Oxidative stress levels are reduced in postmenopausal women with exercise training regardless of hormone replacement therapy status

This study investigated whether postmenopausal women on HRT would experience a greater reduction in oxidative stress after 24 weeks of aerobic exercise training compared to postmenopausal women not on HRT. Plasma thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), an indicator of oxidative stress, was measured in 48 previously sedentary postmenopausal women on HRT (n = 21) and not on HRT (n = 27) before and after 24 weeks of aerobic exercise training. Baseline levels of TBARS differed significantly between groups after controlling for age, BMI, and fasting blood glucose (P = 0.03). There was a significant reduction in TBARS after 24 weeks of training in the overall group. When analyzed separately, both postmenopausal women on HRT and those not on HRT had a significant reduction in TBARS; however, there was no significant difference between groups (-0.71 +/- 0.14 nmol/ml in non-HRT users vs. -0.50 +/- 0.16 nmol/ml in HRT users; P = 0.33) even after controlling for age, BMI, and baseline levels of TBARS. Our results showed that aerobic exercise training significantly decreased oxidative stress in postmenopausal women; however, both HRT users and non-HRT users benefited equally.     

Socioeconomic Factors in Menopausal Women's Use of Hormone Replacement Therapy

This study examines if education, income, and medical insurance coverage are primary factors in determining whether menopausal women use hormone replacement therapy (HRT). To accomplish this purpose, the author conducted a survey of 62 women between 30 and 60 years of age. These women completed a self-administered questionnaire that provided both quantitative and qualitative information. The results suggest that these socioeconomic factors increase the likelihood that menopausal women will receive treatment with HRT. Implications for clinical practice are discussed.     

Healthy postmenopausal women- physical activity and forearm bone mineral density: the Nord-Trøndelag health survey

The aim of this study was to analyze the association between Physical Activity (PA) and forearm bone mineral density (BMD) in healthy postmenopausal women. During 1984-1986, a population-based health survey (HUNT-1) was conducted in Nord-Tr?ndelag county, Norway. The second follow-up survey (HUNT-2) was conducted during 1995-1997. The subjects consist of all healthy postmenopausal women (N = 2,924). Higher intensity of recreational PA in HUNT-1 was associated with higher BMD ultradistally (slope = +0.0084, p = 0.0009). The summary score of duration, frequency and intensity of recreational PA in HUNT-1 was associated with lower risk of being below the 20th percentile ultradistally (OR = 0.90, p = 0.01, after adjustment for covariates). The trends for mean distal and ultradistal BMD and percent low BMD lacked statistical significance when we used the PA score that combined the recreational and occupational PA in HUNT-1 and HUNT-2. CONCLUSION: Higher intensity of prior recreational PA (HUNT-1) was associated with a protective effect on BMD measured in the forearm (HUNT- 2).     

Measuring Information Behavior: A Time Budget Survey in Japan

This paper discusses the results of a time budget survey which was conducted nationwide in Japan in 1995 on ‘information behavior’, that is, the amount of time people spent communicating and using information media ranging from conversations to computers. We propose a three-dimensional time budget survey as a method for measuring information behavior in actual life. The method classifies information behavior into 24 categories and measures them with respect to three factors, i.e. time, location and purpose of behavior. Our survey revealed that the total time spent on information behavior was about seven hours per day, of which about 45% was spent watching TV. The displacement effect of PC use on TV watching was estimated by a “time-shift matching” design. The results demonstrated that use of a PC does not significantly affect TV viewing, despite a large difference in TV viewing time between PC users and non-users.     

