Rate Of Women Research Articles

Sex Differences in Graphic Warning Label Ratings by Addictions Clients.

Research on sex differences in responses to cigarette graphic warning labels (GWLs) has been limited despite tobacco-related, health disparities for women. We examined whether women had stronger responses to certain labels than to others, whether this pattern differed from men's, and whether there were overall sex ratings differences. Smokers (N = 881) in 24, addictions treatment programs rated 3 of 9 Food and Drug Administration-developed labels on credibility, message reactance, quit motivation, and negative emotions. Participants rated one label depicting a woman and/or baby, and 2 depicting tobacco-related disease or male images. Women's (n = 432) ratings of labels depicting women/babies versus other labels did not differ from men's (n = 449) ratings. Women had higher ratings than men across all labels combined on credibility (p < .001), quit motivation (p = .007), and negative emotions (p < .001). Individual labels were analyzed for sex differences. Women's ratings were higher on credibility for 3 of 9 labels, and on negative emotions for 7 of 9 labels. Female smokers in addictions treatment had generally stronger responses to GWLs than men, supporting GWL implementation in the United States to help close the sex gap in smoking cessation.

Effect of Cell-Free DNA Screening vs Direct Invasive Diagnosis on Miscarriage Rates in Women With Pregnancies at High Risk of Trisomy 21: A Randomized Clinical Trial

(Abstracted from JAMA 2018;320(6):557–565) Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) tests are increasingly offered to women at increased risk of trisomy 21 to decrease the number of required invasive fetal karyotyping procedures and their associated miscarriages. The effect of this strategy has not been evaluated prospectively when compared with invasive diagnostic testing.

The Effect of Dual Trigger of Oocyte Maturation with Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Agonist and Low-Dose Human Chorionic Gonadotropin on Pregnancy Rate in Women at Risk of Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome

Background: the purpose of this study was to compare rates of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) and the pregnancy outcome after using gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists (GnRHa) alone and GnRHa in combination with low-dose human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG, dual trigger) for final oocyte maturation in women undergoing controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH). Patients and Methods: the study included 150 female patients with high risk of OHSS occurrence who were allocated by the Computer-based randomization method into two groups with 75 patients in each arm, Group I received GnRHa trigger and Group II received dual trigger (GnRHa + low-dose (1500 IU) hCG trigger). Results: Our study showed that the incidence of OHSS was higher after dual trigger than GnRHa trigger but with no statistically significant difference (8.0 vs 1.33 %, p >0.05). There were 6 cases of OHSS developed with dual trigger group (Group II) (3 were mild early OHSS, 2 were moderate early and one case was severe late OHSS). In contrast, there was only one case of severe late OHSS seen in Group I. Conclusion: Dual trigger for final oocyte maturation using GnRHa and low-dose hCG is associated with increased the incidence of early OHSS compared to GnRH alone. However, dual trigger appears to be a safe approach with a satisfactory pregnancy outcome. Also, the dual trigger improves the oocyte maturation, the number of yield embryos and the quality of embryos.

The Effect of Dual Trigger of Oocyte Maturation with Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Agonist and Low-Dose Human Chorionic Gonadotropin on Pregnancy Rate in Women at Risk of Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome

The Effect of Dual Trigger of Oocyte Maturation with Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Agonist and Low-Dose Human Chorionic Gonadotropin on Pregnancy Rate in Women at Risk of Ovarian Hyperstimulation Syndrome

Selecting Talent: Gender Differences in Participation and Success in Competitive Selection Processes

We investigate whether competitive selection processes generate gender inequality in the context of a prestigious graduate fellowship program. All applications are scored remotely by expert reviewers and the highest ranked are invited to an in-person interview. The data show a very large gender gap in success rates: women's success rate is 36% lower than men's. About one third of this gap is due to the lower grades of female candidates, which is surprising given women's higher GPA in the population of college graduates. Adjusting for GPA and a rich set of fixed-effects, women's success rate remains 16% lower than for comparable male candidates. We show that this gap is explained by reviewers engaging in gender balancing. Namely, reviewers favor the minority gender in each field of study but, except for STEM, all fields are female-dominated. Our simulations show that the interview plays an important role, but the quantitative scoring has a more profound effect on the award allocation. Merging administrative records on the population of graduates from a large university, we document an important gender gap in participation. We find that high-GPA female graduates are much less likely to apply to the fellowship program. The combination of the gender gaps in participation and success in the program imply that high-GPA female graduates are almost 50% less likely to obtain a fellowship than their male counterparts.

