The mediating effect of childhood abuse in sexual orientation disparities in tobacco and alcohol use during adolescence: results from the Nurses' Health Study II

Association between childhood abuse and risk of post-COVID-19 conditions: Results from three large prospective cohort studies

BACKGROUND

Significant early life adversities, such as childhood sexual and physical/emotional abuse, are associated with risk of poor health outcomes but are understudied risk factors for post-COVID-19 conditions. In this prospective study, we examined the associations between combined exposure to sexual and physical/emotional abuse during childhood with risk of post-COVID-19 conditions in adulthood. Additionally, we explored the extent to which lifestyle, health-related and psychological factors explain this association.

METHODS

We used data from three large, ongoing cohorts: Nurses' Health Study (NHS)-II, NHS3, and the Growing Up Today Study. Between April 2020 and November 2021, participants responded to periodic COVID-19 surveys. Participants were included if they responded to a questionnaire about childhood abuse, subsequently tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection and responded to questions about post-COVID-19 conditions. Childhood sexual abuse was measured before the COVID-19 pandemic with the Sexual Maltreatment Scale of the Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scale, and physical/emotional abuse was measured with the Physical and Emotional Abuse Subscale of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Post-COVID-19 conditions, defined as COVID-19-related symptoms lasting 4 weeks or longer (e.g., fatigue, dyspnea), were self-reported in the final COVID-19 questionnaire in November 2021. Sexual abuse and physical/emotional abuse were examined separately and jointly in relation to post-COVID-19 conditions. Data on key lifestyle (e.g., cigarette smoking), health-related (e.g., asthma, diabetes), and psychological factors (e.g., depression and anxiety) were obtained.

RESULTS

Of 2851 participants, the mean age (range) was 55.8 (22.0-75.0) years; 2789 (97.8 %) were females, and 2750 (96.5 %) were whites. We observed a dose-dependent relationship between severity of childhood abuse and post-COVID conditions (p-trend:<0.0001); participants with severe versus no childhood abuse had a 42 % higher subsequent risk of post-COVID conditions [relative risk (95 % confidence interval): 1.42 (1.25 to 1.61)]. Key lifestyle, health-related, and psychological factors mediated 25.5 % of this association. Both sexual and physical/emotional abuse, were independently associated with post-COVID conditions.

CONCLUSIONS

In this prospective study of 2851 participants, childhood abuse was significantly associated with increased risk of post-COVID conditions. Biological pathways connecting childhood abuse with subsequent risk of post-COVID conditions should be investigated.

Integration of epidemiological and blood biomarker analysis links haem iron intake to increased type 2 diabetes risk

Dietary haem iron intake is linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D), but the underlying plasma biomarkers are not well understood. We analysed data from 204,615 participants (79% females) in three large US cohorts over up to 36 years, examining the associations between iron intake and T2D risk. We also assessed plasma metabolic biomarkers and metabolomic profiles in subsets of 37,544 (82% females) and 9,024 (84% females) participants, respectively. Here we show that haem iron intake but not non-haem iron is associated with a higher T2D risk, with a multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio of 1.26 (95% confidence interval 1.20-1.33; P for trend <0.001) comparing the highest to the lowest quintiles. Haem iron accounts for significant proportions of the T2D risk linked to unprocessed red meat and specific dietary patterns. Increased haem iron intake correlates with unfavourable plasma profiles of insulinaemia, lipids, inflammation and T2D-linked metabolites. We also identify metabolites, including L-valine and uric acid, potentially mediating the haem iron-T2D relationship, highlighting their pivotal role in T2D pathogenesis.

Threats to social safety and neuro-inflammatory mechanisms underlying sexual orientation disparities in depression symptom severity: A prospective cohort study of young adults

Sexual minority individuals have a markedly elevated risk of depression compared to heterosexuals. We examined early threats to social safety and chronically elevated inflammation as mechanisms contributing to this disparity in depression symptoms, and compared the relative strength of the co-occurrence between chronic inflammation and depression symptoms for sexual minorities versus heterosexuals. To do so, we analyzed data from a prospective cohort of sexual minority and heterosexual young adults (n = 595), recruited from a nationally representative sample, that included assessments of early threats to social safety in the form of adverse childhood interpersonal events, three biomarkers of inflammation (i.e., CRP, IL-6, TNF-α) measured at two time points, and depression symptoms over four years. In pre-registered analyses, we found that sexual minorities experienced more adverse childhood interpersonal events, were more likely to display chronically elevated inflammation, and reported more severe depression symptoms than heterosexuals. Adverse childhood interpersonal events and chronically elevated inflammation explained approximately 23 % of the total effect of the association between sexual orientation and depression symptom severity. Further, there was an increased coupling of chronically elevated inflammation and depression symptoms among sexual minorities compared to heterosexuals. These results provide novel longitudinal, population-based evidence for the role of chronically elevated inflammation in linking threats to social safety during childhood with depression symptom severity in young adulthood, consistent with the primary tenets of the social signal transduction theory of depression. Our study extends this theory to the population level by finding that members of a stigmatized population (i.e., sexual minorities) experience a greater risk of depression because of their greater exposure to adverse childhood interpersonal events and the subsequent link to chronic inflammation, highlighting potential biopsychosocial intervention targets.

Early adversity and sexual diversity: the importance of self-reported and neurobiological sexual reward sensitivity

Work shows that sexually-diverse individuals face high rates of early life adversity and in turn increased engagement in behavioral outcomes traditionally associated with adversity, such as sexual risk taking. Recent theoretical work suggests that these associations may be attributable to heightened sexual reward sensitivity among adversity-exposed women. We aimed to test these claims using a combination of self-report and EEG measures to test the relationship between early adversity, sexual reward sensitivity (both self-reported and EEG measured) and sexual risk taking in a sexually diverse sample of cis-gender women (N = 208) (Mage = 27.17, SD = 6.36). Results showed that childhood SES predicted self-reported sexual reward sensitivity which in turn predicted numbers of male and female sexual partners. In contrast we found that perceived childhood unpredictability predicted neurobiological sexual reward sensitivity as measured by EEG which in turn predicted male sexual partner number. The results presented here provide support for the notion that heightened sexual reward sensitivity may be a pathway through which early life adversity augments future sexual behavior, and underscores the importance of including greater attention to the dynamics of pleasure and reward in sexual health promotion.