Educational efforts in the implementation of rural family planning programs in East Pakistan

The pilot family planning studies reported in this paper were conducted in a rural area adjacent to the city of Dacca in East Pakistan. It reports the preliminary findings of action-research in the implementation of educational efforts to reach rural villagers of a developing country.Preliminary analyses of the records identify two significant educational problems: (1) most of the villagers (85-90 percent of the couples) who initially accepted contraceptives do not truly adopt and become continuing users and (2) the continuing users (10-15 percent of the initial users) are generally characterized by large families. (Later data show an even lower percentage of continuing users.)The field activities in the development of various educational approaches to family planning are described. Three separate geographic areas (from 15,000 to 20,000 population) were each approached in a different way, varying in the number and educational qualifications of the workers and in the degree of involvement of village leadership. Preliminary analyses of field records indicate that these variations of approach apparently have little effect on the percentage of the population willing to accept contraceptive supplies.It is the opinion of the writers that more intensive educational efforts are necessary at the village level to develop social support for continuing use of contraception and to gain adoption of contraception by younger married couples primarily for spacing of births.The impact of introduction of the IUCD in populations where condoms and foam tablets have been available for one to two years has also been reported. Preliminary findings indicate that the IUCD encourages adoption by previous non-users and may increase the over-all percentage of contraceptive users.     

Hormonal Contraceptive Use and Discontinuation Because of Dissatisfaction: Differences by Race and Education

The unintended pregnancy rate in the United States remains high, and there are large race and education differences in unintended pregnancy and fertility. These differences make it important to study race and education differences in contraceptive behavior. Using nationally representative data from the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth, this study examines the effects of race and education on the likelihood that women have ever used particular types of hormonal contraception and have ever discontinued hormonal contraception because of dissatisfaction. The results show that blacks and Latinas were more likely to have used injectable contraceptives (??the shot??) and less likely to have used oral contraceptives (??the pill??) than were white women. Women with less education were more likely than college-educated women to have used the shot but there were no significant education differences in use of the pill. Among women who had ever used hormonal birth control, those with less than a college degree were more likely than college-educated women to discontinue the birth control because of dissatisfaction. However, net of education, this study found no significant racial/ethnic differences in discontinuation. The most commonly stated reason for discontinuation because of dissatisfaction was side effects.     

Enhancing Women's Partnership with Health Providers in Hormone Replacement Therapy Decision-Making:

In the next two decades nearly 40 million women will reach menopause. The women now approaching menopause are different in a variety of ways from previous cohorts of women. More women are surviving to this age with better health and functioning. They are better educated and the first cohort of women to have been employed outside the home throughout most their adult years. This cohort of women expect more from the health care system. They want far more information, involvement, control and choice regarding their care. The pressures of this most educated, consumer-oriented cohort will soon be felt in the services women seek related to menopause. This cohort of women is reaching menopause at a time where there are still no definitive answers about the long-term safety and efficacy of hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The task is not to convince women to use HRT, but to help women make informed choices in the face of uncertainty. The purpose of this paper is to explore some of the unique problems associated with delivering services to this growing population and to consider the research and practice changes which may be required to meet this challenge.     

Using New Technologies for Time Diary Data Collection: Instrument Design and Data Quality Findings from a Mixed-Mode Pilot Survey

The goal of this study is to examine the association between location-sharing in location based social networking (LBSN) services and social capital, such as trust, reciprocity, and network resources. A cross-sectional survey (n = 491) was conducted by adopting a simple random sampling method in 2014. The findings showed that intensity of LBSN services is positively associated with all social capital aspects. In general, compared to a group of non-users of LBSN services, those groups of users with low and high intensity of LBSN services were higher in trust, reciprocity, and network resources. Therefore, this study proposes theoretical and practical implications of location-sharing to scholars in social sciences demonstrating how use of LBSN services influences accumulation of social capital.     

Risk factors associated with osteoporosis in Hispanic women

This study examined risk factors for osteoporosis in Hispanic women. Factors examined included ethnicity, gender, age, height, weight, family and personal history of fractures, height loss, exercise, diet, time since menopause or hysterectomy, hormone replacement therapy (HRT), calcium supplementation, hypertension, thyroid disease, diabetes, arthritis, chemotherapy, family history of breast cancer, use of water pills, fosamax, steroids, alcohol, and smoking. Most results found parallel those found in the Caucasian population. Heavier patients had greater bone density, as well as patients who exercised and those using HRT. Older patients had lower bone density as did diabetic patients. Results not anticipated were higher bone density in patients not taking calcium supplements, and in patients who consumed alcohol.     

