Trends In Women Research Articles

Women, work and industrial relations in Australia in 2018

This year's annual review of women, work and industrial relations marks an important milestone. Nearly 10 years have elapsed since the introduction of the Fair Work Act 2009, which enshrined important new rights for the progression of gender equality. It is also 10 years since the Journal of Industrial Relations commenced this annual review. In addition to focusing on developments affecting women and work in 2018, this review provides a broad summary of key events over the past decade. We explore trends in women's workforce participation, union membership, economic security and pay equity, as well as major changes pertaining to work–family policy settings, workplace sexual harassment, and family and domestic violence leave. We conclude that although policy and employment frameworks have created a foundation on which to build gender equality, policy development has been sporadic and the context for women in Australian workplaces remains far from equal.

European cancer mortality predictions for the year 2019 with focus on breast cancer.

To overcome the lag with which cancer statistics become available, we predicted numbers of deaths and rates from all cancers and selected cancer sites for 2019 in the European Union (EU). We retrieved cancer death certifications and population data from the World Health Organization and Eurostat databases for 1970-2014. We obtained estimates for 2019 with a linear regression on number of deaths over the most recent trend period identified by a logarithmic Poisson joinpoint regression model. We calculated the number of avoided deaths over the period 1989-2019. We estimated about 1410000 cancer deaths in the EU for 2019, corresponding to age-standardized rates of 130.9/100000 men (-5.9% since 2014) and 82.9 women (-3.6%). Lung cancer trends in women are predicted to increase 4.4% between 2014 and 2019, reaching a rate of 14.8. The projected rate for breast cancer was 13.4. Favourable trends for major neoplasms are predicted to continue, except for pancreatic cancer. Trends in breast cancer mortality were favourable in all six countries considered, except Poland. The falls were largest in women 50-69 (-16.4%), i.e. the age group covered by screening, but also seen at age 20-49 (-13.8%), while more modest at age 70-79 (-6.1%). As compared to the peak rate in 1988, over 5 million cancer deaths have been avoided in the EU over the 1989-2019 period. Of these, 440000 were breast cancer deaths. Between 2014 and 2019, cancer mortality will continue to fall in both sexes. Breast cancer rates will fall steadily, with about 35% decline in rates over the last three decades. This is likely due to reduced hormone replacement therapy use, improvements in screening, early diagnosis and treatment. Due to population ageing, however, the number of breast cancer deaths is not declining.

Melanoma mortality in Brazil: trends and projections (1998-2032).

Melanoma is the main serious skin cancer, due to its high lethality. This study aimed to make projections and analyze melanoma mortality trends in Brazil. Mortality Information System data were utilized for the period 1998-2012, which were projected until 2032, using the age-period-cohort model, with software R. The analysis of trends was made by Joinpoint regression, with 95% confidence interval, estimating the annual percentage change. It was revealed higher amounts of deaths in men for all regions. Brazilian trends presented reductions in men (APC = -0.4; CI95% = -0.6; -0.1; p < 0.01) and in women (APC = -0.8; CI95% = -0.9; -0.7; p < 0.01). The Midwest region presented increases for both sexes, while the Southeast region presented reducing trends for both sexes. In the North, there was stability for men and increases followed by stability in women, while the South presented reductions in men and stability in women; finally, the Northeast revealed one joinpoint per sex, with an increase followed by stability in men, and stability followed by reducing trends in women. The highest rates of the country were found in the South and Southeast regions, however, with reducing trends throughout time. Higher mortality trends in men were associated with later diagnoses in this group.

Eighteen-year alcohol consumption trajectories and their association with risk of type 2 diabetes and its related factors: the China Health and Nutrition Survey.