A prospective cohort study of infertility and cancer incidence

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the association between infertility and the incidence of invasive cancer.

DESIGN

Prospective cohort study (1989-2015).

SETTING

Not applicable.

PATIENT(S)

A total of 103,080 women aged 25-42 years in the Nurses' Health Study II who were cancer-free at baseline (1989).

INTERVENTION(S)

The infertility status (failure to conceive after 1 year of regular, unprotected sex) and causes of infertility were self-reported at baseline and biennial follow-up questionnaires.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)

Cancer diagnosis was confirmed through medical record review and classified as obesity-related (colorectal, gallbladder, kidney, multiple myeloma, thyroid, pancreatic, esophageal, gastric, liver, endometrial, ovarian, and postmenopausal breast) or non-obesity-related (all other cancers). We fit the Cox proportional-hazards models to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of the association between infertility and cancer incidence.

RESULT(S)

During 2,149,385 person-years of follow-up, 26,208 women reported a history of infertility, and we documented 6,925 incident invasive cancer cases. After adjusting for body mass index and other risk factors, women who reported infertility had a higher risk of developing cancer than gravid women without a history of infertility (HR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.02-1.13). This association was stronger among obesity-related cancers (HR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.05-1.22; vs. non-obesity-related cancers, HR, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.91-1.06) and, in particular, obesity-related reproductive cancers (postmenopausal breast, endometrial, and ovarian cancers; HR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.06-1.29) and was stronger among women who first reported infertility earlier in life (≤25 years, HR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.07-1.33; 26-30 years, HR, 1.11; 95% CI, 0.99-1.25; >30 years, HR, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.94-1.22; P trend < .001).

CONCLUSION(S)

A history of infertility may be associated with the risk of developing obesity-related reproductive cancers; further study is needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms.

You are What You Drink? How Associations Between Profiles of Beverage Consumption and Type 2 Diabetes Risk are Mediated by Biomarker Networks

BACKGROUND

Multiple studies have independently investigated the associations of the consumption of individual beverage types and specific plasma biomarkers with the risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, as individuals do not consume single beverage types exclusively and plasma biomarkers do not act in isolation, it remains unclear how patterns of beverage consumption and plasma biomarker networks associate both with each other and T2D risk.

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to elucidate potential dietary determinants of T2D risk by defining a model that describes habitual beverage consumption profiles in relation to identified networks of circulating plasma biomarkers.

METHODS

This study included 1,461 case and 1,568 control participants from case-control studies of T2D nested within the Nurses' Health Study. Participants completed validated semiquantitative food frequency questionnaires that assessed habitual beverage consumption, and they provided blood samples from which 27 plasma biomarkers of cardiometabolic risk were identified. Common exploratory factor analysis (EFA) identified factors that separately described beverage consumption profiles and biomarker networks. Multivariable-adjusted regression elucidated the relationships between beverage and biomarker factors and T2D risk.

RESULTS

EFA revealed five factors describing unique beverage consumption profiles and seven factors describing biomarker networks. The factor describing alcoholic beverage consumption was associated with a reduced risk of T2D (odds ratio [OR]: 0.50 [0.40, 0.64], P<0.001) mediated, in part, by the factor describing increased concentrations of adiponectin biomarkers (19.9% [12.0, 31.1] P = 0.004). The factor describing low-calorie sweetened beverage (LCSBs) consumption was associated with an increased risk of T2D (OR: 1.33 [1.03, 1.72], P = 0.021), and the factor describing lower concentrations of insulin-like growth factor binding proteins 1 and 2, and soluble leptin receptor, and increased leptin concentrations (P = 0.005).

CONCLUSIONS

Moderate alcohol consumption was associated with reduced T2D risk, mediated in part by increased circulating adiponectin. LCSB consumption was associated with both increased T2D risk and perturbed insulin-like growth factor and leptin signaling.

Inflammatory and insulinemic dietary patterns and risk of endometrial cancer among US women

BACKGROUND

Although unopposed estrogen exposure is considered a major driver of endometrial carcinogenesis, chronic inflammation and insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia are also major endometrial cancer risk factors. However, it is unclear whether diets with inflammatory or insulinemic potential are associated with risk of endometrial cancer.

METHODS

We followed 48 330 women from the Nurses' Health Study (1984-2016) and 85 426 women from the Nurses' Health Study II (1989-2017). Using food frequency questionnaires, we calculated repeated measures of empirical dietary inflammatory pattern (EDIP) and empirical dietary index for hyperinsulinemia (EDIH) scores, which characterize the potential of the whole diet to modulate circulating biomarkers of inflammation or C-peptide, respectively. We used multivariable-adjusted Cox regression to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for type I endometrial cancer risk.

RESULTS

We documented 1462 type I endometrial cancer cases over 2 823 221 person-years of follow-up. In the pooled multivariable-adjusted analyses, women in the highest compared with lowest quintiles were at higher risk of type I endometrial cancer (EDIP HRQ5vsQ1 = 1.46, 95% CI = 1.24 to 1.73; Ptrend < .001; EDIH HRQ5vsQ1 = 1.58, 95% CI = 1.34 to 1.87; Ptrend < .001). Additional adjustment for body mass index attenuated the associations (EDIP HR = 1.03, 95% CI = 0.87 to 1.22; EDIH HR = 1.01, 95% CI = 0.85 to 1.21), and mediation analyses showed that body mass index may explain 60.4% (95% CI = 37.4% to 79.6%; P < .001) and 71.8% (95% CI = 41.0% to 90.4%; P < .001) of the association of endometrial cancer with EDIP and EDIH, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

In this large cohort study, higher dietary inflammatory and insulinemic potential were each associated with increased endometrial cancer incidence, and this association may be almost entirely mediated by adiposity.

Insulinemic potential of diet and risk of total and subtypes of breast cancer among US females

BACKGROUND

Insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia play important roles in the progression of multiple chronic disease and conditions. Diet modulates insulin response; however, evidence is limited regarding whether diets with higher insulinemic potential increase the risk of invasive breast cancer.