Type of Health Facility and Utilization of Antenatal Care Services Among Ghanaian Women

This study examined if differences exist in the number and timing of antenatal care (ANC) visits for users of public and private health care facilities in Ghana. Also, the study explored if such variations could be attributed to health-provider factors or the selective socioeconomic characteristics of the users. Data were drawn from the recently collected Ghana Demographic and Health Survey and from a representative sample of t 2135 women who attended antenatal care in a health facility 6 months preceding the survey. Random-effects Poisson and logit models were employed for analysis. Results showed statistically significant differences between users of private and public health facilities for number of ANC visits, but not for the timing of such visits. Although some health-provider factors were significantly associated with ANC visits, these factors did not explain why users of private health facilities had significantly higher number of ANC visits than users of public health facilities. Differences in ANC visits for both private and public health facilities were rather explained by the selective socioeconomic characteristics of the users, especially as wealthy and educated women patronized private health care than poorer and uneducated women. The study concludes that Ghanaian women attending private health facilities may not have improved access to antenatal care compared to those attending public health facilities, and adds to the emerging body of literature that questions private health care in sub-Saharan Africa as more effective than public health care.     

A gender comparison of HIV and drug use across the rural-urban continuum

Despite the central role of women drug users in escalating AIDS statistics, there is still a limited number of studies that examine the roles of gender and drug use type in HIV seroprevalence. This lacuna in the research literature has led to significant gaps in researchers' understanding of how and to what extent women may differ in their drug-using and HIV risk behaviors compared to their better-studied male counterparts. This study, derived from a sample of 3,555 out-of-treatment drug users residing in three South Florida urban and rural communities, attempts to compare the drug usage and needle and sexual risk behaviors of male and female drug users that put them at risk for HIV infection. The overall seropositivity rate for women drug users was 26.5% compared to 19.5% for their male counterparts. Results of multivariate analyses indicate that females compared to males were 1.4 times more likely to be HIV seropositive. Risk behaviors associated with this elevated seropositivity include living arrangements, homeless status, drug use, sexual trading behaviors, and history of STDs. Furthermore, there was a strong linear relationship between drug use type and HIV seroprevalence among women drug users. Compared to those who were neither crack smokers nor injectors of illicit drugs, those who were crack smokers only were 2 times more likely to be HIV seropositive, while those who were both crack smokers and injectors were 5 times more likely to be HIV seropositive, and those who were injectors only were 6 times more likely to be HIV seropositive. These findings indicate that among women, drug abuse and its associated risk behaviors, increase the vulnerability of this population for HIV and thus render them an extremely important priority population on which to focus HIV prevention and public health efforts and programs.     

Gender comparisons of injection drug use practices in shooting galleries

Previous research studies and anecdotal evidence portray shooting galleries as locales that place injection drug users at great risk for HIV infection, drug use and violence. Collectively, these studies highlight the need to intervene with injectors who frequent shooting galleries. However, few researchers have studied an often-forgotten risk group – women injecting drug users who frequent shooting galleries – and compared their risk behaviors to their male counterparts. To address this gap in the research literature and to evaluate the functionality of the shooting gallery as a setting for HIV prevention, we collected data on risk practices from 201 injectors (101 men and 100 women) who were recruited from eight shooting galleries in Miami, Florida. Results indicate that, compared with men, women injectors engaged in a similar variety and frequency of injection risk behaviors and had more shooting companions. While only minor gender differences were apparent, relatively few injectors – male or female – adhered to current recommendations for needle hygiene practices. Needle hygiene practices existed equally among injectors of both sexes, however very few adhered to current recommendations. Furthermore, contrary to common images of shooting galleries, use of other drugs was infrequently reported, episodes of violence or victimization were uncommon, and sexual contact almost never occurred. Operators of shooting galleries, both men and women, indicated their willingness to participate in HIV prevention efforts. Implications of these findings for HIV intervention indicate that (1) there is a great need to intervene with both men and women IDUs who frequent shooting galleries and that (2) shooting galleries can be an optimal setting for HIV prevention.     

