General Female Population Research Articles

Pregnancy is not a risk factor for idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss: A nationwide population-based study

Conclusion Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) in pregnancy is rare. It usually occurs in the third trimester. SSNHL in pregnancy does not increase risks during delivery or subsequent stroke.Objectives This study aimed to investigate the incidence and to determine the factors associated with SSNHL in pregnancy.Method Data were retrieved from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Database (NHIRD), covering the years 2000–2009. Patients admitted for SSNHL during pregnancy were enrolled. An age-matched controlled cohort was randomly selected from pregnant women without SSNHL in the NHIRD. The clinical characteristics of both cohorts were collected for further analyses.Results Thirty-three patients with SSNHL in pregnancy were enrolled. The estimated incidence of SSNHL in pregnancy in Taiwan was 2.71 per 100,000 pregnancies. The incidence of SSNHL in pregnancy was lower than that of the general female population. The incidence of SSNHL in the third trimester was higher compared to the other two. The incidence of SSNHL occurring in the 30–39 years old age group was higher than other groups. Women with better socioeconomic status had a higher incidence of SSNHL. There were no identified systemic diseases before SSNHL. Two patients had pre-eclampsia and one patient had premature delivery. Nevertheless, SSNHL in pregnancy did not increase the risk for stroke.

Human Papilloma Virus Identification in Breast Cancer Patients with Previous Cervical Neoplasia.

Women with human papilloma virus (HPV)-associated cervical neoplasia have a higher risk of developing breast cancer than the general female population. The purpose of this study was to (i) identify high-risk HPVs in cervical neoplasia and subsequent HPV positive breast cancers which developed in the same patients and (ii) determine if these HPVs were biologically active. A range of polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemical techniques were used to conduct a retrospective cohort study of cervical precancers and subsequent breast cancers in the same patients. The same high-risk HPV types were identified in both the cervical and breast specimens in 13 (46%) of 28 patients. HPV type 18 was the most prevalent. HPVs appeared to be biologically active as demonstrated by the expression of HPV E7 proteins and the presence of HPV-associated koilocytes. The average age of these patients diagnosed with breast cancer following prior cervical precancer was 51 years, as compared to 60 years for all women with breast cancer (p for difference = 0.001). These findings indicate that high-risk HPVs can be associated with cervical neoplasia and subsequent young age breast cancer. However, these associations are unusual and are a very small proportion of breast cancers. These outcomes confirm and extend the observations of two similar previous studies and offer one explanation for the increased prevalence of serious invasive breast cancer among young women.

Women with Turner syndrome are at high risk of lifestyle-related disease —From questionnaire surveys by the Foundation for Growth Science in Japan

In this study, the prevalence of obesity and complications of lifestyle-related diseases, such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia and liver dysfunction, as well as the relationship with karyotypes, were investigated in 492 patients with Turner syndrome (TS) aged 17 years or older. Data were obtained through questionnaire surveys administered by attending physicians throughout Japan. Collected data were compared with data from the National Health and Nutrition Survey. Patient ages ranged from 17.1 to 42.5 years (mean ± standard error, 26.6±0.2). The prevalence of lifestyle-related diseases at age 20 or over was 6.3% for diabetes, 8.7% for hypertension, 20.2% for dyslipidemia and 12.4% for liver dysfunction. These four diseases were clearly associated with severity of obesity. Obesity (BMI ≥25 kg/m(2)) was observed in 106 out of 426 patients with TS aged 15 to 39 years (24.7%) and the prevalence was significantly higher than that of the general female population (9.4%). The mean BMI in age subgroups without any complications ranged from 21.2 to 22.7, which although was within normal ranges was significantly higher than that in the general female population (20.3-21.3). In this study population, patients with TS had more complications related to lifestyle-related diseases that were highly related to obesity. Few associations between complications and karyotypes were found. In the follow-up of patients with TS, the presence of lifestyle-related disease should be considered in the evaluation and treatment of the disease.

