Association Between Preterm Birth and Fulfillment of Desired Permanent Contraception.

Objectives: In cases of preterm delivery, the Medicaid sterilization policy mandates a signed consent form at least 72 h before surgery for permanent contraception, which is less than the 30 day minimum waiting period for term births. This study evaluated the association between preterm birth and fulfillment of planned permanent contraception.

Study Design: This was a secondary analysis of a multi-center retrospective cohort study of 3013 patients with a postpartum contraceptive plan of permanent contraception.

Changes in the critical nutrient content of packaged foods and beverages after the full implementation of the Chilean Food Labelling and Advertising Law: a repeated cross-sectional study.

Background: Chile's Food Labelling Law was implemented in three phases with increasingly stricter limits. After initial implementation, sugars and sodium decreased in packaged foods, with no significant changes for saturated fats. It is unclear whether full implementation is linked with further reformulation or if producers reversed changes due to consumers' preferences.

Female agency and probable depression in the perinatal period and beyond: Longitudinal findings from rural Pakistan.

In Pakistan, a setting with high gender inequality, the relationship between female agency and mental health has not been studied longitudinally or beyond a defined life stage like pregnancy. Using data from the Bachpan cohort of mother-infant dyads in Pakistan, we investigated female agency and depression at two life stages: perinatal (third trimester to 6-months postpartum; n = 1154) and beyond (3- to 4-years postpartum). Modified Poisson models estimated adjusted prevalence ratios (PR) for probable depression (PHQ-9) associated with female agency (freedom of movement and participation in household decision-making) at the two life stages.

Abortion provision and characteristics of abortion patients in an academic medical center in Washington state before and after Dobbs.

Objective: To examine abortion care in the largest academic medical center in Washington, a state protective of abortion rights, before and after the Supreme Court Dobbs decision.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study evaluated abortion provision at the University of Washington between January 1, 2022 and October 31, 2023. Data on patient sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were extracted from electronic medical records.

Targeted distribution of long-lasting insecticidal nets by community health workers to sustain household coverage: A pilot feasibility study in Western Uganda.

Universal coverage is defined by the World Health Organization as 1 long-lasting insecticidal net (LLIN) for 2 people in a household. While Uganda has been a leader in the distribution of LLINs, there are concerns regarding the longevity of LLINs. The main aim of this study was to address the LLIN coverage gap that emerges in the period after mass distribution campaigns through the implementation of a novel LLIN distribution strategy utilizing the existing community healthcare worker (CHW) infrastructure.

Examination of adolescent and youth modern contraceptive users' perceptions on how religion influences contraceptive use and their rationale and circumstances of use: qualitative evidence from Burkina Faso, Kenya and Niger.

While religion is a key determining factor of contraceptive use, few studies examine how religion influences adolescent and youth contraceptive attitudes, beliefs, and use. We use recently collected (August-November 2022) qualitative data from Burkina Faso, Kenya, and Niger among young users of modern contraception who practice Christianity or Islam. In-depth interviews with married and unmarried young women ages 18-24 years were conducted in two sites in each country to obtain a mix of religions and method users.

Examining changes in fatal violence against women after bail reform in New Jersey.

Introduction Cash bail reforms that end pretrial detention due to the inability to afford bail have been highly debated across the US. A major concern cited by bail reform opponents is that reducing pretrial detention will increase community violence, particularly violence against women. The objective of this study was to assess if New Jersey's cash bail reform was associated with changes in rates of fatal violence against women.

Studying Chinese immigrants' spatial distribution in the Raleigh-Durham area by linking survey and commercial data using romanized names.

Many population surveys do not provide information on respondents' residential addresses, instead offering coarse geographies like zip code or higher aggregations. However, fine resolution geography can be beneficial for characterizing neighbourhoods, especially for relatively rare populations such as immigrants. One way to obtain such information is to link survey records to records in auxiliary databases that include residential addresses by matching on variables common to both files.

Synthesis estimators for transportability with positivity violations by a continuous covariate.