An update on the pill

The discussion traces the development of the oral contraceptive (OC) pill and presents the most recent medical findings on OC and its effects. In 1959 the 1st combined OC, Enovid, was officially approved for use in the US after clinical trials in Los Angeles and Puerto Rico. By 1975, OCs were being used in the US by more than 1/3 of married women who practiced family planning and by an even higher percentage of unmarried contraceptive users. Retail pharmacy sales of OCs have declined by 40% during the 1975-79 period. The major reason given for the decline was the side effects or fear of side effects arising from OC use. Many OCs are available today because of an increasing variety of chemical combinations and the rapid increase in product names, according to "Oral Contraceptives: A Guide for Programs and Clinics," a Pathfinder Fund handbook. The authors classified OCs into 2 general groups -- combined pills and the mini-pills. OCs used in the combined preparation each contain 2 synthetic hormones -- estrogen and progestin. The combined OC is 99% effective when taken properly. The most popular belief now is that OCs act by interfering with the normal menstrual cycle. The mini-pills, which contain small doses of synthetic progestins, have a contraceptive effect by altering the cervical mucus and by altering the lining of the womb or endometrium. Absolute, strong relative, and other relative contraindications to pill use are listed. Side effects that are possibly life threatening include blood clots in the legs, pelvis (lower abdomen), lungs, heart, or brain. Women OC users over 40 have a higher risk of heart attack than younger users, and users over 40 who smoke have the highest risk of heart attack. Benign tumors of the liver, which have been found to be more common in women who use OCs, may cause rupture of the capsule of the liver, extensive bleeding, and even death. Rare tumors of the liver, hepatocelluar adenomas, are more likely to occur in long term OC users, older women, and women using high dose pills. Side effects considered serious are gallbladder disease and hypertension. Fairly minor OC side effects are listed as are noncontraceptive benefits of OC use.     

Tonga: family planning survey

A survey was carried out in 1975 in Tonga to determine how many families are practicing family planning. Public health nurses visited every household except the Niuas and remote islands. 4253 women out of the total of 9307 married women aged 15-44 years were using a contraceptive (45.7%). The percentage of users ranged from 4.5% in Ha'afeva District to 63.6% in the district of Kolonga. 60% of the users practice effective methods such as the pill, Depo-Provera, IUD, or sterilization; 23% use the condom, and 17% rely on withdrawal, calendar ovulation, or rhythm.     

Strong,healthy, energized: Striving for a healthy weight in an older lesbian population

The Office on Women’s Health funded five pilot healthy weight intervention studies for lesbian and bisexual (LB) women, which included a program called Strong. Healthy. Energized (SHE). SHE was a 12-session program, targeted toward LB women age 60 and older, which focused on exercise, including a pedometer to track steps; nutrition; stress management; and group discussions. The program enrolled 39 participants. Waist circumference decreased by 3.7% across the group (p < .01). Participants with the lowest one-third baseline step count saw a marked step increase. This intervention was effective in improving health behaviors and short-term health outcomes for older LB women.     

A Demographic Profile of Obesity in the Adult and Veteran US Populations in 2008

Obesity is increasing in the US population and seems to be disproportionately burdening disadvantaged groups. Veterans using the Veterans Healthcare System (VHS) tend to be more disadvantaged socioeconomically than the general population and in poorer health. It is important to understand how the veteran population differs from or is similar to the general population and whether the VHS is able to mediate obesity risk among veterans. This research assesses the sociodemographic, behavioral, and health risk factors for obesity in the US adult and veteran populations in 2008. We use data from the 2008 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) to empirically assess predictors of obesity risk. We find that women have lower odds of obesity than men once controls for sociodemographic, behavioral, and health conditions are included in our models. We also observe a veteran obesity disadvantage in the full adult sample when conducting bivariate tests, but no significant association with the odds of obesity in the logistic regression models among veterans and non-veterans. Gender specific models indicate that male veterans have increased odds of obesity compared to non-veterans, but no difference in obesity risks among veterans and non-veterans are noted for women, controlling for all variables. Further, we find no significant differences in the odds of obesity of veterans using VHS for all, some, or none of their health care needs; further no significant gender differences in obesity risk were observed among VHS usages and non-users. Based on the strong, positive association between the number of chronic health conditions and the odds of obesity, we suggest that health policy should focus efforts on weight management counseling for obese patients that have obesity related co-morbidities, and more targeted attention to male veterans would help to address the high level of obesity in this vulnerable population group.     