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to prospectively evaluate the association between a food-based empirical dietary index for hyperinsulinemia (EDIH) and the incidence of invasive breast cancer.

METHODS

We prospectively followed 76,686 women from the Nurses' Health Study (NHS; 1984-2016) and 93,287 women from the Nurses' Health Study II (NHSII; 1991-2017). Diet was assessed by food-frequency questionnaires every 4 y. The insulinemic potential of diet was evaluated using the previously established EDIH based on circulating C-peptide concentrations. Higher scores indicate higher insulinemic potential of the diet. Covariates included reproductive, hormonal, and anthropometric factors (height and BMI at age 18 y); race; socioeconomic status; total alcohol intake; total caloric intake; and physical activity.

RESULTS

During 4,216,106 person-years of follow-up, we documented 10,602 breast cancer cases (6689 NHS, 3913 NHSII). In the pooled multivariable-adjusted analyses, women in the highest, compared with the lowest, EDIH quintile (Q) were at higher breast cancer risk (HRQ5 vs. Q1 = 1.15; 95% CI: 1.07, 1.24; P-trend < 0.01). Although heterogeneity by estrogen receptor (ER) status was nonsignificant, the strongest association between EDIH and breast cancer was observed for ER-negative tumors (HRQ5 vs. Q1 = 1.21; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.46; P-trend = 0.02). Among tumor molecular subtypes, the strongest associations were observed for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-enriched tumors (HRQ5 vs. Q1 = 1.62; 95% CI: 1.01, 2.61; P-trend = 0.02).

CONCLUSIONS

A dietary pattern contributing to hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance was associated with greater breast cancer risk, especially ER-negative and HER2-enriched tumors. Our findings suggest that dietary modifications to reduce insulinemic potential may reduce the risk of breast cancer.

Plasma metabolite profiles related to plant-based diets and the risk of type 2 diabetes

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS

Plant-based diets, especially when rich in healthy plant foods, have been associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. However, whether plasma metabolite profiles related to plant-based diets reflect this association was unknown. The aim of this study was to identify the plasma metabolite profiles related to plant-based diets, and to evaluate the associations between the identified metabolite profiles and the risk of type 2 diabetes.

METHODS

Within three prospective cohorts (Nurses' Health Study, Nurses' Health Study II and Health Professionals Follow-up Study), we measured plasma metabolites from 10,684 participants using high-throughput LC MS. Adherence to plant-based diets was assessed by three indices derived from the food frequency questionnaire: an overall Plant-based Diet Index (PDI), a Healthy Plant-based Diet Index (hPDI), and an Unhealthy Plant-based Diet Index (uPDI). Multi-metabolite profiles related to plant-based diet were identified using elastic net regression with a training/testing approach. The prospective associations between metabolite profiles and incident type 2 diabetes were evaluated using multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression. Metabolites potentially mediating the association between plant-based diets and type 2 diabetes risk were further identified.

RESULTS

We identified multi-metabolite profiles comprising 55 metabolites for PDI, 93 metabolites for hPDI and 75 metabolites for uPDI. Metabolite profile scores based on the identified metabolite profiles were correlated with the corresponding diet index (Pearson r = 0.33-0.35 for PDI, 0.41-0.45 for hPDI, and 0.37-0.38 for uPDI, all p<0.001). Metabolite profile scores of PDI (HR per 1 SD higher = 0.81 [95% CI 0.75, 0.88]) and hPDI (HR per 1 SD higher = 0.77 [95% CI 0.71, 0.84]) showed an inverse association with incident type 2 diabetes, whereas the metabolite profile score for uPDI was not associated with the risk. Mutual adjustment for metabolites selected in the metabolite profiles, including trigonelline, hippurate, isoleucine and a subset of triacylglycerols, attenuated the associations of diet indices PDI and hPDI with lower type 2 diabetes risk. The explainable proportion of PDI/hPDI-related diabetes risk by these metabolites ranged between 8.5% and 37.2% (all p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS/INTERPRETATION

Plasma metabolite profiles related to plant-based diets, especially a healthy plant-based diet, were associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes among a generally healthy population. Our findings support the beneficial role of healthy plant-based diets in diabetes prevention and provide new insights for future investigation.

A Systematic Review of Research on Trauma and Women's Health in the Nurses' Health Study II

OBJECTIVE

To synthesize research on interpersonal trauma and women's health from the Nurses' Health Study II (NHS II) and to analyze conceptualization of interpersonal trauma across studies.

DATA SOURCES

A literature review was conducted in PubMed using a systematic search strategy.

STUDY SELECTION

Articles were included in the review if they used data from the NHS II and involved investigations of interpersonal trauma. Theoretical articles, methodologic articles, and other literature reviews involving the NHS II were excluded. Initially, the search returned 61 articles. After exclusions, 45 articles met the criteria for inclusion in the review and data extraction.

DATA EXTRACTION

Information was extracted and consolidated in an evidence table. Data included study time frame, sample, definition of trauma, outcomes studied, and journal of publication.

DATA SYNTHESIS

Trauma was not operationalized consistently across studies, even though the NHS II assessed trauma experiences in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Most investigations focused on childhood abuse, with investigations of childhood sexual abuse overrepresented in comparison to other abuse experiences. Authors conducting studies of trauma at any time in the life course consistently found a negative association with physical and mental health outcomes, which were increased by the presence of posttraumatic stress symptoms. Results from a small number of studies suggested a negative intergenerational impact of trauma on the children of women in the NHS II.

CONCLUSION

Interpersonal trauma across the life course was strongly associated with many leading causes of morbidity and mortality among female nurses. Trauma conceptualization and operationalization varied across studies, and future investigations should leverage the full range of trauma measures available in the NHS II data set.

Healthful and Unhealthful Plant-Based Diets and Risk of Breast Cancer in U.S. Women: Results from the Nurses' Health Studies

BACKGROUND

Plant-based diets have been associated with lower risk of various diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other cardiometabolic risk factors. However, the association between plant-based diet quality and breast cancer remains unclear.

