Ecological Systems Affecting Urban Childbearing Puerto Rican Women in the City of Philadelphia.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to explore socio-ecological influences affecting the daily lives of urban, pregnant Puerto Rican women and factors negatively influencing their health seeking behaviors related to prenatal care.

Methods: Qualitative, descriptive methods were used including individual interviews and focus groups to obtain maximum understanding of the women's lives. The interviews and focus groups were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide based on various components of the study's conceptual framework.

Outcomes and complications after bariatric surgery.

Bariatric surgery is an effective and increasingly common treatment for obesity and obesity-related comorbidities. There are currently two major categories of such surgery, grouped according to the predominant mechanism of action: restrictive procedures, such as vertical banded gastroplasty and adjustable gastric banding; and malabsorptive procedures with a restrictive component, such as Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, vertical sleeve gastrectomy, and biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch. In general, the more complex the procedure, the better the results in terms of weight loss; but there's evidence that more complex procedures also have higher morbidity and mortality rates.