Female Labour Force Participation (FLFP) and its Significance in Economic Growth of India: An Overview

During the last 25–30 years, India is experiencing rapid economic growth with minimal ups and downs. The country has also attained structural changes, increased the higher level of education attainment, declining trend of fertility rate and rapid urbanization. However, there has been 23 per cent of decline in the female labour force participation rate. This paper explores with few questions using state-level employment data spanning the last twenty five years, 1983–84 to 2009–10. Several cross-country and within-country studies suggest female labour force participation tends to decline initially with economic development, plateaus at a certain stage of development before rising again. The results of the study also suggest that growth by itself is not sufficient to increase women's economic activity, but the dynamics of growth matter. These findings are especially important to help design policies to improve women's labour force participation rate so that India can take complete advantage of its demographic dividend.

Low Attendance and Transition Rates of Women at the Tertiary Level: Impact of Internet Innovation in Ghana

Low Attendance and Transition Rates of Women at the Tertiary Level: Impact of Internet Innovation in Ghana

Feasibility and acceptability of Indigenous Counselling and Nicotine (ICAN) QUIT in Pregnancy multicomponent implementation intervention and study design for Australian Indigenous pregnant women: A pilot cluster randomised step-wedge trial

BackgroundMany health providers (HPs) lack knowledge, confidence, optimism and skills in addressing smoking with pregnant women. This study aimed to explore the feasibility and acceptability of a) a co-designed multi-component intervention for HPs at Aboriginal Medical Services (AMSs) in culturally-targeted pregnancy-specific smoking cessation care and b) the study design. MethodsUsing a randomised step-wedge cluster design, the Indigenous Counselling And Nicotine (ICAN) QUIT in Pregnancy Trial was evaluated across six AMSs in three Australian states. HPs were provided educational resource packages including live interactive webinars, treatment manuals, patient resources, carbon monoxide (CO) meters, and oral Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT). Feasibility was assessed through recruitment and retention rates of both pregnant women (12-weeks) and HPs (end of study) as well as the potential to improve women's quit rates. Qualitative interviews with staff post-trial explored acceptability of the intervention and study, based on capability, opportunity and motivation from the Behaviour Change Wheel. ResultsPregnant women (n = 22; 47% (95% CI: 32%, 63%) eligible) and HPs (n = 50; 54% (95% CI: 44%, 64%) eligible) were recruited over 6 months with retention rates of 77% (95% CI: 57%, 90%) and 40% (95% CI: 28%, 54%) respectively. Self-reported 12-week 7-day point-prevalence abstinence was 13.6% (n = 3) and validated abstinent with CO readings ≤6 ppm. Staff interviewed regarding intervention implementation highlighted the importance of provision and use of resources, including training materials, patient resources, CO meters and oral NRT. Resources helped increase capability and opportunity, restructure the environment, and provided social comparison and modelling. Staff were motivated by greater engagement with pregnant women and seeing the women's reductions in CO readings. Having the intervention at the AMSs improved organisational capacity to engage with pregnant women. Staff reported changes to their routine practice that were potentially sustainable. Recommendations for improvement to the implementation of the intervention and research included reducing training length and the tasks related to conducting the study. ConclusionICAN QUIT in Pregnancy was a pilot study with the ability to enrol Indigenous women. It was feasible to implement and acceptable to most staff of the AMSs in three states, with modifications recommended. Smoking in pregnancy is a key challenge for Indigenous health. The intervention needs to be evaluated through a methodologically rigorous fully-powered study to determine the efficacy of outcomes for women. Trial registrationAustralian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN12616001603404. Registered 21 November 2016 - retrospectively registered, https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=371778

