Young Hispanic Women Research Articles

Physical activity recommendations and cardiovascular disease risk factors in young Hispanic women

Despite the benefits associated with regular physical activity, there is little epidemiological evidence to support positive health outcomes when meeting physical activity guidelines in high-risk ethnic groups, such as Hispanic women. We compared cardiovascular disease risk factors between young Hispanic women who meet and those who do not meet current physical activity guidelines. Height, weight, waist circumference, and blood pressure were measured in 60 Hispanic women aged 20–39 years. Lipids, C-reactive protein, insulin, and glucose were assessed. Body composition and cardiovascular fitness were assessed by BodPod and maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) respectively. Participants wore an accelerometer and average minutes (assessed in 10-min bouts) spent in light, moderate, and hard daily activity for weekdays and weekends was determined. Seventy percent of participants did not meet the recommended physical activity guidelines, whereas 30% did so. Following current physical activity guidelines was associated with significantly lower mean cholesterol (mean ± s: 4.2 ± 0.8 vs. 4.7 ± 0.9 mmol · l−1) and triglycerides (0.7 ± 0.3 vs. 1.1 ± 0.6 mmol · l−1), and higher fat-free mass (43.3 ± 3.8 vs. 40.2 ± 5.1 kg) and relative (40.4 ± 7.6 vs. 35.6 ± 7.0 ml · kg−1 · min−1) and absolute (2.5 ± 0.3 vs. 2.1 ± 0.4 litres · min−1) VO2max (P < 0.05). These findings suggest an improved health status in women who meet versus those who did not meet current physical activity guidelines.

Sexting Behaviors Among Young Hispanic Women: Incidence and Association with Other High-risk Sexual Behaviors

Several legal cases in the United States in which adolescents were charged with child pornography distribution after sharing nude photographs of themselves with romantic partners or others have highlighted the issue of sexting behaviors among youth. Although policy makers, mental health workers, educators and parents have all expressed concern regarding the potential harm of sexting behaviors, little to no research has examined this phenomenon empirically. The current study presents some preliminary data on the incidence of sexting behavior and associated high risk sexual behaviors in a sample of 207 predominantly Hispanic young women age 16-25. Approximately 20% of young women reported engaging in sexting behavior. Sexting behaviors were not associated with most other high-risk sexual behaviors, but were slightly more common in women who found sex to be highly pleasurable or who displayed histrionic personality traits.

Pregnancy and HIV Infection in Young Women in North Carolina

We described young women in North Carolina (NC) who were pregnant at the time of diagnosis with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection to identify an at-risk population that could be targeted for increased HIV screening. We investigated the combined effect of partner counseling and referral services (PCRS) and comprehensive prenatal HIV screening. We conducted a retrospective review of PCRS charts on young women newly diagnosed with HIV in NC between 2002 and 2005. We determined the prevalence of pregnancy in the study sample and conducted bivariate analyses to assess predictors of pregnancy at the time of HIV diagnosis, calculating prevalence ratios (PRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We analyzed results of partner notification efforts, including timing and stage of diagnosis of HIV-positive partners. During the four-year period, 551 women aged 18-30 years were newly diagnosed with HIV; 30% were pregnant at the time of HIV diagnosis. Pregnant women were more likely to be Hispanic (PR=1.58, 95% CI 1.15, 2.17) and not report typical risk factors. Fourteen percent of pregnant women's partners had an undiagnosed infection compared with slightly more than 8% of nonpregnant women's partners (p<0.01). Ethnic differences in co-diagnosis of pregnancy and HIV suggest that young Hispanic women may have differential access to and acceptance of routine HIV screening. Comprehensive prenatal screening combined with partner notification can be effective in reaching infected male partners who are undiagnosed.

Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis following acute kidney injury and exposure to gadolinium

Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) is a scleroderma-like systemic fibrosing condition of unknown etiology described in patients with renal insufficiency. Gadolinium exposure has been strongly associated with the development of NSF though the mechanism of such injury is not known. There are only few reported cases of NSF in the setting of acute renal failure and fewer reported cases where skin lesions developed after kidney function had returned to normal. We report a case of NSF in a young Hispanic woman with lupus nephritis but normal creatinine, who received gadolinium during a brief episode of prerenal acute kidney injury not requiring dialysis, secondary to sepsis.

Premarital Birth Among Young Hispanic Women: Evidence from Semiparametric Competing Risks Analysis

The existing literature on welfare effects on marriage and fertility has largely focused on groups of white and black women. By contrast, Hispanic women have received little attention. This paper examines the effects of welfare generosity on a sample of young Hispanic women’s premarital fertility and marriage choices. A bivariate competing risks duration model framework allows us to identify the process of young women’s premarital fertility and the process of marriage, effectively controlling for observed characteristics and unobservables. Our findings indicate a 10% increase in welfare generosity results in a 10% increase in premarital births and a 7% decrease in marriages by age 24; both effects are significant.

Acculturation, Fitness, Activity and Metabolic Syndrome Risk Factors in Young Hispanic Women

Acculturation, Fitness, Activity and Metabolic Syndrome Risk Factors in Young Hispanic Women

Relationship between ambulatory activity and markers of insulin resistance in young Hispanic women

Study examined the relationship between steps/day and markers of insulin resistance in young, Hispanic women (n=37; age: 30.0 ± 6.5 y; BMI: 28.3 ± 7.0 kg/m2). Height, weight, and fasting concentrations of glucose, insulin, and adiponectin were measured. Insulin sensitivity was calculated according to the Quantitative Insulin Sensitivity Check Index (QUICKI) method. Participants wore a pedometer (Yamax SW‐200) for 7‐days and average steps/day was calculated. Pearson correlation coefficients examined the relationship between steps/day and concentrations of glucose, insulin, adiponectin, and QUICKI. Participants were separated into three activity groups based on average steps/day. One‐way ANOVA was performed to examine differences in markers of insulin resistance across the three activity groups. Steps/day were negatively associated with glucose (r=−0.35, p=0.04) and insulin (r=−0.46, p&lt;0.01); steps/day were positively associated with adiponectin (r=0.42, p=0.01) and QUICKI (r=0.51, p&lt;0.01). The lowest activity group (≤ 5974 steps/day) had significantly higher mean insulin and lower QUICKI values compared to the other activity groups. Adiponectin concentrations were higher in the group with the greatest number of steps/day (&gt;8086 steps/day). In this study, greater ambulatory activity (steps/day) was associated with more favorable markers of insulin resistance.

Effect of pioglitazone on progression of subclinical atherosclerosis in non-diabetic premenopausal Hispanic women with prior gestational diabetes

The Pioglitazone in the Prevention of Diabetes (PIPOD) study was a single arm 3-year open-label pioglitazone treatment to determine the effects of pioglitazone in women with prior gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) who had completed the troglitazone in the Prevention of Diabetes (TRIPOD) study. Here we report the results on progression of subclinical atherosclerosis, measured by carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) in non-diabetic women. Data were analyzed to compare CIMT progression rates during pioglitazone treatment to rates that had been observed during either placebo or troglitazone treatment in the TRIPOD study. Sixty-one women met the entry criteria with mean age of 40 years. In the 30 women who came to PIPOD from the placebo arm of TRIPOD, the CIMT rate was 69% lower during pioglitazone treatment than it had been during placebo (0.0031 vs. 0.0100 mm/yr, p = 0.006). In the 31 women who came to PIPOD from the troglitazone arm of TRIPOD, CIMT rate was 38% lower during pioglitazone than it had been during troglitazone, a difference that was not statistically significant (0.0037 vs. 0.0060 mm/year; p = 0.26). Adjustment for differences in baseline characteristics and potential on-trial confounders did not alter the conclusion but did increase the CIMT rates differences slightly. We conclude that treatment with pioglitazone slowed CIMT progression in women who had been on placebo in the TRIPOD study and maintained a relatively low rate of progression in women who had been on troglitazone. Pioglitazone slows progression of subclinical atherosclerosis in young Hispanic women at increased risk for type 2 diabetes.

