Women's Health Commons^™

Three Dimensional Nutrition: Exploring Nourishment Of Spirit, Mind, And Body During A 28-Day Daniel Fast At Southern Adventist University, Caitlin S. Hobbs

Senior Research Projects

A person who is living well can be said to be “making lifestyle choices with God’s help to support optimum physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health and experiencing His gift of abundant life” (Tryon, 2009). All of these “dimensions” of health are interrelated, and in order for a person to truly flourish, each area must be nourished. Dietary choices can have an especially interesting impact on these dimensions. Eating healthfully is not always viewed as a joyous endeavor, but when viewed from a multi-dimensional perspective, it can become a more rewarding and intriguing pursuit.

One way to promote a nutritional …

The Influence Of Family Dynamics On Contraceptive Use In Madagascar And The Ensuing Impact On Family Well-Being, Joel Zafitandra Hajason, Kayla Piña, Joel L. Raveloharimisy

Faculty Publications

While studies have shown a relationship between family dynamics and contraceptive use and between contraceptive use and family well-being, no empirical study has been conducted to test whether a relationship exists between family influence on contraceptive use and family wellbeing. The objective of this study is to explore whether there is such a relationship between family influence on contraceptive use and family well-being.

Incidence And Outcome Of Small For Gestational Age Fetuses: An Experience From A Secondary Care Hospital, Riffat Bano, Nousheen Asim, Ammara Mushtaq, Mehreen Adhi, Noureen Afzal

Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology

The objective of the study was to determine the frequency and outcome of Small for Gestational Age (SGA) foetuses, and its association with the mode of delivery, foetal birthweight, maternal age and gestational age. It was a hospital-based descriptive study, conducted at Aga Khan Hospital for Women, Karachi, from January 2009 to December 2010. Mode of deliveries, foetal birthweight, maternal age and gestational age of SGA foetuses were recorded and analszed. Of a total of 6024 deliveries during the study period, 722(11.98%) had SGA foetuses. Maternal age in such cased ranged between 20-40 years in 588(81.44%), while 406(56.23%) of these …

La Opinión Pública Sobre El Aborto En Chile: Conceptos Públicos De Moralidad Y De Derechos De Las Mujeres En Relación Con Aborto, Sarah Smith

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Background: Abortion legislation in Chile is among the most restrictive in the world, with abortion being illegal without exception. However, while abortion remains completely illegal in Chile, there are an estimated 125,000-175,000 clandestine abortions being carried out each year. Illegal abortions account for about 30% of maternal deaths in Chile. It is important to understand public opinions on abortion in order to understand this discrepancy between legislation and reality.

Research Objectives:What is the public opinion of Chileans on the legal and moral status of abortion in Chile? Do Chileans relate the topic of abortion to the theme of women’s …

Socio-Cultural Barriers To Family Planning Access, Aasha Jackson

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper attempts to discern barriers to family planning access and use in the Manguier quarter of Yaoundé, Cameroon based on research collected during a three week period. Questionnaires and interviews were used to measure women’s use of and opinions towards family planning consultations and methods. The spread of rumors regarding negative side effects, mistaken beliefs about family planning, husband’s disapproval, and the availability of contraceptives elsewhere were found to be the major deterrents to the use of family planning by women in this study. This research shows the need for campaigns to educate women and men alike on the …

A Silent Killer Of India’S Women: Investigating The Barriers To Adequate Tuberculosis Treatment And Diagnosis For Women In Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, Evonne Mcarthur

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Nearly 20 years ago, the World Health Organization declared tuberculosis as a global public health emergency, yet today TB still remains a major global health challenge. It is estimated that during 2012 8.6 million were infected with TB and 1.3 million died from the disease (WHO, 2013). Globally, more than one third of the population is infected with TB and, after HIV/AIDS, TB is the greatest killer world-wide due to a single infectious agent. 95 percent of the global TB burden lies within low and middle-income countries and among the 22 countries determined to be high epidemiological burden countries, India …

“Breastfeeding Perceptions And Practices” A Comparative Study Of Two Opposing Socio-Economic Level Quarters Within Yaoundé, Cameroon, Alexandria J. Ross

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This research project aims to identify and analyze the conditions that influence breastfeeding perceptions and practices within two opposing socioeconomic level quarters of Yaoundé, Cameroon: Bastos and Madagascar. According to the World Health Organization recommendations for optimal infant and young child nutrition, mothers are advised to exclusively breastfeed for the first six months of life after birth before introducing complimentary feeding. Cameroon since 2005 has adhered to the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes. It is classified as a Category 1 as a country which discourages commercial pressures to feed alternative forms of nutrition known as breastmilk substitutes.

