Women Of Various Ethnic Groups Research Articles

Promising directions of medical technologies for the correction of sleep disorders in menopausal women of various ethnic groups

ethnic groups.
 Materials and methods.The objects of the study were menopausal women of Russian and Buryat ethnic groups (n=466), who were divided into a control group (without sleep disturbances) and main subgroups (with insomnia and comorbidity of insomnia with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome). All women underwent clinical and anamnestic examination, genotyping for3111T/C Clock gene polymorphism, determination of the circadian profile of melatonin secretion, parameters of lipid metabolism and the system lipid peroxidation antioxidant protection.
 Results.In Caucasians with sleep disorders, a higher prevalence of the3111T/T genotype and theClockgene3111Tallele was revealed as compared to the control (p0.05). Perimenopausal Caucasians showed a shift in the peak of melatonin secretion to the morning hours; in Mongoloids, both peri- and postmenopausal women, a decrease in melatonin total levels was revealed. Dyslipoproteinemia is characteristic of both races patients who have comorbidity of insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, and it is more pronounced in postmenopausal Caucasians. Oxidative stress in sleep disorders is more pronounced in Mongoloids. The medical technologies directions for correction of sleep disorders are proposed: the use of melatonin drugs in the evening and light therapy in the early morning hours in Caucasians who are carriers of the3111T Clockgene allele; melatonin drugs to increase its total level in Mongoloids; personalized prescription of antioxidant therapy in all patients; specific therapy to eliminate breathing disorders during sleep in those who have obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.
 Conclusions.Presence of insomnia, chronobiological rhythms of melatonin secretion, lipid peroxidation processes in sleep disorders are ethnospecific.

Vaginal herb use and Chlamydia trachomatis infection: cross-sectional study among women of various ethnic groups in Suriname

ObjectiveVaginal steam baths with herb leaves (herb use) is practised by some Surinamese women. We assessed herb use among women from the five most prevalent ethnic groups, and if herb...

A Mosque-Based Physical Activity Intervention for South Asian Muslim Women - a Pilot Study.

PURPOSE: South Asian’s (SA) are one of the largest visible minority groups in Canada. SA Muslim women living in Canada have higher mortality and morbidity from cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and type 2 diabetes compared to the general population. For those living with or at risk for CVD and diabetes, physical activity reduces mortality and symptoms, improves disease control and quality of life. However, low levels of physical activity have been reported in people of SA origin, particularly in SA Muslim women. Practical barriers (e.g. lack of time, childcare) are often interwoven with cultural barriers (e.g. religious modesty, avoidance of mixed-sex activity) and inhibit participation. Health promotion programs in religious institutions have shown clinical and psychosocial benefit to women of various ethnic groups. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the acceptability, feasibility and effectiveness of a mosque-based physical activity program for SA Muslim women in Ontario, Canada. METHODS: SA Muslim women participated in a 24-week physical activity intervention in a mosque setting. Demographic information, attendance, participant experience, and self-efficacy related to exercise were collected. The Duke Activity Status Index (DASI) and International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) were administered pre and post intervention. RESULTS: Sixty-two women participated from June to December 2014. Data was obtained from 28 participants who consented to participate (mean age 51.0 years (SD 12.0). On average, 13 women attended each session (range: 3-28) over the 67-session period. Each participant attended an average of 22 exercise sessions (range: 1-51). Fewer participants were classified “inactive” on the IPAQ at the end of the intervention (42% pre vs. 10% post; p=0.006). Pre-post DASI scores did not significantly change. Participants were highly satisfied with their exercise experience. The women stated they felt healthier and were able to participate in more activities, including prayer. CONCLUSIONS: Mosque-based physical activity programs may reduce CVD, diabetes and associated disease risk in SA Muslim women. Culturally relevant structured networks, such as places of worship, are important assets when designing lifestyle interventions for SA Muslim women.

Extraordinarily large protruding accessory breast cancer in a man

To the Editor: Accessory breasts may appear at any point along the milk line from the axilla to the groin, with the commonest location being the axilla.1 The incidence of accessory breasts varies between 0.6% and 6% in women of various ethnic groups, and the highest prevalence is in the Japanese population.2 The incidence in Japanese men is one third of that in Japanese women. Cancer originating from accessory breast tissue has been reported to account for 0.3% to 0.6% of all breast cancers.3 Primary carcinoma in accessory breasts in men is extremely rare.

Knowledge and Perception of Breast Cancer among Women of Various Ethnic Groups in the State of Penang: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess and compare the knowledge and perception of breast cancer among women of various ethnic groups in the state of Penang. Subjects and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from February 5 to March 15, 2008. 384 participants were conveniently selected and interviewed face to face by a trained researcher (M.A.H.) using a validated questionnaire. Participants were required to answer 22 questions concerning knowledge of breast cancer and 5 questions on the perception of breast cancer management and treatment outcomes. Results: The mean total score of knowledge was 59.1%, with Indian women having significantly less knowledge than the Chinese and Malay women (p < 0.001). Only 117 (32.3%) and 120 (33.0%) women were aware of the recommended breast self-examination (BSE) and clinical breast examination (CBE) guidelines, respectively. Multiple regression analysis showed that ethnicity, age, level of education and employment status were major determinants of breast cancer knowledge. Conclusion: The current study has demonstrated that women in the state of Penang have serious knowledge deficits about breast cancer and poor awareness of BSE and CBE guidelines. This study has highlighted the need of an intensive breast cancer awareness campaign which should also stress the importance of early detection and reporting of breast cancer.

