Women's Health Commons^™

Pregnancy And Mental Health Care Among Women Veterans Returning From Iraq And Afghanistan, Kristin M. Mattocks, Melissa Skanderson, Joseph Goulet, Sally Haskell, Elizabeth M. Yano, Erin Krebs, Amy Justice, Cynthia Brandt

Kristin M. Mattocks

Presentation looking at pregnancy and mental health care in the VA system. Documents a study examining the prevalence of pregnancy care and comparing the mental health diagnoses among pregnant and non-pregnant women in VA care. Then examining the degree to which pregnant veterans receive VA mental health care during their pregnancy. Concludes that pregnant women veterans using VA care have a substantial mental health burden.

The Future Of Teratology Research Is In Vitro, Jarrod Bailey, Andrew Knight, Jonathan Balcombe

Jonathan Balcombe, Ph.D.

Birth defects induced by maternal exposure to exogenous agents during pregnancy are preventable, if the agents themselves can be identified and avoided. Billions of dollars and manhours have been dedicated to animal-based discovery and characterisation methods over decades. We show here, via a comprehensive systematic review and analysis of this data, that these methods constitute questionable science and pose a hazard to humans. Mean positive and negative predictivities barely exceed 50%; discordance among the species used is substantial; reliable extrapolation from animal data to humans is impossible, and virtually all known human teratogens have so far been identified in spite …

The Future Of Teratology Research Is In Vitro, Jarrod Bailey, Andrew Knight, Jonathan Balcombe

Jonathan Balcombe, PhD

Birth defects induced by maternal exposure to exogenous agents during pregnancy are preventable, if the agents themselves can be identified and avoided. Billions of dollars and manhours have been dedicated to animal-based discovery and characterisation methods over decades. We show here, via a comprehensive systematic review and analysis of this data, that these methods constitute questionable science and pose a hazard to humans. Mean positive and negative predictivities barely exceed 50%; discordance among the species used is substantial; reliable extrapolation from animal data to humans is impossible, and virtually all known human teratogens have so far been identified in spite …

The Role Of Multiple Sclerosis As A Risk Factor For The Development Of Osteoporosis, Christopher Perrone, Christine M. Foley, Linda C. Churchill, Sybil L. Crawford, Judith K. Ockene, Carolina Ionete

Sybil L. Crawford

Background: Osteoporosis is the most common bone disease in the United States, and it is particularly common among women with multiple sclerosis (MS). However, despite this association, the temporal relationship between these two conditions has not been previously studied. Data from the Women’s Health Initiative provides a unique opportunity to examine the risk of developing osteoporosis over time in individuals diagnosed with MS. Objective: The purpose of this study is to refine the relationship between MS and osteoporosis, clarifying the impact of environmental and pharmacologic factors on each condition, as well as addressing treatment and preventative efforts for a patient …

Lived Experiences Of Breast Cancer Survivors After Diagnosis, Treatment And Beyond: Qualitative Study, Faustine Williams, Stephen C. Jeanetta

Faustine Williams

Urinary Isoflavone Concentrations Are Inversely Associated With Cardiometabolic Risk Markers In Pregnant U.S. Women, Ling Shi, Heather Ryan, Emily Jones, Tiffany Moore Simas, Alice Lichtenstein, Qi Sun, Laura Hayman

Laura L. Hayman

Some evidence suggests that phytoestrogens, such as soy-derived isoflavones, may have beneficial effects on cardiovascular health and glycemic control. These data are mainly limited to postmenopausal women or individuals at elevated cardiometabolic risk. There is a lack of data for pregnant women who have elevated estrogen levels and physiologically altered glucose and lipid metabolism. We analyzed data from 299 pregnant women who participated in the NHANES 2001-2008 surveys. Multivariable linear regression analyses were used to examine the association between urinary concentrations of isoflavonoids and cardiometabolic risk markers, adjusted for body mass index, pregnancy trimester, total energy intake, dietary intake of …

Annual Women's Health Through The Lifespan, Marna Greenberg

Marna R Greenberg DO, MPH, FACEP

No abstract provided.

Prenatal Oral Health Education In U.S. Dental Schools And Obstetrics And Gynecology Residencies, Megan Curtis, Hugh Silk, Judith A. Savageau

Judith A. Savageau

Prenatal oral health (POH) is an important health issue, but dental and obstetrical clinicians are not meeting the oral health needs of pregnant patients. This study evaluates how training contributes to this paradox with a national survey of sixty dental school deans and 240 obstetrics and gynecology residency program directors. Response rates were 53 percent and 40 percent for deans and program directors, respectively. According to the respondents, 94 percent of responding dental schools provided POH education, only 39 percent of responding residencies taught POH, and 65 percent of responding deans and 45 percent of responding program directors were aware …

The Consequences Of Abortion Restrictions For Women's Healthcare, Maya Manian

Maya Manian

This Essay challenges the false assumption that abortion care can be segregated from women’s medical care and targeted for special restrictions without any effects on women’s health more broadly. As a matter of medical reality, abortion cannot be isolated from the continuum of women’s healthcare. Yet policymakers and the public have failed to understand the interconnectedness of abortion with other aspects of women’s medical care. In fact, existing abortion restrictions harm women’s health even for women not actively seeking abortion care, but these impacts remain obscured. For example, antiabortion laws and policies have spillover effects on miscarriage management, prenatal care, …

Evaluation Of Physical Fitness And Weight Status Among Fisherwomen In Relation To Their Occupational Workload, Pallav Sengupta

Pallav Sengupta, PhD

Fisherwomen contribute significantly to the coastal economy of Eastern India; however, data about their physical fitness and weight status are scant.

OBJECTIVES:

The present cross-sectional study was designed to investigate cardiorespiratory fitness and weight status of fisherwomen, which may be influenced by their occupational workload, using morphometric and anthropometric measures.

METHODS:

The study was conducted among young fisherwomen (mean age 23.7 years) randomly selected from Araku, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, and among young women who are not engaged in the fishing industry but are residents of Araku, who served as controls (mean age 21.3 years). Measurements of body composition included several …

Ud Wellness Program: A Success Story, Maureen E. Schlangen

Maureen E. Schlangen

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) …

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 …

Swedish Caregivers’ Attitudes Towards Caesarean Section On Maternal Request, Jan Thomas, Regina Engström-Olofsson, Astrid Nystedt, Ingegerd Hildingsson

Jan Thomas

No abstract provided.

Physicians' Experiences With Brca1/2 Testing In Community Settings., Nancy L. Keating, Kathryn A. Stoeckert, Meredith M. Regan, Lisa Digianni, Judy E. Garber

Kathryn Sabella

Chronic Aerobic Exercise Training May Improve The Cardiovascular Risk Profile For Obese African American Women And Their Daughters By Shortening Qt Interval Duration And Reducing Qt Dispersion, C. Brahler

C. Jayne Brahler

Multidimensional Approach To Improving Health Status For Obese African American Girls 5-17 Years Of Age And Their Mothers, C. Brahler

C. Jayne Brahler

The Association Between Familial Obesity And Qt Interval Prolongation, Waist To Hip Circumference Ratio, And Body Mass Index For Obese African American Girls And Their Mothers, C. Brahler

C. Jayne Brahler