Women's health issues : official publication of the Jacobs Institute of Women's Health
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Womens Health Issues · Sep 2008
Self-assessed physical function levels of women with fibromyalgia: a national survey.
We sought to determine the self-reported physical function level of women with fibromyalgia (FM). ⋯ The average woman in this sample reported having less functional ability related to activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living than the average community-dwelling woman in her 80s. Several symptoms/conditions were found to be associated with functional limitation in women with FM. Targeting these-singly or in clusters-may potentially be important in terms of future interventions.
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Womens Health Issues · Sep 2008
Arranging appropriate activities immigrant women's ideas of enabling exercise.
Several studies have reported low levels of physical activity among immigrant women. However, few studies have attempted to explore possible causes underlying this phenomenon. This study intended to explore immigrant women's attitudes and experiences of physical activity and exercise. The ultimate goal was to find methods that can increase levels of physical activity among immigrant women. ⋯ If appropriate activities are arranged, levels of physical activity and exercise might increase among immigrant women. Future studies could explore specific activities that can facilitate immigrant women's opportunities to exercise.
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Womens Health Issues · Jul 2008
The impact of malpractice burden on Michigan obstetrician-gynecologists' career satisfaction.
Medical services for pregnancy and childbirth are inherently risky and unpredictable. In many states, obstetrician-gynecologists (OB-GYNS) who attend the majority of childbirths in the United States and provide the most clinically complex obstetric procedures are struggling with increasing malpractice insurance premiums and litigation risk. Despite its significant implications for patient care, the potential impact of malpractice burden on OB-GYN physicians' career satisfaction has not been rigorously tested in previous research. ⋯ The findings of this study suggest that high malpractice premiums negatively affect OB-GYN physicians' career satisfaction. The impact of the current medical liability climate on quality of care for pregnant women warrants further investigation.
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Womens Health Issues · May 2008
Age and gender differences in medicare expenditures and service utilization at the end of life for lung cancer decedents.
Gender and age differences in medical care are well documented. We examined age and gender differences in Medicare expenditures for lung cancer decedents in the last year of life (LYOL) through a cross-sectional study of Medicare administrative and claims data. ⋯ Our findings suggest that gender disparities in expenditures are generally small at the end of life for lung cancer decedents, particularly among the older cohorts. As expected, the bigger observed differences are by age although the direction of the association is not consistent across types of service. Higher expenditures for women on social-supportive services may reflect fewer informal supports for older women compared with men.
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Subgroup analyses by sex or gender can raise potential differences in response to medical interventions which require further investigation. However, sex/gender-based SGA have the potential to be misleading if their results are overinterpreted and may incorrectly influence medical management. ⋯ Performing sex/gender SGA is common in CVD RCTs. However, many SGAs are not properly conducted and their results should be viewed cautiously. Investigators should follow guidelines to ensure the proper conduct of SGA to prevent misleading conclusions from becoming adopted by clinicians.