Premenstrual syndrome knowledge and attitude among women attending family medicine clinics, King Khalid Military Hospital, Tabuk city

Background: Research on premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is generally lacking in the Gulf countries, a region with unique cultural features that might influence expectations and self-perception of the disease. Little, if any, is known about the knowledge and attitude among women in Tabuk toward PMS. The shortage of such data in the general female Saudi population, too, emphasizes this concept, and hence the need to research on it. Objective: To study knowledge and attitude of women attending Primary Health Care Centers, Ministry of Health toward PMS, as well as to identify factors affecting them. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted consists of Saudi female aged 13–50 years attending family medicine clinics, King Khalid military hospital, Tabuk (nine clinics), throughout the period of study (October–November, 2014). Simple random sampling technique was adopted to select nine women every day to fill in the study questionnaire. Thus, approximately 25 working days were required to complete the field work. An Arabic self-administered questionnaire was used. It consisted of four sections. The first section is on the sociodemographic and reproductive characteristic of the participants. The second section covered the medical and reproductive history. The third section addressed PMS diagnostic criteria, as developed by the University of California at San Diego and the National Institute of Mental Health. The fourth section of the questionnaire involved their knowledge about PMS. Results: The study included 225 females. Their age ranged between 13 and 45 years (mean 26.7 ± 7.2 years). Almost one-third of the participants (30.2%) reported family history of PMS. The prevalence rate of PMS among them was 56%. Only 8.9% of women recognized correctly that PMS is a gynecological disease while 30.2% recognized that it necessitates medical consultation. When women asked if they were PMS patients, what they will do, 21.3% of them answered that they will use medical treatment directly from pharmacy, 11.6% will consult physician, and 21.8% will use traditional therapy. Almost one-third of them (35.6%) responded that they will do nothing. Majority of participated women (89.3%) responded positively that they will benefit others in this regard. Conclusion: PMS is a common problem in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, affecting more than half of women. The number of women who will seek medical advice or treatment for PMS if they were PMS patients is not very promising since the disorders of the menstrual cycle and its associated complications are considered as normal phenomenon in Saudi society.

Conceptualizing a subtype of patients with chronic pain: The necessity of obtaining a history of sexual abuse.

Lifetime history of sexual abuse is estimated to range between 15% and 25% in the general female population. Cross-sectional studies have shown that sexual assault survivors frequently report chronic musculoskeletal pain and functional somatic syndromes. Treating chronic pain with opioids went from being largely discouraged to being included in standards of care and titrating doses until patients self-report adequate control has become common practice, with 8% to 30% of patients with chronic noncancer pain receiving opioids. In this clinical review, we will discuss the association between survivors of sexual assault and chronic pain/functional somatic syndromes. We will further review evidence-based treatment strategies for this "pain-prone phenotype."

Low prevalences of HIV infection and HSV genital shedding in the general adult female population in Senegal.

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is the main co-factor for heterosexual transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in sub-Saharan Africa, and could be involved in the dynamics of the HIV epidemic in Senegal. Genital shedding of HSV was evaluated in adult females who had visited the provincial healthcare centres in Diass, Louga, and Kebemer in Senegal. Study subjects were interviewed by a healthcare worker for sociodemographic characteristics and sexual behavior, and HIV serology was offered. In addition, cervical secretion lavage samples were evaluated for HSV DNA by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the melting curve analysis of which permitted distinction between HSV type 1 (HSV-1) and HSV type 2 (HSV-2). Among 302 women (mean age, 40 years) enrolled, none were infected by HIV. The mean age at first sexual intercourse was 20 years, and the mean number of sexual partners in the previous year was 1.3 (range, 1-7). Only 6 of 302 (1.9%) women had cervico-vaginal secretions positive for HSV DNA. No association between HSV DNA shedding and any sociodemographic or biological variables was found. Surprisingly, genital shedding of HSV-1 was found in two (0.7%) women, representing 33% of herpes-shedding women, and HSV-2 in four (1.5%) women. Taken together, our observations indicate a low prevalence of HSV DNA genital shedding in adult Senegalese women.

Poor dietary behaviors among hospital nurses in Seoul, South Korea

BackgroundNurses reportedly practice unhealthy behaviors due to unfavorable work schedules. Korean nurses are particularly vulnerable to dietary and health behaviors due to high patient-to-nurse ratios; however, there are few studies on Korean hospital nurses' health behaviors. PurposeTo investigate the dietary and health behaviors of Korean hospital nurses according to their work schedule type. MethodThis was a cross-sectional descriptive study using survey data from 340 hospital nurses. Nurses' dietary and health behaviors were evaluated across different work schedules and compared to the general Korean female population. ResultsNurses with rotating night shift schedules were more often underweight than nurses without night shifts and had more unhealthy dietary behaviors, such as skipping breakfast and eating late night snacks. Nonetheless, Korean nurses practiced healthy behaviors, such as engaging actively in physical activity. ConclusionsHospitals should create policies to provide healthy schedules for nurses to mitigate the negative effects of rotating and night shifts. However, these management-led measures will be effective only if individual nurses realize and take responsibility for their health behaviors and choices.

