Women's Health Commons^™

Cancer Blog Narratives: The Experience Of Under-Fifty Women With Breast Cancer During Different Times After Diagnosis, Maria Luisa Martino, Anna Gargiulo, Daniela Lemmo, Giorgia Margherita

The Qualitative Report

The recent literature shows an increase of breast cancer in women under 50, however still few are the studies which analyse the impact of the disease in this specific target age. This study aims at exploring the most prevalent topics in Italian cancer blogs of women who have received a breast cancer diagnosis before the age of 50, in order to understand their experience of illness and the characteristics of women’s narrations at different times after diagnosis (1 year, 2 years, 3 years). We collected the textual corpus of 4 Italian breast cancer blogs and performed a thematic analysis. Five …

Comparison Of Compliance With Cervical Cancer Screening Among Women Aged 18 And Above In Arkansas And The United States, Sarah N. O'Connor, Jun Tao, L. Joseph Su

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Introduction: Cervical cancer preys on women without access to preventative screening. Any woman who has developed an invasive case of cervical cancer should be regarded as a failure of screening. Disparities in access to screening, triage, and treatment fuel an uneven distribution in the burden of cervical cancer within the United States; weighing unusually heavy on the Southern States like Arkansas. The purpose of this study was to evaluate demographic and behavioral risk factors for cervical cancer and identify potential barriers which may influence the likelihood of complying with current Pap test recommendations on a state level, in Arkansas, and …

Women And Hiv: Understanding And Addressing Stigma—Evidence From The Population Council, Population Council

HIV and AIDS

Over the last 20 years, the Population Council has carried out extensive work examining the intersection of stigma and gender and its impact on HIV-related outcomes. This brief summarizes key Population Council findings from a range of studies which elucidate the experiences of stigma among women and highlights avenues for addressing stigma to mitigate women’s risk and burden of HIV.

Women’S Perceptions, Knowledge, And Attitudes Towards Reproductive Health And Contraceptives, Audrey Mcfarland, Abigail Jonker, Adejoke Ayoola

Summer Research

To review the research that has been done since 2008 on women’s perceptions, knowledge, and attitudes towards female reproductive health and contraceptive use within the United States.

Cervical Cancer Screening And Prevention In Central America, Madeline Jensen

Theses and Graduate Projects

Cervical cancer is the fourth most frequent cancer in women around the world. In the Central American region, it is a leading cause of mortality for young women due to inadequate preventive and screening measures. The disease is slow-growing and caused by the human papillomavirus, which is transmitted via sexual contact. The HPV vaccination was created in order to prevent the disease, and there are a variety of quality screening methods to quickly identify progression. The most common screening methods include the Papanicolaou (Pap) test and visualization by acetic acid (VIA). While frequent screening is common in developed countries, rates …

Strengthening Capacity To Prevent Hiv Among Adolescent Girls And Young Women: Supporting Dreams Programming, Project Soar

HIV and AIDS

The Population Council, with funding from Girl Effect, worked in seven Determined, Resilient, Empowered, AIDS-free, Mentored, and Safe (DREAMS) Partnership countries to strengthen the capacity of implementing partners to develop new approaches to reach AGYWs at highest risk of HIV infection, link them with essential resources, and empower them with social and protective assets for a safe and healthy entry into adulthood. This technical assistance was informed by the Population Council’s decades of research and experience determining “what works”—and what doesn’t work—in girl-centered programming. Through Project SOAR, the Population Council provided technical assistance to implementing partners in five additional countries …

A Population-Based Analysis Of Patient Age And Other Disparities In The Treatment Of Ovarian Cancer In Central Appalachia And Kentucky, Robert Ore

Theses and Dissertations--Clinical Research Design

Objectives: Adherence to National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines for ovarian cancer treatment improves patient outcomes. The aim of this study was to assess disparities associated with ovarian cancer treatment in the state of Kentucky and central Appalachia.

Methods: Data on patients diagnosed as having ovarian cancer from 2007 through 2011 were extracted from administrative claims-linked Kentucky Cancer Registry data. NCCN compliance was defined by stage, grade, surgical procedure, and chemotherapy. Selection criteria were reviewed carefully to ensure data quality and accuracy. Descriptive analysis, logistic regression, and Cox regression analyses were performed to examine factors associated with guidelines compliance and …

Reference Guide: Factorial Focus Group Analysis Methods For Studying Social Norm Change, Bettina Shell-Duncan, Amadou Moreau, Katherine Wander, Sarah Smith

Reproductive Health

The factorial focus group methodology described in this guide provides a powerful means of illuminating the social norms that uphold female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), and the ways in which meanings have at times become contested or rejected. The methods described here can be applied to the study of a wide range of behaviors influenced by social norms, such as early marriage, adoption of contraception, and more.