Alcohol consumption levels frequently fluctuate over the life course, but studies examining the association between alcohol consumption trajectories and type 2 diabetes are limited. This study aims to investigate the association of alcohol consumption trajectories with the risk of type 2 diabetes and its related factors. Weighted longitudinal data were obtained for 12,186 adults who completed a questionnaire about alcohol consumption and diabetes status as part of the China Health and Nutrition Survey (1993-2011). Participants were designated into subgroups based on alcohol consumption trajectory, and subgroup analyses included 5436 individuals who were tested for specified diabetes-related factors. Light alcohol consumption was defined as fewer than seven standard drinks per week; moderate as 7-21 drinks per week; and heavy as more than 21 drinks per week. Latent class trajectory modelling was used to identify different alcohol consumption trajectories by sex. Multivariate Cox regression models and general linear regression models were used to assess association of trajectories with type 2 diabetes and its related factors. Compared with stable abstainers (individuals who never drank alcohol), two trajectories in men showing reduction to moderate or light levels after heavy alcohol consumption during early adulthood were significantly associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes (HR 1.66 [95% CI 1.18, 2.33]; HR 1.93 [95% CI 1.01, 3.70]), while no significant association between trajectories and risk of type 2 diabetes was observed in women (p for trend = 0.404). Triacylglycerol, HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C), uric acid and high sensitivity C-reactive protein were significantly higher in these two trajectories than other trajectories in men (all p < 0.05), while only HDL-C showed significant increasing trends in women. Trajectories showing light-stable, or increase to moderate, levels were not associated with reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. This study indicated that heavy alcohol consumption in early adulthood is significantly associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes and higher levels of its biomarkers throughout adulthood in men. Gradually reducing alcohol consumption to moderate levels may not make a difference, which demonstrates the importance of alcohol intervention strategies in early adulthood. Although association between alcohol consumption and increased HDL-C levels has been observed, the results of this study did not support the hypothesis regarding the protective effect of moderate alcohol consumption on risk of type 2 diabetes in the Asian population. Data from China Health and Nutrition Survey was used in this study, which can be downloaded at www.cpc.unc.edu/projects/china .

Trends in women’s authorship in pharmacy literature

ObjectivesThe purpose of this evaluation was to determine whether the percentage of women as first authors in pharmacy journals has continued to increase over the past decade. MethodsKey pharmacy practice journals were identified from the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy Core List of Journals for Pharmacy Education. Articles were analyzed from January 2007 through December 2017. The outcome of interest was the proportion of articles having feminine names as the first author. Femininity was determined for first authors by matching the first name to data from the U.S. Social Security Administration or genderize.io. The Cochran–Armitage trend test was used to determine differences in proportion of women as first authors over time. ResultsThe listed first authors over the past decade were 52.7% female for all studied journals from 2007 through 2017. All but 1 journal demonstrated a significant increase in the proportion of female first authors over the time period studied. Subanalyses of journals (1) containing more than 90% gender-identifiable articles, (2) focused predominantly on contemporary drug therapy or pharmacy practice and not typically including pharmaceutical- or pharmacokinetics-related topics, and (3) that did not focus predominantly on contemporary therapy or practice and included pharmaceutical- or pharmacokinetics-related topics were each significant. ConclusionFemale first authorship in pharmacy practice journals appears to have increased in the past decade but may potentially be reaching a plateau. The proportion of female first authorship is close to reaching that of women in the U.S. pharmacy workforce when compared over the same time period.

Women and gambling-related harm: a narrative literature review and implications for research, policy, and practice