Working it: the professionalization of amateurism in digital adult entertainment

This article examines a sector of professional amateur work for women in the digital industry for adult entertainment known as “adult webcam modeling” (AWM). Through a selection of narratives, this paper explores the gendered meanings of AWM and the values women derive from their “amateur” sexual content creation. I draw particular attention to the complex union of professional and amateur roles and relations in the strategies women adopt to succeed in these spaces. On one level, they describe the technical skills and institutionalized knowledge needed to successfully perform professionalized duties of hosting and animating site users’ sexual and emotional fantasies. Still, they do not solely view their work in professional terms, highlighting the usefulness of enacting their amateurism by performing authenticity and developing ongoing friendships with site users for succeeding in this line of work. Framing this work as reliant on both “professional” and “amateur” strategies builds ambiguity into the AWM persona, which has implications for social and historical constructions of sexuality and gender. It also demands rethinking conceptual frameworks that create dualities between professional/amateur, public/private, and commercial/authentic.     

A survey of China's birth control among women of child-bearing age

To further implement China's family planning policy of "prevention first, birth control first," a study of the current family planning situation was conducted. A survey of the birth control methods employed by women of childbearing age and by men was based on a nationwide randomized sampling of 1/1000. In the different age groups, ranging from 15-49 years old, IUD users accounted for over 50%, tubal sterilization 25%, and vasectomy 10%. The main IUD users were women in the 20-24 age group. Tubal sterilization was more prevalent among the women in the 35-39 age group. The use of oral contraceptives (OCs) was more common among younger women but accounted for less than 10% of the total. The survey was based on the replies to questionnaires from 172,788 married women of childbearing age; 120,022 of them practiced contraceptive methods for a birth control rate of 69.46%. The breakdown was as follows: IUD, 34.84%; tubal sterilization, 17.63%; vasectomy, 6.94%; OCs, 5.86%; condom users, 1.39%; and other methods (including chemical suppositories, rhythm, or safe period method and withdrawal before ejaculation), 2.78%. There was a higher percentage of OC users in urban areas, and a marked preference for IUDs in the rural communities. The rural birth control rate was 68.58%; the urban rate was 74.17%. The use of the IUD has priority in all the areas; its percentage approaches the national average level. The use of vasectomy as a birth control method varies considerably according to area as does the use of OCs, condom, and tubal sterilization. Rural minority groups prefer the IUD and OCs; tubal sterilization, the condom, and vasectomy are preferred by the Han nationality. The birth control rate differed according to the different occoupation groups: 77.85%, workers; 76.01%, farmers; 85.15%, cadres; 59.52%, housewives; and 66.67%, others. The birth control rate was higher among those who received a college education than the illiterates, but statistics did not show a significant difference in the rate of those with a high school education and the illiterates. Mothers of 0-1 children generally preferred OCs; tubal sterilization was preferred by mothers with 2-3 children. The nonusers of contraception accounted for 30.54% among married women of childbearing age. A breakdown gives the following figures: menopause and infertility, 6.17%; divorced and widowed, 1.64%; planned parenthood, 10.51%; nonusers who should have practiced contraception, 12.22%. On a national level, the estimated number of nonusers of contraception among those who should be practicing contraception comes to about 20,000,000 women.     

Experiences of Sleep and Benzodiazepine Use among Older Women

Sleep disturbances are common among older women; however, little is known about sleep experiences among chronic benzodiazepine users. The experience of sleep, sleep troubles, and management of sleep problems were explored through semistructured interviews with 12 women aged 65–92 who had used a benzodiazepine for three months or longer to treat a sleep disturbance. Themes that emerged from an interpretive phenomenological analysis included multiple reasons for sleep disruptions (health problems, mental disturbances, and sleeping arrangements), opposing effects of benzodiazepines on sleep (helps or does not work), and several supplemental sleep strategies (modification of the environment, distraction, and consumption).