Women's Health Commons^™

Barriers And Facilitators To Addressing Perinatal Depression In Obstetric Settings, Nancy Byatt, Kathleen Biebel, Liz Friedman, Gifty Debordes-Jackson, Jeroan J. Allison, Douglas M. Ziedonis

Kathleen Biebel

Background: Perinatal depression is common and can cause suffering for mother, fetus/child and family. The perinatal period is an ideal time to detect and treat depression due to regular contact between mothers and health professionals. Despite the opportune time and setting, depression is under-diagnosed and under-treated in the obstetric setting. Caring and committed providers are frustrated and confused, and mothers do not feel heard or understood by their providers.

Objectives: (1) Identify postpartum women’s perspective on how perinatal depression is addressed in obstetric settings; (2) Identify strategies for improvement of the delivery of depression care in OB/Gyn settings; and, (3) …

Health Profile Of Brazilian Mothers In Massachusetts In The Twenty First Century, Carlos Eduardo Siqueira, Teresa Roberts, Fernanda Lucchese

C. Eduardo Siqueira

This paper describes the health profile of Brazilian mothers in Massachusetts according to data collected through Massachusetts Standard Certificate of Live Births (1989 revision) filed with the Massachusetts Registry of Vital Records and Statistics during 1999 and 2009. To our knowledge this is the first time that such information is reviewed with a focus on Brazilian immigrants. The findings of this article suggests that Brazilian mothers who gave birth in Massachusetts between 1999 and 2009 fared better than all mothers in Massachusetts in most obstetric health indicators considered.

Prenatal Oral Health Education In U.S. Obstetrics And Gynecology Residencies And Dental Schools: Results Of A National Survey, Megan Weeks, Judith A. Savageau, Hugh Silk

Judith A. Savageau

Background: Pregnant women represent a special population within oral health care. Adverse pregnancy outcomes and increased infant caries can occur when prenatal oral disease is not addressed. Currently, medical and dental clinicians are not meeting the oral health needs of pregnant patients.

Objective: Medical and dental providers are not addressing prenatal oral health (POH) with patients despite knowledge of the risks. The objective of this study was to determine how training in dental schools and OB/Gyn residencies may contribute to this paradox.

Methods: We conducted a national survey of 60 dental school deans and 240 obstetrics and gynecology residency program …

Frequency Of Private Spiritual Activity And Cardiovascular Risk In Post-Menopausal Women: The Women's Health Initiative, Elena Salmoirago Blotcher, George Fitchett, Kathleen M. Hovey, Eliezer Schnall, Cynthia Thomson, Christopher A. Andrews, Sybil Crawford, Mary Jo O'Sullivan, Stephen Post, Rowan T. Chlebowski, Judith K. Ockene

Sybil L. Crawford

Purpose: Spirituality has been associated with better cardiac autonomic balance, but its association with cardiovascular risk is not well studied. We examined whether more frequent private spiritual activity was associated with reduced cardiovascular risk in postmenopausal women enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study. Methods: Frequency of private spiritual activity (prayer, Bible reading, and meditation) was selfreported at year 5 of follow-up. Cardiovascular outcomes were centrally adjudicated, and cardiovascular risk was estimated from proportional hazards models. Results: Final models included 43,708 women (mean age: 68.9±7.3; median follow-up: 7.0 years) free of cardiac disease through year 5 of follow-up. In …

Oral And Injectable Contraception Use And Risk Of Hiv Acquisition Among Women In Sub-Saharan Africa, Sandra Mccoy, Wenjing Zheng, Elizabeth Montgomery, Kelly Blanchard, Ariane Van Der Straten, Guy De Bruyn, Nancy Padian

Wenjing Zheng

OBJECTIVE:: Evaluate the effect of oral and injectable hormonal contraception (HC) on the risk of HIV acquisition among women in South Africa and Zimbabwe. DESIGN:: Secondary data analysis of 4913 sexually active women aged 18-49 years followed for up to 24 months in the MIRA phase III effectiveness trial of the diaphragm and lubricant gel for HIV prevention. METHODS:: Participants were interviewed quarterly about contraception and sexual behavior and were tested for pregnancy, HIV, and other sexually transmitted infections. We used a Cox proportional hazards marginal structural model, weighted by the inverse probability of HC use, to compare the risk …

45-Year Trends In Women's Use Of Time And Household Management Energy Expenditure., Edward Archer, Robin P. Shook, Diana M. Thomas, Timothy S. Church, Peter T. Katzmarzyk, James R. Hebert, Kerry L. Mciver, Gregory A. Hand, Carl J. Lavie, Steven N. Blair

Robin Shook

Context: Relationships between socio-environmental factors and obesity are poorly understood due to a dearth of longitudinal population-level research. The objective of this analysis was to examine 45-year trends in time-use, household management (HM) and energy expenditure in women. Design and Participants: Using national time-use data from women 19–64 years of age, we quantified time allocation and household management energy expenditure (HMEE) from 1965 to 2010. HM was defined as the sum of time spent in food preparation, post-meal cleaning activities (e.g., dish-washing), clothing maintenance (e.g., laundry), and general housework. HMEE was calculated using body weights from national surveys and metabolic …

Improved Quality Of Life After Surgery For Pelvic Organ Prolapse In Nepalese Women, Rolina Dhital, Keiko Otsuka, Krishna C. Poudel, Junko Yasuoka, Ganesh Dangal, Masamine Jimba

Krishna C. Poudel

Background: Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a common gynecological condition that can affect quality of life (QOL) in women. In Nepal, the prevalence of POP is high, but many affected women are still deprived of treatment. Vaginal hysterectomy with pelvic floor repair is one of the common treatment options for advanced POP. However, QOL outcomes after surgery have not been reported in low-income countries. Thus, we aimed to examine changes in QOL among Nepalese women with POP after such surgery. Methods: This longitudinal study was conducted in the selected central and peripheral hospitals in Nepal where vaginal hysterectomy was being …