Obesity and Infertility: A Metabolic Assessment Strategy to Improve Pregnancy Rate

Background The metabolic global approach is a multidisciplinary intervention for obese women before undergoing assisted reproductive techniques, with the goal of improving fertility and decreasing adverse pregnancy outcomes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of the metabolic global approach on pregnancy rate. Methods This retrospective cohort study included 127 women and was conducted at the Centre hospitalier de l'Universite de Montreal fertility center. Eligibility included BMI at initial consultation of ≥30 kg/m2. Fertility treatments were considered when a weight loss of minimum 5% and normal metabolic indices were achieved. The p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results Median baseline and last clinical assessment BMIs were 38.2 kg/m2 and 35.8 kg/m2 respectively (p<0.001), representing a median weight loss of 5.1%. At baseline, at least one metabolic parameter was abnormal in 66% of women. Total pregnancy rate was 53%. The majority of women (63%) who achieved pregnancy did so with weight loss and metabolic stabilization alone (11%) or combined with metformin (36%) and/or oral ovulation drugs (16%). Normal vitamin D (p<0.001) and triglyceride levels (p<0.05) as well as lower BMI after weight loss (p<0.05) were associated with an increased relative risk of pregnancy. Conclusion Replete vitamin D status, weight loss of 5% and lower BMI as well as normal triglyceride level are significant and independent predictors of pregnancy in obese women presenting to our fertility center. The metabolic global approach is an effective program to detect metabolic abnormalities and improve obese women's pregnancy rate.

Incidence of female suicide in New York City: how important are socioeconomic factors?

After a steady decline in the incidence of suicide in the last 3 decades of the twentieth century, suicide rates in the US and likewise in New York City (NYC) began to rise. A breakdown of the city's rates by gender reveals that since 2000, suicides among men had held steady while the rate among women had increased in every age group, in divergence from the national pattern of rising rates in both genders. This study considers a broad range of socioeconomic variables to identify those most strongly associated with suicide rates of women in NYC. Drawing on 4 decades of data from the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey, the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's Vital Statistics and the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime Reporting Program, we use an Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model to estimate short and long run relationships between suicide rates in women aged 15-44 and a range of socioeconomic factors. We find a positive aggregate association between women's suicide rates and the unemployment rate, the White percentage of the city's population, the number of forcible rapes reported in the crime statistics, and a negative association between suicide and abortion rates. The results of the study suggest that labor market conditions, rather than societal factors such as marriage or fertility rates affect younger women's suicide rates in NYC. Second, sexual violence against women, found in micro studies to have severe long-term negative effects on victims' mental health is also positively associated with the aggregate suicide rate. Finally, higher abortion rates correspond with lower suicide rates at the city level, but the mechanisms behind this link are not as clear, since micro studies find little association between unwanted pregnancy termination and mental health.

The effect of unrelated social exchanges on facial attractiveness judgments

Whereas the influence of facial attractiveness (FA) on social judgments has been well documented, much less is known about the converse influence of social exchanges on FA judgments. Previous research has shown that social dimensions inherently related to the face judged, such as status, can affect such judgments. However, we found that facial attractiveness ratings were affected by social exchanges unrelated to the face judged. In three experiments, we examined how competitive and cooperative financial exchanges influence subsequent facial aesthetic judgments. Compared to cooperation, competition decreased women's (but not men's) ratings of men's facial attractiveness; this pattern of effects also occurred for ratings of buildings, suggesting that competition suppressed aesthetic appreciation. However, women's responses to women's faces followed an inverse pattern, as competition (rather than cooperation) elevated women faces' attractiveness ratings. Introducing self-affirmation, a psychological mechanism that alleviates the effects of social competition, restored attractiveness ratings. This finding suggests that women's own-gender judgments in a competitive environment are affected by a perception of threat induced by social comparison. Overall, this study suggests that aesthetic judgments are not immune to social conditions. Such moderating effects contribute to our understanding of how sociocultural environments dynamically regulate aesthetic preferences.