The prevalence of germ-line TP53 mutations in women diagnosed with breast cancer before age 30

Germ-line mutations in the TP53 gene are rare, but predispose women to a range of cancer types, including early-onset breast cancer. Breast cancers in women from families with the Li-Fraumeni syndrome often occur before age 30. The prevalence of deleterious TP53 mutations in unselected women with early-onset breast cancer is not precisely known. If mutations were found to be sufficiently common, it might be prudent to offer genetic testing to affected women in this age group. We screened the entire TP53 gene in the germ-line DNA from 95 women of various ethnic groups who were diagnosed with breast cancer before age 30, and who had previously been found to be negative for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. No TP53 mutation was found. This study does not support a policy that TP53 testing should be offered routinely to unselected women with early-onset breast cancer in the absence of a family history of cancer.

C-Reactive protein levels among women of various ethnic groups living in the United States (from the Women's Health Study)

The distribution of C-reactive protein (CRP) levels was compared among 24,455 white, 475 black, 357 Asian, and 254 Hispanic women, all of whom are participants in the Women's Health Study. Median CRP levels were significantly higher among black women (2.96 mg/L, interquartile range [IQR] 1.19 to 5.86) than among their white (2.02 mg/L, IQR 0.81 to 4.37), Hispanic (2.06 mg/L, IQR 0.88 to 4.88), and Asian (1.12 mg/L, IQR 0.48 to 2.25) counterparts. As expected, women taking hormone replacement therapy had higher baseline CRP levels than women not taking hormone replacement therapy. No differences in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol or total cholesterol levels were observed between ethnic groups. In multivariate regression models, body mass index was a significant (p <0.001) predictor of elevated CRP concentrations among all race/ethnic groups, and control for body mass index substantially attenuated the differences noted in CRP levels across race/ethnic groups, particularly among black women. Control for all measured modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease did not entirely explain CRP differences. Among these women, the distribution of CRP levels varied significantly between the various race/ethnic groups.

The role of qualitative research in a national project on decision making about hysterectomy and the use of hormone replacement therapy.

THIS SPECIAL ISSUE introduces the Ethnicity, Needs, and Decisions of Women (ENDOW) at midlife project, a federally funded multisite research project that focuses on how women of various ethnic groups make decisions about hysterectomy/surgical menopause and the use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT). The ENDOW project combines qualitative and quantitative research approaches, and this issue of the Journal of Women’s Health & Gender-Based Medicine focuses on the results of the initial qualitative research conducted at each of the four ENDOW sites (Alabama, South Carolina, New Mexico, and Texas). This article serves as a brief introduction to the project and outlines why qualitative methods were used as a first phase of the research. We focus specifically on the intended purposes of qualitative research and how these purposes are related to the goals of ENDOW. The articles that follow describe the research at each site in more detail, elaborate on the specific qualitative methods that were used, and discuss how the data were used to determine quantitative instrument and intervention development.

Earnings Returns to Occupational Status: Are Asian Americans Disadvantaged?

While Asian Americans fare well in the U.S. economy by some measures, many argue that this achievement masks the structural constraints to mobility still encountered in the labor market. This study is the first to systematically examine, by Asian ethnicity and gender, whether Asian Americans receive lower earnings returns to their occupational status than non-Hispanic whites. Results here indicate that native-born Asian men and women of various ethnic groups do not earn significantly less than otherwise similar native-born non-Hispanic whites, and they receive equivalent earnings returns to their occupational status. This evidence is not consistent with the racial discrimination hypothesis. Only foreign-born Asian men are disadvantaged relative to native-born non-Hispanic white men, although within this group there is considerable variation by nation of origin. But because a majority of Asians in the United States are immigrants, continued attention needs to be directed as to how subsequent generations of Asian Americans fare in the labor market.

Women's Marijuana Problems

SUMMARY Individual, cultural, professional, and gender-related factors converge to increase the denial of women's marijuana problems. Recent epidemiological information on marijuana use shows that marijuana is a significant problem for women of various ethnic groups, pregnant women, young adults and workers. Women's marijuana-related problems affect their health, safety, domestic relations, motherhood, and work. Outdated addiction theories, diagnostic tools, and insufficient research aggravate the difficulty of treating marijuana addiction. Current research and addiction theory show that marijuana should be classified with all other addictive drugs. Recommendations and resources are provided for marijuana-specific public outreach, intervention, treatment and research.

Ethnic Differences in Mothers' Anxiety

Research on differences in anxiety levels among women of various ethnic groups is small. The most closely related work is found under the heading of differences in mental disorders. Most of this is concerned only with black/white differences, and it is generally thought that no definite conclusions can be drawn about these differences in the absence of additional epidemiological research (Miller & Dreger, 1973). T o investigate possible differences in levels of anxiety between black, white and Mexican-American mothers, a stratified random sample of mothers of Head Start children in Lansing, Michigan was selected. To the sample of 24 white mothers, 24 blacks, and 24 Mexican-Americans the Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale, perhaps the most well-established of anxiety tests, was administered. A version was especially translated for those Mexican-American mothers who might have difficulty reading the test. A bilingual Spanish teacher who teaches English to Mexican-American adults and has a Master's degree in Spanish translated the test. The test was reviewed by a bilingual MexicanAmerican Head Start teacher to ensure that no differences in Spanish dialect were present. Three of the Mexican-American mothers used the Spanish version.