Journal of women's health
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Journal of women's health · Jun 2016
The Clinical and Economic Benefits of Co-Testing Versus Primary HPV Testing for Cervical Cancer Screening: A Modeling Analysis.
Consensus United States cervical cancer screening guidelines recommend use of combination Pap plus human papillomavirus (HPV) testing for women aged 30 to 65 years. An HPV test was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2014 for primary cervical cancer screening in women age 25 years and older. Here, we present the results of clinical-economic comparisons of Pap plus HPV mRNA testing including genotyping for HPV 16/18 (co-testing) versus DNA-based primary HPV testing with HPV 16/18 genotyping and reflex cytology (HPV primary) for cervical cancer screening. ⋯ Model results demonstrate that co-testing has the potential to provide improved clinical and economic outcomes when compared with HPV primary. While actual cost and outcome data are evaluated, these findings are relevant to U.S. healthcare payers and women's health policy advocates seeking cost-effective cervical cancer screening technologies.
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Journal of women's health · Jun 2016
Observational StudyMarital Status and Frailty in Older People: Gender Differences in the Progetto Veneto Anziani Longitudinal Study.
Marital status has been associated with disability and mortality, but its potential role as a factor influencing frailty has yet to be thoroughly investigated. The analysis of gender-related differences in the relationship between marital status and frailty is another interesting matter that remains to be fully elucidated. The aim of our study was to examine the association between marital status and the incidence of frailty in a cohort of older men and women over a 4.4-year follow-up. ⋯ Marital status seems to significantly influence the onset of frailty, with some gender-specific differences. Unmarried men were at higher risk of frailty, while widowed women carried a lower risk of becoming frail than married women.
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Journal of women's health · Jun 2016
Medication Use by Race and Ethnicity in Women Transitioning Through the Menopause: A Study of Women's Health Across the Nation Drug Epidemiology Study.
Medication utilization and costs increased over the last decade, but the effects of race/ethnicity have never been well studied in longitudinal data. We analyzed reports of prescription medication use to (1) identify trajectories of use and (2) determine predictors associated with a large increase in use. Specifically, variations in medication use by race/ethnicity were examined. ⋯ Longitudinal medication use among women in Study of Women's Health Across the Nation (SWAN) differed by race/ethnicity with non-White women having a lower odds of heavy use.
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Journal of women's health · Jun 2016
Predictors of Delayed Healthcare Seeking Among American Muslim Women.
Delayed care seeking is associated with adverse health outcomes. For Muslim women, delayed care seeking might include religion-related motivations, such as a preference for female clinicians, concerns about preserving modesty, and fatalistic beliefs. Our study assesses associations between religion-related factors and delayed care seeking due to a perceived lack of female clinicians. ⋯ Many American Muslim women reported delays in care seeking due to a perceived lack of female clinicians. Women with higher levels of modesty and self-rated religiosity had higher odds of delaying care. Women who had lived in the United States for longer durations had lower odds of delaying care. Our research highlights the need for gender-concordant providers and culturally sensitive care for American Muslims.
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Journal of women's health · Jun 2016
Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System State-Added Questions: Leveraging an Existing Surveillance System to Improve Knowledge of Women's Reproductive Health.
As the prevalence of chronic conditions among women of reproductive age continues to rise, studies assessing the intersection of chronic disease and women's reproductive health status are increasingly needed. However, many data systems collect only limited information on women's reproductive health, thereby hampering the appraisal of risk and protective factors across the life span. One way to expand the study of women's health with minimal investment in time and resources is to integrate questions on reproductive health into existing surveillance systems. ⋯ Of 8691 women who completed the questions, 13.2% reported ever experiencing infertility and 59.8% of those at risk for unintended pregnancy reported using contraception at last intercourse. The information garnered from the state-added reproductive health questions can be augmented with the BRFSS core questions on health-related risk behaviors, chronic conditions, and use of preventive services. Expanding existing data collection systems with supplemental questions on women's reproductive health can provide important information on risk factors and outcomes that may not be available from other sources.