BackgroundWhile the prevalence of women’s participation in gambling is steadily increasing, there is a well-recognised male bias in gambling research and policy. Few papers have sought to synthesise the literature relating to women and gambling-related harm and provide practical suggestions to guide future research, policy, and practice which take into account the specific nuances associated with women’s gambling.MethodsA narrative literature review was conducted to review the evidence base on women’s gambling behaviours and experiences of harm. Drawing from strategies used effectively in other areas of public health, key elements for a gendered approach to harm prevention were identified and adapted into practical public health research, policy and practice strategies.ResultsResults indicated a lack of research that explores women’s gambling. Few studies have examined the impact of gambling on the lives of women, with limited understanding of the factors that influence women’s engagement with gambling products, and the impact of industry tactics. A gendered approach was identified as a strategy used successfully in other areas of public health to shift the focus onto women and to ensure they are considered in research. In tobacco control, increasing trends in women’s smoking behaviour were combatted with targeted research, policy and practical initiatives. These key elements were adapted to create a conceptual framework for reducing and preventing gambling harm in women. The framework provides regulatory direction and a research agenda to minimise gambling-related harm for women both in Australia and internationally. Evidence-based policies should be implemented to focus on the influence of gender and associated factors to address gambling-related harm. Practical interventions must take into account how women conceptualise and respond to gambling risk in order to develop specific harm prevention programs which respond to their needs.ConclusionA gendered approach to gambling harm prevention shifts the focus onto the unique factors associated with women’s gambling and specific ways to prevent harm. As seen in other areas of public health, such a framework enables harm measures, policies, and interventions to be developed that are salient to girls and women’s lives, experiences and circumstances.

Bevaikystė Lietuvoje: tendencijos, normos ir regioninė diferenciacija

[straipsnis ir santrauka lietuvių kalba; santrauka anglų kalba]&#x0D; Paskutiniais dešimtmečiais daugelyje Europos šalių didėja bevaikių moterų skaičius. Lietuvoje, skirtingai nuo kitų Europos šalių, bevaikių moterų skaičius išlieka žemas. Šio straipsnio tikslas – išanalizuoti moterų baigtinės bevaikystės tendencijas, atskleisti moterų, gimusių 1920–1969 m., socialines ir demografines charakteristikas bei bevaikystės teritorinės diferenciacijos ypatumus. Analizei yra naudojami Europos socialinio tyrimo (2008) ir Lietu­vos gyventojų surašymo (2011) duomenys. Analizės rezultatai parodė, kad nors ES šalių kontekste bevaikių moterų skaičius Lietuvoje vertinamas kaip nedidelis, tačiau paskutinių dešimtmečių duomenys rodo gana spartų bevaikių moterų dalies didėjimą. Kultūrinių nuostatų analizė atskleidė, kad Lietuvoje vyrauja gana prieštaringos nuostatos dėl bevaikystės. Socialinių ir demografinių charakteristikų analizė atskleidė, kad ryškiausi skirtumai tarp gimdžiusių ir niekada vaikų nesusilaukusių moterų yra pagal santuokinį statusą ir išsilavinimą. Erdvinė baigtinės bevaikystės analizė parodė, kad šis demografinis procesas Lietuvoje pasižymi gana didelė teritorine diferenciacija, kuri suinten­syvėjo nuo 1940–1949-ųjų kartos.

Vrouwen in leidinggevende functies

Abstract Women in positions of authorityDescription and explanation of developments in the Netherlands from 1985 to 2008Women still have limited access to positions of authority in the workplace. Although the slow progress in this regard is much debated, research shedding light on trends in women’s workplace authority remains scarce, particularly outside the US. Moreover, rigorous empirical tests of which processes drive developments in women’s access to authority positions are largely lacking. This study addresses these research gaps. We examine trends in women’s workplace authority and investigate what drove them, concentrating on the role of historical shifts in the composition of the female labor force, labor market conditions, and societal gender ideology. By focusing on the Netherlands, we complement prior studies in the US and Sweden. We use representative, detailed longitudinal data from the Dutch Labor Supply Panel. Results revealed an upward trend in working women’s likelihood of holding positions of supervisory authority between 1985 and 2008. This trend accelerated in later years. Changes in the composition of the female labor force regarding education and experience formed important drivers of this trend. The findings on compositional changes regarding family status and working hours were unexpected. Changes in the composition of the female working population appeared to differ from those in the total female population. As a consequence these changes led to a decrease instead of an increase in women’s authority. Shifts in contextual conditions were also not found to play a role in explaining the trend.

Influenza vaccination coverage and deprivation among the elderly in the municipality of Cagliari: results and perspectives.

