Early-life menstrual characteristics and gestational diabetes in a large US cohort.

Background: Associations between early-life menstrual cycle characteristics (MCC) and gestational diabetes (GDM) remain unclear.

Objectives: To evaluate associations between early-life MCCs and GDM in first pregnancy, across pregnancies and its recurrence.

Methods: This analysis included participants from a US-based digital cohort enrolled between 11/2019 and 9/2023 who provided consent, completed relevant surveys, were without diabetes and aged ≥18 at first pregnancy (n = 30,473).

Trends in sensor-based health metrics during and after pregnancy: descriptive data from the apple women's health study.

Background: While it is known that vital signs and behaviors change during pregnancy, there is limited data on timing and scale of changes for sensor-derived health metrics across pregnancy and postpartum. Wearable technology provides an opportunity to understand physiologic and behavioral changes across pregnancy with greater detail, more frequent measurements, and improved accuracy. The aim of this study is to describe changes in physiologic and behavioral sensor-based health metrics during pregnancy and postpartum in the Apple Women's Health Study (AWHS) and their relationship to demographic factors.

Persistent endocrine-disrupting chemicals and incident uterine leiomyomata: A mixtures analysis.

Background: Uterine leiomyomata (UL; fibroids) are hormone-dependent neoplasms that can cause significant gynecologic morbidity. Studies have documented associations between concentrations of persistent endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and UL incidence; however, few have assessed the effects of EDC mixtures on UL.

Methods: In the Study of Environment, Lifestyle, and Fibroids, a prospective cohort study, participants attended study visits at baseline and approximately every 20 months for up to 10 years; at each visit, they completed questionnaires, provided blood samples, and underwent standardized ultrasound examinations.

Associations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances with uterine leiomyomata incidence and growth: a prospective ultrasound study.

Background: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are endocrine-disrupting chemicals used in commercial and consumer products.

Objective: We evaluated PFAS exposure in relation to incidence and growth of uterine leiomyomata (UL), hormone-dependent neoplasms that are associated with severe gynecologic morbidity.

Methods: We studied 1158 participants in the Study of Environment, Lifestyle, and Fibroids, a Detroit-based prospective cohort study of Black females aged 23-35 years at enrollment (2010-2012).

Frequency of personal care product use among reproductive-aged Black individuals and associations with socio-demographic characteristics.

Background: Compared to White women, Black women in the United States are more likely to use personal care products (PCPs) with higher concentrations of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and harsher chemical formulations. This may contribute to differential health outcomes in Black women such as increased risk of breast cancer, cardiometabolic outcomes, adverse birth outcomes, and uterine fibroids.

Objective: Classify distinct PCP use patterns across multiple types of products and examine how patterns vary by socio-demographic characteristics.

Combined oral contraceptive utilization and uterine fibroid incidence: A prospective study in a cohort of African-American women.

Published associations between combined oral contraceptive use and uterine fibroid development have lacked prospective imaging with ultrasound to distinguish between incident and prevalent fibroids. The Study of Environment, Lifestyle, and Fibroids prospectively followed fibroid-free, African-American women (the group with the highest disease burden in the U.S.

Environmental Phenols and Growth in Infancy: The Infant Feeding and Early Development Study.

Context: Higher mean and rapid increases in body mass index (BMI) during infancy are associated with subsequent obesity and may be influenced by exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals such as phenols.

Objective: In a prospective US-based cohort conducted 2010-2014, we investigated associations between environmental phenol exposures and BMI in 199 infants.

Methods: We measured 7 urinary phenols at ages 6-8 and 12 weeks and assessed BMI z-score at up to 12 study visits between birth and 36 weeks.

Environmental phenol exposures in 6- to 12-week-old infants: The Infant Feeding and Early Development (IFED) study.

Background: Exposure to phenols, endocrine-disrupting chemicals used in personal care and consumer products, is widespread. Data on infant exposures are limited despite heightened sensitivity to endocrine disruption during this developmental period. We aimed to describe distributions and predictors of urinary phenol concentrations among U.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), perceived stress, and depressive symptoms in a prospective cohort study of black women.

