Journal of women's health
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Journal of women's health · Oct 2019
Chronic Medical Illness as a Risk Factor for Poor Mammography Screening Adherence.
Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the association between the presence of chronic medical disease and mammography screening adherence. Materials and Methods: We performed a retrospective study on women between the ages of 50 and 64 who received screening mammography in 2005 and had at least 8 years of follow-up. Demographic and clinical information was obtained from our centralized patient data registry. Women diagnosed with one or more of the following diseases for at least 3 months before their index mammogram were considered to have a chronic disease, including atrial fibrillation, congestive heart failure, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), diabetes mellitus type II, heart disease, and/or peripheral vascular disease. ⋯ Within this group, the presence of congestive heart failure (-0.88; CI = -0.84 to -0.45; p ≤ 0.01), COPD (-0.39; CI = -0.57 to -0.21; p ≤ 0.01), or diabetes mellitus type II (-0.37; CI = -0.57 to -0.17; p ≤ 0.01) was individually associated with reduced screening compared with women without the respective disease. Compared with women without chronic medical disease, women with multiple chronic medical diseases (-0.62; CI = -0.93 to -0.30; p ≤ 0.01) were significantly (p ≤ 0.05) less likely to receive routine screening, while no significant difference was seen in women with only one chronic medical disease (-0.18; CI = -0.39 to -0.02; p ≤ 0.08). Conclusion: Despite experiencing longer life expectancies, women with specific chronic diseases may experience additional barriers to uptake of mammography screening, which is likely compounded by the comorbidity burden of being simultaneously treated for multiple chronic conditions. Increased health care interactions seen in this group may represent missed opportunities to improve screening adherence.
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Background: In the U. S. civilian population, sex differences have been identified in cardiovascular health; these differences have been used to inform care. Our objective is to determine if the same sex differences are present in Veterans who use the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System given the additional stressors associated with military service. Materials and Methods: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and conditions among women and men Veterans using VA in fiscal year (FY) 2014 were identified through the presence of International Classification of Disease, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes in VA administrative records. ⋯ Compared with men, women in this cohort were younger and more ethnically diverse. Overall, women were less likely to have traditional CVD risk factors, but more likely to have a nontraditional CVD risk factor (depression) compared with men. Women had higher odds of chest pain/angina (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.03, confidence interval [95% CI] 1.02-1.05), palpitations (AOR 2.04; 95% CI 1.98-2.10), and valvular disease (AOR 1.05; 95% CI 1.02-1.08), but lower odds of coronary artery disease (AOR 0.29; 95% CI 0.29-0.30), acute MI (AOR 0.46; 95% CI 0.43-0.49), and heart failure (AOR 0.55; 95% CI 0.53-0.56) compared with men, overall. Conclusions: In age-adjusted comparisons, sex differences in the prevalence of CVD risk factors and conditions among the VA Veteran patient population was similar in that seen in the civilian population with a few exceptions.
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Journal of women's health · Oct 2019
Gender Differences in Academic Productivity and Advancement Among Dental School Faculty.
Background: An equal number of women and men are now graduating from dental school, but women dentists have lower income and are less likely to achieve positions of leadership, including within dental academia. Materials and Methods: Demographic information and academic rank were obtained for all faculty at the eight dental schools who received the most funding from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research in 2017. Years since dental school graduation, total number of PubMed-indexed citations, first- and last-author publications, and H-index were determined for each faculty member. Gender differences in productivity and advancement were evaluated. Results: Of 702 faculty members, 36.5% were female; only 24.4% of full professors were women. ⋯ Women had graduated more recently than their male colleagues at all levels of academic advancement (overall 22.83 years [95% CI 21.29-24.39] vs. 30.19 years [95% CI 28.84-31.55], p < 0.0001). When corrected for academic productivity and years since graduation, the association between gender and academic rank was not significant. Conclusions: Women are underrepresented at each academic rank except instructor; however, women may advance more quickly than their male counterparts. Increasing scholarship and mentorship opportunities for female faculty members may help improve gender equity in dental academia.
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Journal of women's health · Oct 2019
Personalized Care in the Prevention of Treatment-Related Cardiac Dysfunction in Female Cancer Survivors.
Background: The American Cancer Society projects the number of U. S. cancer survivors to exceed 20 million individuals by 2026. ⋯ Multidisciplinary approaches in prevention are reviewed. Conclusions: Female cancer survivors with CTRCD represent an entirely new population at high risk of morbidity and mortality. Increased awareness of the short- and long-term effects of anti-cancer treatments is necessary for the community health care provider for early detection and CTRCD risk reduction.
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Journal of women's health · Oct 2019
"Age is Just a Number": How Celebrity-Driven Magazines Misrepresent Fertility at Advanced Reproductive Ages.
Background: Recognizing the pervasive impact of popular media on reproductive-aged women, we sought to characterize the depiction of age-related fertility decline in widely consumed media. Materials and Methods: We performed a quantitative and qualitative analysis of top read print magazines targeting reproductive-aged women. Primary outcome measures include celebrity age at time of pregnancy, content related to assisted reproductive technology (ART) and donor gametes, and mention of risks related to pregnancy at advanced maternal age (AMA). Results: Four hundred sixteen magazine issues published between January 2010 and January 2014 included 1,894 headlines, photos, or text passages related to fertility. Fertility was highlighted on one-third of all magazine covers. ⋯ All 416 magazines (100%) contained at least 1 reference to contraception; only 10 magazines (2.4%) mentioned any form of ART. Conclusions: Widely consumed popular media downplays the impact of age on fertility. Magazines promote contraception contrasted with easily reachable fertility goals at advanced reproductive ages, with rare or no mention of ART, donor gametes, or AMA-related health risks. Magazine content may be a contributing source to the public's misconceptions about age-related fertility decline.