Journal of women's health
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Journal of women's health · Dec 2024
Examining the Joint Effects of Epilepsy and Mental Health Conditions on Severe Maternal Morbidity.
Background: Mental health conditions and epilepsy frequently coexist and have independently been associated with severe maternal morbidity (SMM). Since little is known about the risks of these conditions when they occur together in pregnancy, we evaluated the associations of mental health conditions, epilepsy, and SMM. Methods: We conducted a population-based study of births in California between 2007 and 2018. ⋯ The odds of SMM were significantly increased for each exposure group: adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.13, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.05-2.22 for mental health conditions; aOR 3.79, 95% CI 3.45-4.18 for epilepsy; and aOR 4.91, 95% CI 4.01-6.00 for both. Conclusion: Epilepsy and mental health conditions were independently associated with SMM, and individuals carrying both diagnoses had the highest odds of SMM. Our results highlight the need for awareness of SMM risks in this population.
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Journal of women's health · Dec 2024
Cancer-Related Morbidity Among Patients Conceiving Through Oocyte Donation: A Healthcare Registry Cohort Study.
Background: Ovarian aging, often leads to increased use of a donor oocyte, which is associated with greater risk for age-related diseases. Objective: To evaluate the association between women conceiving through oocyte donation (OD) and future cancer-related morbidity, as compared with women conceiving through IVF (in vitro fertilization) with autologous oocytes (AO), spontaneous conceptions (SC), and nulliparas. Methods: This retrospective, cohort study was based on the electronic health records of a very large health maintenance organization. ⋯ Survival analysis curves were not significantly different, although a trend was shown in the curve comparing to nulliparity (p = 0.07). In a Cox regression model corrected for BMI, smoking and hormone replacement therapy exposure, cancer in the OD group did not differ compared to the other groups. Conclusion: Women conceiving through OD do not have increased risk for cancer-related morbidity in the decade following delivery.
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Journal of women's health · Dec 2024
Postpartum Emergency Care Visits Among North Carolina Medicaid Beneficiaries, 2013-2019.
Objective: To describe the rate, timing, and primary diagnosis codes for emergency care visits up to 8 weeks (56 days) after live birth among Medicaid beneficiaries in North Carolina (NC). Materials and Methods: Using a linked dataset of Medicaid hospital claims and certificates of live birth, which included Medicaid beneficiaries who had a live-born infant in NC between January 1, 2013, and November 4, 2019, and met inclusion criteria (n = 321,879), we estimated week-specific visit rates for emergency care visits that did not result in hospital admission (outpatient) and those that did (inpatient). We assessed the 10 leading diagnosis code categories for emergency care visits and described the characteristics of people with 0, 1, or ≥2 outpatient emergency care visits. ⋯ Respiratory concerns and gastrointestinal concerns were the two leading diagnosis code categories for inpatient emergency care visits. Compared with those with zero outpatient emergency care visits, a greater proportion of people with ≥2 visits had less than a high school education, used tobacco during pregnancy, had Medicaid insurance outside of pregnancy, had mental health as a medical comorbidity, and/or had ≥2 medical comorbidities. Conclusions: These findings support scheduling health care visits early in the postpartum period, when emergency care visits are most frequent, and point to unmet needs for substance use support.
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Journal of women's health · Dec 2024
Food Insufficiency and Coping Resources among Women: Postpandemic Racial, Ethnic, and Household Disparities.
Background: Empirical evidence shows women are more likely to report food hardship (e.g., food insufficiency and food insecurity) compared with men. Coronavirus disease-19 exacerbated these gender disparities; however, the impact of postpandemic social/economic/regulatory changes on women's food sufficiency and coping strategies has not been examined. This study evaluates factors associated with food insufficiency among women postpandemic. ⋯ Food-insufficient Hispanic women were more likely to use donated foods (OR = 2.71, CI = 1.84, 3.99). Conclusion: Food insufficiency among low-income Black and Hispanic women, particularly those with children, is likely to have persisted postpandemic, suggesting a high likelihood of dietary deficits in these households. Additional resources should be dedicated to meet the dietary needs of women and children in vulnerable households.