Studies intended to estimate the effect of a treatment, like randomized trials, may not be sampled from the desired target population. To correct for this discrepancy, estimates can be transported to the target population. Methods for transporting between populations are often premised on a positivity assumption, such that all relevant covariate patterns in one population are also present in the other.

A multi-site feasibility study of a stepped-care telehealth intervention for depression and anxiety in post-treatment cancer survivors at community cancer clinics (WF-30917CD).

Purpose: This feasibility study estimated accrual, retention, adherence, and summarized preliminary efficacy data from a stepped-care telehealth intervention for cancer survivors with moderate or severe levels of anxiety and/or depressive symptoms.

Methods: Participants were randomized to intervention or enhanced usual care (stratified by symptom severity). In the intervention group, those with moderate symptoms received a cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) workbook/6 bi-weekly check-in calls (low intensity) and severe symptoms received the workbook/12 weekly therapy sessions (high intensity).

Long-Term Opioid Therapy and Risk of Opioid Overdose by Derived Clinical Indication in North Carolina, 2006-2018.

Purpose: Long-term opioid therapy (LTOT) has been shown to be associated with opioid overdose, but the definition of LTOT varies widely across studies. We use a rigorous LTOT definition to examine risk of opioid overdose by duration of treatment.

Methods: Data were from a large private health insurance provider in North Carolina linked to mortality records from 2006-2018.

University Students Implement a Nutrition and Cooking Education Curriculum With Fidelity.

Objective: To assess the ability of trained university students to implement Cooking Matters for Kids, a hands-on nutrition and cooking education curriculum for third through fifth-grade children.

Methods: Process evaluation data were collected from 6 Cooking Matters for Kids courses led by university students in the fall of 2019 and spring of 2020 at 6 afterschool programs in Orange County, North Carolina. Trained research assistants observed lessons and reported whether key intervention components were implemented as planned, the level of participant engagement, what worked well, and what could be improved on.

Defining "High-In" Saturated Fat, Sugar, and Sodium to Help Inform Front-of-Pack Labeling Efforts for Packaged Foods and Beverages in the United States.

: To help consumers make healthier choices, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been charged with developing a front-of-package label (FOPL) to appear on US packaged foods and beverages. One option being explored is the use of "high-in" FOPLs for added sugar, sodium, and saturated fat using a threshold of ≥20% of the recommended daily value (%DV) per portion/serving size to define "high-in". While research has addressed what FOPL designs are most effective at visually communicating "high-in", less attention has been paid to the nutrient profile model (NPM) used to decide which products should receive these labels.

Using Food Composition Tables to Estimate Decreases in Sodium Intake Due to the Reformulation of Packaged and Ultra-Processed Foods in a Young Population in South Africa.

Objective: In response to increasing hypertension rates, South Africa implemented a regulation which set a maximum total sodium content for certain packaged food categories. We assess changes in reported sodium intake among 18-39 year old adults living in one township in the Western Cape as a result of the implementation of the regulation in 2016.

Design: By linking one set of 24 hour dietary recall data to two versions of the South Africa Food Composition Database which reflect the pre-regulation and post-regulation periods, we calculated changes in sodium intake due to reformulation of food products, not behavior change.

Transmission models of respiratory infections in carceral settings: A systematic review.

Background: The prevention and control of infectious disease outbreaks in carceral settings face unique challenges. Transmission modeling is a powerful tool for understanding and addressing these challenges, but reviews of modeling work in this context pre-date the proliferation of outbreaks in jails and prisons during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. We conducted a systematic review of studies using transmission models of respiratory infections in carceral settings before and during the pandemic.

Evaluating the intersection of climate vulnerability and cancer burden in North Carolina.

Climate-related extreme weather events disrupt healthcare systems and exacerbate health disparities, particularly affecting individuals diagnosed with cancer. This study explores the intersection of climate vulnerability and cancer burden in North Carolina (NC). Using county-level data from the US Climate Vulnerability Index (CVI) and the NC Department of Health and Human Services, we analyzed cancer incidence and mortality rates from 2017-2021.

