Women's midlife health最新文献

Background: Midlife is a time of increased responsibilities for women who have multiple roles including taking care of children, caring for elderly parents, managing households, and working outside the home. With little time for themselves, women additionally experience stressful life events (SLEs). The purpose of this study was to describe the longitudinal patterns of SLEs of women during midlife and to identify predictors of the SLE longitudinal patterns using baseline data of socio-economic factors and demographic characteristics.

Methods: Women who were part of the Seattle Midlife Women's Health Study (SMWHS), a longitudinal study spanning more than 23 years, who had SLEs measured at baseline and at years 2, 7, and 10 were included in these analyses (N = 380 women at baseline). The Life Event Scale (LES), a 70-item scale based on a yes/no response and a Likert-based scoring system with 0 (no effect) to 4 (large effect), was used to determine the total and impact scores of midlife women. The LES was adapted to midlife women from the Norbeck Scale for younger, pregnant women. Analytic strategies consisted of a group-based trajectory model (GBTM) to examine subgroups of women with similar exposure to SLEs using socio-economic factors (gross family income, education, race/ethnicity, employment), demographic variables (age, marital status, being a parent), and menopausal transition stage to differentiate trajectories over time.

Results: Approximately 86% of women had medium high exposure to undesirable SLEs with a slight decrease (65.5%), or a sharp decrease (20.1%), over 10 years. The majority (approximately 64%) had moderate, sustained impact ratings, while approximately 35% had impact ratings that decreased over time. Most women (approximately 88%) reported desirable life events, which were sustained over the ten years, and which may help to balance or offset the high ratings of undesirable stressful life events. The rated impact of these desirable events decreased slightly over time for 65% of the sample. Socio-economic factors, demographic variables, and menopausal transition stages were not significant predictors of any of the four GBTMs.

Conclusion: Midlife women experience SLEs throughout the menopausal transition. Most of these midlife women had had a large amount of sustained stress over 10 years although all trajectories decreased to some extent over time. Since the menopausal transition stages were not significant predictors of the ratings of SLEs, a more complex set of factors, including social as well as biological, may explain the ratings of the women over the course of this ten-year observational study.

Background: Menopause is a natural period in women's life and can be affected by several factors. The aim of this study was to identify the associated factors for age of natural menopause and among women with early and premature menopause based on a cohort study in Iran.

Methods: This population-based study was conducted on 894 post menopause women between 35 and 70 years old who participated in the Bandare-Kong Non-Communicable Diseases (BKNCD) Cohort Study, a part of Prospective Epidemiological Research Studies in Iran (PERSIAN) from March 2016 to February 2019. All women completed a standard self-reported questionnaire. Data were analyzed using chi-square test, independent t test, and ANOVA as well as a multivariable linear regression model.

Results: The mean age at natural menopause was 48.31 ± 6.34 years. After adjusting other variables, gravida, history of cardiac disease, socioeconomic status and residence status were predictive of age at menopause (P < 0.001). Among the premature menopause group, the mean age at menopause was significantly higher among women with diabetes compared to women without diabetes group (35.68 ± 2.92 vs. 33.82 ± 3.06; P = 0.043), while the mean age at menopause was significantly lower in women with infertility compared to women without infertility (29.13 ± 5.22 vs. 34.84 ± 2.826; P = 0.048).

Conclusions: This study suggests that the predictors of menopausal age differed in women with premature menopause compared to overall menopause age. Prospective studies are needed to evaluation the effects of these factors on menopausal age.

Background: Loss in ovarian function during mid-life results in adverse changes in the cardiovascular profile of women. The association between CVD risk factors and menopause differ cross-culturally since several modifiable factors play significant roles in explaining CVD mortality in addition to differences in endogenous estrogen. Very few of the studies from the Indian subcontinent have been concerned with the menopause-specific CVD risk factors, particularly among the tribal groups. Thus, we intended to study the variations in body fat pattern and CVD risk factors between Hindu caste and Lodha tribal postmenopausal women and how these risk factors were associated with differential socio-economic, reproductive and menstrual characteristics and lifestyle variables. The Lodha tribal populations is considered a Particularly Vulnerable Group (PVTG) in this country.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among the Bengali Hindu caste and Lodha tribal populations of the State of West Bengal, India covering three districts namely Howrah, Jhargram and East Midnapure. A total of 197 postmenopausal participants were recruited for this study (urban caste 69, rural caste 65 and rural Lodha 63). Data on blood glucose and total cholesterol levels, blood pressure, muscle mass, body fat distribution and sociodemographic, reproductive and menstrual history and lifestyle variables were collected following standard protocols. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was applied to compare blood glucose, total cholesterol and blood pressure levels and body fat measures across the three populations. Stepwise multiple linear regression analysis was performed to find out the factors associated with CVD risk factors. The data were analyzed with the Statistical Package for Social Science version 20.0(IBM corporation, 2011).

