Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Ethnic Disparities In Cervical Cancer Survival Among Texas Women, Ann L. Coker, Christopher P. Desimone, Katherine S. Eggleston, Arica L. White, Melanie Williams

CRVAW Faculty Journal Articles

Objective: The aim of this work was to determine whether minority women are more likely to die of cervical cancer. A population-based cohort study was performed using Texas Cancer Registry (TCR) data from 1998 to 2002.

Methods: A total of 5,166 women with cervical cancer were identified during 1998–2002 through the TCR. Measures of socioeconomic status (SES) and urbanization were created using census block group-level data. Multilevel logistic regression was used to calculate the odds of dying from cervical cancer by race, and Cox proportional hazards modeling was used for cervical cancer-specific survival analysis.

Results: After adjusting for age, SES, …

Hpv Vaccine Acceptance Among Latina Mothers By Hpv Status, Maureen Sanderson, Ann L. Coker, Katherine S. Eggleston, Maria E. Fernandez, Concepcion D. Arrastia, Mary Kay Fadden

CRVAW Faculty Journal Articles

Objective: We investigated whether Latina mothers who were and were not human papillomavirus (HPV) positive differed in their knowledge and acceptance of the HPV vaccine for their children.

Methods: We conducted a cross–sectional survey among women aged 18–64 years between April 2007 and April 2008. Data collectors conducted in-person interviews in community clinics with 215 HPV-negative women and 190 HPV-positive women (with respective response rates of 64% and 84%). Most (83%) HPV-positive women were recruited at dysplasia clinics. Although no HPV-negative women were recruited at dysplasia clinics, they were recruited at other low-income public and private clinics.

Results: After adjustment …

Violence Against Women Raises Risk Of Cervical Cancer, Ann L. Coker, Claudia Hopenhayn, Christopher P. Desimone, Heather M. Bush, Leslie Crofford

CRVAW Faculty Journal Articles

Background: An emerging literature suggests that violence against women (VAW), particularly sexual violence, may increase the risk of acquiring a sexually transmitted infection (STI) and, therefore, may be associated with cervical cancer development. The purpose of this cross-sectional analysis was to determine if women who had experienced violence had higher prevalence rates of invasive cervical cancer.

Methods: Women aged 18–88 who joined the Kentucky Women’s Health Registry (2006–2007) and completed a questionnaire were included in the sample. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to adjust odds ratio (OR) for confounders (e.g., age, education, current marital status, lifetime illegal drug use, …

Ethnic Disparities In Cervical Cancer Survival Among Medicare Eligible Women In A Multiethnic Population, Ann L. Coker, Katherine S. Eggleston, Xianglin L. Du, Lois Ramondetta

CRVAW Faculty Journal Articles

To determine predictors of cervical cancer survival by socioeconomic status (SES), urbanization, race/ethnicity, comorbid conditions, and treatment among elderly Medicare-eligible women whose conditions were diagnosed with cervical cancer in a multiethnic population.

Methods: A total of 538 women with cervical cancer aged 65 years or older were identified from 1999 to 2001 from the Texas Cancer Registry and were linked with the state Medicare data and Texas Vital Records to determine survival times. All women had similar access to care through Medicare fee-for-services insurance. A composite measure of SES was created using census tract-level data as was urbanization. Treatment and …

Stress, Coping, Social Support, And Prostate Cancer Risk Among Older African American And Caucasian Men, Ann L. Coker, Maureen Sanderson, Gary L. Ellison, Mary Kay Fadden

CRVAW Faculty Journal Articles

Objectives: While psychosocial stress and high effort coping have been associated with reduced immune function, no epidemiologic study has addressed psychological stress and risk of prostate cancer. The purpose of this analysis was to investigate the association between stress, coping, social support, and risk of prostate cancer among older men (age 65–79 years). Design: Population-based case-control study in South Carolina.

Participants: Cases were 400 incident, histologically confirmed prostate cancer cases identified through the South Carolina Central Cancer Registry between 1999 and 2001 (70.6% response rate). Controls were 385 men identified through the 1999 Health Care Financing Administration Medicare beneficiary file …

Racial Disparity And Socioeconomic Status In Association With Survival In Older Men With Local/Regional Stage Prostate Cancer: Findings From A Large Community-Based Cohort, Xianglin L. Du, Shenying Fang, Ann L. Coker, Corinne Aragaki, Janice N. Cormier, Yan Xing, Beverly J. Gor, Wenyaw Chan

CRVAW Faculty Journal Articles

BACKGROUND

Few studies have examined the outcomes for Hispanic men with prostate carcinoma and incorporated socioeconomic factors in association with race/ethnicity in affecting survival, adjusting for factors on cancer stage, grade, comorbidity, and treatment.

METHODS

We studied a population-based cohort of 61,228 men diagnosed with local or regional stage prostate carcinoma at age 65 years or older between 1992 and 1999 in the 11 SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results) areas, identified from the SEER-Medicare linked data with up to 11 years of followup.