SummaryIntroductionThe elderly are among the main targets of influenza vaccination campaigns. Previous studies have shown that socio-economic status influences compliance with influenza vaccination, particularly in the elderly. Deprivation indexes can therefore be useful in identifying population groups with lower vaccination uptake and guide targeted intervention to improve vaccination coverage. We analysed the correlation between influenza vaccination coverage and levels of socio-economic and health deprivation among the population of Cagliari, by means of an Index of Socio-Economic and Health Deprivation (SEHDI) specifically tailored to the city, in order to identify population subgroups needing specific intervention to improve vaccination coverage.MethodsA combination of linear regression, factor analysis and cluster analysis was adopted in order to build the SEHDI at the Census Tract (CT) level; data were taken from the 2011 Italian Census. Mortality among subjects aged ≥ 65 years in Cagliari in the period 2013-2015 was used to select the SEHDI variables. On the basis of the SEHDI, his population was classified into five normalised deprivation groups. Information on vaccination coverage was provided by general practitioners and Local Health Units. Cause-specific mortality and information on vaccination coverage in the deprivation groups were analysed by means of ANOVA (F test at p < 0.05).ResultsAround 20% of the Cagliari population was seen to be living in disadvantaged conditions. The trends in Standard Mortality Rates (SMRs) for all causes and for respiratory diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD), influenza and pneumonia were analysed across the deprivation groups. Pneumonia and flu mortality rates displayed a non-linear trend in men and a positive linear trend in women. Flu vaccination uptake rates were low: 27%. Coverage proved to be lower in the two extreme categories and higher in the medium deprivation ones.ConclusionsThe correlation between low vaccination coverage and socio-economic deprivation not only underlines the important role of vaccination in safeguarding health, but also the fact that it can be considered a factor in ensuring the system’s equality, thanks to its role in limiting health impacts on those living in the most problematic or disadvantaged circumstances. It also stresses the characteristics which contribute to low compliance. Therefore, this finding should be taken into account in the organization of vaccination campaigns and should prompt differentiated interventions in each local area.

Analysis of influenza vaccination coverage among the elderly in Genoa (Italy) based on a deprivation index, 2009-2013.

SummaryIntroductionThe elderly suffer the most influenza-related complications, and 90% of deaths due to influenza occur in older subjects. Consequently, the elderly are among the main targets of influenza vaccination campaigns. The use of deprivation indexes can help to identify subgroups with lower vaccination uptake. This study analyzed influenza vaccination coverage in elderly persons living in Genoa (Italy) in relation to a local Index of Socio-Economic and Health Deprivation (SEHDI) in order to identify population subgroups needing specific intervention to improve vaccination coverage.MethodsThe study targeted subjects aged ≥ 65 years living in Genoa in the period 2009-2013. Information on vaccination coverage was provided by general practitioners and Local Health Units. A combination of linear regression, factor analysis and cluster analysis was used to construct the SEHDI at Census Tract (CT) level, on the basis of data from the 2011 Italian census.ResultsIn 2011, people aged ≥ 65 years accounted for the 27.7% of the population of Genoa. Most elderly subjects were assigned to either the medium (45.3%) or medium-high (32%) deprivation groups, while the percentages in the extreme tails were low (3.6% high deprivation; 1.3% low deprivation). Significant, non-linear (p < 0.05 NL) relationships were observed in both sexes with regard to mortality due to all respiratory diseases (RD) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), with the highest Standardized Mortality Ratio (SMR) values in women in the high deprivation group of women (1.81, p < 0.05 RD; 1.79, p < 0.05 COPD). The SMRs for influenza and pneumonia showed a positive linear trend in women (p < 0.05) with the highest value in the high deprivation group (1.97, p < 0.05), while in men the trend was NL (p < 0.05). A positive linear trend (p < 0.05) was found with regard to vaccination coverage, which grew weakly as deprivation increased, up to the medium-high deprived group (from 34.6% to 44.4%). However, the high deprivation group showed the lowest value (33.3%).ConclusionsThe results revealed a relationship between deprivation and influenza vaccination coverage in the elderly. This finding should be taken into account in the organization of vaccination campaigns and should prompt differentiated intervention in each local area.