Background: Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are endocrine-disrupting chemicals with neurotoxic properties. PFAS have been associated with depressive symptoms among women in some studies, but little research has evaluated the effects of PFAS mixtures. Further, no study has investigated interactions of PFAS-depression associations by perceived stress, which has been shown to modify the effects of PFAS on other health outcomes.

Family History and Uterine Fibroid Development in Black and African American Women.

Importance: Uterine fibroids are an understudied condition, with earlier onset in Black than White women. Prior studies of the importance of family history on fibroid development are limited by reliance on hospital-based participant selection, poorly defined measures of family history, and nonsystematic fibroid assessment.

Objective: To examine whether family history is a risk factor for fibroid development using prospective ultrasonography data to identify incident fibroids and measure fibroid growth and standardized methods to ascertain family history.

Body Mass Index and Uterine Fibroid Development: A Prospective Study.

Objective: Fibroids are hormonally dependent uterine tumors. The literature on adiposity and fibroid prevalence is inconsistent. Previous work usually combined all those with a body mass index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m2 into a single category and relied on clinically diagnosed fibroids, which misclassifies the many women with undiagnosed fibroids.

Association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and antimüllerian hormone levels in a cohort of African-American women.

Objective: To examine the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] levels and ovarian reserve as measured using antimüllerian hormone (AMH) levels.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Detroit, Michigan area.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Phthalate Exposure and Preterm Birth: A Pooled Study of Sixteen U.S. Cohorts.

Background: Phthalate exposures are ubiquitous during pregnancy and may contribute to racial and ethnic disparities in preterm birth.

Objectives: We investigated race and ethnicity in the relationship between biomarkers of phthalate exposure and preterm birth by examining: ) how hypothetical reductions in racial and ethnic disparities in phthalate metabolites might reduce the probability of preterm birth; and ) exposure-response models stratified by race and ethnicity.

Methods: We pooled individual-level data on 6,045 pregnancies from 16 U.

Systematic evidence mapping informs a class-based approach to assessing personal care products and pubertal timing.

Background: Personal care products (PCPs) contain many different compounds and are a source of exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), including phthalates and phenols. Early-life exposure to EDCs commonly found in PCPs has been linked to earlier onset of puberty.

Objective: To characterize the human and animal evidence on the association between puberty-related outcomes and exposure to PCPs and their chemical constituents and, if there is sufficient evidence, identify groups of chemicals and outcomes to support a systematic review for a class-based hazard or risk assessment.

Associations of reproductive and breastfeeding history with anti-Müllerian hormone concentration among African-American women of reproductive age.

Research Question: Are gravidity, parity and breastfeeding history associated with anti-Müllerian hormone concentration among African-American women of reproductive age?

Design: This study included baseline data from the Study of the Environment, Lifestyle and Fibroids, a 5-year longitudinal study of African-American women. Within this community cohort, data from 1392 women aged 25-35 years were analysed. The primary outcome was serum anti-Müllerian hormone concentration measured using the Ansh Labs picoAMH assay, an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Association of genital talc and douche use in early adolescence or adulthood with uterine fibroids diagnoses.

Background: Genital talc and douching are practices that can involve exposure to chemical compounds linked to certain gynecologic cancers. However, it is unclear if they are associated with fibroid risk or age at fibroid diagnosis among women.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of early-adolescence genital talc use and douching on prevalence of fibroids diagnosed before the age of 35 and 50 years among Black/African American and non-Hispanic White women.

Early Life Disadvantage and the Risk of Depressive Symptoms among Young Black Women.

Overview: We examined the association between early-life socioeconomic disadvantage and depressive symptoms in adulthood and assessed whether social factors in adulthood modify the association.

Methods: The 11-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D) assessed adult depressive symptoms among 1612 Black women and other participants with a uterus (hereafter participants) in the Study of Environment, Lifestyle and Fibroids. Baseline self-reported childhood factors (i.