RESULTS

Low socioeconomic status was significantly associated with decreasing survival in all men with prostate carcinoma. …

A Case-Control Study Of Farming And Prostate Cancer In African-American And Caucasian Men, Tamra E. Meyer, Ann L. Coker, Maureen Sanderson, Elaine Symanski

CRVAW Faculty Journal Articles

Objective: To determine the risk of prostate cancer associated with farming by duration, recency and specific activities among African-Americans and Caucasians.

Methods: This population-based case–control study had information on farming-related activities for 405 incident prostate cancer cases and 392 controls matched for age, race and region in South Carolina, USA, from 1999 to 2001. Cases with histologically confirmed, primary invasive prostate cancer who were aged between 65 and 79 years were ascertained through the South Carolina Central Cancer Registry. Appropriately matched controls were identified from the Health Care Financing Administration Medicare Beneficiary File. Data were collected using computer-assisted telephone interviewing, …

Cervical Cancer Survival By Socioeconomic Status, Race/Ethnicity, And Place Of Residence In Texas, 1995–2001, Katherine S. Eggleston, Ann L. Coker, Melanie Williams, Guillermo Tortolero-Luna, Jeanne B. Martin, Susan R. Tortolero

CRVAW Faculty Journal Articles

Objective: The current study explored whether socioeconomic status (SES), race/ethnicity, and rural residence may be linked to poorer cervical cancer survival by stage at diagnosis.

Methods: Data from 7,237 cervical cancer cases reported to the Texas Cancer Registry from 1995–2001 were used to address the association by stage at diagnosis and cause of death. Zip code-level census data were used to classify residence and to develop a composite variable for SES. Multilevel Cox proportional hazards modeling was used to estimate hazard ratios

(HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI).

Results: Late stage at diagnosis was a strong predictor …

Intimate Partner Violence And Disabilities Among Women Attending Family Practice Clinics, Ann L. Coker, Paige H. Smith, Mary Kay Fadden

CRVAW Faculty Journal Articles

Purpose: To estimate the frequency and type of disabilities preventing work among those experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) compared with those never experiencing IPV.

Methods: We used a large cross-sectional survey of women, ages 18–65, attending family practice clinics from 1997 through 1998. Participation included a 5–10-minute in-clinic survey assessing IPV experience and a longer telephone survey assessing health status and chronic disabilities that prevented work outside the home or housework.

Results: Of 1,152 eligible women surveyed, 54% experienced some type of IPV, and 24% were currently in a violent relationship. Women who had ever experienced IPV …

Social Support Protects Against The Negative Effects Of Partner Violence On Mental Health, Ann L. Coker, Paige H. Smith, Martie P. Thompson, Robert E. Mckeown, Lesa Bethea, Keith E. Davis

CRVAW Faculty Journal Articles

Objectives: Social support for abused women may reduce the impact of abuse on mental health, yet few studies have addressed this issue. We wish to determine associations between intimate partner violence (IPV) and mental health outcomes and to assess the protective role of abuse disclosure and support on mental health among abused women.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted of 1152 women, ages 18–65, recruited from family practice clinics from 1997 through 1999. They were screened for IPV during a brief in-clinic interview, and physical and mental health status was assessed in a follow-up interview.

Results: IPV, defined as sexual, …

Psychosocial Stress And Cervical Neoplasia Risk, Ann L. Coker, Sharon M. Bond, Margaret M. Madeleine, Kathryn J. Luchok, Lucia Pirisi

CRVAW Faculty Journal Articles

OBJECTIVE: We assessed the association between psychosocial stress and preinvasive cervical neoplasia development controlling for HR-HPV infection.

METHODS: This case-control study enrolled low-income women receiving family planning services at health department clinics. There were 59 cases with biopsy confirmed HSIL and 163 with low-grade SIL and 160 controls with normal cervical cytology. A modified SLE scale was used to measure stressful events and the perceived impact of the event in the prior 5 years. Unconditional logistic regression was used to assess SIL risk and stressful events scores and by subscales.

RESULTS: After adjusting for age, HR-HPV infection, and lifetime number …

Psychosocial Stress And Prostate Cancer: A Theoretical Model, Gary L. Ellison, Ann L. Coker, James R. Hebert, Maureen Sanderson, Charmaine D. Royal, Sally P. Weinrich

CRVAW Faculty Journal Articles

African-American men are more likely to develop and die from prostate cancer than are European-American men; yet, factors responsible for the racial disparity in incidence and mortality have not been elucidated. Socioeconomic disadvantage can lead to psychosocial stress and may be linked to negative lifestyle behaviors. Regardless of socioeconomic position, African-American men routinely experience racism-induced stress. We propose a theoretical framework for an association between psychosocial stress and prostate cancer. With the context of history and culture, we further propose that psychosocial stress may partially explain the variable incidence of prostate cancer between these diverse groups. Psychosocial stress may negatively …

Assessment Of Clinical Partner Violence Screening Tools, Ann L. Coker, Brian O. Pope, Paige H. Smith, Maureen Sanderson, James R. Hussey

CRVAW Faculty Journal Articles

Objective: to compare the Women’s Experience with Battering Scale (WEB) with the Index of Spouse Abuse-Physical Scale (ISA-P) as screening tools to identify intimate partner violence (IPV).

