Journal of women's health
-
Journal of women's health · Nov 2010
Navigating the challenges of global reproductive health research.
Reproductive health research in low-resource settings poses unique and complex challenges that must be addressed to ensure that global research is conducted with strict adherence to ethical principles, offers direct benefit to the research subjects, and has the potential for adoption of positive findings to the target population. This article addresses challenges to conducting reproductive health research in low-resource settings in the following areas: (1) establishment and maintenance of global collaboration, (2) community partnerships, (3) ethical issues, including informed consent and the role of incentives, (4) staff training and development, (5) data collection and management, and (6) infrastructure and logistics. Particular attention to these challenges is important to ensure that research is culturally appropriate and methodologically sound and enhances the adoption of health-promoting behaviors. Rigorous evaluation of interventions in low-resource settings may be a cost-effective and time-efficient way to identify interventions for large-scale program replication to improve women's health.
-
Journal of women's health · Nov 2010
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyThe effects of a cardiac rehabilitation program tailored for women on global quality of life: a randomized clinical trial.
Women with heart disease have adverse psychosocial profiles and poor attendance in cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs. Few studies examine CR programs tailored for women for improving their quality of life (QOL). ⋯ The CR program tailored for women significantly improved global QOL compared with traditional CR. Future studies should explore the mechanisms by which such programs affect QOL.
-
Journal of women's health · Oct 2010
Differences in editorial board reviewer behavior based on gender.
Reports indicate that there are gender-based differences in aspects of the peer-review process. ⋯ There are differences based on gender of editorial board members' recommendations about manuscript triage, turnaround time, and editors' grades assigned. Overall, however, these differences do not affect editors' ultimate decisions about manuscript publication.
-
Journal of women's health · Oct 2010
Predicting obstructive sleep apnea among women candidates for bariatric surgery.
More women than men pursue bariatric surgery for treatment of obesity. Untreated obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in bariatric patients increases perioperative morbidity and mortality, and, therefore, most bariatric surgeons screen for OSA with polysomnography (PSG). We sought to develop a model for predicting OSA in women seeking bariatric surgery in order to use this diagnostic resource most efficiently. ⋯ OSA is highly prevalent in symptomatic and asymptomatic women planning bariatric surgery for obesity. Best prediction models based on clinical characteristics did not predict disease severity under conditions superior to those in which they might be applied. In light of the perioperative risks associated with OSA in bariatric patients, all women considering bariatric surgery for obesity should be evaluated for OSA with PSG.
-
Journal of women's health · Oct 2010
Family violence exposure and health outcomes among older African American women: do spirituality and social support play protective roles?
Family violence (FV), spirituality, and social support are salient psychosocial determinants of health. FV is associated with poor health among older African American women. The effect of spirituality and social support levels on the health of older African American women is unknown. ⋯ Spirituality and social support are two potentially modifiable determinants of health for older African American women. Culturally appropriate mechanisms to enhance social support and spirituality levels need to be explored as potential inteventions to improve the health of those African American women who have been exposed to FV.