Factors associated with self-reported unprotected anal intercourse among men who have sex with men in Changsha city of Hunan province, China

Men who have sex with men (MSM) in China are highly susceptible to HIV infection and HIV prevalence among Chinese MSM is rapidly increasing in recent years. Unprotected anal intercourse (UAI) is a major contributing factor of HIV transmission. This study aims to identify factors associated with UAI among MSM in Changsha city, China. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 642 MSM in Changsha city from July 2009 to June 2011 via a venue-based sampling method. Data on socio-demographic characteristics, sexual behaviours and utilisation of HIV/AIDS services were collected to determine the associates of UAI in MSM. Among the 642 MSM, 184 (28.7%) reported having UAI with male partners at the last sexual episode. UAI was associated with the venues where MSM met other MSM, and having unprotected sex with female partners at last the sexual episode and in the past six months. In addition, UAI was significant associated with not being exposed to HIV interventions, including free condom, lubricant, HIV testing and counselling, and peer education. MSM who have UAI practice are more likely to have unprotected sex with female; hence, potentially bridging HIV to the general female population. Specific harm-reduction programmes are shown to have significant impacts in reducing UAI and should be scaled up among MSM in China.

Levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system and the risk of breast cancer: A nationwide cohort study

Background. Prolonged steroid hormone therapy increases the risk of breast cancer, especially the risk of lobular cancer, but the effect of the levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system (LNG-IUS) use is controversial. In this study we aimed to test the hypothesis that risk for lobular breast cancer is elevated among LNG-IUS users.Material and methods. We identified from the national Medical Reimbursement Registry of Finland the women aged 30–49 who had used LNG-IUS for the treatment or prevention of menorrhagia in 1994–2007, and from the Finnish Cancer Registry breast cancers diagnosed before the age of 55 and by the end of 2012.Results. A total of 2015 women had breast cancer diagnosed in a cohort of 93 843 LNG-IUS users during follow-up consisting of 1 032 767 women-years. The LNG-IUS users had an increased risk for both ductal breast cancer [standardized incidence ratio (SIR) 1.20, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.14–1.25] and for lobular breast cancer (SIR 1.33, 95% CI 1.20–1.46), as compared with the general female population. The highest risk was found in LNG-IUS users who purchased the device at least twice, whose SIR for lobular cancer was 1.73 (95% CI 1.37–2.15).Conclusions. The results imply that intrauterine administration of levonorgestrel is not only related to an excess risk of lobular breast cancer but also, in contrary to previous assumptions, to an excess risk of ductal breast cancer.

Referral bias in female functional hyperandrogenism and polycystic ovary syndrome.

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) seeking health care in the United States may be more obese and hyperandrogenic than those present in the general population. We aimed to assess the impact of referral bias on European women with functional androgen excess disorders. Cross-sectional study. We studied two groups of patients: i) 368 consecutive patients referred to our clinic for the study of functional hyperandrogenism (FH) (referral patients); ii) 57 consecutive premenopausal patients identified by screening during blood donation (unselected patients). We compared the anthropometric data from the groups of patients with those of two control populations: iii) a group of unselected premenopausal healthy female blood donors (unselected controls); and iv) data available from the local general premenopausal female population. Referral patients with FH were more hirsute, had a higher percentage of hyperandrogenemia, and fulfilled PCOS criteria more frequently than unselected patients. The prevalence of obesity in unselected controls was similar to that observed in the general population, whereas referral patients and unselected patients were more frequently obese. The prevalence of obesity was also higher among referral patients compared to unselected patients. Referral bias influences the phenotype of patients with FH. Patients studied at the clinical setting may show more severe hyperandrogenic and obese phenotypes than patients from the general population, even though PCOS appears to be associated with weight excess also in the general European population. This fact should be considered when establishing reference values and control populations for clinical and research purposes.

Should Screening for Thyroid Peroxidase during Pregnancy Be Universal or Risk-Factor-Based?

Background The wide range of adverse outcomes of thyroid dysfunction and autoimmunity on pregnancy and the offspring (1-5) makes early and reliable detection of paramount importance; therefore, screening for thyroid dysfunction is recommended in pregnancy. However, it is not yet clear whether screening should be clinically oriented or universal. Targeted case finding for the presence of antithyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOAb) in pregnancy has not yet been evaluated despite the high prevalence in the general female population (1, 6, 7). The aim of the study was to assess whether, in pregnant women, screening for TPOAb should be restricted to women considered at high risk for thyroid autoimmune disease or whether screening should be universal.

