American Women Research Articles

A Low- (vs High-) Glycemic Diet Promotes Greater Loss of Body Fat in African American Women With Low Insulin Sensitivity

A Low- (vs High-) Glycemic Diet Promotes Greater Loss of Body Fat in African American Women With Low Insulin Sensitivity

Interpreting 2 Peter through African American Women’s Moral Writings by Shively T. J. Smith (review)

Interpreting 2 Peter through African American Women’s Moral Writings by Shively T. J. Smith (review)

Racial Comparisons Of Postmenopausal Osteoporosis Between African American And Caucasian Women

Background: Osteoporosis is a chronic degenerative metabolic disease of the skeletal system characterized by decreased bone mineral density (BMD), leading to fragile bones prone to fractures. Postmenopausal osteoporosis is particularly prevalent due to the decline in estrogen levels, a hormone essential for maintaining bone health. This study aims to compare the incidence and risk factors of postmenopausal osteoporosis between African American and Caucasian women, focusing on differences in BMD, risk factors, and the effectiveness of screening and treatment methods. Methods and Materials: This research was conducted at the Southeastern Medical Center, Texas, involving 1,000 postmenopausal women aged 60 or older, with equal representation of 500 African American and 500 Caucasian women. Data collection included demographic information, medical history, and BMD measurements using the General Electric LUNAR DPXIQ Model 2288 DEXA device. Statistical analysis was performed using Chi-square and Fisher's assessment tests to evaluate risk factors such as alcohol intake, smoking, medication usage, and comorbidities. BMI and age evaluations were systematized, and the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines were used to classify osteoporosis and osteopenia. Results: The study revealed that Caucasian women had higher alcohol intake, family history of fractures, and greater use of vitamins, calcium, and hormonal treatments compared to African American women. Conversely, African American women exhibited higher rates of comorbidities like diabetes mellitus, hyperthyroidism, kidney diseases, and rheumatoid arthritis. Despite starting menopause with higher BMD levels, African American women were less likely to be prescribed medication for low BMD. Screening rates and adherence to recommended treatments also varied significantly between the two groups. Conclusion: The findings highlight significant racial disparities in the incidence, risk factors, and management of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Increasing awareness about osteoporosis and promoting lifestyle modifications such as diet, exercise, and cessation of smoking and alcohol consumption can help mitigate these disparities. Future research should focus on developing targeted interventions to improve screening and treatment adherence among African American women, addressing the specific challenges they face in managing bone health.

‘The Private is Political’. The Problem of the Private/Public Divide in the Light of Feminist Theory of the Second Half of the 20th Century

Starting from the slogan ‘The Private is Political’, resounding in the American women’s liberation movement, a feminist critique of the separation of the private (domestic/family) sphere and the public sphere, in its early modern form, is presented. The private sphere, with women assigned to it, is, on the grounds of early modern political theory, outlawed from the rules deemed to apply to the public world, and impregnated from sound analysis and possible reform. The separation of the private and the political masks the interdependence between the two spheres and serves to legitimise gender inequality. Feminist theory problematizes this divide and reveals the complex interplay between private and public. Two themes stand out in the analysis: the subsumption of women under the family based on liberal theories of the social contract, and the idealisation of the domestic sphere, imagined as an emotional and moral refuge, in opposition to the public world, marked by egoism and impersonality. This construction serves an ideological function, reinforcing the separation attributing women to the home and family.

