Journal of women's health
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Journal of women's health · Dec 2020
Maternal Hypertensive Disorders in Pregnancy and Postpartum Plasma B Vitamin and Homocysteine Profiles in a High-Risk Multiethnic U.S., Population.
Background: Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are a recognized risk factor of a woman's future cardiovascular risk. The potential role of micronutrients in mitigating hypertensive disorders is not fully understood. This study examined maternal postpartum plasma B vitamin profiles by hypertensive disorders of pregnancy in a high-risk multiethnic U. ⋯ Conclusions: We found that pre-eclampsia disorders, but not gestational hypertension, was associated with lower folate and higher homocysteine levels postpartum, especially among Black mothers. This finding, if further confirmed, may have implications for postpartum care, including attention to maternal micronutrient status to reduce and prevent hypertensive disorders in pregnancy-associated consequences in subsequent pregnancies and lifespan. Registration date: July 25, 2017; Registry website: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03228875.
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Journal of women's health · Dec 2020
Adherence to Recommended Practices for Provision of Long-Acting Reversible Contraception Among Providers in a Large U.S. Health Care System.
Background: There is little research examining adherence to practice guidelines for long-acting reversible contraception (LARC). We assessed same-day LARC provision and adherence to other guideline-recommended practices among providers in a large academic health care system. Materials and Methods: We surveyed 363 providers who had billed using LARC-related codes within the prior 12 months. ⋯ Among IUD providers, 73% schedule routine follow-up after insertion. Conclusions: Same-day LARC provision is low among providers in a large academic health care system. Provider-identified barriers suggest interventions to improve LARC access, including incentivizing device stocking and billing and insurance education.
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Background: Screening for diabetes in early pregnancy is recommended for high-risk women, however, the optimal test for the diagnosis of early gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is unknown. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) as a diagnostic test for early GDM compared with two-step testing. Materials and Methods: Retrospective cohort of women with prior GDM or obesity who had HbA1c and two-step testing <21 weeks' gestation. Early GDM was diagnosed by 1 hour, 50 g oral glucose challenge test (GCT) ≥135 mg/dL and ≥2 abnormal values on 3 hour, 100 g oral glucose tolerance test or GCT >200 mg/dL. ⋯ Median HbA1c levels were higher among women with GDM versus those without GDM (5.8% vs. 5.3%, p < 0.001). The AUC for HbA1c compared with two-step testing was 0.80 (95% CI 0.69-0.91). The optimal HbA1c threshold was 5.6% (64% sensitivity, 84% specificity). Conclusions: HbA1c is moderately predictive of early GDM compared with two-step testing, and a threshold lower than that used for diabetes diagnosis among nonpregnant adults is justified.
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Journal of women's health · Dec 2020
From Stigma to Validation: A Qualitative Assessment of a Novel National Program to Improve Retention of Physician-Scientists with Caregiving Responsibilities.
Background: Research is needed to improve understanding of work-life integration issues in academic medicine and to guide the implementation of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation's Fund to Retain Clinical Scientists (FRCS), a national initiative offering financial support to physician-scientists facing caregiving challenges. Materials and Methods: In 2018, as part of a prospective program evaluation, the authors conducted a qualitative study to examine FRCS program participants' initial impressions, solicit descriptions of their career and caregiving experiences, and inquire how such factors might influence their professional advancement. The authors invited all 33 awardees who had been granted FRCS funding in the first year of the program to participate in the study, of whom 28 agreed to complete an interview. ⋯ Their comments indicated that the FRCS has the potential to influence culture if institutional leadership simultaneously fosters a community that validates individuals both as caregivers and as scientists. Conclusions: Insights garnered from this qualitative study suggest that there is a pressing need for institutional leaders to implement programs that can foster awareness and normalization of caregiving challenges. In addition to providing funding and other tangible resources, interventions should strive to reinforce a broader culture that affirms the presence of work-life integration challenges and openly embraces solutions.
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Journal of women's health · Dec 2020
Examining Rates of Postpartum Depression in Active Duty U.S. Military Servicewomen.
Background: Postpartum depression (PPD) is understudied in military populations. The present descriptive transversal study evaluated the incidence of PPD diagnoses in U. S. military electronic health records, based on International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) and ICD-10 codes, among active duty military servicewomen between 2001 and 2018. Methods: Data on 3,724 active duty military servicewomen who served between 2001 and 2018 were drawn from the Defense Medical Epidemiological Database and stratified by race, age, marital status, service branch, and military pay grade. ⋯ Servicewomen most often diagnosed with PPD were white (60%), married (74%), in the enlisted pay grades of E-1 to E-4 (60%), in the Army (43%), and were between 20 and 24 years old (46%). Statistically significant differences (p < 0.001) were found between observed and expected counts across all five demographic variables. Conclusions: This is the first population-based study to assess the incidence rates of PPD among all active duty military servicewomen. Findings that some groups were over- and underdiagnosed within each demographic category, and that PPD incidence rates have increased between 2001 and 2018, underscore the importance of further research to inform policies and interventions supporting this vulnerable population.