Contraceptive knowledge and use among women with intellectual, physical, or sensory disabilities: A systematic review.

Background: Women spend most of their reproductive years avoiding pregnancy. However, we know little about contraceptive knowledge and use among women with disabilities, or about strategies to improve contraceptive knowledge and decision-making in this population.

Objective: To systematically review published literature on women with disabilities and: 1) contraceptive knowledge; 2) attitudes and preferences regarding contraception; 3) contraceptive use; 4) barriers and facilitators to informed contraceptive use; and 5) effectiveness of interventions to improve informed contraceptive decision-making and use.

Financial and Health Barriers and Caregiving-Related Difficulties Among Rural and Urban Caregivers.

Purpose: To assess whether financial or health-related barriers were more common among rural caregivers and whether rural caregivers experienced more caregiving-related difficulties than their urban peers.

Methods: We used data from 7,436 respondents to the Caregiver Module in 10 states from the 2011-2013 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Respondents were classified as caregivers if they reported providing care to a family member or friend because of a long-term illness or disability.

Pain and psychiatric comorbidities among two groups of Iraq and Afghanistan era Veterans.

This study aimed to (1) identify the prevalence and severity of pain and psychiatric comorbidities among personnel who had been deployed during Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), and Operation New Dawn (OND) and (2) assess whether the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Polytrauma System of Care and an OIF/OEF/OND registry reflect real differences among patients. Participants (N = 359) were recruited from two VA hospitals. They completed a clinical interview, structured diagnostic interview, and self-report measures.

Validity of Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale in a sample of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans.

Objectives: Optimal depression screening necessitates measurement tools that are valid across varied populations and in the presence of comorbidities.

Methods: This study assessed the test properties of two versions of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale against psychiatric diagnoses established by the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview among a clinical sample of US Veterans deployed during Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and New Dawn. Participants (N = 359) recruited from two Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals completed a clinical interview, structured diagnostic interview, and self-reported measures.

Cross-sectional and longitudinal risk of physical impairment in a cohort of postmenopausal women who experience physical and verbal abuse.

Background: Exposure to interpersonal violence, namely verbal and physical abuse, is a highly prevalent threat to women's health and well-being. Among older, post-menopausal women, several researchers have characterized a possible bi-directional relationship of abuse exposure and diminished physical functioning. However, studies that prospectively examine the relationship between interpersonal abuse exposure and physical functioning across multiple years of observation are lacking.

The cross-sectional association between severity of non-cognitive disability and self-reported worsening memory.

Background: Research has demonstrated a clear association between cognitive decline and non-cognitive disability; however, all of these studies focus on disability as a correlate or result of some level of cognitive impairment or dysfunction. The relationship between disability and cognition is likely a complex one, that is currently incompletely described in the literature.

Objectives: Our objective was to estimate the prevalence of long-term, non-cognitive disability using a population-representative sample of adults aged 18 and older, and then estimate the association between long-term, non-cognitive disability and self-reported worsening memory.

Food Insecurity, Hunger, and Obesity Among Informal Caregivers.

Introduction: Increasing numbers of US residents rely on informal caregiving from friends and family members. Caregiving can have substantial health and financial impacts on caregivers. This study addressed whether those impacts include adverse nutritional states.

Initial constructs for patient-centered outcome measures to evaluate brain-computer interfaces.

Purpose: The authors describe preliminary work toward the creation of patient-centered outcome (PCO) measures to evaluate brain-computer interface (BCI) as an assistive technology (AT) for individuals with severe speech and physical impairments (SSPI).

Method: In Phase 1, 591 items from 15 existing measures were mapped to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). In Phase 2, qualitative interviews were conducted with eight people with SSPI and seven caregivers.

Subgroup differences in having a usual source of health care among working-age adults with and without disabilities.

Background: Having a usual source of health care is positively associated with regular health maintenance visits and receipt of preventive services. People with disabilities are, overall, more likely than those without disabilities to have a usual source of care (USC). However, the population of people with disabilities is quite heterogenous, and some segments of the population may have less access to a USC than others.

Visitability surveillance, prevalence, and correlates in Florida.

Background: A primary means of social connection is visiting friends and families in their homes. Visitability is designing houses in a way that enables people to visit others' homes regardless of physical limitations or use of mobility assistive devices.

Objective: The goals of this study were to develop a set of questions about visitability that could be used for surveillance and to assess the prevalence and correlates of visitability features in Florida.

Rural disparities in receipt of colorectal cancer screening among adults ages 50-64 with disabilities.

Background: Colorectal cancer is the third leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. Early detection can reduce mortality; however, only 59% of U.S.