Latent Class Analysis of Dietary Intake and Organic Food Consumption in a Midwest Cohort of Pregnant Individuals

Introduction: The objective of the study was to describe food consumption patterns over the trimesters throughout pregnancy in a prospective obstetric cohort. We planned to characterize patterns of overall food and organic food consumption into groups using a latent class analysis (LCA). Methods: A Midwest pregnancy cohort self-reported dietary food intake and percent of foods of each type that they consumed which were organic on a questionnaire. This was administered multiple times during pregnancy. The food frequency questionnaire was designed for this study and contained questions related to 89 food categories. The questionnaire was completed once in each trimester, after they were enrolled into the study. The cohort has responses across the 13 food domains were grouped by a LCA process demonstrating separation of the cohort by higher or lower consumption of fruits, vegetables, and berries and percentage of those foods where organics were consumed. The organic percentage in each food was categorized as low (0-10%) and significant (anything > 10%). Demographic characteristics were compared between LCA groups. Results: Valid responses were analyzed from 359 participants. The LCA best model grouped participants into 3 groups: I- high fruits, vegetables and berries, with significant organic use; II- high fruits, vegetables, and berries, with low or no organic use; and III- low fruits, vegetables, and berries with low organic use . Using this grouping, there were 84 (23.4%) in Class I, 153 (42.6%) in Class II, and 122 (34.0%) in Class III. There were significant differences in racial distribution in the groups, with lower rates of Caucasians in Class II and higher rates of Hispanic women in reporting Class I. We observed that 50% of African American women were grouped into Class III. Women in class III tended to be younger (p=0.01), unmarried (52.4%, p<0.001), have less than college degree attainment (p=0.0005), be of lower income (p<0.001), and be a current smoker (p=0.03). -While not statistically significant, living in an urban area was higher for those in Class III than in Class I or II. - Participants living in rural areas were reported significant organic food consumption 18.6%, compared to 24.1% of those in suburban areas and 23.1% in urban areas (p=0.36). 23.1% of rural-dwelling participants were grouped in Class III compared to 31.9% of those in suburban areas and 35.3% of those in urban areas. (p=0.36). Conclusion: Self-reported food consumption in this pregnancy cohort was categorized in 3 classes based on consumption of fruits, vegetables, and berries and the percentage of foods consumed that were organic. These Classes were associated with multiple maternal characteristics. This may indicate opportunities for dietary education interventions for pregnant individuals.

Vitamin D receptor polymorphisms and associated miRNAs in the development of breast cancer in African American women

Breast cancer (BCa) is a prevalent form of cancer in women, exhibiting varying rates and distribution across different ethnic groups. Among these groups, African American (AA) women have the highest incidence of BCa and the lowest levels of Vitamin D (VD). Numerous studies have explored the connection between variations in the VDR gene and BCa risk, particularly in different populations, but research on the AA population remains limited. Epigenetic modifications, including specific microRNAs (miRNAs), can influence gene expression without altering the genetic code and have been implicated in cancer initiation and progression. Our hypothesis suggests that VDR gene variations may increase BCa risk in AA women and that changes in miRNA expression profiles could contribute to BCa development. Using data from the 1000 Genome Project, we identified five VDR gene variants with significant frequency differences between AA and European-American (EA) populations. We genotyped 404 African American BCa cases and controls for five variants using TaqMan® assays. SNPstats assessed their association with BCa risk. The rs1544410 variant’s recessive model (A/A) showed a decreased BCa risk in AA (odds ratio 0.33, 95% CI: 0.15–0.73, p-value 0.0041). Conversely, the rs2853563 variant’s recessive model (A/A) was linked to an increased BCa risk (odds ratio 4.04, 95% CI: 1.49–10.95, p-value 0.0022). We investigated miRNA expression influenced by VD in HCC1806 Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) cell lines with the A/A allele for rs2853563. nCounter® Nanostring technology assessed miRNA profiles after calcitriol treatment. Our results indicated that calcitriol treatment led to reduced expression of six miRNAs, four of which are associated with tumor suppression in the presence of the AA genotype in TNBC cell lines. These findings suggest that specific VDR genotypes could have a potential effect on the miRNAs expression which could potentially serve as markers for cell proliferation in TNBC.