Mortality among a Cohort of Persons with an Intellectual Disability in New South Wales, Australia.

The main objective of the study was to compare mortality for people with an intellectual disability (ID) to the general population in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. A second objective was to provide mortality data for people with an intellectual disability from NSW in a standardized format, which allows for international comparisons of the mortality of people with an intellectual disability. The study was a longitudinal cohort study linking retrospective data from the population databases of the NSW Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care (ADHC) Intellectual Disability Services Dataset (intellectual disability cohort) to the mortality data set of the NSW Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages (RBDM) for the period 1 June 2005 to 31 December 2011. The two groups of interest for this study were persons with an intellectual disability recorded in the intellectual disability cohort (953 deaths among 42,219 persons over 270,649 person-years of observation) and the rest of the NSW population (312,649 deaths among over 7,218,529 persons [2011 population] and 45,818,946 person-years of observation). In this study, we compared the intellectual disability cohort with the rest of the NSW population using age-adjusted death rates (ADRs), standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) and age standardized death rates (ASDRs) based upon the World Health Organization (WHO) standard population. We found a significantly higher mortality in a cohort of people with an intellectual disability compared to the rest of the NSW population. The intellectual disability cohort compared to the rest of the NSW population had an SMR of 2.48 for all ages and an SMR of 3.15 for those aged 5-69 years. We also found an SMR for females (4.26) with an intellectual disability that was significantly higher than that for males (2.52) with an intellectual disability. The ASDR for the intellectual disability cohort was 4.04 (deaths per 1000) and the ASDR for the rest of the NSW population was 1.58, giving a comparative mortality ratio of 2.55. Our findings indicate excess mortality of people with an intellectual disability when compared to the general population. They also indicate that females with an intellectual disability have a higher relative mortality compared to female same-aged general population peers, and also males with an intellectual disability, a finding replicated in other similar cohort studies. For international comparison using the WHO standard population, our intellectual disability cohort (ages 5-69 years) had a mortality of 4.04 deaths per 1000.

Hepatitis C virus seroprevalence in the general female population from 8 countries

BackgroundHepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a significant global health issue because it is widespread and persistent and can cause serious liver diseases. ObjectivesThe aim of this study is to estimate HCV prevalence in women from the general population in different geographical areas worldwide and to assess the potential role of sexual behaviour in the virus transmission. Study designEach participating centre recruited a random sample of women from the general population aged from less than 20 to more than 75 years. The study included 8130 women from 8 countries with information on sociodemographic factors, reproductive and sexual behaviour, smoking habit and HPV DNA through individual interviews. A blood sample was also collected to perform serological tests. We estimated the prevalence ratios associated to HCV to evaluate the effect of sexual behaviour in viral transmission. ResultsWomen were reactive to a minimum of two HCV antigens, including at least one non structural protein were considered as positive (33% of the samples were classified as positive, 40% as negative, and 27% as indeterminate (N=402), that were considered as not positive). The age-adjusted HCV seroprevalence varied significantly by regions (0.3% in Argentina to 21.1% in Nigeria). We found no association between HCV prevalence and age, educational level, smoking habit and any of the available variables for sexual behaviour and reproductive history. ConclusionsThis large study showed heterogeneous distribution of HCV seroprevalence in female and provides evidence of the null impact of sexual behaviour in HCV transmission.

Global availability of data on HPV genotype-distribution in cervical, vulvar and vaginal disease and genotype-specific prevalence and incidence of HPV infection in females