This …

I Don't Want To Save Second Base, Chelsea E. Broe

SURGE

Tomorrow kicks off Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and I have one request: This October, let’s not save second base.

I know, I know, you probably think this month is a good thing. If not for all of those T-shirts demanding every female-bodied person to feel their boobies, or the bracelets simply proclaiming “I love boobies,” people with breasts might forget that they even have them, or at the very least might start to think that their breasts are their own business. But the female body seems to be an object owned by the public, so we must always be reminded …

Novel Nr5a1 Missense Mutation In Premature Ovarian Failure: Detection In Han Chinese Indicates Causation In Different Ethnic Groups, Xue Jiao, Yingying Qin, Guangyu Li, Shidou Zhao, Li You, Jinlong Ma, Joe Leigh Simpson, Zi-Jiang Chen

HWCOM Faculty Publications

Background

The etiology of most premature ovarian failure (POF) cases is usually elusive. Although genetic causes clearly exist and a likely susceptible region of 8q22.3 has been discovered, no predominant explanation exists for POF. More recently, evidences have indicated that mutations in NR5A1 gene could be causative for POF. We therefore screened for mutations in the NR5A1 gene in a large cohort of Chinese women with non-syndromic POF.

Methods

Mutation screening of NR5A1 gene was performed in 400 Han Chinese women with well-defined 46,XX idiopathic non-syndromic POF and 400 controls. Subsequently, functional characterization of the novel mutation identified was evaluated …

Impact Of Social Franchising On Contraceptive Use When Complemented By Vouchers: A Quasi-Experimental Study In Rural Pakistan, Syed Khurram Azmat, Babar Tasneem Shaikh, Waqas Hameed, Ghulam Mustafa, Wajahat Hussain, Jamshaid Asghar, Muhammad Ishaque, Aftab Ahmed, Mohsina Bilgrami

Community Health Sciences

Background: Pakistan has had a low contraceptive prevalence rate for the last two decades; with preference for natural birth spacing methods and condoms. Family planning services offered by the public sector have never fulfilled the demand for contraception, particularly in rural areas. In the private sector, cost is a major constraint. In 2008, Marie Stopes Society - a local NGO started a social franchise programme along with a free voucher scheme to promote uptake of IUCDs amongst the poor. This paper evaluates the effectiveness of this approach, which is designed to increase modern long term contraceptive awareness and use in …

Patients’ Perception Of Patient–Provider Communication In Fertility Preservation Decision Making Among Young Women With Cancer, Aakrati Mathur, E. Roberto Orellana, Amy Frohnmayer, Pauline Jivanjee, Lillian Nail, Brandon Hayes-Lattin, Rebecca G. Block

School of Social Work Faculty Publications and Presentations

Fertility preservation (FP) for patients with cancer is an emerging field. With the advancement of technology, patients may face a complex decision-making process about whether to preserve fertility. The purpose of this article is to explore how young women with cancer perceive patient–provider communication in FP decision making. In this study, 25 women between the ages of 18 and 39 were interviewed retrospectively. They were interviewed one time to learn about their decision-making process related to FP. Results of this analysis indicate that patients seek support and involvement from providers throughout the process of decision making. They prefer providers to …

Assessment Of Competence For Caesarean Section With Global Rating Scale, Rahat Najam Qureshi, Syeda Kauser Ali

Department for Educational Development

Objective: To establish as reliable and valid the nine-point global rating scale for assessing residents\' independent performance of Caesarean Section.

Methods: The validation study was conducted at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Aga Khan University Hospital, from April to December 2008, and comprised 15 residents during 40 Caesarean Sections over 9 months. Independently two evaluators rated each procedure and the difficulty of each case.