Factors predicting primary and booster COVID-19 vaccination in a community sample of African American men and women in the United States Midwest

COVID-19 has disproportionately burdened impoverished minority communities. This study recruited an age- and gender-diverse community sample of 541 Black adults in a United States Midwestern city with large racial health disparities, with the aim of examining factors associated with COVID-19 vaccination. All participants completed measures assessing their COVID-19 vaccination status (unvaccinated, received primary vaccination, or received primary plus booster vaccination) as well as demographic characteristics, socioeconomic factors, health and health system factors, and health behavior theory constructs related to vaccination. In this predominantly low-income sample, 55% of participants had received primary COVID-19 vaccination and 31% of the sample had received a booster dose. Multiple regression analyses established that having primary vaccination was significantly predicted by older age, political identification as Democrat, education beyond high school, barriers to accessing health care, as well as higher trust of vaccine benefits, less preference for natural immunity, stronger social norms favoring vaccination, and perceiving higher levels of collective responsibility. Surprisingly, higher global medical mistrust and difficulty with healthcare access were associated with vaccination. The model explained 76% of the variance in primary COVID-19 vaccination. Having received a COVID-19 booster was predicted by older age, previous COVID-19 infection, higher trust in vaccine benefits, and fewer worries about unforeseen future effects of vaccination. Study findings identified factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine uptake in racial minority communities, and support the benefits of interventions that harness social network supports for vaccination, address community vaccine concerns, and appeal to collective responsibility to promote vaccine uptake.

Examining the Influence of Heart Disease Risk Factor Knowledge and Social Support in African American Women

Examining the Influence of Heart Disease Risk Factor Knowledge and Social Support in African American Women

Recruitment and Retention Issues in a Technology-Based Intervention Among Korean American Midlife Women With Depressive Symptoms.

The number of health technology-based intervention studies has grown significantly. However, issues in the recruitment and retention for such studies, especially of Asian Americans, have rarely been discussed. The purpose of this paper was to discuss issues in the recruitment and retention of a specific group of Asian Americans-Korean American midlife women with depressive symptoms-into a technology-based intervention study using computers and mobile devices with a measurement device and to provide directions for future participant recruitment and retention in technology-based intervention studies. The written memos of research team members and the written records of research team meetings were analyzed using a content analysis. The issues in the recruitment and retention process included (1) low recruitment and retention rates; (2) the perceived long intervention period; (3) strict inclusion/exclusion criteria; (4) concerns related to the use of a measurement device; and (5) the perceived adequacy of monetary incentives. Based on the issues identified in the study, several suggestions are made for future recruitment and retention of racial/ethnic minorities in technology-based intervention studies (eg, appropriate intervention period, innovative and creative motivation strategies, acceptable measurement scales and devices, and adequate monetary reimbursement).

Portrayal of Race and Gender in the Selected Novels of Toni Morrison: A Critical Reading

With deep insight into the racial problems that have been confronted by Blacks since their existence, Toni Morrison has boldly projected the prejudices and racism faced by African American Women and explicitly exposes the long struggle that Blacks have had against the exploitative tendencies of the Whites. In my paper, I will analyze the selected novels of Toni Morrison, namely, The Bluest Eye, Sula, and Beloved. My thrust area in these novels of Toni Morrison will be on the theme of race and gender, which is persistent and is rendered as an entirely different perspective in each of her novels.

Disproportionate Increases in Numbers and Rates of Homelessness Among Women in the United States, 2018-2022.

Information about homelessness among women is conflicting. We examined changes in the number and rate of various types of homelessness among females in multiple population groups from 2018 through 2022. We used 5 years of population data (2018-2022) from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). We performed descriptive analyses to examine changes in rates of homelessness over time and differences in rates of homelessness between general and veteran populations. From 2018 through 2022, there were major increases in rates of unsheltered homelessness among females (25.1%) and males (17.3%) in the general population, which outpaced increases in general population birth rates. Although the percentage change in the proportion of females among all people experiencing unsheltered homelessness grew by 4.0%, the proportion of females among all veterans experiencing unsheltered homelessness grew by 26.3%. These findings highlight the growing problem of unsheltered homelessness in the general population. Prevention efforts should be focused particularly on the female, especially veteran female, population.

The role of breast cancer-related arm lymphedema in physical functioning and physical activity participation among long-term African American breast cancer survivors.