METHODS

We prospectively followed 76,690 women from the Nurses' Health Study (NHS, 1984-2016) and 93,295 women from the NHSII (1991-2017). Adherence to an overall plant-based diet index (PDI), a healthful PDI (hPDI), and an unhealthful PDI (uPDI) was assessed using previously developed indices. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate HR and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for incident invasive breast cancer.

RESULTS

Over 4,841,083 person-years of follow-up, we documented 12,482 incident invasive breast cancer cases. Women with greater adherence to PDI and hPDI were at modestly lower risk of breast cancer [(HRQ5 vs. Q1, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.84-0.95); (HRQ5 vs. Q1, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.83-0.94)]. We observed significant heterogeneity by estrogen receptor (ER) status, with the strongest inverse association between hPDI and breast cancer observed with ER-negative tumors [HRQ5 vs. Q1, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.65-0.90; P trend < 0.01]. We also found an inverse association between extreme quintiles of healthy plant foods and ER-negative breast cancer [HR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.61-0.88; P trend < 0.01].

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides evidence that adherence to a healthful plant-based diet may reduce the risk of breast cancer, especially those that are more likely to be aggressive tumors.

IMPACT

This is the first prospective study investigating the relation between healthful and unhealthful plant-based dietary indices and risk of total and subtype-specific breast cancer.

The Mediating Effect of Life-style Behaviors on the Association Between Personality Traits and Cardiovascular Disease Mortality Among 29,766 Community-Dwelling Japanese

OBJECTIVE

Personality traits have been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality as well as life-style-related cardiovascular risk factors. However, the mediating effects of life-style behaviors in the association between personality factors and CVD mortality remain insufficiently understood. The aim of the present study was to examine the mediating effect of life-style behaviors on the association between personality traits and CVD mortality.

METHODS

We conducted a prospective cohort study of 29,766 Japanese adults aged 40 to 64 years at the baseline and followed them up for 20.8 years from 1990 to 2011. Personality was measured using the Japanese version of the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire - Revised Short Form in 1990. We estimated the multivariable hazard ratio and 95% confidence interval for CVD mortality using Cox proportional hazards models, and explored the mediating effects of life-style behaviors (smoking, drinking, body mass index, and time spent walking) on the association between personality traits and CVD mortality.

RESULTS

We documented 1033 deaths due to CVD during 562,446 person-years of follow-up. Psychoticism represents tough-mindedness, aggressiveness, coldness, a lack of deliberateness, and egocentricity. After adjusting for confounding variables, higher psychoticism was associated with CVD mortality (base model hazard ratio = 1.36, 95% confidence interval = 1.14-1.61, p trend < .001). All the life-style behaviors together mediated this association by 19.2%, with smoking having the greatest effect at 15.7%. For the other personality traits, no significant associations with CVD mortality were found.

CONCLUSION

The present study demonstrated that life-style behaviors, especially smoking, partially mediate the association between psychoticism and CVD mortality.

Contribution of systemic inflammation and nutritional status to the relationship between tooth loss and mortality in a community-dwelling older Japanese population: a mediation analysis of data from the Tsurugaya project

OBJECTIVES

To assess whether systemic inflammation and nutritional status contribute to a relationship between tooth loss and mortality in community-dwelling older Japanese individuals using mediation analyses.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This longitudinal study targeted community-dwelling older Japanese individuals (N = 891). The exposure variable was the number of teeth (edentulous, 1-9, 10-19, ≥ 20), while the outcome was all-cause mortality from 2003 to 2016. Nutritional status and systemic inflammation were evaluated as mediators and based on serum albumin and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels, respectively. Covariates included age, sex, smoking, alcohol consumption, medical history, educational level, depressive symptoms, cognitive impairment, and physical function. The Cox proportional hazards model was applied to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) for the association between tooth loss and mortality and the contributions of systemic inflammation and nutritional status to this association.

RESULTS

Edentulous participants (HR, 1.84; 95 % confidence interval [CI], 1.30-2.59) and those with 1-9 teeth (HR, 1.75; 95% CI, 1.28-2.40) groups exhibited a significantly higher risk of mortality than did those with ≥ 20 teeth. Mediation analyses showed that nutritional status contributed to the association between tooth loss and mortality in participants with 1-9 teeth, whereas systemic inflammation played no role in this association.

CONCLUSIONS

Nutritional status may contribute to the association between tooth loss and mortality in community-dwelling older Japanese individuals with fewer remaining teeth.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

The data from this prospective cohort study help in elucidating parts of the biological mechanism underlying tooth loss and all-cause mortality in older individuals.

Long-Term Physical Activity and Subsequent Risk for Rheumatoid Arthritis Among Women: A Prospective Cohort Study

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effects of long-term physical activity on subsequent risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in a prospective cohort study.

METHODS

This study investigated physical activity and RA risk among women from the Nurses' Health Study II (1989-2015). Physical activity exposures and covariates were prospectively obtained using biennial questionnaires. Two rheumatologists independently reviewed the medical records of women who self-reported a new diagnosis of RA on biennial questionnaires and who screened positive for RA based on a supplemental survey. All incident RA cases met the 1987 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) or 2010 ACR/European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) classification criteria for RA. The primary analysis investigated the long-term cumulative average number of hours spent in recreational physical activity 2-8 years prior to the RA diagnosis, a time span chosen to reduce the potential for reverse causation bias, since early RA affects physical activity prior to diagnosis. Estimated Cox regression hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were used to assess the risk of RA serologic phenotypes (all, seropositive, or seronegative) in relation to physical activity categories. The analyses were adjusted for body mass index (BMI) at age 18 years and time-varying potential confounders, and the mediating effect of updated BMI on the interaction between physical activity and RA risk was quantified.