Effect of Cell-Free DNA Screening vs Direct Invasive Diagnosis on Miscarriage Rates in Women With Pregnancies at High Risk of Trisomy 21

Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) tests are increasingly being offered to women in the first trimester of pregnancies at a high risk of trisomy 21 to decrease the number of required invasive fetal karyotyping procedures and their associated miscarriages. The effect of this strategy has not been evaluated. To compare the rates of miscarriage following invasive procedures only in the case of positive cfDNA test results vs immediate invasive testing procedures (amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling) in women with pregnancies at high risk of trisomy 21 as identified by first-trimester combined screening. Randomized clinical trial conducted from April 8, 2014, to April 7, 2016, in 57 centers in France among 2111 women with pregnancies with a risk of trisomy 21 between 1 in 5 and 1 in 250 following combined first-trimester screening. Patients were randomized to receive either cfDNA testing followed by invasive testing procedures only when cfDNA tests results were positive (n = 1034) or to receive immediate invasive testing procedures (n = 1017). The cfDNA testing was performed using an in-house validated method based on next-generation sequencing. The primary outcome was number of miscarriages before 24 weeks' gestation. Secondary outcomes included cfDNA testing detection rate for trisomy 21. The primary outcome underwent 1-sided testing; secondary outcomes underwent 2-sided testing. Among 2051 women who were randomized and analyzed (mean age, 36.3 [SD, 5.0] years), 1997 (97.4%) completed the trial. The miscarriage rate was not significantly different between groups at 8 (0.8%) vs 8 (0.8%), for a risk difference of -0.03% (1-sided 95% CI, -0.68% to ∞; P = .47). The cfDNA detection rate for trisomy 21 was 100% (95% CI, 87.2%-100%). Among women with pregnancies at high risk of trisomy 21, offering cfDNA screening, followed by invasive testing if cfDNA test results were positive, compared with invasive testing procedures alone, did not result in a significant reduction in miscarriage before 24 weeks. The study may have been underpowered to detect clinically important differences in miscarriage rates. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02127515.

Institutional Protocols for Vaginal Preparation With Antiseptic Solution and Surgical Site Infection Rate in Women Undergoing Cesarean Delivery During Labor.

To evaluate the association of institutional protocols for vaginal preparation with antiseptic solution and the surgical site infection rate in women undergoing cesarean delivery during labor. This is a secondary analysis of a multicenter randomized controlled trial of adjunctive azithromycin prophylaxis for cesarean delivery performed in laboring patients with viable pregnancies. The primary outcome for this analysis was the rate of superficial or deep surgical site infection within 6 weeks postpartum, as per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria. Maternal secondary outcomes included a composite of endometritis, wound infection or other infections, postoperative maternal fever, length of hospital stay, and the rates of hospital readmission, unexpected office visits, and emergency department visits. A total of 523 women delivered in institutions with vaginal antisepsis policies before cesarean delivery and 1,490 delivered in institutions without such policies. There was no difference in superficial and deep surgical site infection rates between women with and without vaginal preparation (5.5% vs 4.1%; odds ratio [OR] 1.38, 95% CI 0.87-2.17), even after adjusting for possible confounders (adjusted OR 0.86, 95% CI 0.43-1.73). The lack of significant benefit was noted in all other maternal secondary outcomes. Institutional policies for vaginal preparation before cesarean delivery were not associated with lower rates of surgical site infection in women undergoing cesarean delivery during labor.