Results: This cross-sectional comparison of women at midlife, though exploratory in nature showed significant differences in body fat pattern and CVD risk factors between caste and tribal groups owing to socioeconomic disparities and, differences in reproductive characteristics and lifestyle factors.

Conclusion: The caste and tribal populations differed significantly in body fat pattern and CVD risk factors and in the factors associated with CVD risk suggesting interplay between menopause and modifiable factors in explaining CVD risk factors during mid-life.

Background: The number of never-married women is increasing worldwide. According to a recent census (2016) this trend is also apparent in Iran. The aim of the present study was to investigate how never-married Iranian women cope with their single status.

Methods: The present study was qualitative in nature. Purposeful sampling with maximum variation was used to select 18 never-married women aged over 35. Data were analyzed on the basis of conventional content analysis and inductive reasoning.

Results: One hundred fifty-four codes, nine subcategories, three categories, and one theme were extracted. The three categories were: (1) responding to sexual needs (sub-categories: having sex; masturbation; sexual abstinence); (2) responding to emotional needs (sub-categories: getting used to being alone; living with family; closer relationship with good friends); (3) lifestyle changes (subcategories: accepting God's destiny; striving for beauty and health; becoming absorbed in work and education).

Conclusions: Results showed that never-married women aged over 35 tried to adapt to sexual and emotional needs and lifestyle changes as proxies of singleness in various ways. It appears that these women adopted several strategies to cope with the lack of a spouse, children, or family life, these normally being developmental tasks characteristic of early adulthood.

In July 2022, the United States Supreme Court issued a decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization that overturned Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that legalized access to abortion in the United States. The overturning of Roe v. Wade means women's ability to choose to have an abortion or continue a pregnancy is no longer protected by the constitution of the Unites States (Rohan, Editorial: Overturning Roe v. Wade: What are the implications for perinatal nurses?, 2021). Consequently, each state can now independently decide the legality of abortion. The purpose of this commentary is to discuss potential consequences of the overturning of Roe v. Wade for women's health, particularly midlife women's health, in the United States. The consequences discussed include unintended pregnancy, access to the full array of reproductive health services including abortion, impact on the reproductive health of poor women and women of color, and the impact on midlife women in their caregiving roles.

Background: Hysterectomy, particularly when conducted in women younger than 45 years, has been associated with increased risk of non-communicable diseases. In India, research indicates that hysterectomy is a common procedure for women, but there have been no studies on its long-term effects. We examined patterns of hysterectomy amongst women in India and associations with their health and well-being in later life.

Methods: This analysis utilised the first wave of the Longitudinal Study on Aging in India, a nationally representative study of adults that included a module on health and well-being. We analysed data on 35,083 women ≥45 years in India. We estimated prevalence of hysterectomy and performed multivariable logistic regression to identify associated risk factors and to examine the association between hysterectomy status and eight self-reported chronic conditions, hospitalisation and mobility.

Results: The prevalence of hysterectomy among women >=45 years was 11.4 (95% CI: 10.3, 12.6), with higher odds among urban women (aOR: 1.39; 1.17,1.64) and higher economic status (highest compared to lowest quintile: aOR: 1.95; 1.44, 2.63). Hysterectomy history was associated with four chronic conditions: hypertension (aOR: 1.51; 95% CI: 1.28, 1.79), high cholesterol (aOR: 1.43; 1.04, 1.97), diabetes (aOR: 1.69; 1.28, 2.24), and bone/joint disease (aOR: 1.54; 1.20, 1.97) and higher odds of any hospitalisation in the past year (aOR: 1.69; 1.36, 2.09).

Conclusions: In India, evidence suggests that hysterectomy is associated with major chronic conditions. The assessment for hysterectomy as a treatment option for gynaecological morbidity should consider potential health consequences in later life.

High recidivism rates indicate that current forms of imprisonment may be an ineffective response to problems that mainly burden those ensconced in poverty and marginalization. Homelessness, unemployment, racial disparities, drug use, and mental illness, disappear from public view when the afflicted individuals are relegated to a life behind bars. Women are the fastest growing prison population and most incarcerated women are from Black and Latinx groups. Structural racism encompasses the many ways in which society fosters racial discrimination through mutually reinforcing unfair systems of housing, education, employment, earnings, benefits, credit, media, health care, and criminal justice. In turn, this behavior reinforces discriminatory beliefs, values, and distribution of resources. Structural racism pervades every aspect of society, including the carceral system, from policing to prosecutorial decisions, pretrial release processes, sentencing, correctional discipline, and even reentry. Women constitute a minority within the carceral system, and as a result, their unique health care needs, especially during the midlife period, are inadequately addressed and often overlooked. There is also a general lack of gender sensitivity and special considerations in existing jail and prison policies and practices. This commentary highlights the impact of structural racism on the arrests and incarceration of women, and discusses their special health and wellness needs, with emphasis on midlife women. It also illuminates the need to address structural racism and its ripple effects within the carceral system.