centers (ages 15-24) and used to estimate percentage distributions of abortion ratios by selected characteristics of women, particularly age …

Predictors Of Early Onset Of Sexual Intercourse In Male And Female Residents Of The United States, Brianna Michele Magnusson

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract Purpose: The United States has the highest rate of teen pregnancy of any industrialized nation. Adolescents who have their first sexual intercourse at a young age are at increased risk for teen pregnancies and acquiring a sexually transmitted disease. This study examines predictors of early onset sexual intercourse in male and female residents of the United States. Methods: A nationally representative sample of N=7,643 females and N=4.928 males ages 15-44 was procured from the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG), Cycle 6. Age at first sexual intercourse was used to define early onset of sexual debut(<18 years). Socio-demographic and behavioral characteristics of the respondents, demographic and selected reproductive characteristics of the respondent's parents were examined using multiple logistic regression modeling. Results: Non-fispanic black, being raised without both parents, having a mother less than 18 years old at the age of first birth and age difference between partners were significant predictors of early onset of sexual intercourse for both males and females. Maternal education less than high school was a significant protective factor for female respondents [OR=0.72 (95%CI=0.58- 0.90)] and paternal education completed high school only [OR=1.4 (95% CI=l. 1-1.7)] was a significant risk factor for male respondents. Conclusions: Racelethnicity, age difference between partners, not being raised by both parents, having a mother who had her first birth before the age of 18 and parental education are important predictor variables. Further study should be conducted to investigate the protective effect of lack of maternal education for female respondents. Intervention programs for teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infection prevention should target these at risk groups.

Is Number Of Pregnancies A Risk Factor For Heart Attack In Women?, Pavan Kumar Irukulla

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Studies regarding number of pregnancies and coronary heart disease have shown inconsistent results. In the present study, we assessed the association between number of pregnancies and heart attack (HA) in women.Methods: Using data from NHANES III a cross sectional data analysis of 10634 women aged 17 and above was conducted. We considered socio-demographic factors and other potential risk factors including physical activity, smoking, alcohol, diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, BMI, age, and family history of heart attack. We conducted Bivariate analysis to determine prevalence and crude odds ratios. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to adjust for confounding variables using SPSS. …

Chromosome Abnormalities And Repeated Abortion: A Preliminary Report, Susan English, Deborah W. Heritage, Andrew T. L. Chen, Reuben B. Young

MCV/Q, Medical College of Virginia Quarterly

In view of the increased frequency of chromosome rearrangements demonstrated in these couples and the importance of counseling for future pregnancies, it would be wise to consider cytogenetic evaluation when all other probable causes for recurrent abortion have been ruled out.

The Effects Of Hypothermia In Pregnant Rats: A Preliminary Report, Roger A. Glover Jr., Chan H. Park, Fred T. Given Jr.

MCV/Q, Medical College of Virginia Quarterly

We have evaluated the effects of varying degrees and durations of hypothermia, combined with anesthesia, on pregnant rats of the Sherin Wistar Strain. Moderate (surgical) and intermediate hypothermia, with ether anesthesia, were safe for both fetus and mother. With pentobarbital anesthesia, however, there were harmful effects, depending on the depth and duration of hypothermia; moderate hypothermia increased fetal and maternal mortality. The combination of CO₂ narcosis and deep hypothermia induced no ill effects.