Google Scholar and Web of Science: Examining gender differences in citation coverage across five scientific disciplines

Abstract Many studies demonstrate differences in the coverage of citing publications in Google Scholar (GS) and Web of Science (WoS). Here, we examine to what extent citation data from the two databases reflect the scholarly impact of women and men differently. Our conjecture is that WoS carries an indirect gender bias in its selection criteria for citation sources that GS avoids due to criteria that are more inclusive. Using a sample of 1250 U.S. researchers in Sociology, Political Science, Economics, Cardiology and Chemistry, we examine gender differences in the average citation coverage of the two databases. We also calculate database-specific h-indices for all authors in the sample. In repeated simulations of hiring scenarios, we use these indices to examine whether women's appointment rates increase if hiring decisions rely on data from GS in lieu of WoS. We find no systematic gender differences in the citation coverage of the two databases. Further, our results indicate marginal to non-existing effects of database selection on women's success-rates in the simulations. In line with the existing literature, we find the citation coverage in WoS to be largest in Cardiology and Chemistry and smallest in Political Science and Sociology. The concordance between author-based h-indices measured by GS and WoS is largest for Chemistry followed by Cardiology, Political Science, Sociology and Economics.

Epidemiology of Injuries in Women's Lacrosse: Implications for Sport-, Level-, and Sex-Specific Injury Prevention Strategies

By the end of 2013, the United States had an estimated 278 000 female lacrosse players, with half of those participating at the youth level. The effects of the sport's rapid growth on injury rates have yet to be determined. The purpose of this clinical review is to synthesize the available published data on injuries that have occurred in the sport of women's lacrosse. Of particular interest was the risk of injury based on the level of play and position. A comprehensive literature search was performed in PubMed, High Wire Press, SPORTDiscus, Google Scholar, and Ovid using the keywords "Lacrosse Injuries," "Epidemiology Lacrosse Injuries," "Lacrosse Injury," "Lacrosse," and "Injury." The electronic search included material published during or after 1950. In addition, all bibliographies of electronically found sources were cross-referenced to identify any additional publications that were not produced in the electronic searches. All articles with data on women's injury rates were categorized by overall injury rates, rates by session (competition vs practice), nature of injury, location, type, severity, and player position. Injury rates increase with age: from youth leagues to high school and finally to the collegiate level. Rates of injury varied from 0.03 to 3.9 injuries/100 athletes. Women's game injury rates are consistently higher than practice injury rates (ranging from 0.2 to 7.1 vs 0.01 to 3.3). Injuries occur most frequently from stick-to-player or player-to-ball contact, rather than player-to-player contact. Women sustain a higher percentage of head and facial injuries relative to male lacrosse players. The most common types of injuries for women are concussions, sprains, contusions, and lacerations. More than half of all injuries are in the mild category resulting in players missing practice and games for 1 to 7 days. Offensive players had the most injuries, followed by defensive players and then midfielders, with goalies having the fewest number of injuries. In women's lacrosse, the rules and equipment used are substantially different than for the men's game. Face and hand injuries are more prevalent for women when compared with men, and ankle injuries are most prevalent in female youth. Medical professionals who treat lacrosse players can benefit from an improved understanding of the types and rates of the injuries they are likely to encounter. Improved awareness of lacrosse-specific injuries can assist these professionals to be more prepared to treat these athletes, which may lead to improved care and outcomes.

Pregnancy, parity and periodontal disease.

Many women believe that their dental condition deteriorated during pregnancy or as a result of having children. Epidemiological studies have reported an association between higher parity and tooth loss, and higher parity and periodontal attachment loss. Several possible explanations for this association exist. First, hormonal changes during pregnancy affect the immune response to bacterial plaque and drive vascular and gingival changes that may contribute to heightened gingival inflammation. These changes are transient, without irreversible loss of periodontal attachment, and post-partum resolution can be expected for most women. For women with destructive periodontal disease, the effects of pregnancy and parity are unclear. Second, it is also plausible that parity and socioeconomic position (SEP) have shared risk factors, increasing the incidence of disease or influencing its management. Education, one aspect of SEP, is an important determining factor for women's fertility rate, with a gradient of fewer children with higher educational attainment. Higher levels of education are also favourably associated with behaviours conducive to oral health, and a lower incidence of damaging health behaviours. Thus, the potential for confounding is considerable. This review examines the literature on the association between pregnancy, parity and periodontal health, and explores sociobehavioural mechanisms for the observed association.

