Relationship Between Childhood Sexual Abuse, Obesity, and Vulvodynia in Adulthood

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study is to assess the relationship between childhood sexual abuse, obesity, and vulvodynia among adult women participating in a population-based longitudinal vulvodynia study.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Surveys assessed health status, diagnoses, risk factors, and screening test outcomes for women with vulvodynia. Associations between childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and obesity, CSA and vulvodynia, and obesity and vulvodynia were investigated. A multivariate model was used to determine if obesity mediates and/or modifies the relationship between CSA and vulvodynia.

RESULTS

Of 2,277 women participating in the study, 1,647 completed survey data on CSA at 18 months, body mass index at 24 months, and vulvodynia over the first 54 months of the survey. Mean age was 50.9 ± 15.8 years. Overall, race and ethnicity were 77.4% White, 15.7% Black, 2.4% Hispanic, and 4.5% other. Five hundred thirty-nine participants (32.7%) were obese (body mass index >30) and 468 (28.4%) were overweight. Physical CSA before age of 18 years was reported by 20.0% ( n = 329). During the study, 22.0% ( n = 362) screened positive for vulvodynia on one or more surveys. After controlling for demographic variables, both obesity and screening positive for vulvodynia were associated with a history of CSA before age of 18 years ( p = .013 and p < .001, respectively), but obesity was not associated with screening positive for vulvodynia ( p = .865). In addition, multivariate analysis indicated no mediation of the CSA/vulvodynia relationship by obesity.

CONCLUSIONS

Although obesity and vulvodynia were independently associated with a history of CSA, obesity did not mediate or modify the relationship between CSA and vulvodynia in adulthood.

Postpartum depression screening and pelvic floor symptoms among women referred to a specialty postpartum perineal clinic

BACKGROUND

Postpartum depression and pelvic floor disorders are both common conditions that affect women; however, the association between the 2 has yet to be determined.

OBJECTIVE

The aims of our study are to: (1) determine the prevalence of a positive postpartum depression screen in a specialty postpartum perineal clinic, and (2) identify risk factors for postpartum depression in this population.

STUDY DESIGN

A retrospective chart review was performed of 294 women referred to a specialty postpartum perineal clinic at the University of Michigan from March 30, 2012, through May 3, 2016. Women who completed a new patient intake form, including the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, were included. The prevalence of a positive Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale screen (≥10) was determined. Bivariate analyses were used to compare demographics, delivery characteristics, referral indications, and postpartum pelvic floor symptoms between women with and without a positive Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale screen. Significant variables identified in the analyses were then used to perform logistic regression to identify factors independently associated with a positive Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale screen.

RESULTS

In all, 15.6% (46/294) of women had a positive postpartum depression screen. Average age was 30.6 ± 4.8 years, average body mass index was 28.9 ± 5.06 kg/m², 68.0% (200/294) were Caucasian, 79.6% (234/294) were primiparous, and 86.0% (245/285) were breast-feeding. Using multivariable logistic regression, women with a positive postpartum depression screen had higher odds of being non-Caucasian (adjusted odds ratio, 2.72; 95% confidence interval, 1.27-5.832; P = .01), having a history of depression and/or anxiety (adjusted odds ratio, 2.77; 95% confidence interval, 1.23-6.24; P = .01), having been referred for pain (adjusted odds ratio, 2.61; 95% confidence interval, 1.24-5.49; P = .01), and reporting urinary incontinence during and after pregnancy (adjusted odds ratio, 3.81; 95% confidence interval, 1.57-9.25; P = .003).

CONCLUSION

Urinary incontinence during and after pregnancy and referral for pain were pelvic floor symptoms independently associated with a positive postpartum depression screen in women referred to a specialty perineal clinic. Therefore, consideration should be given to depression screening in women presenting with perinatal urinary incontinence and persistent postpartum pain, as these women may be at increased risk of developing postpartum depression.

Geographic access to assisted reproductive technology health care in the United States: a population-based cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the geographic distribution of assisted reproductive technology (ART) clinics and the number of ART clinics within U.S. Census metropolitan areas and to estimate the number of reproductive-age women who have geographic access to ART services in the United States.

DESIGN

A population-based cross-sectional study.

SETTING

Not applicable.

PATIENT(S)

None.

INTERVENTION(S)

None.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)

Number of U.S. reproductive-age women living in areas with no ART clinic, a single ART clinic, or more than one ART clinic.

RESULT(S)

There were 510 ART clinics in the United States in 2009-2013. Multiple ART clinics were present in 76 metropolitan areas (median population of 1.45 million people), where a total of 442 clinics were located. A single ART clinic was present in 68 metropolitan areas (median population of 454,000 people). Among U.S. reproductive-age women in 2010, 38.1 million (60.4% of the U.S. population) lived in an area with multiple ART clinics, 6.8 million (10.8% of the U.S. population) lived in an area with a single clinic, and 18.2 million (28.8% of the U.S. population) lived in an area (metropolitan and nonmetropolitan) with no ART clinics.

CONCLUSION(S)

Nearby geographic access to ART services is limited or absent for more than 25 million reproductive-age women (39.6% of the U.S. population) in the United States. This population estimate should spur continued policy and technological progress to increase access to ART services.

Recruiting Pregnant Patients for Survey Research: A Head to Head Comparison of Social Media-Based Versus Clinic-Based Approaches

Background

Recruiting a diverse sample of pregnant women for clinical research is a challenging but crucial task for improving obstetric services and maternal and child health outcomes.

Objective

To compare the feasibility and cost of recruiting pregnant women for survey research using social media-based and clinic-based approaches.

Methods

Advertisements were used to recruit pregnant women from the social media website Facebook. In-person methods were used to recruit pregnant women from the outpatient clinic of a large, tertiary care center. In both approaches, potential respondents were invited to participate in a 15-minute Web-based survey. Each recruitment method was monitored for 1 month. Using bivariate statistics, we compared the number, demographic characteristics, and health characteristics of women recruited and the cost per completed survey for each recruitment method.

Results

The social media-based approach recruited 1178 women and the clinic-based approach recruited 219 women. A higher proportion of subjects recruited through social media identified as African American (29.4%, 207/705 vs 11.2%, 20/179), reported household incomes <US $30,000 per year (56.8%, 409/720 vs 25.8%, 47/182), reported being in early pregnancy (18.6%, 135/726 vs 10.4%, 19/183 first trimester), and rated their health as fair or poor (22.2%, 160/722 vs 8.2%, 15/183; all P<.001). A smaller proportion of subjects recruited through social media had earned a college degree (21.3%, 153/717 vs 62.3%, 114/183) and were married or in a domestic partnership (45.7%, 330/722 vs 72.1%, 132/183; all P<.001). Social media-based recruitment costs were US $14.63 per completed survey, compared with US $23.51 for clinic-based recruitment.

Conclusions

Web-based recruitment through a social networking platform is a feasible, inexpensive, and rapid means of recruiting a large, diverse sample of pregnant women for survey research.