Journal of women's health
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Journal of women's health · Mar 2020
Miscarriage Occurrence and Prevention Efforts by Disability Status and Type in the United States.
Background: Very little is known about early pregnancy loss in women with disabilities. To address this gap, we analyzed nationally representative data on miscarriage and receipt of care focused on miscarriage prevention among women with and without disabilities. Materials and Methods: We used 2011-2015 National Survey of Family Growth data on women with at least one completed pregnancy within the past 5 years. Bivariate and multivariate analyses assessed the association of six disability categories (any, hearing, vision, cognitive, physical, independent living) with miscarriage occurrence and receipt of services intended to prevent miscarriage. Results: Our analytic sample included 3,843 women with 5,776 completed pregnancies within the past 5 years. ⋯ S. women, we found significant differences in the odds of miscarriage and in receipt of care to prevent miscarriage between women with and without disabilities. Further research is needed to understand why women with disabilities are more likely to experience a miscarriage. Such research is important for informing care recommendations.
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Journal of women's health · Mar 2020
National Patterns of Emergency Department Use for Women with Endometriosis, 2006-2015.
Introduction: Endometriosis is a burdensome chronic condition for which conservative management is often recommended when indicated. Nonetheless, some women seek care for endometriosis in the emergency department (ED). We evaluated trends in ED visits for endometriosis from 2006 to 2015. Materials and Methods: Nationally representative estimates of ED visits for endometriosis by women aged 18-49 were extracted from the Health Care Utilization Project Nationwide Emergency Department Sample into three cohorts by calendar years 2006-2007, 2010-2011, and 2014-Q3 2015. ⋯ From 2006-2007 to 2014-2015, the composition of ED visits shifted away from private pay (42.0% vs. 35.3%) and uninsured (23.6% vs. 16.6%) to Medicaid (26.7% vs. 40.1%) and became more concentrated in metro-teaching hospitals (33.9% vs. 51.9%) (p < 0.001 for all). Inpatient admission rates declined from 20.1% to 9.2% (p < 0.001). Mean ED charges increased from $2458 to $4953 (p < 0.001). Conclusion: During 2006-2015, the number of ED visits for endometriosis remained stable, the inpatient admission/transfer rate declined by half, and mean charges per visit doubled.
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Journal of women's health · Mar 2020
Cardiovascular Disease in Women Across the Lifespan: The Importance of Sleep.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and sleep disturbances are both common and associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Compared with men, women are more likely to report insufficient sleep. ⋯ The proposed pathways linking sleep disturbances and adverse cardiovascular outcomes in women are numerous and the complex interaction between them is not well understood. Future research focused on understanding the scope of sleep disorders in women, defining the underlying mechanisms, and testing interventions to improve sleep are critical for improving the cardiovascular health of all women.
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Journal of women's health · Mar 2020
Levels of Maternal Care in the United States: An Assessment of Publicly Available State Guidelines.
Background: Recent increases in maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity highlight the need to improve systems for safe maternity care. We sought to identify whether publicly available state perinatal guidelines incorporate levels of maternal care (LoMC) criteria. Materials and Methods: We searched websites for 50 U. S. states and Washington, D. ⋯ All 17 state guidelines specified maternal transport and referral systems. Conclusions: Only one-third of states have publicly available perinatal guidelines incorporating LoMC criteria. Definitions, criteria, and nomenclature varied. Lack of LoMC guidelines with standardized criteria limits monitoring and evaluation of regionalized systems of maternal care.
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Journal of women's health · Mar 2020
Sleep Changes Across the Female Hormonal Cycle Affecting Memory: Implications for Resilient Adaptation to Traumatic Experiences.
We review findings and propose a model explaining why women's adaptation to traumatic stress might be different than men's, including the role of cycling hormones and sleep differences in the development of post-traumatic stress and other stress-related disorders. Women are diagnosed with stress-related mental health disorders at a higher frequency than men. Most mental health disorders involve sleep disturbances, which may contribute to these disorders. ⋯ The effect of hormonal cycles on these and other critical sleep features is only beginning to be understood. We explore what sleep factors could confer resilience to mental health disorders and how they might be altered by hormonal cycles in women. We target a specific system at the nexus of arousal control, stress response, and memory consolidation processes that has not been explored at all in women or across the hormonal cycle in animal studies: the locus coeruleus noradrenergic (LC-NE) system.