Designing Front-of-Package Labels to Inform Consumers and Encourage Healthier Food Choices in Bangladesh: A Qualitative Study.

Front-of-package labeling (FOPL) policies are a useful strategy to inform consumers about foods high in nutrients of concern, but little is known about what type of label works best in Bangladesh, a country with increasing levels of unhealthy food intake and diet-related diseases. We conducted 10 focus groups with men and women in rural and urban Bangladesh ( = 76). Using a semi-structured discussion guide, we asked consumers for their perceptions of the healthfulness of nutrients and foods, two common FOPLs (a color-coded guideline daily allowance [GDA] label and a warning label), and different visual elements of the warning label (e.

Evaluation of joint external evaluation to COVID-19 and other infectious diseases mortality outcomes in 96 countries.

Background: This study evaluated the effectiveness of Joint External Evaluation (JEE) scores with regard to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and other infectious diseases performance in 96 countries. To propose a revised JEE tool, potential JEE indicators were also examined.

Methods: JEE data from 2016-2019 were linked with outcomes such as COVID-19 fatality rates and infections, as well as mortality rates for other infectious diseases.

Recall, understanding, use, and impact of front-of-package warning labels on ultra-processed foods: A qualitative study with mothers of preschool children in Peru.

In its efforts to reduce increasing rates of obesity and nutrition-related noncommunicable diseases, Peru implemented front-of-package (FOP) warning labels (also called warnings) on processed and ultra-processed foods in June 2019. The goal was to inform consumers about high levels of sugars, saturated fats, sodium, and trans fats in packaged products. We designed a qualitative study to reveal the recall, understanding, and use of the warnings and to explore the perceived changes in purchasing behaviors among mothers of preschool children in Peru.

Association between physical intimate partner violence and postpartum contraceptive use in the United States-evidence from PRAMS 2016-2021.

Objective: Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) continues to be a major global public health concern, impacting physical and psychological well-being of individuals, including their reproductive and sexual health. The objective of this study is to examine the association between physical intimate partner violence and the utilization of contraception during the postpartum period in the United States.

Method: This study used data from the CDC's Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) survey study phase 8, covering 2016-2021.

Inflammation and Ovarian Function in Reproductive-Aged Women.

Introduction: Inflammation is a marker of immune activation. Inflammation may have an effect on both ovarian function and luteal function, both essential to pregnancy. High inflammation may also signal dysregulated processes within the ovary, which could be in part measured through Anti-Müllerian hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and inhibin B levels.

Persistence of anxiety and depression symptoms and their impact on the COVID-19 vaccine uptake.

Aims: The enduring impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and its implications for COVID-19 vaccine uptake necessitate comprehensive investigation. We aimed to characterize the persistence of moderate to severe anxiety and depression symptoms from July 2020 to July 2023, explore demographic associations with symptom persistence, and assess how these symptoms affected COVID-19 vaccination uptake between May 2021 and July 2023.

Methods: Participants from the national community-based CHASING COVID Cohort were enrolled between March and June 2020 and completed quarterly follow-ups until December 2023.

Inferring the proportion of undetected cholera infections from serological and clinical surveillance in an immunologically naive population.

Most infections with pandemic are thought to result in subclinical disease and are not captured by surveillance. Previous estimates of the ratio of infections to clinical cases have varied widely (2 to 100 infections per case). Understanding cholera epidemiology and immunity relies on the ability to translate between numbers of clinical cases and the underlying number of infections in the population.

Maternal self-efficacy during infancy: Investigating the roles of depression and social support among mothers in rural Pakistan.

Maternal self-efficacy during infancy is shaped by many factors, including maternal mental health and social support. This study examines how depression, emotional support, and childcare support relate to maternal self-efficacy among mothers of infants in rural Pakistan. Participants included 885 mothers assessed at 3 and 6 months postpartum.