Women's health issues : official publication of the Jacobs Institute of Women's Health
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Womens Health Issues · May 2012
Trends in rates and attributable costs of conditions among female VA patients, 2000 and 2008.
We examined rates of specific health conditions among female veteran patients and how the share of health care costs attributable to these conditions changed in the Veterans Affairs system between 2000 and 2008. ⋯ Gender-specific, cancer, musculoskeletal, and mental health and substance use disorders accounted for a greater share of overall costs during the study period and were primarily driven by higher rates of diagnosed conditions and, for several conditions, higher treatment costs.
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Womens Health Issues · Mar 2012
National trends in health insurance coverage of pregnant and reproductive-age women, 2000 to 2009.
Health insurance facilitates financial access to health services, including prenatal and preconception care. This study characterized changes in health insurance coverage among reproductive-age women in the United States from 2000 to 2009. ⋯ Reproductive-age women are increasingly at risk of being uninsured, which raises concerns about access to prenatal and preconception care. Among pregnant women, access to private health insurance has decreased, and state Medicaid programs have covered a growing percentage of women. Health reform will likely impact future trends.
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The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of smoking before, during, and after pregnancy among a representative sample of Massachusetts women with and without disabilities. ⋯ Women with disabilities are more likely to smoke before, during, and after their pregnancy and less likely to quit smoking during pregnancy. Efforts to integrate and target pregnant women with disabilities in smoking-cessation programs are vital.
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Womens Health Issues · Mar 2012
Organizational factors associated with screening for military sexual trauma.
This exploratory study investigated organizational factors associated with receipt of military sexual trauma (MST) screening during an early timeframe of the Veterans Health Administration's (VHA) implementation of the universal MST screening policy. ⋯ This study showed that facility policies that promote universal MST screening, as well as audit and feedback practices at the facility, significantly improved the odds of patients receiving MST screening. Women veterans' utilization of a WHC was associated with higher odds of receiving MST screening. This study provides empirical support for the use of policies and audit and feedback practices which the VHA has used since the implementation of the MST screening directive to encourage compliance with VHA's MST screening policy and is likely associated with the present-day success in MST screening across all VHA facilities.
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Womens Health Issues · Jan 2012
Gender differences in military sexual trauma and mental health diagnoses among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder.
We examined correlates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), including military sexual trauma (MST), in Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. We also compared mental health comorbidities by gender among veterans with PTSD, with and without MST. ⋯ MST is associated with an increased prevalence of mental health disorders comorbid with PTSD. Better understanding comorbidity patterns will allow for targeted evaluation and treatment of returning veterans with MST.