Effectiveness of family planning policies: the abortion paradox.

Objective: The relation between levels of contraceptive use and the incidence of induced abortion remains a topic of heated debate. Many of the contradictions are likely due to the fact that abortion is the end point of a process that starts with sexual activity, contraceptive use (or non-use), followed by unwanted pregnancy, a decision to terminate, and access to abortion. Trends in abortion rates reflect changes in each step of this process, and opposing trends may cancel each other out.

Social inequalities in psychological well-being: a European comparison.

The objective was to explore the educational differences in psychological well-being, measured using the WHO-5 Index, among 15,362 men and 20,272 women in 31 European countries. Relative Index of Inequality, multilevel logistic regression analyses and interaction tests were performed. Within Europe, large cross-national differences in the prevalence of poor well-being were observed.

Insulin sensitivity and albuminuria: the RISC study.

Objective: Accumulating evidence suggests an association between insulin sensitivity and albuminuria, which, even in the normal range, is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. We evaluated whether insulin sensitivity is associated with albuminuria in healthy subjects.

Research Design And Methods: We investigated 1,415 healthy, nondiabetic participants (mean age 43.

A new operational definition of frailty: the Frailty Trait Scale.

Objectives: To provide a new instrument to diagnose frailty, the Frailty Trait Scale (FTS), that allows a more precise assessment and monitoring of individuals.

Design: Prospective population-based cohort study.

Setting: The Toledo Study for Healthy Aging, Spain.

Growth development of French children born after in vitro maturation.

Background: Several lines of evidence indicate that immature oocyte retrieval and subsequent in vitro maturation (IVM) without ovarian stimulation may be a reliable option in assisted reproductive technologies (ART). However, few outcome data are available for children born following this technique.

Objective: We assessed height and weight development of French children conceived after IVM.

A 3-marker index improves the identification of iron disorders in CKD anaemia.

Background: Iron disorders are common and complex in chronic kidney disease (CKD). We sought to determine whether a 3-marker index would improve the classification of iron disorders in CKD anaemia.

Methods: We studied the association between Hb level and iron indexes combining 2 or 3 of the following markers: serum ferritin (<40 ng/mL), transferrin saturation (TSAT<20%) and total iron binding capacity (TIBC<50 µmol/L) in 1011 outpatients with non-dialysis CKD participating in the Nephrotest study.

Efficacy and safety of the probiotic Lactobacillus paracasei LP-33 in allergic rhinitis: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial (GA2LEN Study).

Background/objectives: An imbalance between Th1 and Th2 cells is involved in allergic rhinitis (AR) that may be improved by probiotics. To test the efficacy of the probiotic Lactobacillus paracasei subsp. paracasei LP-33, a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial was carried out in patients with AR to grass pollen treated with loratadine and presenting altered quality of life.

A common 16p11.2 inversion underlies the joint susceptibility to asthma and obesity.

The prevalence of asthma and obesity is increasing worldwide, and obesity is a well-documented risk factor for asthma. The mechanisms underlying this association and parallel time trends remain largely unknown but genetic factors may be involved. Here, we report on a common ~0.

Estimates of unintended pregnancy rates over the last decade in France as a function of contraceptive behaviors.

Objective: We investigate trends in contraceptive behaviors in France and how they may have contributed to fluctuations in unintended pregnancy rates over time and across subgroups of the population between 2000 and 2010.

Study Design: Data are drawn from three national surveys in France, comprising 4714 women ages 15 to 49 in 2000, 8613 in 2005 and 5260 in 2010. We used multinomial and simple logistic regression models to explore trends in contraceptive behaviors over time.

[Prenatal corticosteroids: short-term and long-term effects of multiple courses. Literature review in 2013].

Prenatal corticosteroids administration is one of the major advances in obstetrics and neonatology for the prevention of preterm-birth related complications. However, concerns have been raised about its safety regarding neonatal growth and children development. Therefore, some obstetricians have restricted the use of corticosteroids to precisely defined indications.

Psychosocial working conditions and psychological well-being among employees in 34 European countries.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore the associations between psychosocial working conditions and psychological well-being among employees in 34 European countries. Another objective was to examine whether these associations varied according to occupation and country.

Methods: The study was based on data from the European Working Conditions Survey 2010 including 33,443 employees, 16,512 men and 16,931 women, from 34 European countries.

Estimating time-to-onset of adverse drug reactions from spontaneous reporting databases.

Background: Analyzing time-to-onset of adverse drug reactions from treatment exposure contributes to meeting pharmacovigilance objectives, i.e. identification and prevention.

High plasma estradiol interacts with diabetes on risk of dementia in older postmenopausal women.