Gender Trends in Authorship in Psychiatry Journals From 2008 to 2018

BackgroundWomen are currently underrepresented in academic psychiatry. As publication activity reflects both leadership and participation in academia, we examined temporal trends in women’s authorship by conducting a large-scale bibliometric study of psychiatry journals. MethodsWe examined changes in proportions of women in the first, last, and overall authorship positions over time; relationship to journal impact factor and editorial board makeup; and rates of transition to senior author status using original research articles published in the 24 highest-impact psychiatry journals between January 2008 and May 2018. ResultsIn 30,934 articles, women represented 40.0% of all authors in 2008 and 44.8% in 2018, with a significant increase in the percentage of women as first authors (2008: 43.5%, 2018: 49.5%; B = 0.64, p = .002) and last authors over time (2008: 30.0%, 2018: 35.7%; B = 0.64, p = 1 × 10−5). Articles with women as last authors were significantly more likely than those with men as last authors to have a woman as first author (χ21 = 126.1, p < 2.2 × 10−16). Women exhibited slower rates of transition to the last author position (log rank p = 2 × 10−16); time to 10% transition was 5 years for men and 9 years for women. ConclusionsThese results indicate continued improvement in the representation of women authors in psychiatry journals, resulting in near parity in first authors. However, slower rates of transition to the senior author position and continued underrepresentation of women as senior authors suggest ongoing challenges in achieving gender parity in academic leadership. At the present rate of change for last authors (0.64% increase per year), women would achieve parity in senior authorship in ∼20 to 25 years.

Patients' preferences concerning follow-up after curative head and neck cancer treatment: A cross-sectional pilot study.

Evidence of the oncological benefit of scheduled follow-up in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is weak; symptom-oriented self-referral may be an alternative. Patients' preferences regarding follow-up remain poorly investigated. We conducted a cross-sectional survey among patients undergoing follow-up at a tertiary outpatient clinic, focusing on their preferences, correlating factors, fear of recurrence, and willingness for participation in a randomized trial on follow-up. Of 101 patients, 89.1% preferred scheduled follow-up to self-referral, 57% favored fewer visits than the current standard, and 85.1% endorsed regular imaging. Recurrence or second primary was associated with preference of intensive follow-up schedules (P = 0.02). There were trends for women and patients with high fear of recurrence score to favor intensive follow-up. Two-third of the participants declared willingness to participate in a randomized controlled trial. Patients' preferences only partially correspond to current follow-up guidelines. Recruitment for randomized controlled studies evaluating the value of follow-up seems feasible.

Women’s gainful employment in ‘gher’ farming system (prawn–carp–rice integrated culture) in Bangladesh: trends and determinants

The paper examines trends in women’s gainful employment in ‘prawn-carp’ and ‘high yield variety (HYV) rice’ enterprises of the ‘gher’ farming system and jointly identifies the determinants of employing female and male labor in these enterprises using a farm-level panel data of 90 producers covering a 14-year period (2002–2015) from southwest Bangladesh by applying a multivariate Tobit approach. Results revealed that women’s gainful employment and real wage increased significantly with a substantial reduction in wage gap between female and male labor. The decision to employ female and male labor was found to be positively correlated thereby confirming jointness in decision-making and validity of our chosen approach. Prices and socio-economic factors exerted varied influences on female and male labor demand. Output prices, cultivated area, education, and experience positively increased women’s gainful employment whereas larger family size reduced it. Policy implications include investments in education targeted at the ‘gher’ farming households and land reform policies to consolidate farm size and facilitate smooth functioning of the land market to increase women’s gainful employment.

