Women's Health Commons^™

Abortion/Reproductive Rights, Sandra Klein

Sandra S. Klein

The issue of a woman's right to choose whether or not to continue with a pregnancy has proven to be complicated for many reasons, not the least of which is the implications for a person's right to do with her body as she sees fit. The bibliography that follows provides the researcher with an in depth look at this issue, with an emphasis on the privacy aspects.

Acute Effects Of Whole-Body Vibration On Lower Extremity Muscle Performance In Persons With Multiple Sclerosis, Kurt Jackson, Harold Merriman, Paul Vanderburgh, C. Brahler

C. Jayne Brahler

Background and Purpose: Whole-body vibration (WBV) is a relatively new form of exercise training that may influence muscle performance. This study investigated the acute effects of high (26 Hz) and low (2 Hz) frequency WBV on isometric muscle torque of the quadriceps and hamstrings in persons with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Participants and Method: Fifteen individuals (mean age = 54.6 years, SD = 9.6) with MS and Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) scores ranging from 0-6.5 (mean = 4.2, SD = 2.3) participated in this randomized cross-over study. Following baseline measures of isometric quadricep and hamstring torque, subjects were exposed to …

Gender Differences In Motivation To Resolve Eating And Body Image Concerns In College Students, Harold Merriman, C. Brahler, Laura Dinan, Lauren Finzer

C. Jayne Brahler

The objective of this study was to identify similarities and differences between college women and men with respect to their eating and body image concerns, weight fluctuation and level of motivation to resolve these concerns. 101 University of Dayton students participated in this study. Students completed an eating and body concern survey online.

Body image concerns were significantly greater for females compared to males (p=0.007) and significantly greater as motivation level to resolve the concerns increased (p=0.019). Eating concerns followed the same trends but did not reach statistical significance. Weight fluctuation in both genders increased significantly as motivation level increased …

The Mind-Body Connection: The Association Between Adolescent Locus Of Control And Indicators Of Physical Health, C. Brahler, James Cropper

C. Jayne Brahler

Locus of control (LOC) describes an individual’s generalized beliefs or expectancies that their reinforcements are under internal versus external control (1). An individual exhibits either an internal or external LOC. This study examines the link between LOC and selected health risk factors in adolescents. A convenience sample of 167 high school physical education students completed a 13-item LOC questionnaire based on Rotter’s 1966 instrument. Various anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), and body fat were recorded on all subjects. A subsample of 61 female students received blood chemistry analysis that included a lipid profile, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), Apo …

Numerous Test Items In The Complete And Short Forms Of The Bot-2 Do Not Contribute Substantially To Motor Performance Assessments In Typically Developing Children Six To Ten Years Old, C. Brahler, Betsy Donahoe-Fillmore, Sara Mrowzinski, Susan Aebker, Megan Kreill

C. Jayne Brahler

The purposes of the current study were (1) to determine the magnitude of association between individual subtest items and the respective total subtest scores on the four subtests in the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, second edition (BOT-2) and (2) to review items on the BOT-2 Short Form. The correlation coefficients (r) between ranged from .865 to .071. Several items suffered from a ceiling effect, and four of the eight items on the Short Form for these four subtests had very low associations with their subtest total score. These results raise several issues with the BOT-2 that warrant further investigation.

Evening Snacking In Relation To Self-Reported Declines In Sleep Quality During Pregnancy: Preliminary Results From The Decision-Making, Eating, And Weight Gain During Pregnancy (Dew) Study, Wendy Mccallum, Bradley M. Appelhans, Tiffany A. Moore Simas, Rui Sherry Xiao, Shums Alikhan, Isabelle C. Pierre-Louis, Barbara C. Olendzki, Sherry L. Pagoto, Molly E. Waring

Tiffany A. Moore Simas

Background: Poor sleep in non-pregnant adults has been associated with increased evening snacking, which may contribute to weight gain. Sleep disturbances are common during pregnancy.

Objective: To examine the association between changes in sleep quality from pre-pregnancy and evening snacking.