Breast cancer-related arm lymphedema (BCRL) is a common chronic and debilitating condition that involves accumulation of lymphatic fluid in the arm or hand. Limited data are available on BCRL in African American women. Lack of physical activity (PA) and poor physical functioning (PF) are both associated with increased morbidity and mortality among breast cancer survivors. We examined the association of BCRL with PA and PF among African American breast cancer survivors. 323 African American women who previously participated in a case-only study in three states (TN, GA, SC) completed a survivorship-focused questionnaire (mean: 4.2years post-diagnosis) in 2015-2016. Validated measures were used to determine BCRL, PF, and PA. Adjusted binary logistic regression models estimated ORs and 95% CIs for the association of BCRL and meeting PA guidelines (≥ 150min/week), while multinomial logistic regression was used for PF and PA (minutes/week) categorized based on tertiles. Approximately 32% reported BCRL since diagnosis; 25.4% reported BCRL in the last 12-months. About 26% and 50% reported that BCRL interfered with exercise and ability to do daily activities, respectively. The mean PF among those with BCRL was 51.0(SD:29.0) vs. 68.5(SD:30.1) among those without BCRL. BCRL was associated with lower PF (adjusted-OR for tertile 2: 2.12(95% CI:1.03-4.36) and adjusted-OR for tertile 1: 2.93(95% CI:1.44-5.96)). BCRL was associated with lower PF among long-term African American breast cancer survivors. Continued monitoring by health care professionals and increased education and behavioral interventions to support PA and improved PF among survivors living with BCRL are warranted.

‘Appropriated to her own use and benefit’: women, larceny, and race in post-Civil War South Carolina

ABSTRACT This article examines Black and White women’s trials for larceny in South Carolina between 1865 and 1900. County-level court records demonstrate that most women defendants stood accused of appropriating food, clothing, or household items from their workplaces. Larceny cases provide important insights into poor and working-class women’s lives, survival strategies, and desires, revealing commonalities across the colour line of the postbellum U.S. South. However, White southerners racialised larceny in ways which meant African American women were more likely to be accused and convicted of theft. The essay also explores the myriad ways in which women strategically fought for acquittal.

(062) IMPLEMENTING A VALIDATED SEXUAL DYSFUNCTION SCREENING TOOL AT AN INNER-CITY WOMEN’S HEALTH CLINIC

Abstract Introduction The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) reports 43% of American women experience sexual health problems, including Female Sexual Interest and Arousal Disorder, Female Orgasmic Disorder, Genito–Pelvic Pain and Penetration Disorder, and Substance or Medication-Induced Sexual Dysfunction. Objective At Women’s Ambulatory Health Services (WAHS), an inner-city clinic associated with Hartford HealthCare, at which UConn Health ObGyn residents work, there is no routine screening in place for sexual dysfunction. This project aimed to implement the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) for screening for sexual dysfunction at this clinic to identify patients who may benefit from treatment. Methods We implemented the FSFI-short version, a six-question screening tool for sexual dysfunction that has been validated in English and Spanish and utilized in many countries on July 1st, 2022. Patients presenting for a new gynecologic visit or an annual gynecologic exam were asked to complete the screening tool. Patients who scored equal to or less than 18 on the FSFI-short version were identified as at risk for female sexual dysfunction and were offered referral to a health psychologist specializing in sexual dysfunction. We utilized the RE-AIM framework for implementation science to guide the implementation evaluation. We collected data on patients from July 1 through December 1, 2022. We collected patient demographics and implementation outcomes, including rate of survey completion, candidacy for referral and referral completion. Results 196 surveys were reviewed between July 1st and December 1st of 2022. 44 surveys were excluded for various reasons, including not meeting study inclusion criteria or invalid responses. 152 screening forms were included and 45 patients screened positive. Subjective patient barriers were gathered from comments written directly onto the paper survey as well as quotes documented by their providers in the visit note. These subjective barriers included hesitancy to discuss sexual health and lacking knowledge that the gynecologist provider offers assessment and management for these disorders. Conclusions The introduction of the FSFI-sv at WAHS has both expanded the resources offered to patients, enhanced the environment surrounding topics of women’s health both between staff members as well as within the patient-provider relationship, and has unearthed multiple opportunities for improving the screening process, referral selection and work flow for sexual dysfunction amongst the patient population. Disclosure No.