Disparities in health care access and receipt of preventive services by disability type: analysis of the medical expenditure panel survey.

Objective: To examine differences in access to health care and receipt of clinical preventive services by type of disability among working-age adults with disabilities.

Data Source: Secondary analysis of Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data from 2002 to 2008.

Study Design: We conducted cross-sectional logistic regression analyses comparing people with different types of disabilities on health insurance status and type; presence of a usual source of health care; delayed or forgone care; and receipt of dental checkups and cancer screening.

Breast and cervical cancer screening disparities associated with disability severity.

Background: Prior research has noted disparities between women with and without disabilities in receipt of timely screening for breast and cervical cancer. Some studies suggest greater disparities for women with more severe disabilities, but the research to date has yielded inconsistent findings. Our purpose was to further examine differences in receipt of breast and cervical cancer screening in relation to severity of disability.

U.S. population estimates and correlates of sexual abuse of community-dwelling older adults.

We describe the annual prevalence of sexual abuse among community-dwelling older adults in the United States. We also describe factors associated with experiencing sexual abuse. We used data from 24,343 older adults from the 2005 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System pooled across 18 states.

Development and psychometric assessment of the function-neutral health-related quality of life measure.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the conceptual framework, item pool, and psychometric properties of a new function-neutral measure of health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL).

Design: This is an expert panel review of existing measures of HRQOL and development of a conceptual model, core constructs, and item pool and a validation by experts in specific disabilities and in cultural competence. Items were cognitively tested, pilot tested for functional bias, field tested with a national sample of adults with various limitations, and reliability tested via repeat administration.

Lower extremity function trajectories in the African American Health Cohort.

Background: We addressed two understudied issues in estimating lower extremity functional trajectories in older adults-incorporating the effect of mortality and evaluating heterogeneity among African Americans.

Methods: Data were taken from the 998 participants in the African American Health cohort. A highly reliable and valid 8-item lower extremity function scale was used at baseline and at the 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, 7-, and 9-year follow-up interviews.

Access to the US Department of Veterans Affairs health system: self-reported barriers to care among returnees of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

Background: The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) implemented the Polytrauma System of Care to meet the health care needs of military and veterans with multiple injuries returning from combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Observer ratings of neighborhoods: comparison of two methods.

Background: Although neighborhood characteristics have important relationships with health outcomes, direct observation involves imperfect measurement. The African American Health (AAH) study included two observer neighborhood rating systems (5-item Krause and 18-item AAH Neighborhood Assessment Scale [NAS]), initially fielded at two different waves. Good measurement characteristics were previously shown for both, but there was more rater variability than desired.

Disparities in chronic conditions and health status by type of disability.

Background: Prior research has established health disparities between people with and without disabilities. However, disparities within the disability population, such as those related to type of disability, have been much less studied.

Objective: To examine differences in chronic conditions and health status between subgroups of people with different types of disability.

Association between childhood school segregation and changes in adult sense of control in the African American health cohort.

Objective: Cross-sectional associations between childhood school segregation and adult sense of control and physical performance have been established in the African American Health (AAH) cohort. Here we extend that work by estimating the association between childhood school segregation and 2-year changes in adult sense of control. Method.

Adult caregivers in the United States: characteristics and differences in well-being, by caregiver age and caregiving status.

We examined the characteristics of adults providing regular care or assistance to friends or family members who have health problems, long-term illnesses, or disabilities (ie, caregivers). We used data from the 2009 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) to examine caregiver characteristics, by age and caregiving status, and compare these characteristics with those of noncaregivers. Approximately 24.

Pap, mammography, and clinical breast examination screening among women with disabilities: a systematic review.

Background: Research has found some disparities between U.S. women with and without disabilities in receiving clinical preventive services.

The association between chronic disease and physical disability among female Medicaid beneficiaries 18-64 years of age.

Background: Rates of physical disability are higher in women than in men, and economically disadvantaged women are at greater risk for physical disability than women with higher incomes. Chronic diseases increase the risk of physical disability, and people with physical disability experience some added risks of secondary conditions including chronic disease. Yet, little is known about the prevalence of chronic disease among women living with a physical disability who use Medicaid, a particularly disadvantaged population.

Self-rated health trajectories in the African American health cohort.

Background: Self-rated health taps health holistically and dynamically blends prior health histories with current illness burdens and expectations for future health. While consistently found as an independent predictor of functional decline, sentinel health events, physician visits, hospital episodes, and mortality, much less is known about intra-individual changes in self-rated health across the life course, especially for African Americans.

Materials/methods: Data on 998 African American men and women aged 50-64 years old were taken from a probability-based community sample that was first assessed in 2000-2001 and re-assessed 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, and 9 years later.