Labor Force Attachment and the Evolving Wage Gap Between White, Black, and Hispanic Young Women

In this article, the authors examine the role of labor force attachment (LFA) in shaping the diverging wage trajectories of White, Black, and Hispanic women during their first postschooling decade. The authors take advantage of the longitudinal aspects of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth work history data by constructing detailed annual and cumulative measures of LFA and use them to examine women's wage profiles. The findings show constant racial and ethnic wage gaps among women with college education and a widening race gap among women with no college degree. The latter pattern emphasizes the importance of market-related processes in generating wage inequality among unskilled women. The authors document substantial racial and ethnic gaps within this group in the accumulation of LFA, especially immediately after the transition from school to work. This deficit in labor market experience plays a critical role in creating the diverse wage trajectories of White, Black, and Hispanic women with no college education.

A 38-Year-Old Hispanic Woman with Paradoxical Embolism and Libman-Sacks Endocarditis Involving the Tricuspid Valve

Libman-Sacks endocarditis is a well-described clinical entity in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Transesophageal echocardiography is the definitive imaging modality used in assessing cardiac valvular involvement in this disease process. Herein we describe a young Hispanic woman with systemic lupus erythematosus and multiple tricuspid valvular vegetations who developed splenic and cerebral infarctions while on optimal anticoagulation therapy with warfarin in the setting of a newly diagnosed patent foramen ovale. A review of the literature on Libman-Sacks endocarditis and patent foramen ovale closure is presented.

Solid Pseudopapillary Tumors of the Pancreas: Case Presentation and Review of the Literature

Solid-pseudopapillary tumors of the pancreas are a rare pancreatic neoplasm that carries a 95 per cent 5-year survival rate. However, despite the excellent overall prognosis, aggressive variants been described that likely represent malignant degeneration in an otherwise indolent tumor. Therefore, surgical resection is indicated in all instances. We report a case in a young Hispanic woman, including appropriate work-up and operative intervention.

A Cervical Cancer Curriculum for Hispanic Adolescents in Rural High Schools: A Pilot Study

We assessed the effectiveness of a one-hour curriculum about cervical cancer for high school students. The curriculum was developed and delivered to 142 female students in the 9th to 12th grade at two high schools in rural Eastern Washington State. Self-administered questionnaires assessed changes in knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes related to cervical cancer and Pap smears. Baseline results from a predominantly Hispanic adolescent sample (73%) indicated low pre-test knowledge and negative beliefs and attitudes. Post-test results indicated that there was a significant change in the intervention group for knowledge questions when compared with the control group. Only some changes to more positive beliefs and attitudes about cervical cancer and screening were significant in the post-test. The findings suggest that a culturally appropriate high school curriculum may inform young Hispanic women about important cervical cancer screening practices.

Stress burden, drug dependence and the nativity paradox among U.S. Hispanics

It seems well established that exposure to social stress, including acculturation stress, increases risk for psychiatric and substance problems, and that the disadvantaged experience higher levels of such exposure. Such evidence points to the expectation that immigrant minority groups must be at elevated risk relative to their native-born counterparts. That the opposite appears to be true for various immigrant groups within the U.S. constitutes what has been referred to as the nativity health paradox. This paper examines the association between nativity and drug dependence among the distinctive and understudied Hispanic population of South Florida and attempts to evaluate competing explanations for the apparent advantage of immigrant populations. Based on data on a representative sample young adults of Cuban and other Hispanic backgrounds ( n = 888), we found the paradox to be limited to women and confirmed the finding of prior research that acculturation plays a major role in explaining this difference in risk. We also found cumulative exposure to major and potentially traumatic events to be lower rather than higher among immigrants, to be a strong predictor of drug dependence and to contribute importantly toward accounting for observed nativity differences among women. Taken together, cumulative stress exposure and degree of acculturation explained 40% of the nativity difference. Finally, our results suggest that social support matters for risk primarily because such support more effectively acts to reduce exposure to social stress among foreign-born young Hispanic women.

