Journal of women's health
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Journal of women's health · Sep 2023
Psychometric Analysis of the Modified Differential Emotions Scale and the Six-Item Life Orientation Test-Revised in a Cohort of Older Women from the Women's Health Initiative.
Background: Positive affect and emotional resources, such as optimism, may play a major role in women's health and promote healthy well-being later in life. However, positive affect and optimism measures have not been psychometrically assessed in older women, despite relations to health. Therefore, the objective of this study was to psychometrically assess measures of positive affect and optimism and test their association with other measures of well-being. ⋯ Exploratory factor analyses suggest a two-factor solution for the LOT-R. Significant, but small correlations in expected directions to well-being measures confirmed validity hypotheses. Conclusions: The mDES and LOT-R measured positive affect and optimism with good reliability, item performance, and validity in a large sample of older postmenopausal women, supporting use of these measures to quantify effects of positive affect and optimism-promoting interventions.
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Journal of women's health · Sep 2023
Social Risk and Smoking Among Women Smokers Early in the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Mental Health.
Background: We examined patterns of smoking in relation to health-related socioeconomic vulnerability (HRSV) among U. S. women early in the pandemic and whether mental health symptoms mediated these relationships. Materials and Methods: Data were obtained from the April 2020 National U. ⋯ Traumatic stress was not a significant mediator of any tested relationship. Conclusions: Anxiety and depression symptoms partially explain the relationship between rising socioeconomic vulnerability and increased smoking among women early in the pandemic. Addressing HRSVs and mental health may help reduce increased smoking during a public health crisis.
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Journal of women's health · Sep 2023
Analysis of Race and Ethnicity Among United States Medical Board Leadership.
Background: The inequitable representation of women and members of racial and ethnic minority groups in leadership positions within academic medicine is an ongoing challenge with practical and realistic solutions. The purpose of this study was to assess the race and ethnicity of individuals in leadership positions among the 24 Member Boards of Directors (Boards) of the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of the race and ethnicity patterns for individuals holding leadership positions among the 24 Boards of the ABMS as of March 1, 2022. ⋯ Conclusion: Disparities exist for members of racial and ethnic minority groups, particularly women from these groups. As a leader in academic medicine, the ABMS should ensure its Boards are diverse with respect to gender, race, and ethnicity. Diverse groups often contribute unique insights that support medical education, advance science, and improve clinical care.