BackgroundCountry-level HPV genotyping data may be sought by decision-makers to gauge the genotype-specific burden of HPV-related diseases in their jurisdiction and assess the potential impact of HPV vaccines. We investigated, by country, the availability of published literature on HPV genotypes in cervical, vaginal and vulvar cancers and intraepithelial neoplasms (CINs, VaINs and VINs) and on prevalence and incidence of genital HPV infections among women without clinically manifest disease.FindingsPrimary sources of publications were the PubMed/Medline and EMBASE databases. Original studies or meta-analyses published from 2000, covering genotypes 16 and 18 and at least one of genotypes 31/33/45/52/58, were included. Key exclusion criteria were language not English, cervical lesions not histologically confirmed (cytology only), special populations (e.g., immunocompromised) and, for cervical studies, small population (<50). A total of 727 studies reporting HPV genotype-specific data were identified: 366 for cervical cancers and CINs, 43 for vulvar or vaginal cancers and VINs/VaINs, and 395 and 21 for infection prevalence and incidence, respectively, in general female population samples. A large proportion of studies originated from a small set of countries. Cervical cancer/CIN typing data was scarce for several regions with the highest cervical cancer burden, including Eastern, Middle and Western Africa, Central America, South-East Asia, South Asia, and Eastern Europe. Data for vulvar/vaginal disease was limited outside of Europe and North America.ConclusionsAlthough a large body of published HPV genotype-specific data is currently available, data gaps exist for genotype-specific infection incidence and several world regions with the highest cervical cancer burden.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13027-015-0008-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Retinal vein occlusion and pregnancy, pre-eclampsia, and eclampsia: the results from a nationwide, population-based study using the national claim database.

ObjectiveTo investigate the incidence of retinal vein occlusion (RVO) in pregnant women and in the subpopulation of pregnant women with pre-eclampsia/eclampsia compared to that in the age-matched general female population to determine if there is increased risk of RVO in pregnancy.DesignNationwide population-based retrospective study using data entered into the Korean national health claims database from 2007 to 2011.Setting and ParticipantsOf the incident RVO cases in the database, RVO cases that occurred during the pregnancy-associated period, which spanned a 52-week period from 40-weeks-before to 12-weeks-after childbirth, were identified. Of these cases, the presence of pre-eclampsia/eclampsia was determined.Main Outcome and MeasureThe standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) of RVO in the general pregnant population and in the pregnant population with pre-eclampsia/eclampsia were determined with respect to the age-matched general female population.ResultsPregnancy-related RVO was identified in 33 cases from the 1.8 million women who experience childbirth during the study period, while the expected number of cases calculated by the direct standardization to the age-matched general population was 113. Of the 33 patients, 12 patients (36.4%) had pre-eclampsia or eclampsia. The SIR for the general pregnant population in reference to the age-matched general female population was 0.29 (95% CI, 0.20–0.41). In contrast, the SIR for the pregnant population with pre-eclampsia/eclampsia in reference to the age-matched general female population and the age-matched general pregnant population was 67.50 (95% CI, 34.88–117.92) and 246.50 (95% CI, 127.37–430.59), respectively.Conclusions and RelevanceThe results suggest that pre-eclampsia/eclampsia is a risk factor for RVO, while pregnancy itself may not be a risk factor for RVO.

Prevalence of hepatitis C virus in mothers and their children in Malawi.

ObjectivesHepatitis C virus (HCV) prevalence is poorly mapped in the East African region; with the advent of novel HCV therapies, better epidemiological data are required to target the infection. We sought to estimate HCV prevalence in healthy Malawian mothers and assess mother-to-child transmission (MTCT); context is provided by reviewing previously published HCV prevalence data from the region.MethodsUsing ELISA screening and confirmatory blot, serological testing of 418 healthy Malawian mothers for HCV was performed. To examine MTCT, the children of any positive women were also tested for HCV; all children had malignant disease unrelated to hepatocellular carcinoma. We compared our results to published literature on HCV prevalence in Malawi and its neighbouring countries.ResultsThree of 418 women were HCV reactive by ELISA; two were confirmed positive by immunoblot (0.5%). One child of an HCV-infected mother was HCV seropositive. The literature review revealed HCV prevalence ranging from 0 to 7.2% in the region, being highest in Tanzania and specifically for cohorts of inpatients and HIV-co-infected people. The overall estimated prevalence of HCV in Malawi was 1.0% (95%CI 0.7–1.4) when all studies were included (including this one), but lower in healthy cohorts alone at 0.3% (95%CI 0.1–1.2).ConclusionsThis is the first study using confirmatory tests to examine HCV prevalence in healthy Malawian mothers; the prevalence was low. Future studies need to address the source of infection in healthy women.

Awareness of the association between periodontal disease and adverse pregnancy outcome among the general female population.

Preterm low birth weight (PTLBW) is a public health issue which needs to be dealt with by educating the general female population. One of the major contributing factors is periodontal disease and treatment of the same could reduce the occurrence of PTLBW babies. Therefore, awareness of this among the female population is highly essential. Hence, this survey was planned with the aim to explore the awareness of the general female population regarding the association of periodontal disease and PTLBW. This survey consisted of nine close-ended questions answered by 1284 females. Younger individuals had higher knowledge scores as compared to the older individuals (r = -0.161) and the more educated group had a higher knowledge score as compared to the less educated groups (r = 0.322). Furthermore, married women seemed to be more aware of the relation of PTLBW to periodontal disease as compared to unmarried women. Younger and educated females had better awareness of the association between periodontal diseases and PTLBW. Hence, efforts to educate the general female population on this association could contribute toward the reduction of the risk of PTLBW.