Adventures in ageing: the gender-ageing nexus and older North American women’s engagement with communities of care through lifestyle migration

Drawing from ethnographic research and interviews with older North American women who migrated alone to retire in Ecuador, this article grows the body of literature on gender and ageing, examining how these women position themselves within a gender-ageing nexus, contradicting certain gender norms in their attempt to obtain later-life self-fulfilment. Particularly, we examine how this group positions the third age as a time of individual adventure and self-actualisation, challenging normative gender ideals about femininity and care but meeting (many) social expectations to “age well.” We argue that the lifestyles of these women demonstrate new experiments with gendered ageing, facilitated by global inequalities but challenging some normative ideals around femininity and old(er) age.

Gender Differences in the Form and Function of Naturally Occurring Smiles

Through their nuanced ability to reinforce, reassure, and judge, smiles accomplish many tasks in daily interactions. Do male- and female-identifying individuals use these smiles equally? Although American women smile more often than men overall, it is possible that gender differences in smile behavior are more nuanced. For instance, since it is more acceptable for men to convey status, men may produce more smiles with features of dominance smiles than women. Conversely, since women are socialized to perform tasks associated with care and nurturance, women may produce more smiles with features of affiliation than men. We filmed same- and different-gender participant pairs interacting while watching humorous videos with content related to reward, affiliation, and dominance. We extracted all visible smiles produced by participants and quantified their physical features using automated face coding software. Female participants smiled more often when watching affiliation videos and less when watching dominance content, compared to male participants. Women also displayed smiles with more affiliation features than men overall. Furthermore, participants’ smiles when discussing dominance content contained more features characteristic of dominance when they were interacting with an opposite-gender (as opposed to same-gender) partner. This study—the first to examine naturally elicited smiles while discussing reward, affiliation, and dominance content—suggests the relationship between gender and smiling norms is nuanced and depends on the smiler’s communicative intent.

Kathryn Lasky, “Women’s Voice Counts”

The American women did not await the 21st century to express their disapproval of matters of general interest. At every stage of human history, they always assert their presence as agents of social development and promoters of liberties; they prove their ability to serve humanity. In all parts of the world, despite the deliberate ideological restrictions inflicted upon them, they show integrity, decency, and honesty; their pragmatism, literacy, actions, and ideas serve as bow. Those qualities enable them to free themselves from all forms of ostracism and subjugation. Along the march of history, when defending their common cause, some of them sometimes lose their lives, others are incarcerated, but the survivors remain committed and hopeful. They continually fight to climb the social ladder. In socio-professional and political sectors where men are hostile, they demonstrate absolute resilience. A retrospective glance at the US history helps to revivify the American women’s involvement. Labeled as vulnerable and passive beings, they embark on a timeless struggle whose purpose is to restore their tarnished image and dignity. Better still, their awareness enables them to eradicate the prejudices, social inequalities, and barriers, which disadvantage and devalue them. Like other Western countries, the United States has a long tradition of marginalizing women. Its excluding policy is narrowly connected with patriarchal tradition; a practice, which emerges not only in the family sphere, but also on the political stage, where women are deprived of their suffrage. In such circumstances, they suffer from male domination with impunity. That burning social injustice is pictured by writers, such as Kathryn Lasky whose literary works pay tribute to the American suffragists for their boldness and great sense of duty in the construction of democracy in America. As a field par excellence for the symbolization of social facts, literature appears as a location where the American women’s bravery and ingenuity are realistically expressed. Therefore, the study of Laskian female characters’ trajectories through the textual prism is advantageous. For that purpose, the use of Derridean deconstruction as a methodological tool will be helpful. This will scrutinize the political scope of Laskian female characters’ struggle for suffrage through two axes: “A masculinized political system” and “women’s awareness and US democracy.”

