Factors associated with the sexual assault of students: an exploratory study of victims treated at hospital-based sexual assault treatment centers.

Research suggests that students experience high levels of sexual assault, but studies addressing how they differ in their experiences from other sexual assault victims are virtually nonexistent. To address this gap, information was collected from consecutive individuals, aged 16 years or older, presenting to one of 7 hospital-based sexual assault treatment centers in Ontario from 2005 to 2007. Of the 882 victims seen during the study period, 32% were students.

Efficacy and safety of sirolimus in lymphangioleiomyomatosis.

Background: Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a progressive, cystic lung disease in women; it is associated with inappropriate activation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling, which regulates cellular growth and lymphangiogenesis. Sirolimus (also called rapamycin) inhibits mTOR and has shown promise in phase 1-2 trials involving patients with LAM.

Methods: We conducted a two-stage trial of sirolimus involving 89 patients with LAM who had moderate lung impairment--a 12-month randomized, double-blind comparison of sirolimus with placebo, followed by a 12-month observation period.

Drug-facilitated sexual assault in Ontario, Canada: toxicological and DNA findings.

The purpose of this study was to determine which persons reporting sexual assault to a hospital-based treatment centre may have been covertly drugged and to provide information about whether a sexual assault may have occurred. Each consecutive adolescent and adult presenting at a sexual assault treatment centre was screened for drug-facilitated sexual assault (DFSA). Urine was collected and tested for central nervous system active drugs.

Factors associated with child witnessing of intimate partner violence in Canada.

Knowing the characteristics associated with child exposure to spousal abuse could aid in early identification of at-risk children. The purpose of our study is to determine possible factors associated with child witnessing of intimate partner violence (IPV) in Canada using data from the 1999 General Social Survey, a representative telephone survey of Canadians aged 15 years and older. Respondents reporting IPV in the five years prior to the survey were asked whether a child had witnessed the incident.

Help-seeking behavior for intimate partner violence among racial minority women in Canada.

Introduction: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is experienced by women of all ethnoracial backgrounds. Despite the serious adverse impacts of IPV on women's lives, many abused women do not seek help. The main objective of this paper was to determine whether a woman's racial minority status was a significant predictor of help-seeking for IPV after controlling for other factors associated with help-seeking.

Factors associated with suspected drug-facilitated sexual assault.

Background: There has been little systematic investigation of widespread reports of drugging and sexual assault. We sought to determine the prevalence of and factors associated with suspected drug-facilitated sexual assault.

Methods: Between June 2005 and March 2007, a total of 977 consecutive sexual assault victims underwent screening for suspected drugging at 7 hospital-based sexual assault treatment centres.

Pregnancy experiences among women with lymphangioleiomyomatosis.

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare lung disease affecting women. Following case reports that pregnancy exacerbates LAM, patients are frequently advised to avoid pregnancy. Our objective was to determine pregnancy and health outcomes in LAM to provide better evidence with which to council patients contemplating pregnancy.

Gender and psychotropic medication use: the role of intimate partner violence.

Objective: Women are known to use more psychotropic medications than men which may be linked to women's greater exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV).

Method: The use of medications for sleep, depression and anxiety in adults in the 1999 Canadian General Social Survey was assessed. Rates of medication use by adults exposed to IPV (physical, sexual, emotional and financial) were compared to rates of those reporting no IPV.

Gender differences in the symptoms of major depressive disorder.

Data from the Canadian Community Health Survey 1.2 were used for a gender analysis of individual symptoms and overall rates of depression in the preceding 12 months. Major depressive disorder was assessed using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview in this national, cross-sectional survey.

Who is most at risk for intimate partner violence? A Canadian population-based study.

Whole population studies on intimate partner violence (IPV) have given contradictory information about prevalence and risk factors, especially concerning gender. The authors examined the 1999 Canadian General Social Survey data for gender patterns of physical, sexual, emotional, or financial IPV from a current or ex-partner. More women (8.

Air travel in women with lymphangioleiomyomatosis.

Background And Objective: The safety of air travel in patients with pneumothorax-prone pulmonary diseases, such as lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM), has not been studied to any great extent. A questionnaire-based evaluation of air travel in patients with LAM was conducted to determine experiences aboard commercial aircraft.

Methods: A survey was sent to women listed in the US LAM Foundation registry (n = 389) and the UK LAM Action registry (n = 59) to assess air travel, including problems occurring during flight.

Help-seeking rates for intimate partner violence (IPV) among Canadian immigrant women.

We examined rates of help seeking for intimate partner violence (IPV) among recent (0-9 years in Canada) and non-recent (10+ years in Canada) immigrant women. Data from a national, cross-sectional, telephone survey were used. Help-seeking variables included disclosure of IPV, reporting IPV to police, use of social services subsequent to IPV, and barriers to social service use.

Adding insult to injury: intimate partner violence among women and men reporting activity limitations.

Purpose: Women with activity limitations (ALs) are at risk for Intimate partner violence (IPV). This study examined IPV in men versus women with ALs.

Methods: Data from the Canadian 1999 General Social Survey compared physical, sexual, emotional, and financial IPV from a current/expartner in 5 years for men and women with ALs compared with those without ALs.

The association between length of stay in Canada and intimate partner violence among immigrant women.

Objective: We examined the prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) among recent (0-9 years) and nonrecent (>/= 10 years) immigrant women in Canada to determine whether differences in IPV were associated with length of stay in Canada.