Results: The observations per faculty ranged from 1-8 (mean 4.07± 2.56). The Year 4 residents were observed the most i.e. 32 (40%), followed by Year 3, 30 (37.5%); Year 2; 14 (17.5%); and Year 1, …

The Relationship Between Prenatal Stress, Depression, Cortisol And Preterm Birth: A Review, Kiran Shaikh, Shahirose Premji, Khurshid Khowaja, Suzanne Tough, Ambreen Kazi, Shaneela Khowaj

School of Nursing & Midwifery

Preterm birth is one of the most common adverse pregnancy outcomes. Maternal risk factors such as stress and depression have been associated with preterm birth. Preterm infants are at a higher risk of poor growth and neuro developmental outcomes. The objective of this paper is to examine the relationship between maternal stress, depression, cortisol level, and preterm birth. Preterm birth is one of the most common adverse pregnancy outcomes with a global prevalence of 9.6% and one of the major contributors to infant mortality and morbidity. The association between psychosocial stress and preterm birth, although examined for more than 25 …

An Overview Of The Predictors Of Depression Among Adult Pakistani Women, Aysha Zahidie, Tanzil Jamali

Community Health Sciences

Diseases of women that are due to their gender specific roles and responsibilities result from cultural and social factors prevalent in the environs. World Health Organization has put special emphasis on research need regarding gender related factors for diseases disproportionately affecting women in developing countries. The objective of this write up was to determine the prevalence of depression and the associated risk factors among adult women in Pakistan. PubMed was searched using key words depression, risk factors, women and Pakistan. Out of 20 initially retrieved articles, 12 were directly related to depression and its risk factors among Pakistani women within …

Online Healthy Lifestyle Support In The Perinatal Period: What Do Women Want And Do They Use It?, Lydia A. Hearn, Margaret R. Miller, Anna Fletcher

Research outputs 2013

Unhealthy weight gain and retention during pregnancy and postpartum is detrimental to mother and child. Although various barriers limit the capacity for perinatal health care providers (PHCPs) to offer healthy lifestyle counselling, they could guide women to appropriate online resources. This paper presents a project designed to provide online information to promote healthy lifestyles in the perinatal period. Focus groups or interviews were held with 116 perinatal women and 76 PHCPs to determine what online information perinatal women and PHCPs want, in what form, and how best it should be presented. The results indicated that women wanted smartphone applications (apps) …

A Randomized Clinical Trial Of Trans-Dermal Nicotine Replacement In Pregnant African-American Smokers, Ayman El-Mohandes, Richard Windsor, Sylvia Tan, David C. Perry, Marie G. Gantz, Michele Kiely

Publications and Research

We compared acceptability, adherence and efficacy of trans-dermal nicotine patches and cognitive behavioral therapy (Group 1) to cognitive behavioral therapy alone (Group 2) in minority pregnant smokers. This is a randomized controlled trial. 52 women were recruited during pregnancy with a mean gestational age 18.5 ± 5.0 weeks and followed through delivery. Randomization was by site and initial cotinine levels. Interventionists and interviewers were blinded to group assignment. Two different nicotine replacement therapy dosing regiments were administered according to the baseline salivary cotinine level. A process evaluation model summarized patient adherence. The main outcome measure was self-report of cessation since …

Alcohol In The Life Narratives Of Women: Commonalities And Differences By Sexual Orientation, Laurie A. Drabble, K. Trocki

Faculty Publications

Aim: The aim of this study was to explore social representations of alcohol use among women, with a focus on possible differences between sexual minority and heterosexual women. Methods: This qualitative study was part of a larger study examining mediators of heavier drinking among sexual minority women (lesbian identified, bisexual identified, and heterosexual identified with same sex partners) compared to heterosexual women based on the National Alcohol Survey. Qualitative in-depth life history interviews were conducted over the telephone with 48 women who had participated in the 2009–2010 National Alcohol Survey, including respondents representing different sexual orientation groups. Questions explored the …

Reproductive Tract Infections Among Married Women In Peri-Urban Areas Of Karachi, Pakistan: A Population-Based Study, Neelofar Sami, Tazeen S. Ali, E. Khan

Community Health Sciences

Background: Reproductive Tract Infections (RTIs) is a major public health problem. In Pakistan, there is dearth of information about the prevalence of RTIs among women and their health seeking behavior. A study was conducted to determine the prevalence, number and types of RTIs among women residing in squatter settlements in Karachi and their health seeking behavior.
Methods: The respondents were married non-pregnant women aged 15–49 years residing in peri-urban areas of Karachi, Pakistan. The interviews with women were followed by their physical and pelvic examinations. Samples swabs collected from vagina and endocervix were tested in laboratory.
Results: Overall, 23.8% of …