RESULTS

Among the 113,366 women analyzed, 506 incident RA cases (67.0% with seropositive RA) were identified during 2,428,573 person-years of follow-up. After adjustment for confounders, including smoking, dietary quality, and BMI at age 18 years, increasing cumulative average total hours of recreational physical activity was associated with a reduced risk of RA, as follows: HR 1.00 for <1 hour/week (reference), HR 1.00 (95% CI 0.78-1.29) for 1 to <2 hours/week, HR 0.92 (95% CI 0.72-1.17) for 2 to <4 hours/week, HR 0.84 (95% CI 0.63-1.12) for 4 to <7 hours/week, and HR 0.67 (95% CI 0.47-0.98) for ≥7 hours/week (P for trend = 0.02). The proportion of the effect between physical activity and RA mediated by updated BMI was 14.0% (P = 0.002) for all RA and 20.0% (P = 0.001) for seropositive RA.

CONCLUSION

Higher levels of physical activity were associated with reduced RA risk. These results add to the literature implicating metabolic factors in the pathogenesis of RA.

Health Care of Sexual Minority Women

Sexual minority women may be invisible in health care settings unless practitioners ask every patient about sexual attractions/behaviors and identity. Sexual minority women need to feel comfortable and able to share information about their sexual identity, partners, and lives. No medical diagnoses are found more commonly in sexual minority women, but problems such as overweight/obesity, increased tobacco and alcohol use, increased mental health problems, and a past history of childhood sexual abuse are common. These factors intertwine when treating sexual minority women.

Insurance status and cancer treatment mediate the association between race/ethnicity and cervical cancer survival

Cervical cancer outcomes remain poor among disadvantaged populations, including ethnic minorities, low-income, and underinsured women. The aim of this study was to evaluate the mechanisms that underlie the observed association between race/ethnicity and cervical cancer survival. We identified 13,698 women, ages 21 to 64 years, diagnosed with stages I-III primary cervical cancer between 2007-2013 in Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER). Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models evaluated associations between race/ethnicity (Non-Hispanic White, Non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, Other) and cervical cancer-specific mortality. We conducted mediation analysis to calculate the mediation proportion and its 95% confidence interval. Non-Hispanic black women had an increased risk of cervical cancer-specific mortality (HR: 1.23, 95% CI: 1.08-1.39), and Hispanic women a decreased risk of dying from their disease (HR: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.72-0.93), compared with non-Hispanic white. The estimated proportion of excess cervical cancer mortality for non-Hispanic black women relative to non-Hispanic white women that was mediated by insurance was 18.6% and by treatment was 47.2%. Furthermore, non-Hispanic black women were more likely to receive radiation and less likely to receive surgery for early-stage disease. In this population-based study we found that some of the excess cervical cancer-specific mortality for non-Hispanic black women is mediated by factors such as insurance status and treatment. These findings suggest that enhancing existing insurance coverage and ensuring equal and adequate treatment in all women may be a key strategy for improving cervical cancer outcomes.

Lifestyle and Reproductive Factors and Ovarian Cancer Risk by p53 and MAPK Expression

Background: One model of ovarian cancer development model divides tumors into two types. Type I tumors are characterized by KRAS and BRAF mutations, which can activate mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). Type II tumors are characterized by tubal precursor lesions with p53 mutations. We evaluated the association between lifestyle and reproductive factors and risk of ovarian cancer defined by p53 and MAPK expression.Methods: Epithelial ovarian cancer cases (n = 274) and controls (n = 1,907) were identified from the Nurses' Health Study and Nurses' Health Study II prospective cohorts, and the population-based New England Case-Control study. Reproductive and lifestyle exposures were assessed by questionnaire/interview. We performed immunohistochemical assays for p53 and MAPK expression. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using polytomous logistic regression.Results: Parity was associated with a decreased risk of p53 wild-type tumors (OR = 0.31; 95% CI, 0.18-0.55), but not p53-mutant tumors (OR = 0.92; 95% CI, 0.54-1.59)(P_{heterogeneity} < 0.01). Family history of breast or ovarian cancer was associated with risk of MAPK-negative (OR = 2.06; 95% CI, 1.39-3.06), but not MAPK-positive tumors (OR = 0.74; 95% CI, 0.43-1.27; P_{heterogeneity}< 0.01). In cross-classified analyses, family history of breast or ovarian cancer was most strongly associated with p53-mutant/MAPK-negative tumors (OR = 2.33; 95% CI, 1.44-3.75). Differences by MAPK expression were also observed for estrogen plus progesterone hormone therapy use (P_{heterogeneity} = 0.03).Conclusions: These findings provide evidence that parity, family history, and estrogen plus progesterone hormone therapy use may be differentially associated with tumor subtypes defined by p53 and MAPK expression.Impact: In future studies, other immunohistochemical markers or gene expression profiles that more clearly define these subtypes should be considered. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 27(1); 96-102. ©2017 AACR.

Childhood Abuse, Religious Involvement, and Substance Abuse Among Latino-American Men in the United States

PURPOSE

Childhood abuse/victimization and subsequent substance abuse are significant behavioral health problems among developed countries. In the United States (U.S.), however, few studies have examined whether this early trauma exacerbates adulthood substance abuse, viewed as a negative coping strategy, among Latino-American men. Furthermore, little is known about how collectivist cultural factors (i.e., ethnic identity, social support, and religious involvement), indicating potentially positive coping resources, were related to substance abuse in this largest minority-male population.

METHOD

We investigated Latino-American men (N = 1127) in a nationally representative U.S. sample, using logistic regression analysis adjusting known demographic and acculturation correlates.

RESULTS

The results identified considerably elevated rates of childhood physical abuse/victimization (35.7 %) and lifetime substance abuse (17.3 %). Childhood physical (not sexual) abuse/victimization was positively associated with lifetime substance abuse, alongside age, being U.S.-born, and perceived discrimination. Latino-American men with lifetime substance abuse reported more religious coping.

CONCLUSION

Findings may contribute to the design of culturally competent behavioral care.