Methods: We conducted a large cross-sectional survey of women age 18 to 65 attending one of two family practice clinics from 1997 to 1998. All women completed both the WEB and the ISA-P and a telephone interview. We figured agreement estimates between the two tools, used stratified analyses to evaluate attributes of those more likely to screen as battered or physically assaulted, and compared associations between the WEB and ISA-P and a range …

Street-Based Female Adolescent Puerto Rican Sex Workers: Contextual Issues And Health Needs, Margarita Burgos, Donna L. Richter, Belinda Reininger, Ann L. Coker, Ruth Saunders, Margarita Alegria, Mildred Vera

CRVAW Faculty Journal Articles

Adolescent sex workers potentially have many health needs but are included rarely in health assessments; therefore, little is known about their needs or how to reach them. This study examines the motivations, social context, and health needs of street-based adolescent sex workers. The results show these youths are more likely to experience negative health outcomes, such as unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections, when they are using drugs or are depressed. These findings suggest the need for comprehensive programming to include individual, interpersonal, and greater environmental interventions. Examples for reaching adolescent sex workers are discussed.

Physical Violence During Pregnancy: Maternal Complications And Birth Outcomes, Vilma E. Cokkinides, Ann L. Coker, Maureen Sanderson, Cheryl Addy, Lesa Bethea

CRVAW Faculty Journal Articles

Objective: To assess the association between physical violence during the 12 months before delivery and maternal complications and birth outcomes.

Methods: We used population-based data from 6143 women who delivered live-born infants between 1993 and 1995 in South Carolina. Data on women's physical violence during pregnancy were based on self-reports of partner-inflicted physical hurt and being involved in a physical fight. Outcome data included maternal antenatal hospitalizations, labor and delivery complications, low birth weights, and preterm births. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were calculated to measure the associations between physical violence, maternal morbidity, and birth outcomes.

Results: The prevalence …

Experiencing Physical Violence During Pregnancy: Prevalence And Correlates, Vilma E. Cokkinides, Ann L. Coker

CRVAW Faculty Journal Articles

Violence during pregnancy directly impacts the mental and physical health of pregnant women. We assessed the prevalence and correlates of physical violence around the time of pregnancy in a representative sample of 6,718 women in South Carolina. Physical violence, defined as "being physically hurt by husband or partner" or "being involved in a physical fight" was reported by 10.9% of recently pregnant women. These were correlates of violence: experiencing increased numbers of stressful life events, being unmarried, having increased parity, being on Medicaid, and having an unwanted pregnancy. Screening to identify violence in pregnancy in health care settings is vital …

Violence Against Women In Sierra Leone: Frequency And Correlates Of Intimate Partner Violence And Forced Sexual Intercourse, Ann L. Coker, Donna L. Richter

CRVAW Faculty Journal Articles

Violence against women is a significant public health problem which impacts women, men, and children. Little is known about the frequency or correlates of violence against women in Africa. In this cross-sectional study, we found that 66.7% of 144 women surveyed in a study of AIDS knowledge, attitude, and behaviours, report being beaten by an intimate male partner and 50.7% report having ever been forced to have sexual intercourse; 76.6% of women report either forced sex or intimate partner violence. Circumcised women were most likely to report intimate partner violence and forced sexual intercourse. To improve the health of women …

Correlates And Consequences Of Early Initiation Of Sexual Intercourse, Ann L. Coker, Donna L. Richter, Robert F. Valois, Robert E. Mckeown, Carol Z. Garrison, Murray L. Vincent

CRVAW Faculty Journal Articles

This cross-sectional analysis of the 1991 CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey explored factors associated with an early age at first sexual intercourse. Almost 18% of White males, 49% of Black males, 5% of White females and 12% of Black females were sexually active before age 13. Carrying a weapon to school, fighting, and early (< age 13) experimentation with cigarettes and alcohol were associated with early initiation of sexual activity for all four race and gender groupings. Those initiating sexual activity early had greater numbers of partners but were 50% less likely to use condoms regularly and were two-seven times more likely to have been pregnant or caused a pregnancy. Females who initiated sexual activity early were more likely to have had a sexually transmitted disease (STD). Interventions to postpone sexual activity need to be tailored to the ethnic and gender differences observed in these analyses. Interventions must begin before age 13 and should be comprehensive school-based efforts.