Evaluation of a brief computer-mediated intervention to reduce HIV risk among early adolescent females

PurposeTo evaluate the efficacy of a brief computer-mediated intervention, relative to no intervention, in altering HIV/AIDS-related knowledge, protective attitudes, and self-efficacy for risk reduction among early adolescent females aged 11 through 14 years. MethodRecruited through the auspices of a large social services agency with multiple sites across New York City, a volunteer sample of 205 Black, White, and Hispanic young women participated in this research. The efficacy of the software intervention was examined in a randomized blocks design with site as the unit of randomization. Young women at experimental arm sites interacted with the software in a single 30-minute session. Youths at control arm sites participated in regular programs offered at these sites, but did not receive the intervention until all planned assessments were concluded. Before and after intervention, participants completed measures of HIV/AIDS-related knowledge, protective attitudes, and self-efficacy for HIV risk reduction. Analyses of covariance were used to test for significant between-arm effects. ResultsBetween-arm effects were observed for HIV/AIDS-related knowledge and risk reduction self-efficacy. Experimental arm youths evidenced greater improvements from pretest to posttest than control-arm youths on these outcomes. ConclusionComputer-mediated interventions may improve HIV/AIDS-related knowledge and risk reduction self-efficacy among early adolescent females. However, additional research is needed to find effective computer-mediated approaches for enhancing protective attitudes among this population.

Subcortical vascular dementia caused by bilateral internal carotid artery occlusion (Moyamoya) in a 47-year-old Hispanic woman

We report a case of subcortical vascular dementia in a young Hispanic woman, without vascular risk factors, who was found to have extensive ischemic brain lesions due to bilateral intracranial carotid artery occlusions (Moyamoya disease). A combination of ECIC surgeries, donepezil and antiplatelet therapy resulted in increased cerebral perfusion, improvement of cognitive deficits, and prevention of further ischemic or hemorrhagic strokes. Moyamoya disease has been rarely described as a cause of vascular dementia. Differential diagnosis includes atherosclerotic disease, multiple sclerosis, and CADASIL.

Comparison of Skinfold Thickness and Bioimpedance to Assess Body Composition in Young, Sedentary, Hispanic Women

0486 Body composition (BC) assessment has a key relevance in designing and monitoring physical activity as well as nutritional programs. Increasing attention has focused on the association between body fat (BF) and related metabolic risk factors. As shown in previous studies, the accuracy of BF prediction by BIA and skinfold thickness methods (SKF) can be affected by ethnicity. PURPOSE: To compare the leg-to-leg BIA system, as a reference method, with three SKF methods for the assessment of BC in young Hispanic women. METHODS: Reliability study in 74 Hispanic, young (19.3 ± 0.83 yrs) 3rd year, volunteer, medical students. BF was first measured using two, three and rd six site SKF according to the equations provided by Katch-McArdle, Jackson-Pollock and Yuhasz. Then, BF was determined with a foot-to-foot impedance apparatus (Tanita body fat analyzer Model 2001 T) using a previously validated 50-kHz BIA analysis equation, under standardized ambient and subject conditions. Fat free mass (FFM) and fat-to-fat-free mass ratio (FFMR) were calculated for each method as well as BMI and WHR determination. Analysis of variance, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and Bland-Altman plot analysis were used for the comparative analysis between the methods. RESULTS: Mean BMI and WHR were 22.15 ± 2.93 kg·m-2 and 0.79 ± 0.05 respectively. 18.9% of the subjects were overweighed while 6.8% had a WHR > 0.90. BF measurements obtained by the Yuhasz, Katch-McArdle and Jackson-Pollock SKF were 12.85 ± 4.58 kg; 12.88 ± 4.59 kg and 13.28 ± 4.87 kg. BF predicted by BIA was significantly higher (16.06 ± 6.11 kg) (P<0.001). The strongest ICC coefficient between BIA and SKF predicted FFMR was found for the Katch-McArdle method (r = 0.81 95% CI 0.69; 0.87), followed by the Yuhasz (r = 0.80 95% CI 0.69; 0.87) and the Jackson-Pollock method (r = 0.78 95% CI 0.66; 0.86). SKF methods showed consistently lower BF values (20%) than BIA. CONCLUSION: In our study, the tree SKF methods showed similar BF prediction values compared with the BIA system. For all SKF methods BF values were 20% lower than the BIA prediction. 2-site skinfold formula appears to be more consistent when assessing BC in Hispanic/latino populations. Whether this difference is due to ethnic specific validity of each method can not be concluded with the present study.