Family Planning for Sexual Minority Women

The family planning needs of sexual minority women (SMW) are an understudied but growing area of research. SMW have family planning needs, both similar to and distinct from their exclusively heterosexual peers. Specifically, SMW experience unintended pregnancies at higher rates than their exclusively heterosexual peers, but factors that increase this risk are not well understood. Contraception use is not uncommon among SMW, but lesbian women are less likely to use contraception than bisexual or exclusively heterosexual women. High rates of unintended pregnancy suggest contraception is underused among SMW. Contraception counseling guidelines specific to SMW do not yet exist, but greater adoption of current best practices is likely to meet the needs of SMW. SMW may have unique needs for their planned pregnancies as well, for which obstetrics and gynecology (Ob/Gyn) providers should provide care and referrals. In general, understandings of the distinct family planning needs for SMW are limited and further research is needed, with particular attention to issues of overlapping health disparities related to status as a SMW and other factors such as race/ethnicity that may add additional layers of stigma and discrimination. Clinical resources are needed to help Ob/Gyns make their practice more welcoming to the needs of SMW.

History of breast feeding and risk of incident endometriosis: prospective cohort study

Objective To investigate the association between lifetime breast feeding, exclusive breast feeding, postpartum amenorrhea, and incidence of endometriosis among parous women.Design Prospective cohort study.Setting Nurses' Health Study II, 1989-2011.Participants 72 394women who reported having one or more pregnancies that lasted at least six months, 3296 of whom had laparoscopically confirmed endometriosis. For each pregnancy, women reported duration of total breast feeding, exclusive breast feeding, and postpartum amenorrhea. Main outcome measures Incident self reported laparoscopically confirmed endometriosis (96% concordance with medical record) in parous women. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to calculate hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals for diagnosis of endometriosis.Results Duration of total and exclusive breast feeding was significantly associated with decreased risk of endometriosis. Among women who reported a lifetime total length of breast feeding of less than one month, there were 453 endometriosis cases/100 000 person years compared with 184 cases/100 000 person years in women who reported a lifetime total of ≥36 months of breast feeding. For every additional three months of total breast feeding per pregnancy, women experienced an 8% lower risk of endometriosis (hazard ratio 0.92, 95% confidence interval 0.90 to 0.94; P<0.001 for trend) and a 14% lower risk for every additional three months of exclusive breast feeding per pregnancy (0.86, 0.81 to 0.90; P<0.001 for trend). Women who breastfed for ≥36 months in total across their reproductive lifetime had a 40% reduced risk of endometriosis compared with women who never breast fed (0.60, 0.50 to 0.72). The protective association with breast feeding was strongest among women who gave birth within the past five years (P=0.04 for interaction). The association with total breast feeding and exclusive breast feeding on endometriosis was partially influenced by postpartum amenorrhea (% mediated was 34% (95% confidence interval 15% to 59%) for total breast feeding and 57% (27% to 82%) for exclusive breast feeding).Conclusion Among women who experienced at least one pregnancy that lasted at least six months, breast feeding was inversely associated with risk of incident endometriosis. This association was partially, but not fully, influenced by postpartum amenorrhea, suggesting that breast feeding could influence the risk of endometriosis both through amenorrhea and other mechanisms. Given the chronic and incurable nature of endometriosis, breast feeding should be further investigated as an important modifiable behavior to mitigate risk for pregnant women.

Endometriosis and the risk of skin cancer: a prospective cohort study

PURPOSE

Endometriosis has been associated with an increased risk of skin melanoma. However, associations with other skin cancer types and how they compare with melanoma are unclear. Our objective was to prospectively investigate the relationships between endometriosis and risk of non-melanoma and melanoma skin cancers.

METHODS

E3N is a prospective cohort of 98,995 French women aged 40-65 years in 1990. Data on surgically confirmed endometriosis and skin cancer diagnoses were collected every 2-3 years through self-report, with skin cancer cases confirmed through pathology reports. Hazard Ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using Cox regression models.

RESULTS

Between 1990 and 2008, 535 melanoma, 247 squamous-cell carcinoma (SCC), and 1,712 basal-cell carcinoma (BCC) cases were ascertained. Endometriosis was associated with an increased overall risk of skin cancer (HR 1.28, 95% CI 1.05-1.55). When considering skin cancer type, endometriosis was associated with melanoma risk (HR 1.64, 95% CI 1.15-2.35), but not with SCC (HR 1.21, 95% CI 0.62-2.36) or BCC (HR 1.16, 95% CI 0.91-1.48) (non-melanoma skin cancers combined: HR 1.17, 95% CI 0.93-1.46), although no heterogeneity was detected across skin cancer types (Phomogeneity = 0.13).

CONCLUSION

These data support an association between a personal history of endometriosis and the risk of skin cancer and suggest that the association is strongest for melanoma.

The association between reproductive and hormonal factors and ovarian cancer by estrogen-α and progesterone receptor status

OBJECTIVE

We assessed the association between reproductive and hormonal factors and ovarian cancer incidence characterized by estrogen receptor-α (ERα) and progesterone receptor (PR) status.

METHODS

Tissue microarrays were used to assess ERα and PR expression among 197 Nurses' Health Study (NHS), 42 NHSII and 76 New England Case-Control Study (NECC) ovarian cancer cases. NHS/NHSII cases were matched to up to 4 controls (n=954) on diagnosis date and birth year. NECC controls (n=725) were frequency matched on age. Cases were considered receptor positive if ≥1% of tumor cells stained positive. Associations by ERα and PR status were assessed using polytomous logistic regression. p-Value for heterogeneity was calculated using a likelihood ratio test.

RESULTS

45% of ovarian tumors were PR(+), 78% were ERα(+) and 45% were ERα(+)/PR(+), while 22% were ERα(-)/PR(-). Postmenopausal status was associated with an increased risk of PR(-) tumors (OR: 2.07; 95%CI: 1.15-3.75; p-heterogeneity=0.01) and age at natural menopause was inversely associated with PR(-) tumors (OR, per 5years: 0.77; 95%CI: 0.61-0.96; p-het=0.01). Increasing duration of postmenopause was differentially associated by PR status (p-het=0.0009). Number of children and tubal ligation were more strongly associated with ERα(-) versus ERα(+) tumors (p-het=0.002 and 0.05, respectively). No differential associations were observed for oral contraceptive or hormone therapy use.

CONCLUSIONS

Postmenopausal women have an increased risk of developing PR(-) ovarian tumors compared to premenopausal women. The associations observed for ovarian cancer differ from those seen for breast cancer suggesting that the biology for tumor development through ERα and PR pathways may differ.