Examining Early Marriage In India: Qualitative Findings, Neelanjana Pandey, Komal Saxena, Andrea J. Melnikas

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The More Than Brides Alliance (MTBA) implements the “Marriage: No Child’s Play” program (2016–20) in India, Malawi, Mali, Niger, and Pakistan. The MTBA is a holistic program that addresses early marriage through multiple strategies, including: sexual and reproductive health and rights, livelihoods, education, and prevalent community social norms around marriage. Furthermore, the program operates at multiple levels (girl, family, community, block, and district) to address individual, familial, and structural barriers to reducing child marriage in these communities. This report first looks at the legal environment in which programs operate by examining participants’ awareness of laws, acts, and programs related to …

Sexual Behaviours Of Adolescents In Creek Town, Cross River State, Nigeria, Kabiru K. Salami, Rowland E. Edet

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Risky sexual behaviors of adolescents in Creek Town have not been fully profiled. This study investigated the sexual behaviors of adolescents and their various dimensions in Creek Town, in Cross River State, Nigeria. This cross-sectional survey design adopted multi-stage sampling procedure to administer a 112-items questionnaire to 422 adolescents, to elicit information on their sexual behaviors and practices. Four focus group discussion sessions were also conducted with in-school and out-of-school adolescents. The mean age of adolescents was 17 years. Majority (65.4%) of the adolescents were sexually active. The mean age at sexual debut was 15 years for both male and …

"I Don't Know If I Have The Courage" Reproductive Choices In Times Of Zika, Ana Rosa Linde, Grace Furtado, Elisa Tristán-Cheever, Carlos Eduardo Siqueira

Gastón Institute Publications

In this transnational study, we aimed at providing insights into women's views and attitudes towards their reproductive rights during the Zika epidemic. Women of distinct nationalities and ethnicities were recruited from various locations in Brazil, Puerto Rico, and the United States. We conducted semistructured interviews that suggest that participants reproductive decisions were intimately related to personal convictions and cultural beliefs, and their actions and thoughts were embedded in their sociocultural norms. The majority of women interviewed communicated that it takes courage to make the extreme, emotional, and overwhelming decision to have an abortion. The findings of this study suggest that …

Prevalence Of Sports-Related Stress Urinary Incontinence In The Female Collegiate Athlete, Stacey Pagorek

Theses and Dissertations--Rehabilitation Sciences

Urinary incontinence is a health condition that is associated with involuntary leakage of urine. Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) describes involuntary leakage of urine on effort or exertion and can impact one’s ability to participate in activities and affect quality of life. Furthermore, clinical management of this health condition is challenging as individuals who experience urinary incontinence often do not report this concern to a health care provider.

Stress urinary incontinence is not typically a health concern associated with young, healthy athletes. However, researchers have begun to examine the presence of this health condition amongst both a younger population and in …

The Influence Of Patient-Provider Interaction, Self-Concept, And The Socio-Physical Environment On Pelvic Exam Seeking Behavior, Anxiety, And The Health Care Experience, Julie Lasslo

Theses and Dissertations--Education Sciences

Regular gynecological screenings are critical for women in promotion of health and preventing diseases like cervical cancer. Despite the importance of such examinations, many women fail to adhere to recommended screening protocols. As a result, women experience an increased disease risk. The current study examined the relationship between patient-provider communication quality, skill, and empathy on pelvic exam seeking behavior and exam-related anxiety and satisfaction. Additionally, negative self-concept, perceived poor genital self-image, and various elements of the socio-physical clinic environment were explored to better understand their impact on a women’s care seeking behavior.

A total of 350 women 19 through 80 …

Does A History Of Sexual And Physical Childhood Abuse Contribute To Hiv Infection Risk In Adulthood? A Study Among Post-Natal Women In Harare, Zimbabwe, Simukai Shamu, Patience Shamu, Christina Zarowsky, Marleen Temmerman, Tamara Shefer, Naeemah Abrahams

Obstetrics and Gynaecology, East Africa

Background: Sexual and physical abuse in childhood creates a great health burden including on mental and reproductive health. A possible link between child abuse and HIV infection has increasingly attracted attention. This paper investigated whether a history of child physical and sexual abuse is associated with HIV infection among adult women.

Methods: A cross sectional survey was conducted among 2042 postnatal women (mean age = 26y) attending six public primary health care clinics in Harare, Zimbabwe within 6 weeks post-delivery. Clinic records were reviewed for mother’s antenatal HIV status. Participants were interviewed about childhood abuse including physical or …

The Relationship Between Maternal Plasma Homocysteine In Early Pregnancy And Birth Weight, Shona Cawley, Eimer O'Malley, Rachel Kennedy, Ciara Reynolds, Anne Molloy, Michael Turner

Articles

Background: There is limited evidence that plasma homocysteine (Hcy) is increased in women with adverse pregnancy outcomes, such as low birth weight (LBW).