Higher Number of Children Is Associated With Increased Risk of Generalization Deficits in Older African American Women.

The objectives of this project were to: (1) examine the relationship between the number of biological children and hippocampal-dependent cognitive performance among older African American women and (2) determine the influence of socioeconomic status (i.e., age, education, marital status, median household income), if any, on this relationship. A total of 146 cognitively unimpaired African American women aged 60 and older were recruited from the greater Newark area and reported their number of biological children, marital status, educational level, and age. We retrieved median household income from census tract data based on the participants' addresses. Participants' cognitive performance was assessed using the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT) long delay recall and a Rutgers generalization task (Concurrent Discrimination and Transfer Task). As the number of biological children a woman has had increases, the number of generalization errors also increased, indicating poorer hippocampal-dependent cognitive performance when controlling for age, education, marital status, and median household income. There was no significant relationship between the number of children and performance on a standardized neuropsychological measure of episodic memory (RAVLT), although education was a significant covariate. Generalization tasks may better capture early changes in cognitive performance in older African American women who have had children than standardized neuropsychological assessments. This finding may be explained by the fluctuations in estrogen associated with having children. Future studies should explore how these findings can be applied to protecting cognitive function and preventing Alzheimer's disease in older African American women who have had children.

Cervical cancer screening and vaccination acceptability and attitudes among Arab American women in Southeastern Michigan: a qualitative study

Among Arab-American women in Michigan, rates of cervical cancer screening are lower than those in non-Hispanic White and Black women in the state. A deep understanding of the Arab community’s perspective on cervical cancer screening is needed to address the disparity in rates across populations in Michigan. Arab and Chaldean women across Michigan were invited to participate in Zoom-based focus groups to understand the attitudes, acceptability, and barriers of cervical cancer screening among this population. Four focus groups with a total of 19 women aged 30 to 61 were conducted. The focus groups were conducted in English, Arabic, or both languages. The guided discussion was focused on knowledge of cervical cancer and Human papillomavirus (HPV) and its transmission, attitudes towards HPV vaccination, and attitudes towards cervical cancer screening. HPV self-sampling as an alternative to traditional provider-based screening was specifically discussed as this has been proposed as a way to increase screening in hard-to-reach populations. The conversations revealed insights related to barriers at the individual and community levels for screening and vaccination, attitudes towards preventive health care including screening, a need for accessible women’s health literature, and health education. The women also discussed vaccine hesitancy related to HPV and COVID-19, suggesting a need for targeted community interventions.

Association Between Age at First Birth and Long-Term Dental Caries Experience Among Women in the United States.

Background: Pregnant women are at a higher risk of caries compared to nonpregnant women, and higher parity is a risk factor for untreated caries and tooth loss. However, it is unknown whether the timing of birth is associated with dental caries experience over time. Materials and Methods: This study is a cross-sectional study using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 2011-2018. The study population included nonpregnant women 20 years of age or older, who had available data on the oral health examination and age at first birth (AFB). Dental caries experience was defined as the DMFT score (sum of the number of decayed, missing due to caries, and filled permanent teeth). The associations between AFB and DMFT scores were assessed using Poisson regression to compute incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and the associated 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: This study included 6,553 women (mean age 53.4 years, SD 15.7). The mean DMFT index score was 13.1 ± 7.4, with younger AFB groups generally having higher mean scores. After adjusting for sociodemographic variables, time since last dental visit, and reproductive health factors, women with an AFB of <18 years (IRR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.01-1.21) or 18-20 years (IRR, 1.11; 95% CI, 1.01-1.21) had significantly higher DMFT index scores compared to those with an AFB of 30-32 years. Conclusions: This study suggests that younger maternal AFB may be associated with greater dental caries experience. More rigorous studies are necessary to determine how to improve oral health outcomes during pregnancy and postpartum.