Incidence of pregnancy and disease-modifying therapy exposure trends in women with multiple sclerosis: A contemporary cohort study

BackgroundExposure to disease-modifying therapy (DMT) during early pregnancy in women with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) may be increasing. ObjectiveTo retrospectively determine incidence of pregnancy, DMT exposure and pregnancy outcomes in women with RRMS. MethodsWe identified all women with RRMS aged 15–45 years in the MSBase Registry between 2005–2016. Annualised pregnancy incidence rates were calculated using Poisson regression models. DMT exposures and pregnancy outcomes were assessed. ResultsOf 9,098 women meeting inclusion criteria, 1,178 (13%) women recorded 1,521 pregnancies. The annualised incidence rate of pregnancy was 0.042 (95% CI 0.040, 0.045). A total of 635 (42%) reported pregnancies were conceived on DMT, increasing from 27% in 2006 to 62% in 2016. The median duration of DMT exposure during pregnancy was 30 days (IQR: 9, 50). There were a higher number of induced abortions on FDA pregnancy class C/D drugs compared with pregnancy class B and no DMT (p = 0.010); but no differences in spontaneous abortions, term or preterm births. ConclusionsWe report low pregnancy incidence rates, with increasing number of pregnancies conceived on DMT over the past 12-years. The median duration of DMT exposure in pregnancy was relatively short at one month.

Assessment of resting energy demand and body composition in oncological patients undergoing partial resections of the liver.

IntroductionThe metabolism of the body is a complicated process. The most important organ of the organism that affects the intensity of changes is the liver. An effective treatment method of primary and metastatic tumours is a partial resection of the organ. The analysis of changes in the body composition of patients undergoing this type of treatment allows identification of problems coexisting with the underlying disease.AimTo evaluate changes in the parameters of body composition and the amount of resting metabolism.Material and methodsThe study group consisted of 87 patients who underwent resection of changes in the liver or thermoablation of focal lesions during hospitalisation.ResultsAnalysis of the data showed that the surgical intervention contributes to a statistically significant (p < 0.05) decrease in the value of the phase angle. A significant increase was noted within the extra cellular water content. The amount of resting metabolism in the postoperative period did not differ significantly; however, there was an upward trend in women and a downward trend in men.ConclusionsSurgical resection of lesions aimed at extending the survival of patients are performed more and more often, while the consequences of these operations are not sufficiently known. The adverse effect of resection treatments on body composition parameters, mainly imaged by decreasing the phase angle value, should be minimised. Effects on metabolism remain ambiguous because no significant changes have been demonstrated in the postoperative period.

Introduction

This special issue traces emerging trends in women’s writing of sex and sexual encounter in French, in France and in Canada since the turn of the twenty-first century. While women’s writing in French in the twentieth century notably re-cast the script of sexual pleasure to write of women’s sexual encounters in often empowering ways, more recent works tell more varied and often troubling stories. In the introduction, the guest editors present and contextualize the collected analyses’ examination of the negotiation of sexual and textual boundaries in female-authored texts that challenge thematic and formal constraints on women’s articulation of sexual experience.

#RopaSucia and No me llamo mamacita. Illocutionary Female Power Against Street Harassment, "Locker Room Talk," and "Mansplaining"

Through the intersectionality of a feminist approach and a phenomenological lens, this article examines groups of women who use social media to enact resis-tance against street harassment, derogatory expressions against women, piropos, and “locker room talk.” The analysis focuses on the project “#Ropasucia” by writ-ers/artists Maricela Guerrero, Paula Abramo, and Xitlali Rodriguez Mendoza,who conceived a project that forcibly identifies—by employing a public stage such as the Internet—how a perpetrator’s remarks obligate women to react and share their experiences. The artists then interpreted their project’s results using large-scale artistic installations exhibiting interior clothing and soap. In the project “No me llamo mamacita; arte vs. acoso callejero,” we explore how illocutionary forces combat verbal violence/harassment in public and semi-public spaces in the nation’s capital, Mexico City, as well as how catcalling not only affects self-esteem but translates to increased statistics of violence in both public and private spaces. In viewing violent assaults and aggression as phenomenological events, we discuss how artists convert language, “dirty laundry” (undergarments), soap, drawings, and posters into tools for writing the human, women experience as a phenomenon of a response against verbal violence. Connecting these artistic works to others similar in nature across the world, we demonstrate the global trend of women rising in resistance