WHY ARE U.S. WOMEN DECREASING THEIR LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATION IF THEIR WAGES ARE RISING?

Given the traditional interpretation of women's labor force participation rate (LFPR) trends as movements along a positively sloped labor supply curve, it is surprising that the recent downward trend in U.S. women's LFPR has occurred over a period when women's real wages were commonly believed to be rising. I find that almost two‐thirds of the decline since 2000 is attributable to aging of the adult female population. The remainder, due to declining labor force participation for women under 55, becomes less puzzling in light of my evidence that the wage/education locus faced by women actually may have worsened since 2000. (JEL J21, J31, J82)

ACOG Committee Opinion No. 737: Expedited Partner Therapy.

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) disproportionately affect women and create a preventable threat to their fertility. One factor that contributes to young women's high rates of STIs is reinfection from an untreated sexual partner. One way to address this problem is through expedited partner therapy, the practice of treating the sexual partners of patients in whom STIs are diagnosed. Expedited partner therapy enables the obstetrician-gynecologist or other provider to give prescriptions or medications to patients to take to their partners without first examining these partners. Despite the effectiveness of expedited partner therapy, numerous legal, medical, practical, and administrative barriers hinder its routine use by obstetrician-gynecologists. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists supports the use of expedited partner therapy as a method of preventing gonorrhea and chlamydial reinfection when a patient's partners are unable or unwilling to seek medical care. Expedited partner therapy should be accompanied by patient counseling and written treatment instructions for the patient's partner(s). Partners receiving expedited partner therapy should be encouraged to seek additional medical evaluation as soon as possible to discuss screening for other STIs, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.

ACOG Committee Opinion No. 737 Summary: Expedited Partner Therapy.

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) disproportionately affect women and create a preventable threat to their fertility. One factor that contributes to young women's high rates of STIs is reinfection from an untreated sexual partner. One way to address this problem is through expedited partner therapy, the practice of treating the sexual partners of patients in whom STIs are diagnosed. Expedited partner therapy enables the obstetrician-gynecologist or other provider to give prescriptions or medications to patients to take to their partners without first examining these partners. Despite the effectiveness of expedited partner therapy, numerous legal, medical, practical, and administrative barriers hinder its routine use by obstetrician-gynecologists. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists supports the use of expedited partner therapy as a method of preventing gonorrhea and chlamydial reinfection when a patient's partners are unable or unwilling to seek medical care. Expedited partner therapy should be accompanied by patient counseling and written treatment instructions for the patient's partner(s). Partners receiving expedited partner therapy should be encouraged to seek additional medical evaluation as soon as possible to discuss screening for other STIs, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.

Spatial Patterns of Female Labor Force Participation in Oman: A GIS-Based Modeling

In the past decade, the women's employment rate has increased in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states as a result of improved female educational attainment and the expansion of the local market economy. A significant gender gap in labor force participation (LFP) rates has emerged, however, compared to other countries in the Middle East and North Africa. The main aim of this article is to model the spatial variations of female LFP rates across the northeastern part of Oman. A geographically weighted regression (GWR) technique, within the geographic information system platform, is used to address how the relationships between Omani female LFP rates and a set of explanatory variables vary across Omani subnational boundaries. GWR is a powerful approach that can facilitate the identification of areas with lower or higher female LFP rates and help in better understanding the predictors that are associated with women's employment in specific locations. In so doing, this work attempts to fill the gap in the geographic literature regarding the modeling of local spatial patterns of female employment in developing countries. The results show that the female LFP rate is significantly associated with different spatial measures and particularly the geographic distribution of female education. Interestingly, the percentage of female jobs in the public sector is found to have a substantial negative effect on female LFP rates, especially in urban areas. This can be attributed to the propensity of Omani women to work in governmental jobs and reduce their participation in private and other business sectors. The findings of this research analysis not only offer a more nuanced examination of female LFP rate patterns but also provide empirical evidence in support of locally tailored policies pertaining to the female labor force, which might help in increasing women's participation trends in the local economy across local communities.