Associations between LGBTQ-affirmative school climate and adolescent drinking behaviors

BACKGROUND

We investigated whether adolescents drank alcohol less frequently if they lived in jurisdictions with school climates that were more affirmative of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) individuals.

METHODS

Data from the 2010 School Health Profile survey, which measured LGBTQ school climate (e.g., percentage of schools with safe spaces and gay-straight alliances), were linked with pooled data from the 2005 and 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, which measured sexual orientation identity, demographics, and alcohol use (number of drinking days, drinking days at school, and heavy episodic drinking days) in 8 jurisdictions. Two-level Poisson models tested the associations between school climate and alcohol use for each sexual-orientation subgroup.

RESULTS

Living in jurisdictions with more (versus less) affirmative LGBTQ school climates was significantly associated with: fewer heavy episodic drinking days for gay/lesbian (incidence-rate ratio [IRR]=0.70; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.56, 0.87; p=0.001) and heterosexual (IRR=0.80; 95% CI: 0.76, 0.83; p<0.001) adolescents; and fewer drinking days at school for adolescents unsure of their sexual orientation (IRR=0.57; 95% CI: 0.35, 0.93; p=0.024).

CONCLUSIONS

Fostering LGBTQ-affirmative school climates may reduce certain drinking behaviors for gay/lesbian adolescents, heterosexual adolescents, and adolescents unsure of their sexual orientation.

Primary care of women who have sex with women. Recommendations from the research

Research on women who have sex with women has increased in the last decade. Attention has been brought to this group of women through the IOM report, which noted a lack of research related to their care. Most of the research has not been published in nursing literature. This article reviews this literature with recommendations for primary care practice.

The association of the QT interval with atrial fibrillation and stroke: the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

BACKGROUND

Prolongation of the QT interval is associated with an increased risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) and stroke.

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this analysis was to determine if AF explains the association between prolonged QT and stroke.

METHODS

A total of 6305 participants (mean age 62 ± 10 years; 54% women; 38% whites; 27% blacks; 23% Hispanics; 12% Chinese-Americans) from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) were included in this analysis. A linear scale was used to compute heart rate-adjusted QT (QT(a)). Prolonged QT(a) was defined as ≥ 460 ms in women and ≥ 450 ms in men. Incident AF cases were identified using hospital discharge records and Medicare claims data. Vascular neurologists adjudicated stroke events by medical record review. Cox regression was used to examine the association between prolonged QT(a) and stroke with and without AF.

RESULTS

A total of 216 (3.4%) of study participants had prolonged QT(a). Over a median follow-up of 8.5 years, 280 (4.4%) participants developed AF and 128 (2.0%) participants developed stroke. In a multivariable Cox regression analysis adjusted for socio-demographics, cardiovascular risk factors, and potential confounders, prolonged QT(a) was associated with an increased risk of AF (HR = 1.7, 95% CI 1.1, 2.6) and stroke (HR = 2.3, 95% CI 1.3, 4.1). When AF was included as a time-dependent covariate, the association between prolonged QT(a) and stroke was not substantively altered (HR = 2.4, 95% CI 1.3, 4.3).

CONCLUSION

The increased risk of stroke in those with prolonged QT potentially is not explained by documented AF. Further research is needed to determine if subclinical AF explains the association between the QT interval and stroke.

Effects of syndemics on HIV viral load and medication adherence in the multicentre AIDS cohort study

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study is to determine associations between intertwining epidemics (syndemics) and HIV medication adherence and viral load levels among HIV-positive MSM and to test whether adherence mediates the relationship between syndemics and viral load.

DESIGN

We analysed participant data collected between 2003 and 2009 from the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study, a prospective HIV/AIDS cohort study in four U.S. cities.

METHODS

We conducted longitudinal analyses (repeated measures mixed models) to assess whether differences in viral load levels, undetectable viral load and self-reported HIV medication adherence were associated with count of syndemic conditions (substance use, depression symptoms and sexual risk behaviour, range 0-3), adjusting for race/ethnicity, age and income. Mediation analyses were conducted using structural equation modelling and the SAS %mediate macro.

RESULTS

Syndemics count was associated with higher viral loads (P < 0.0001) and lower adherence (P < 0.0001). Increased counts of concomitant syndemics were associated with viral load (P < 0.01), detectable viral load (P < 0.05) and adherence (P < 0.001). Black MSM experienced worse outcomes across domains than white MSM (P < 0.0001) and experienced higher overall rates of syndemics (P < 0.01). Adherence significantly mediated the relationship between syndemics and viral load, accounting for an estimated 32.3% of the effect (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Effectively lowering viral load levels among MSM has implications for both HIV/AIDS prevention and care. Our findings suggest that integrating substance use interventions, mental healthcare and sexual risk prevention into standard HIV care may be necessary to optimize treatment and Treatment as Prevention (TasP) models.

Thursday's child: the role of adverse childhood experiences in explaining mental health disparities among lesbian, gay, and bisexual U.S. adults

This study examined how adverse childhood experiences (ACE) may explain disparities in poor mental health between lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB), and heterosexual adults. Data are from three US states' 2010 behavioral risk factor surveillance system surveys (n = 20,060) that included sexual orientation, ACE inventory, and mental distress. LGB status was significantly associated with mental distress (OR = 1.85 [1.14-3.02]). Once incorporating ACE scores into the multiple regression analysis, LGB status was no longer associated with mental distress (OR = 1.28 [0.76-2.16]). The results corroborate previous research that LGB individuals report greater prevalence of childhood adversity than their heterosexual peers, which may explain LGB adulthood health disparities.