Wage Inequality During the Long-Term Stagnation in Japan: Changes Within and Between Establishments

Wage inequality between individuals has changed little in Japan in recent times unlike in other developed countries. We examine changes in wage inequality within and between establishments during the prolonged stagnation period in Japan. Using a micro-level worker–establishment dataset from 1991 to 2012, we find changes in inequality during the 1990s. First, an increase in the variance in the establishment fixed effects expanded men’s between-establishment inequality. Meanwhile, a reduction of returns to tenure decreased men’s within-establishment inequality and thus suppressed rising individual wage inequality. Second, we find a different trend in women’s wage inequality. Between-establishment inequality was larger than that of men in the early 1990s. However, since the structure of wage inequality in men changed significantly, the composition of inequality between men and women has become similar in recent years. Finally, the assortativeness between workers and establishment rose for both sexes.

National trends in contralateral prophylactic mastectomy in women with locally advanced breast cancer.

Women with unilateral early-stage breast cancer are increasingly choosing contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM) despite the absence of survival benefits and increased risk of surgical complications. Data are lacking on whether this trend extends to women with clinically locally advanced nonmetastatic (cT4M0) cancer. This study aims to estimate national CPM trends in women with unilateral cT4M0 breast cancer. Women aged ≥ 18 years, who underwent mastectomy during 2004 to 2014 for unilateral cT4M0 breast cancer were identified using the National Cancer Database and grouped as all locally advanced (T4), chest wall invasion, skin nodule/ulceration, or both (T4abc), and inflammatory (T4d) cancer. Poisson regression for trends and logistic modeling for predictors of CPM were performed. Of 23 943 women, 41% had T4abc disease and 35% T4d. Cumulative CPM rates were 15%, 23%, and 18%, for the T4abc, T4d, and all T4 groups, respectively. Trend analysis revealed a significant upsurge in CPM demonstrating 12% annual growth for T4abc tumors, 8% for T4d and 9% for all T4 (all P < 0.001). Increasing numbers of women with unilateral cT4M0 breast cancer are undergoing CPM. This rising trend warrants further research to understand stakeholders' preferences in surgical decision-making for women with locally advanced breast cancer.

Perceptions and behavior related to noncommunicable diseases among slum dwellers in a rapidly urbanizing city, Dhaka, Bangladesh: a qualitative study.

ABSTRACTThe increasing burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in Bangladesh can be attributable to rapid urbanization and coinciding changes in lifestyle accompanied by nutrition transition. The objective of this study is to explore respondents’ lived experiences and perceptions relating to NCDs and nutrition change in an urban slum community in Dhaka.Qualitative methods were employed to explore a general understanding of behavior related to NCDs among residents of the slum community. We conducted key informant interviews of six men and seven women of various backgrounds and five focus group discussions to focus salient topics emerged from the interviews. The transcriptions of the audio-recordings were thematically analyzed, using the constant comparison method.Four major themes emerged: (1) financial hardship influencing health; (2) urbanized lifestyle affecting diet; (3) tobacco and sweetened tea as cornerstones of social life; and (4) health-seeking behavior utilizing local resources. One notable finding was that even with general economic improvement, respondents perceived poverty to be one of the major causes of NCDs. A promising finding for potentially curbing NCDs was the current trend for women to walk for exercise contrary to the commonly held notion that urban dwellers generally lead sedentary lifestyles.This study described how urban slum dwellers in Dhaka, experiencing a transition from a traditional to urbanized lifestyle, perceived their daily practices in relation to NCDs and nutrition. Our research revealed both adverse and encouraging elements of perceptions and behavior related to NCDs, which may contribute to the optimal design of NCD prevention and health promotion programs.