Factors Contributing To Poor Physical Health In Incarcerated Women, Holly M. Harner Phd, Mph, Whcnp- Bc, Suzanne Riley Ba

Public Health and Nutrition Faculty work

Prisons have become the primary health care provider for some of the poorest and sickest women in the United States. By virtue of both biological sex and gender, incarcerated women have health needs different from those of their male counterparts. The purpose of this qualitative investigation was to understand better women’s perceptions of how prison has affected their physical health. We conducted this investigation in a maximum- security women’s prison in the United States using focus group methodology (12 focus groups, made up of 65 women). Women described several specific prison- based factors that affected their physical health: limited and …

Femininity, Dependency, And Patriarchy: The Marginalization Of Women With Japanese Encephalitis And Neurological Sequelae In The Northern Terai Region Of Uttar Pradesh, Katherine Ehrenreich

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The present study seeks to determine how girls and women who have suffered from neurological sequelae after a Japanese encephalitis (JE) infection are marginalized in the Northern Terai region of Uttar Pradesh, India. Societal and familial values were studied in comparison to behaviors towards a neurologically disabled girl after a JE infection in order to determine how women infected with JE are excluded from cultural practices and norms. The 4 study was conducted in the Northern Terai region of Uttar Pradesh in the districts of Bahraich and Shrawasti under the guidance of DEHAT and Dr. Jitendra Chaturvedi. Semi-structured interviewing was …

Dipo Rites And Women’S Health: Tradition Empowering Krobo Female Identity And Reproductive Health In Manya-Krobo, Nina Kearin

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Objective: To understand the meaning and process of dipo rites and the correlation (if any) to the reproductive health of women in Manya-Krobo. This led to the research being aimed at answering three major questions.

1. What are dipo rites? This is taking into consideration the history of the rites, meaning of the rites, the process of the rites, and who practices the rites.
2. What is the status of women’s reproductive health in Manya-Krobo?
3. How are the dipo rites and the reproductive health of the women who practice them interconnected?

Methodology: I lived in Manya Krobo for most of April, 2013 …

La Comunicación Entre Las Mujeres Embarazadas Y El Personal Médico Durante El Control Prenatal Enel Hospital Álvarezen La Ciudad De Buenos Aires, Argentina = The Communication Between Pregnant Women And Their Doctors During Prenatal Care In Hospital Alvarezin The City Of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Rebecca Oran

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In recent years, maternal mortality has continued to be a problem in Argentina. Even after the passage of the United Nations Millennium Goals, Argentina continued to have maternal mortality rates three times as high as its’ neighbors, Chile and Uruguay. Although the majority of the literature does not demonstrate a connection between prenatal care and the reduction of maternal mortality, in situations of high mortality, there is consensus surrounding the need for contact and communication between the woman and their doctors during their pregnancy. This study attempted to examine how both doctors and patients see this communication and how, if …

Reaching Millennium Development Goal Target 5.A.: Progress Towards Improving Maternal Health, Christina Kang

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In September 2000, 189 countries agreed upon striving to reach Millennium Development Goal 5, making great strides to improving maternal health by 2015. The indicators that would prove the goal’s success were determined to be directly correlated to a reduction of three-quarters of Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) from 1990 figures and having Skilled Birth Attendants (SBAs) present at all births by 2015 (United Nations, n.d.-a). Research has proven that while there has been a global trend towards reaching MDG 5, there is a large discrepancy amongst different regions and countries influencing its success. Through the usage of official United Nations …

Legislative Impact Of The Construction Of An “Abortion Culture”: A Comparative Analysis Of The Enaction And Impact Of Abortion Restriction Legislation In The Netherlands And The United States, Anna Schmitz

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study investigates the different socio-political causes leading to the implementation of similar abortion restrictions (mandatory parental notification for minors, mandatory counseling, and a waiting period) in the Netherlands and the United States. It first investigates the “abortion cultures” of the two countries, using personal interviews with Dutch and American citizens to analyze the social perceptions of abortion and a comparison of sexual health and legislation data to create a wider picture of abortion within both countries. It then investigates the political opportunity structure leading to the implementation of the restrictions of abortion in each country, and then investigates differences …

Pregnant With Parasites: Assessing Parasitic Infections In Pregnant Women Of The Kwale District, Christina Hopkins Hopkins