Methods: We analyzed data from the 1999 General Social Survey, a national cross-sectional telephone survey. We used weighted logistic regression analysis to examine the effect of length of stay in Canada on IPV and controlled for socio-cultural and other factors associated with IPV.

Intimate partner violence among Canadian women with activity limitations.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) in the previous five years among women reporting activity limitations (AL).

Design And Setting: A community based, representative telephone survey of Canadians aged 15 and over. AL was assessed by the question: "Does a long term physical or mental condition or health problem reduce the amount or the kind of activity that you can do at home, at school, at work or in other activities?" Response categories were: often, sometimes, or never.

Predictors of women's physical health problems after childbirth.

The objectives of this study were to document the extent and the correlates of common physical health symptoms in women two months after childbirth. Of special interest was determining whether violence and depression histories increase the risk for experiencing these symptoms. Participants were recruited in six Toronto-area hospitals and were interviewed by telephone 8-10 weeks later.

Changing help-seeking rates for intimate partner violence in Canada.

The adverse physical and psychological sequelae of intimate partner violence (IPV) are well documented, as are government initiatives in Canada since the early 1990s to address the problem through public awareness campaigns and service enhancement programs. While these initiatives have been designed to encourage abused women to come forward, there has been little research examining changes over time in help-seeking rates among this group. To fill this void, we compared data from two large Canadian population-based, cross-sectional telephone surveys: the 1993 Violence Against Women Survey (1993-VAWS) and the 1999 General Social Survey (1999-GSS).

Patients' perceptions versus medical testing of function in women with lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM).

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM), a rare pulmonary disease that occurs primarily in women is characterized by progressive cystic lung lesions causing respiratory failure, which may require lung transplantation. It has been observed that in diseases of the lungs, objective medical tests frequently do not translate to subjective functional status. However, patient's perceptions of functional status directly impact quality of life.

What determines patient satisfaction with cataract care under topical local anesthesia and monitored sedation in a community hospital setting?

The Iowa Satisfaction with Anesthesia Scale (ISAS) is a reliable and valid tool to measure patient satisfaction with monitored anesthesia care. We used the ISAS to discover determinants of patient satisfaction with cataract care under topical local anesthesia and monitored sedation in a small community hospital. The ISAS (scored 1 to 6) was administered to 306 patients immediately after cataract surgery.

Violence against Canadian Women.

HEALTH ISSUE: Exposure to violence as children or as adults places a woman at higher risk of poor health outcomes, both physical and psychological. Abused women use more health care services and have poorer social functioning than non-abused women. Knowledge of the prevalence of violence against women, and of which women are at risk, should assist in the planning of services for abuse prevention and treatment of the health consequences of abuse.

The association between patient age and prostate cancer stage and grade at diagnosis.

Objectives: To investigate the association of age with prostate cancer stage and grade, as the latter factors at the time of diagnosis influence management and prognosis, with some studies suggesting that they may change as a function of patient age.

Patients And Methods: The charts were reviewed of an age-stratified (<60, 60-69, 70-79 and > or = 80 years) random sample of men with newly diagnosed, histologically confirmed prostate cancer in 1995/96 from three geographical areas in Ontario, Canada. Patients were identified using a comprehensive cancer registry, and the chi-square analysis used to examine the relationship between age and stage, logistic regression for the effect of age on clinically localized disease, and linear regression to assess the age and grade relationships.

Posttraumatic stress disorder after pregnancy, labor, and delivery.

Objectives: Other studies of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after birth did not include questions about prior traumatic life events. This study sought to determine if a difficult birth was associated with symptoms of PTSD as well as considering sociodemographics, history of violence, depression, social support, and traumatic life events.

Methods: New mothers were recruited on the postpartum ward of six Toronto-area hospitals (n = 253) and were interviewed by telephone 8-10 weeks postpartum (n = 200).

Is there age bias in the treatment of localized prostate carcinoma?

Background: Treatment recommendations for localized prostate carcinoma are based on the patient's remaining life expectancy (RLE), which is influenced by age, comorbidity, and tumor grade. Previous studies have evaluated the influence of age and comorbidity, but to the authors' knowledge not RLE, on actual treatment decisions.

Methods: An age-stratified random sample of 347 patients was generated from a cohort of all patients with newly diagnosed prostate carcinoma in the Ontario Cancer Registry between May 1, 1995 and April 30, 1996 (n = 5192).

Pharmacy provision of emergency contraception: the Ontario emergency contraception pilot project.

Objectives: To develop and evaluate a program to provide emergency contraception (EC) directly in pharmacies that would recruit and train pharmacists and physician partners, and inform women about the availability of EC in pharmacies.

Methods: Pharmacists and physicians working in the Scarborough, Rexdale, and North York regions of Toronto were recruited to receive a training program on EC. The pharmacists in each pharmacy were linked with a designated physician who retrospectively authorized prescriptions provided under the protocol.

Emergency contraception: models to increase accessibility.

Much of the recent focus on emergency contraception (EC) has been on the need to increase the availability of EC without a prescription. Barriers to the wider accessibility of EC include the need to use the medication within a 72-hour window, cost, and knowledge about its availability. Concerns about the non-prescription accessibility of EC include missing the opportunity to see a physician, possible reduced use of barrier contraceptives and the resulting increase in sexually transmitted infections, and overuse of EC and underuse of regular contraception.