Associations between lifestyle factors and smoking status during pregnancy in a group of Romanian women

Associations between Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis and Other Risk Factors in Women with a History of Urinary Tract Infections

(1) Background: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among otherwise healthy women represent a problem that requires additional understanding and approaches. Evidencing the link between dysbiosis and UTIs and the associated potential risk factors could lead to therapeutic approaches with increased efficiency under the conditions of reducing the risks associated with antibiotic treatments. The purpose of this study was to evaluate dysbiosis and other potential risk factors in women with a history of urinary tract infections; (2) Methods: Fecal dysbiosis tests were performed comparatively in two groups of women. The first group in-cluded women with recurrent urinary tract infections (rUTI) who had either two or more symp-tomatic episodes of UTI in the previous six months. The second group included women with spo-radic UTIs who did not have >1 UTI during a 12-month period and who did not have another UTI in the last 12 months; (3) Results: An association was shown between intestinal dysbiosis and recurrences of urinary tract infections. Increased body weight was associated with intestinal dysbiosis. Also, the lack of knowledge regarding the risk of using antibiotics and the benefits of probiotics was associated with both dysbiosis and recurrences of urinary tract infections; (4) Conclusions: Dysbiosis can have an impact on the recurrence of urinary tract infections. The risk factors for rUTI and dysbiosis in the sphere of lifestyle are potentially controllable, broadening the perspective for new approaches and changing the paradigm in the treatment of urinary tract infections.

Empirical validation of the information-motivation-behavioral skills model of gestational weight management behavior: a framework for intervention

BACKGROUND

Unhealthy gestational weight gain is a modifiable risk factor for adverse maternal and child health. Appropriate and effective intervention strategies that focus on behavioral change or maintenance are critical in weight management during pregnancy. Our aim was to uncover the influencing factors and psychosocial mechanisms of gestational weight control behavior, and to construct a behavioral model suitable for intervention based on Information-Motivation-Behavioral skills (IMB) model.

METHODS

A sample of 559 pregnant women from a municipal maternal and child healthcare facility in Jiangsu Province, China was enrolled in this cross-sectional empirical study. Partial least square structural equation modelling was used to verify the hypothesized model, and post hoc analyses was used to test the effect of parity and pre-pregnancy BMI on the model.

RESULTS

The IMB model elements can predict gestational weight management (GWM) behavior well, with information being the most influential factor. As predicted, information affects GWM directly (β = 0.325, p < 0.05) and indirectly (β = 0.054, p < 0.05) through behavioral skills. Likewise, motivation has direct (β = 0.461, p < 0.05) effects on GWM, and has indirect (β = 0.071, p < 0.05) effects through behavioral skills. Behavioral skills have a direct impact (β = 0.154, p < 0.05). The model had a goodness of fit (GOF = 0.421) and was robust when tested in subgroups of different parity or pre-pregnancy BMI.

CONCLUSION

Findings from this study supported the predictions of the IMB model for GWM behavior, and identified its modifiable determinants. The tested behavior model for GWM can serve as a new validated intervention strategy in weight management among pregnant women.

Individual and Regional Characteristics Associated with Maternal Smoking During Pregnancy in Japan: Healthy Parents and Children 21

Smoking during pregnancy causes various maternal and fetal health problems. Although there are considerable differences in maternal smoking proportions between localities, only a few studies have investigated the effects of regional characteristics on maternal smoking behavior. This study aimed to clarify the association between maternal smoking during pregnancy and individual and regional characteristics. We used data from a large nationwide birth cohort study in Japan that consisted of information on 20,267 women with children aged 3–4 months. The multilevel regression model was used to examine the association between smoking behavior during pregnancy and individual and regional characteristics. On multilevel analysis, late birth order, young age of the mother at birth, low birth weight, low economic status, husband’s smoking during pregnancy, maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy, absence of a pregnancy counselor, and lack of participation in local events for childrearing were significantly associated with maternal smoking behavior during pregnancy at the individual level. Meanwhile, a high unemployment rate and a high number of nurseries were significantly associated with maternal smoking behavior during pregnancy at the regional level. In conclusion, we showed the relation between maternal smoking during pregnancy and the individual- and regional-level characteristics.