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Parasitic infections such as malaria and intestinal worms plague many tropical and sub-tropical regions. The Kwale district of Kenya is among one of these regions and provides many circumstances that make these parasites endemic to the area. Pregnant women are part of the major groups affected by parasites. Although clinical professionals are making great attempts at reducing the chances for parasitic infections in these women, there are still some factors that are out of their control. Most women do not receive their drinking water from a secure water source and a majority of the women did not have the financial …

Vitamin D Supplementation Practices During Pregnancy And Infancy Among A Sample Of Muslim Women In Ireland And Saudi Arabia, Imann Khadrawi

Masters

Vitamin D is a steroid hormone, a group of fat-soluble pro-hormones, which encourages the absorption and metabolism of calcium and phosphorous. The requirement for the nutrient is high at particular stages of the lifecycle especially during pregnancy and infancy. Severe vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy may increase the risk of developing preeclampsia and gestational diabetes in pregnancy and rickets in the child. While vitamin D supplementation has been a policy recommendation in Ireland since 2007, at the time of this study, it was not a policy recommendation in Saudi Arabia. The present quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted to determine the …

Social Franchising And Vouchers To Promote Long-Term Methods Of Family Planning In Rural Pakistan: A Qualitative Stocktaking With Stakeholders, Syed Khurram Azmat, Ghulam Mustafa, Waqas Hameed, Jamshaid Asghar, Aftab Ahmed, Babar T. Shaikh

Community Health Sciences

Background: The overall use of modern contraception in Pakistan is quite low, especially in rural areas. Several studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of social franchising (SF) approaches in increasing access to modern contraception and improving the quality of healthcare in resource-poor areas in Asia and Africa. Drawing on best practices in SF, the Marie Stopes Society (MSS) implemented an SF model in certain rural areas of Pakistan to increase access to affordable and quality family planning (FP) services. The model was branded as Suraj (sun) and complemented with an innovative voucher scheme for intrauterine contraceptive devices (IUCDs). This paper describes …

Performance And Measurement Of A Community-Based Distribution Model Of Family Planning Services In Pakistan, Syed Khurram Azmat, Shirin Ahmed, Waqas Hameed, Mohsina Bilgrami, Ayesha Khan, Adnan Ahmad Khan, Ghulam Mustafa

Community Health Sciences

Introduction: Community-based distribution (CBD) has been successfully applied to family planning (FP) services worldwide. It forms the basis for the large lady health worker (LHW) programme in Pakistan which serves a limited number of women with contraception services. Thus, the concept has seen limited application in Pakistan. We present the outcomes of a CBD model that was implemented in 49 districts across Pakistan by a non-government organization (NGO).
Methods: The Marie Stopes Society (MSS) developed a CBD model around its fixed centres and reached around half a million married women of reproductive age (MWRA) with services. The services provided included …

Area Specific Self-Esteem, Values, And Adolescent Sexual Behavior, Michael Young, Joseph Donnelly, George Denny

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

This study examined area-specific self-esteem scores by sexual behavior relative to adolescents' values concerning participation in sexual intercourse as an unmarried teenager. The sample consisted of 332 students in grades 7–12 from a Southern rural school district. Students were asked if they had ever had sexual intercourse (yes/no) and if they had participated in sexual intercourse in the last month (yes/no). Respondents also indicated on a 4-point scale their response to the statement “It is against my values to have sex as an unmarried teenager.” Data were analyzed using a 2 × 4 (behavior x values) analysis of variance for …

Development Of A Diagnostic Test Set To Assess Agreement In Breast Pathology: Practical Application Of The Guidelines For Reporting Reliability And Agreement Studies (Grras), Natalia V. Oster, Patricia A. Carney, Kimberly H. Allison, Donald L. Weaver, Lisa Reisch, Gary Longton, Tracy Onega

Dartmouth Scholarship

Diagnostic test sets are a valuable research tool that contributes importantly to the validity and reliability of studies that assess agreement in breast pathology. In order to fully understand the strengths and weaknesses of any agreement and reliability study, however, the methods should be fully reported. In this paper we provide a step-by-step description of the methods used to create four complex test sets for a study of diagnostic agreement among pathologists interpreting breast biopsy specimens. We use the newly developed Guidelines for Reporting Reliability and Agreement Studies (GRRAS) as a basis to report these methods.