Condição de Saúde de Mulheres Privadas de Liberdade: Uma Revisão Integrativa

Objective: To verify how health condition of imprisoned women has been approached over the past five years. Material and Methods: This was an integrative review on the health status of women deprived of freedom over the last five years. This study was based on a basic protocol with three steps performed by two researchers and one examiner. Bibliographical searches of full articles were carried out in the databases SciELO, PubMed and LILACS. Results: A total of two articles were found in LILACS, 0 in Scielo, and 38 in PubMed. In the final step, eight articles addressing the health conditions of women in closed prisons were fully analyzed. All articles were indexed in the Medline database. The studies have addressed the health conditions of imprisoned women and characterized their profile. Both health condition and health issues were approached by the authors. Conclusion: Similar results were found in the studies concerning the health condition of imprisoned women. We observed that women deprived of freedom are more affected by health issues than the general female population and have less access to care, which is frequently provided in an improper way. Mental health diseases are evident, and biopsychosocial conditions prior to imprisonment influence the overall health condition of prisoners. DESCRIPTORS Women's Health. Prisons. Prisoners.

Measuring autistic traits in the general population: a systematic review of the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ) in a nonclinical population sample of 6,900 typical adult males and females.

The Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ) is a self-report measure of autistic traits. It is frequently cited in diverse fields and has been administered to adults of at least average intelligence with autism and to nonclinical controls, as well as to clinical control groups such as those with schizophrenia, prosopagnosia, anorexia, and depression. However, there has been no empirical systematic review of the AQ since its inception in 2001. The present study reports a comprehensive systematic review of the literature to estimate a reliable mean AQ score in individuals without a diagnosis of an autism spectrum condition (ASC), in order to establish a reference norm for future studies.A systematic search of computerized databases was performed to identify studies that administered the AQ to nonclinical participant samples representing the adult male and female general population. Inclusion was based on a set of formalized criteria that evaluated the quality of the study, the usage of the AQ, and the population being assessed.After selection, 73 articles, detailing 6,934 nonclinical participants, as well as 1,963 matched clinical cases of ASC (from available cohorts within each individual study), were analyzed. Mean AQ score for the nonclinical population was 16.94 (95% CI 11.6, 20.0), while mean AQ score for the clinical population with ASC was found to be 35.19 (95% CI 27.6, 41.1). In addition, in the nonclinical population, a sex difference in autistic traits was found, although no sex difference in AQ score was seen in the clinical ASC population.These findings have implications for the study of autistic traits in the general population. Here, we confirm previous norms with more rigorous data and for the first time establish average AQ scores based on a systematic review, for populations of adult males and females with and without ASC. Finally, we advise future researchers to avoid risk of bias by carefully considering the recruitment strategy for both clinical and nonclinical groups and to demonstrate transparency by reporting recruitment methods for all participants.

Maternal Health Status and Behaviours of Immigrant Women

Background/Objectives: The purposes of this study were to explore the type and frequency of material health status and behaviors in immigrant women and to examine factors affecting maternal health outcomes. Methods/Statistical analysis: This cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 106 female marriage immigrants. A well-developed questionnaire was used to measure health-related needs and behaviors and socio-demographic data. The data collection was conducted by face-to-face interview and translators were used when needed. Results: The main findings showed that 33% of participants used birth control methods, 54% performed exclusive breastfeeding for six months, 78% received prenatal care, 67% received postpartum care, 19% had at least one health problem associated with pregnancy, and 21% experienced natural or induced abortion. These indicate that the immigrant participants tend to have somewhat different health problems and behaviors as compared with the general Korean female population. Furthermore, determining factors associated with maternal health outcomes were age, original nationality, employment status, communication experiences with husband and parents-in-law, knowledge about public health center services, and needs for childrearing services in public health centers. Conclusion/Application: Developing culture-specific strategies to improve maternal health outcomes and to communicate effectively with their families is necessary to increase the accessibility of public health services in female marriage immigrants. Keywords: Health Services Needs and Demand, Health Status, Immigrants, Maternal Welfare.