Journal of women's health
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Journal of women's health · Apr 2014
Community-based cardiovascular disease prevention to reduce cardiometabolic risk in Latina women: a pilot program.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in women, yet significant health disparities exist for high-risk groups, including Latinas, and comprehensive, culturally relevant, and effective prevention intervention models are lacking. We used a systems approach to develop, assess, and pilot a community-based education program for improving outcomes for knowledge/awareness of CVD, cardiometabolic risk, and health behaviors in Latinas. ⋯ A bilingual culturally appropriate community-based CVD-prevention program based on health education, medical screenings, and empowerment is a successful, effective, adaptable, and replicable model to significantly improve cardiometabolic risk in Latinas.
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Journal of women's health · Apr 2014
Socioeconomic disparities in breast cancer treatment among older women.
Racial disparities in breast cancer treatment among Medicare beneficiaries have been documented. This study aimed to determine whether racial disparities exist among white and black female Medicare beneficiaries in Alabama, an economically disadvantaged U.S. state. ⋯ No racial differences were found in guideline-specific breast cancer treatment or treatment completion, but there were differences by SES. Future studies should explore reasons for SES differences and whether similar results hold in other economically disadvantaged U.S. states.
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Journal of women's health · Apr 2014
The WISEWOMAN program: smoking prevalence and key approaches to smoking cessation among participants, July 2008-June 2013.
Tobacco use is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and is the leading preventable cause of death, disease, and disability in the United States. The CDC's Well-Integrated Screening and Evaluation for Women Across the Nation (WISEWOMAN) program addresses the heart health of low-income under- or uninsured women between the ages of 40 and 64 years. This article discusses WISEWOMAN's key approaches to smoking cessation and their impact on WISEWOMAN participants' cardiovascular health. ⋯ The WISEWOMAN program has observed a smoking-cessation rate of 15% over the 5-year program period. WISEWOMAN's key approaches include continuous technical assistance that highlights quitline referrals, motivational interviewing done by program staff, and professional-development strategies for WISEWOMAN healthcare providers. WISEWOMAN will continue its programmatic emphasis on smoking cessation by partnering with state tobacco-cessation programs to work toward a lower smoking-prevalence rate among program participants.
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Journal of women's health · Mar 2014
Change in body mass index, weight, and hot flashes: a longitudinal analysis from the midlife women's health study.
The goals of this study were to examine the associations between body mass index (BMI), as well as BMI change and weight change, with midlife hot flashes. ⋯ BMI, BMI change, and weight change during midlife were not related to hot flashes in this study. The data suggest that other factors, such as smoking habits, are more important in determining hot flashes risk during midlife.
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Journal of women's health · Mar 2014
Sex differences in the treatment and outcome of patients with acute coronary syndrome after percutaneous coronary intervention: a population-based study.
This study was performed to assess the influence of sex on drug therapy and long-term outcomes in acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). ⋯ Female patients with ACS who underwent PCI were less likely to receive aspirin and clopidogrel but were more likely to receive beta-blockers and statins than male patients. Male sex was associated with a higher risk of rehospitalization for revascularization than female sex.