Methods: In an ongoing prospective cohort study, pregnant women were recruited from UMMHC obstetric practices and the community. Participants are 18+ years, with singleton gestation <36 >weeks, pre-pregnancy BMI 18.5-40 kg/m2, English-speaking, and with plans to deliver at UMMHC. Participants were asked “compared to the three months before you became pregnant, how is your sleep quality now?”; we combined responses of …

Assessment Of Breast Cancer Treatment Delay Impact On Prognosis And Survival: A Look At The Evidence From Systematic Analysis Of The Literature, Faustine Williams

Faustine Williams

Ideas For A Healthy Baby--Reducing Disparities In Use Of Publicly Reported Quality Data: Study Protocol For A Randomized Controlled Trial, Sarah L. Goff, Penelope S. Pekow, Katharine O. White, Tara Lagu, Kathleen M. Mazor, Peter K. Lindenauer

Sarah L. Goff MD

BACKGROUND: Publicly reported performance on quality measures is intended to enable patients to make more informed choices. Despite the growing availability of these reports, patients' use remains limited and disparities exist. Low health literacy and numeracy are two barriers that may contribute to these disparities. Patient navigators have helped patients overcome barriers such as these in other areas, such as cancer care and may prove useful for overcoming barriers to using publicly reported quality data. METHODS/DESIGN: The goals of this study are: to determine the efficacy of a patient navigator intervention to assist low-income pregnant women in the use of …

Proyecto Mama: A Lifestyle Intervention In Overweight And Obese Hispanic Women: A Randomised Controlled Trial--Study Protocol, Lisa Chasan-Taber, Bess H. Marcus, Milagros C. Rosal, Katherine L. Tucker, Sheri J. Hartman, Penelope S. Pekow, Edward J. Stanek Iii, Barry Braun, Caren G. Solomon, Joanne Manson, Sarah L. Goff, Glenn Markenson

Sarah L. Goff MD

BACKGROUND: The proportion of women entering pregnancy overweight or obese has been rising and, in turn, is associated with adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. Gestational weight gain (GWG) exceeding Institute of Medicine (IOM) guidelines further increases health risks and has been independently associated with postpartum weight retention. Hispanic women are disproportionately affected by overweight and obesity, but have had limited access to interventions that promote healthy lifestyles due to cultural, socioeconomic, and language barriers. Therefore, the overall goal of this randomized controlled trial is to test the efficacy of a culturally and linguistically modified, individually-tailored lifestyle intervention to reduce excess …

Rural-Urban Difference In Female Breast Cancer Diagnosis In Missouri, Faustine Williams, Stephen Jeanetta, David J. O'Brien, John L. Fresen

Faustine Williams

Understanding Multifactorial Influences On The Continuum Of Maternal Weight Trajectories In Pregnancy And Early Postpartum: Study Protocol, And Participant Baseline Characteristics, Tiffany A. Moore Simas, Silvia Corvera, Mary M. Lee, Ningning Zhang, Katherine Leung, Barbara C. Olendzki, Bruce A. Barton, Milagros C. Rosal

Mary M. Lee

BACKGROUND: Maternal and offspring immediate and long-term health are affected by pregnancy weight gain and maternal weight. This study was designed to determine feasibility of: 1) recruiting a socio-economically and racially/ethnically diverse sample of pregnant women into a longitudinal observational study, including consenting the women for serial biologic specimen evaluations; 2) implementing comprehensive assessments (including biologic, anthropometric, behavioral, cognitive/psychosocial and socio-demographic, and cultural measures) at multiple time points over the study period, including collecting biologic specimens at planned and unplanned pregnancy delivery times; and 3) retaining the sample for one year into the postpartum period. Additionally, the study will provide …

Sex Differences In Circumstances And Consequences Of Outdoor And Indoor Falls In Older Adults In The Mobilize Boston Cohort Study, Rachel Duckham, Elizabeth Procter-Gray, Marian T. Hannan, Suzanne G. Leveille, Lewis A. Lipsitz, Wenjun Li

Suzanne G. Leveille

BACKGROUND: Despite extensive research on risk factors associated with falling in older adults, and current fall prevention interventions focusing on modifiable risk factors, there is a lack of detailed accounts of sex differences in risk factors, circumstances and consequences of falls in the literature. We examined the circumstances, consequences and resulting injuries of indoor and outdoor falls according to sex in a population study of older adults.