Objective: We examined the relationship between maternal Hcy at the first prenatal visit and birth weight.

Study design: In a prospective observational study, women were recruited during their first prenatal visit after sonographic confirmation of gestational age. Along with the standard tests, blood was also taken for the measurement of maternal serum and red blood cell (RBC) folate, vitamin B12, and Hcy. In addition to collecting standard clinical and sociodemographic details, a detailed questionnaire on vitamin supplementation …

A Web-Based Dietary Intervention In Early Pregnancy And Neonatal Outcomes: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Rachel Ak Kennedy, C.M.E. Reynolds, Shona Cawley, E. O'Malley, D.M. Mccartney, M.J. Turner

Articles

Background Maternal nutrition is a determinant of pregnancy outcomes. Few studies have evaluated the potential of online nutrition resources to modify behaviour. This randomized controlled trial aimed to determine whether access to a customized evidence-based nutrition website in pregnancy improved neonatal outcomes.

Methods Women < 18 weeks gestation were recruited at their convenience. The control group received standard care. In addition to standard care, the intervention group received access to an evidence-based nutrition website, customized to the preferences of pregnant women.

Results Of the 250 women, there were no differences in characteristics between the two groups. Of the women, 91.0% reported they make a conscious effort currently to eat a healthy diet. However, only 19.6% met dietary requirements for calcium, 13.2% for iron, 2.7% for folate and 2.3% for iodine. The most popular website section was pregnancy …

Development Of A Novel Periconceptual Nutrition Score (Pens) To Examine The Relationship Between Maternal Dietary Quality And Fetal Growth, Rachel Ak Kennedy, Michael J. Turner

Articles

Background Maternal nutrition may influence intrauterine fetal development. To date, the relationship between contemporary European dietary guidelines and fetal growth has not been examined.

Aims To develop a novel Periconceptual Nutrition Score (PENS) to assess maternal dietary quality in early pregnancy and examine its relationship with fetal growth.

Study design Women were recruited conveniently at their first clinic visit and completed a supervised four day retrospective diet history. The PENS was developed using European Food Safety Authority recommended dietary intakes for pregnancy. The relationship between PENS and fetal growth was examined.

Subjects Women with a singleton pregnancy.

Outcome measures Birthweight, …

Building Assets Toolkit: Developing Positive Benchmarks For Adolescent Girls—Asset Cards [Spanish], Judith Bruce, Sarah Engebretsen, Kimberly Glazer

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

La Caja de herramientas: Fortalecimiento de habilidades del Population Council ayuda a los profesionales, los encargados de formular políticas y los defensores a crear contenido personalizado, significativo y positivo para ayudar a subpoblaciones específicas de niñas. La caja de herramientas guía a los profesionales a través de una serie de pasos que deben tomarse para definir objetivos de sentido común: qué información, habilidad o activo físico (como una tarjeta de identificación) debe tener una niña en un entorno particular para una edad en particular. Este documento consta de las tarjetas de activos que forman parte de la Caja de herramientas: …

Building Assets Toolkit: Developing Positive Benchmarks For Adolescent Girls—Asset Cards [Swahili], Judith Bruce, Sarah Engebretsen, Kimberly Glazer

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

[In Swahili] The Building Assets Toolkit is an approach for developing programs for specific segments of girls that will prepare them to better face the challenges of growing up. It will help program managers understand the needs of the girls in their community, engage stakeholders at different levels and with different viewpoints, and build concrete and meaningful programming for adolescent girls.

This document contains the Building Assets Toolkit’s Asset Cards (110), set of Age Cards (age 6 to 20), and Program Planning Worksheet (sample provided). The Age Cards are to be printed out and placed according to the instructions. The …

Building Assets Toolkit: Developing Positive Benchmarks For Adolescent Girls—Asset Cards [Portuguese], Judith Bruce, Sarah Engebretsen, Kimberly Glazer

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

[In Portuguese] The Building Assets Toolkit is an approach for developing programs for specific segments of girls that will prepare them to better face the challenges of growing up. It will help program managers understand the needs of the girls in their community, engage stakeholders at different levels and with different viewpoints, and build concrete and meaningful programming for adolescent girls.

This document contains the Building Assets Toolkit’s Asset Cards (110), set of Age Cards (age 6 to 20), and Program Planning Worksheet (sample provided). The Age Cards are to be printed out and placed according to the instructions. The …