Cervical cancer screening beliefs among young Hispanic women

Objectives. This study examined beliefs, attitudes, and personal characteristics that correlated with self-reported cervical cancer screening history among Hispanic women aged 18 to 25 years old in El Paso, TX, a large metropolitan area on the U.S.–Mexico border. Methods. Data were collected through a cross-sectional, face-to-face survey. The study questionnaire was based primarily on the Health Belief Model, and included scales that measured perceived susceptibility and seriousness of cervical cancer, and perceived benefits and barriers to Pap test screening. The study questionnaire also included measures of acculturation, Pap test history, pregnancy and sexual history, use of birth control, type of medical insurance, and educational attainment. Results. Sixty-nine percent reported ever having had a Pap test and 56% reported having had a test in the past year. Eighty percent reported that they were sexually active, and of these, 63% reported using birth control. Respondents understood the seriousness of cervical cancer, their susceptibility to cervical cancer, and the benefits of Pap testing; however, only 61% agreed that most young women whom they know have Pap tests. Greater acculturation and the belief that most young unmarried women have Pap tests were positively associated with ever having screening. The perception that the test would be painful and not knowing where to go for the test were negatively associated with ever having a Pap test. Conclusions. This study found suboptimal rates of screening for cervical cancer in a sample of young Hispanic women residing along the U.S.–Mexico border. Although women may understand the seriousness of cervical cancer and the benefits of screening, perceptions about Pap tests may pose barriers to undergoing screening. Efforts to increase screening also may need to focus specifically on women who are least acculturated, as they also were least likely to have had prior Pap tests.

The Evaluation of a Measurement Model for the Body Image Questionnaire and the Eating Attitudes Test in a Hispanic Population

The factor structures of the Body Image Questionnaire (BIQ) and the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT) were examined with confirmatory factor analyses. The sample for the BIQ consisted of 255 Hispanic men and women, and the sample for the EAT consisted of 153 Hispanic women living on the U.S./México border. The final factor structures for the BIQ and the EAT differed from the published BIQ and EAT factor structures found for young Caucasian adults. A four-factor solution (midtorso, extremities, sex organs, and face) using Hispanic men and women resulted in a good fit for the BIQ. A five-factor solution (fear of fat, preoccupation with food, others’ opinions, dieting, and slow eating) using Hispanic women resulted in a moderate fit for the EAT. The modified BIQ can be used reliably to test constructs related to body image and eating behavior among Hispanics living on the U.S./México border. However, the original three-factor EAT structure reported in Caucasian women does not seem to be a reliable measure of attitudes toward eating for Hispanic women living on the U.S./México border. Although a five-factor EAT structure was more reliable for assessing eating attitudes in these women, it is recommended that a new instrument be developed and tailored to young Hispanic women.