Objective: We aimed to investigate the impact of endogenous estradiol (E2) on dementia and to evaluate the contribution of vascular risk factors and inflammatory and blood coagulation markers to this association.

Methods: Using data from a French population-based prospective study (the Three-City Study) including 5,644 postmenopausal women aged 65 years or older, we investigated the association of endogenous total-E2 and bioavailable-E2 and total-testosterone with the 4-year incidence of all-cause dementia. We further focused on the role of dementia and cardiovascular risk factors as well as inflammation (C-reactive protein, fibrinogen) and hypercoagulability (fibrin d-dimers, thrombin generation) in these associations.

Blunted response to combination antiretroviral therapy in HIV elite controllers: an international HIV controller collaboration.

Objective: HIV "elite controllers" (ECs) spontaneously control viral load, but some eventually require combination antiretroviral treatment (cART), due to a loss of viral control or a decline in CD4 T-cell counts. Here we studied the CD4 T-cell count dynamics after cART initiation among 34 ECs followed in U.S.

Medical factors associated with early IVF discontinuation.

Even when IVF is reimbursed by the social insurance system, as in France, high discontinuation rates have been reported and some patients drop out as soon as the first failed IVF cycle. This study aims to investigate medical factors associated with treatment discontinuation in an IVF centre after the first unsuccessful cycle. The study included 5135 couples recruited in eight French IVF centres and who had had an unsuccessful first IVF cycle in these centres in 2000-2002 (i.

Glomerular filtration rate estimation using cystatin C alone or combined with creatinine as a confirmatory test.

Background: Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) estimating equations using the combination of creatinine and cystatin C (eGFRcr-cys) are more accurate than equations using either alone (eGFRcr or eGFRcys). New guidelines suggest measuring cystatin C as a confirmatory test when eGFRcr may be inaccurate, but do not specify demographic or clinical conditions in which eGFRcys or eGFRcr-cys are more accurate than eGFRcr nor which estimate to use in such circumstances.

Methods: We compared the performance of the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equations in 1119 subjects in the CKD-EPI cystatin C external validation dataset.

Heavy smoking and lung cancer: are women at higher risk? Result of the ICARE study.

Background: Whether women are more or equally susceptible to the carcinogenic effects of cigarette smoke on the lungs compared with men is a matter of controversy. Using a large French population-based case-control study, we compared the lung cancer risk associated with cigarette smoking by gender.

Methods: The study included 2276 male and 650 female cases and 2780 male and 775 female controls.

IUD use in France: women's and physician's perspectives.

Objective: While the intra-uterine device (IUD) is the second most popular contraceptive method in France, its use remains low among women most at risk of unintended pregnancies. Acknowledging the conjoint role of women and physicians in contraceptive decision making, we investigate the determinants of IUD use and IUD recommendations from the user and prescriber perspectives.

Study Design: Data are drawn from 2 national probability surveys (population-based and physician surveys) on sexual and reproductive health in France.

Global determinants of mortality in under 5s: 10 year worldwide longitudinal study.

Objective: To assess at country level the association of mortality in under 5s with a large set of determinants.

Design: Longitudinal study.

Setting: 193 United Nations member countries, 2000-09.

Impact of unlabeled French antibiotic guidelines on antibiotic prescriptions for acute respiratory tract infections in 7 Pediatric Emergency Departments, 2009-2012.

From November 2009 to October 2012, implementation of guidelines, unlabeled by the French Agency of Health Products, changed the categories of antibiotics prescribed for acute respiratory tract infections in 7 pediatric emergency departments. During the study, 36,413 acute respiratory tract infections-related antibiotic prescriptions were prescribed. Amoxicillin prescriptions rose from 30.

Validation of the French national health insurance information system as a tool in vaccine safety assessment: application to febrile convulsions after pediatric measles/mumps/rubella immunization.

In the French national health insurance information system (SNIIR-AM), routine records of health claimed reimbursements are linked to hospital admissions for the whole French population. The main focus of this work is the usability of this system for vaccine safety assessment programme. Self-controlled case series analyses were performed using an exhaustive SNIIR-AM extraction of French children aged less than 3 years, to investigate the relationship between MMR immunization and children hospitalizations for febrile convulsions, a well-documented rare adverse event, over 2009-2010.

The French Chronic Kidney Disease-Renal Epidemiology and Information Network (CKD-REIN) cohort study.

Background: While much has been learned about the epidemiology and treatment of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in the last 30 years, chronic kidney disease (CKD) before the end-stage has been less investigated. Not enough is known about factors associated with CKD progression and complications, as well as its transition to ESRD. We designed the CKD-renal epidemiology and information network (REIN) cohort to provide a research platform to address these key questions and to assess clinical practices and costs in patients with moderate or advanced CKD.