METHODS: Men and women 65 years and older (N = 743) were followed for fall events from the Maintenance of Balance, Independent Living, Intellect, and Zest in the Elderly (MOBILIZE) Boston prospective cohort …

Concepts Of Health In Older Urban African American Women With Chronic Health Conditions: A Focus Group Study, Priscilla T. Ryder, Linda Ellis, Doshia Harris, Anita Ohmit, Kathleen M. Russell, Amber Scott

Priscilla T. Ryder

The purpose of this report is to relate the findings of the study ‘Concepts of Health in Older Urban African American Women with Chronic Health Conditions.’ This investigation, undertaken at the request of the Indiana Minority Health Coalition, Inc. (IMHC) is collaboration between IMHC, Butler University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, and the community partner, the Black Nurses Association of Indianapolis, Inc. (BNA). The purpose of the study is to gain an understanding of the ways older African American women from medically underserved areas of Indianapolis characterize the various parts of the concept of health; how they understand and …

Is It Abuse? Deaf Female Undergraduates' Labeling Of Partner Violence, Melissa Anderson, Caroline Kobek Pezzarossi

Melissa L. Anderson

The current study investigated the labeling of abuse experiences in a sample of 97 Deaf female undergraduate students, exploring the following questions: What is the prevalence of violent behaviors experienced by Deaf female undergraduates in their past-year relationships, what proportion of these relationships are identified as "abuse," and what scripts and strategies do Deaf female undergraduates utilize to label their experiences of partner violence? Results indicated that over half of the sample chose not to label past-year experiences of psychological aggression, physical assault, and sexual coercion as abuse, even when these experiences included severe violence. Implications for the Deaf education …

Intimate Partner Violence Against Deaf Female College Students, Melissa Anderson, Irene Leigh

Melissa L. Anderson

It has been estimated that roughly 25% of all Deaf women in the United States are victims of intimate partner violence (Abused Deaf Women's Advocacy Services [ADWAS]), a figure similar to annual prevalence rates of 16% to 30% for intimate partners in the general population. One goal of the present study was to ascertain the prevalence of intimate partner violence victimization in a sample of Deaf female college students. When comparing the prevalence of physical assault, psychological aggression, and sexual coercion victimization to hearing female undergraduates, the current sample was approximately two times as likely to have experienced victimization in …

An Outcome Study Of Seeking Safety With Rural Community-Based Women, Beverly Patitz, Melissa Anderson, Lisa Najavits

Melissa L. Anderson

This pilot study investigated the impact of Seeking Safety (SS) on rural women with comorbid substance abuse and trauma problems. SS is an evidence-based, present-focused therapy that provides coping skills and psychoeducation. Despite its demonstrated effectiveness, this is the first known study using SS with rural women. Investigating the efficacy of evidence-based treatments with rural populations is especially important because, compared with urban residents, they are more likely to meet criteria for comorbid mental illness and substance abuse, exhibit more severe symptoms of both disorders, but are much less likely to receive formal treatment. Such disparities highlight the need for …

Intimate Partner Violence Against Deaf Women: A Review, Melissa Anderson, Irene Leigh, Vincent Samar

Melissa L. Anderson

A common theme among writings on intimate partner violence against Deaf women is the concern that there is little empirical work conducted in this field in comparison to research conducted with hearing populations. However, it is important to acknowledge that an increased amount of research has been conducted in recent years and that a foundation of research has been established, on which future researchers can build and expand. The goal of the current review is to summarize and synthesize the recent work in this area, as well as identify remaining gaps and needs for future empirical work. While there are …

Does Seeking Safety Reduce Ptsd Symptoms In Women Receiving Physical Disability Compensation, Melissa Anderson, Lisa Najavits

Melissa L. Anderson

OBJECTIVE: This secondary analysis investigated the impact of 12 sessions of Seeking Safety (SS) on reducing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in a sample of dually diagnosed women with physical disabilities versus nondisabled (ND) women. SS is an evidence-based and widely implemented manualized therapy for PTSD and/or substance use disorder. It is a present-focused model that promotes coping skills and psychoeducation. DESIGN: As part of the National Institute on Drug Abuse Clinical Trials Network (NIDA CTN), 353 participants with current PTSD and substance use disorder (SUD) were randomly assigned to partial-dose SS or Women's Health Education (WHE) group therapy conducted …

Violence Against Deaf Women: Effect Of Partner Hearing Status, Melissa Anderson, Caroline Kobek Pezzarossi

Melissa L. Anderson

Using a sample of Deaf female undergraduate students, the current study sought to investigate the prevalence, correlates, and characteristics of intimate partner violence victimization in hearing-Deaf and Deaf-Deaf relationships. Initial results suggest that similarities in hearing status and communication preference are associated with increased levels of negotiation within these relationships. However, compatibility in these areas did not co-occur with significant decreases in physical, psychological, or sexual partner violence. Recommendations for future research as well as implications for clinical and educational practice are outlined.