Journal of women's health
-
Journal of women's health · Sep 2021
Meta AnalysisSex Differences Remain Under-Reported in Cardiovascular Publications.
Background: For the past two decades, there has been increased interest from medical journals and calls to action from various organizations such as the National Institutes of Health to study sex differences in cardiovascular (CV) disease. It is unknown whether this emphasis has translated to a growth in publications addressing sex differences in CV disease. Materials and Methods: We performed a bibliometric analysis of all CV publications from 2006 to 2015. ⋯ When specific publication categories were analyzed, there were significant proportional increase of sex-specific publications in general articles category, but not for reviews, clinical trials, meta-analysis, or letters. Conclusion: Despite calls for greater attention, only a small fraction of publications for the past decade have reported on sex differences. There was no significant proportional growth of sex-specific publications for a recent 10-year period, except for the general research articles.
-
Journal of women's health · Sep 2021
Sex Differences in Subclinical Cardiovascular Organ Damage After Renal Transplantation: A Single-Center Cohort Study.
Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death after renal transplantation (RT). Sex-specific differences in CVD in the general population are well known. The aim of this study was to evaluate sex-specific differences in prevalence and course of subclinical cardiovascular (CV) organ damage in RT recipients during the first year after RT. ⋯ Conclusions: Our findings indicate a sex-specific association between RT and changes in LVMI. CCBs seem to have a positive impact on CV risk after RT, especially in women. Further studies on the effect of sex and CCB use in RT recipients are warranted.
-
Journal of women's health · Sep 2021
Perceived Financial Barriers to Cervical Cancer Screening and Associated Cost Burden Among Low-Income, Under-Screened Women.
Background: Despite screening's effectiveness in reducing cervical cancer incidence and mortality, disparities in cervical cancer screening uptake remain, with lower rates documented among uninsured and low-income individuals. We examined perceived financial barriers to, and the perceived cost burden of, cervical cancer screening. Materials and Methods: We surveyed 702 low-income, uninsured or publicly insured women ages 25-64 years in North Carolina, U. ⋯ Conclusions: The majority of our sample of low-income women perceived substantial financial barriers to screening, particularly related to screening appointment costs and potential follow-up/future treatment costs. Providing greater cost transparency and access to financial assistance may reduce perceived financial barriers to screening, potentially increasing screening uptake among this underserved population. Clinicaltrials.gov registration number NCT02651883.
-
Journal of women's health · Sep 2021
Younger Women Living with Chronic Disease: Comparative Challenges, Resiliencies, and Needs in Heart Disease and Breast Cancer.
Background: Younger women with chronic disease (<60 years of age), especially women with stereotypically "men's" heart disease (HD), are understudied. Unique difficulties may occur with HD, which is less commonly associated with women, compared with breast cancer (BC). Similarities may also exist across younger women, as chronic disease is less normative in younger people. ⋯ New information provided by the younger women includes limited illness-related optimism in women with HD facing age and gender stereotypes, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of peer availability in BC. Conclusions: Greater public awareness of younger women with chronic disease, alongside structural support and connection with similarly challenged peers, is suggested. As advocacy for BC awareness and action has strengthened over past decades, similar efforts are needed for younger women with HD.
-
Journal of women's health · Sep 2021
Opportunities to Improve Women's Health: Engaging Racial/Ethnic Diverse Women to Provide Biospecimens for Research.
Objective: Inclusion of women in biomedical cancer research have the potential to close gaps in cancer health disparities and improve adjuvant therapies for women; yet samples needed to advance this area of science are lacking. We developed low-cost educational recruitment strategies to increase our collection of biospecimens from women. Materials and Methods: Women diagnosed with hormone receptor positive (HR+) breast cancer that initiated hormonal therapy were recruited from three integrated health systems. ⋯ Receipt of brief informational print materials inclusive of personalized messages enhanced our outreach strategies and increased our overall biospecimen provision rate by 17%. The inclusion of messages with a focus on spirituality and other cultural messages may further increase biospecimen provision in racial/ethnic diverse groups of women; however, further study is needed to support this claim. Clinical Trail Registration Number: NCT02992730.