Getting Out: Life Stories of Women Who Left Abusive Men

Introduction: Thinking Through the Heart Part I. The Privileged Are Not Exempt... Women from every social class are battered even those from moneyed, educated, and politically powerful families. 1. Jan: This descendant of pre-Depression Michigan farm real estate money with a doctorate herself, escaped an abusive marriage to a man ambitious beyond his intellect. 2. Netiva: This Israeli-born woman married a Jewish-American tourist and relocated to live with him in the United States. Her friendship network was critical to her escape from abuse. Part II... Nor Are Children Battering knows no age boundaries girls can fall prey to it. 3. Kimberly: This woman entered her first abusive relationship at age twelve and her abusive marriage during her senior year of high school. Her story links obesity to abuse. 4. Jessica: This is the story of a high school homecoming queen who was battered most of her high school career by the school star athlete. Part III. A Two-Timing Batterer Men batter the women in their lives differently. This section highlights that reality with the case of a man who concurrently battered his wife and his extramarital lover. 5. Rebecca: This Plains Indian woman was battered by her Euroamerican husband. With the divorce she lost custody of her children. 6. Emily: This story captures the essence of the Southern Belle mentality where gendered relationships are concerned. This woman endured premarital marital, and extramarital abuse. Part IV. Family and Friends to the Rescue Battered women can be liberated by family and friends who support and do not blame them. 7. Lee: The wisdom and patience of this woman's parents freed her from her abusive outlaw militia husband. 8. Annette: This young Hispanic woman escaped her abuser with the help of her foster family. Part V. Faces of Shelter Life Women's shelters are structured and work in different ways to assist escape. 9. Sharon: This is the story of a woman who decidedly broke the traditional edict of silence that shackles abused Black women. Her shelter experience is typical. 10. Gretchen: An underground shelter system protects this lesbian woman and her four children who remain on the run from state to state from their abuser. Part VI. When the System Works Sociopolitical structures other than shelters informal as well as formal, can help battered women leave. 11. Raquelle: This is the tale of a Mormon woman abused by a professional athlete. The case and its jury trial drew national media attention. Colorado's mandatory reporting and arrest laws helped liberate her from abuse. 12. Lucretia: This woman's life demonstrates the intersection of class race, homosexuality, and abuse. A shelter, in conjunction with food stamps, welfare, and transitional housing programs, allower her and her children to escape. 13. Colette: This woman's story includes devastating loss: a mother's suicide and a young daughter's death by accident. Her tiny community mobilized an informal network of donated services to help her leave her abuser. Part VII. Legacies of Loss and Death These are stories of women who escaped battering but at significant personal expense or with great loss. 14. Blanca: This Puerto Rican-American woman relinquished custody of her child in order to escape her Vietnam veteran husband. 15. Judy: As a final gesture of control the husband of this preacher's kid hanged himself where she was certain to discover his remains. 16. Freda: This is the story of a homeless African-American mother of five who contracted HIV from her abuser. Afterword: A Message for Battered Women

The Mental Health Status of Young Hispanic Women Residing Along the Border: A Twin Cities Comparison

ABSTRACT A number of studies report comparisons among ethnic/ racial groups in terms of health attitudes, health practices, and socio-economic and mental health status. Of special concern is the mental health status and coping potential of young women of childbearing age because of the special vulnerability of individuals in this group and the vulnerability of their children. The well-being of future generations is at stake when maladaptive functioning compounded by severe social conditions create a climate for inadequate growth and development for large numbers in a population, even for short periods of time. This paper reports the results of a study examining self concepts and mental health status of two distinct populations within one ethnic group–young Hispanic women living on the U.S. side of the Texas-Mexico border versus a similar sample of young Hispanic women living on the Mexico side. Within each sample, the never-pregnant versus ever-pregnant adolescents were compared. The young women in both groups reported intense feelings related to emotional distress. The young women in Ciudad Juarez reported somewhat more positive feelings related to recent well-being. The El Paso women reported a less traditionally feminine persona (they felt more aggressive, confident, successful, energetic, and successful), yet they experienced less happiness, hopefulness, and life satisfaction. However, neither group could be described as reporting positive mental status and those women who had been pregnant were no different than their never-pregnant counterparts. Rather, the results signal serious problems throughout the two populations. Health care and social service workers must recognize and be prepared to address intense personal distresses in both of these young, Hispanic-female, border populations.