Alcohol misuse and associations with childhood maltreatment and out-of-home placement among urban two-spirit American Indian and Alaska Native people

This study examined associations between alcohol misuse and childhood maltreatment and out-of-home placement among urban lesbian, gay, and bisexual (referred to as two-spirit) American Indian and Alaska Native adults. In a multi-site study, data were obtained from 294 individuals who consumed alcohol during the past year. The results indicated that 72.3% of men and 62.4% of women engaged in hazardous and harmful alcohol use and 50.8% of men and 48.7% of women met criteria for past-year alcohol dependence. The most common types of childhood maltreatment were physical abuse among male drinkers (62.7%) and emotional abuse (71.8%) among female drinkers. Men and women reported high percentages of out-of-home placement (39% and 47%, respectively). Logistic multiple regressions found that for male drinkers boarding school attendance and foster care placement were significant predictors of past-year alcohol dependence. For female drinkers, being adopted was significantly associated with a decreased risk of past-year drinking binge or spree. Dose-response relationships, using number of childhood exposures as a predictor, were not significant. The results highlight the need for alcohol and violence prevention and intervention strategies among urban two-spirit individuals.

Physicians Use of Inclusive Sexual Orientation Language During Teenage Annual Visits

PURPOSE

Physicians are encouraged to use inclusive language regarding sexuality in order to help all adolescent patients feel accepted. Non-inclusive language by physicians may influence relationships with adolescent patients, especially those with still-developing sexual identities. The aim of this study was to identify patterns of physicians' use of inclusive and non-inclusive language when discussing sexuality.

METHOD

A total of 393 conversations between 393 adolescents and 49 physicians from 11 clinics located throughout the Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, area were audio recorded. Conversations were coded for the use of inclusive talk (language use that avoids the use of specific gender, sex, or sexual orientation language), direct non-inclusive talk (language use that assumes the teenager is heterosexual or exclusively engages in heterosexual sexual activity), and indirect non-inclusive talk (language use that frames talk heterosexually but does not pre-identify the adolescent as heterosexual).

RESULTS

Nearly two-thirds (63%, 245) of the visits contained some sexuality talk. Inclusive talk rarely occurred (3.3%) while non-inclusive language was predominant (48.1% direct and 48.6% indirect). There were no significant differences in language use by gender, age, adolescent race, or visit length. These non-significant findings suggest that all adolescents regardless of race, gender, or age are receiving non-inclusive sexuality talk from their providers.

CONCLUSION

Physicians are missing opportunities to create safe environments for teenagers to discuss sexuality. The examples of inclusive talk from this study may provide potentially useful ways to teach providers how to begin sexuality discussions, focusing on sexual attraction or asking about friends' sexual behavior, and maintain these discussions.

Sexual orientation disparities in adolescent cigarette smoking: intersections with race/ethnicity, gender, and age

OBJECTIVES

We examined sexual orientation differences in adolescent smoking and intersections with race/ethnicity, gender, and age.

METHODS

We pooled Youth Risk Behavior Survey data collected in 2005 and 2007 from 14 jurisdictions; the analytic sample comprised observations from 13 of those jurisdictions (n = 64,397). We compared smoking behaviors of sexual minorities and heterosexuals on 2 dimensions of sexual orientation: identity (heterosexual, gay-lesbian, bisexual, unsure) and gender of lifetime sexual partners (only opposite sex, only same sex, or both sexes). Multivariable regressions examined whether race/ethnicity, gender, and age modified sexual orientation differences in smoking.

RESULTS

Sexual minorities smoked more than heterosexuals. Disparities varied by sexual orientation dimension: they were larger when we compared adolescents by identity rather than gender of sexual partners. In some instances race/ethnicity, gender, and age modified smoking disparities: Black lesbians-gays, Asian American and Pacific Islander lesbians-gays and bisexuals, younger bisexuals, and bisexual girls had greater risk.

CONCLUSIONS

Sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, gender, and age should be considered in research and practice to better understand and reduce disparities in adolescent smoking.

A longitudinal study of the correlates of persistent smoking among sexual minority women

INTRODUCTION

We conducted a longitudinal evaluation of factors associated with persistent smoking behaviors among sexual minority women (SMW; lesbians and bisexual women).

METHODS

Structured interview data were collected as part of a larger longitudinal study of SMW's health: the Chicago Health and Life Experiences of Women study. We conducted multivariate analyses to evaluate the influence of 4 groups of predictor variables on smoking: (a) demographic, (b) childhood victimization, (c) other substance use, and (d) health variables.

RESULTS

At Wave 1, 30.9% (n = 138) of participants reported current smoking, with substance-use and demographic factors having the strongest relationships to smoking status. The majority (84.9%) of Wave 1 smokers were also smoking at Wave 2. Among demographic variables, level of education was inversely associated with continued smoking. With respect to substance use, hazardous drinking and cocaine/heroin use were significantly associated with continued smoking. None of the victimization or health variables predicted smoking status.

CONCLUSIONS

Consistent with previous studies, smoking rates in this sample of SMW were elevated. Despite intensive efforts to reduce smoking in the general population, 84% of SMW smokers continued smoking from Wave 1 to Wave 2. Findings suggest that the majority of SMW will continue to smoke over time. Additional research is needed to increase motivation and access to smoking cessation resources.

Sexual orientation, child abuse, and intimate partner violence victimization

Research has consistently found rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) in nonheterosexual relationships to be comparable or higher than rates of IPV in heterosexual relationship. Less is understood about the relationship between child abuse, sexual orientation, and IPV victimization. The role of sexual orientation in the relationship between child abuse and IPV victimization is important to consider given research has found higher rates of childhood abuse among nonheterosexual individuals. In addition, the relationship between child abuse victimization and IPV victimization in adulthood has also been documented. This research extends the literature on IPV by comparing child abuse victimization as a predictor for IPV between heterosexual and nonheterosexual IPV victims. Using the National Violence Against Women Survey, this study used logistic regression models to find partial support for the hypothesis that nonheterosexuals who experience child abuse will be more likely to be IPV victims as adults than similarly situated heterosexuals.

The influence of childhood physical abuse on adult health status in sexual minority women: the mediating role of smoking

BACKGROUND

Among women in the general population, childhood physical abuse (CPA) is associated with poor adult health status and engagement in health risk behaviors. Sexual minority women (SMW) are at elevated risk of CPA, have higher rates of smoking, and may be at higher risk for poorer general health. In this study, we examined the influences of CPA on health status in a diverse sample of SMW. We hypothesized that SMW with a history of CPA would report poorer health than those without such histories and that early onset of smoking-an important health risk behavior-would mediate the relationship between CPA and current health status.

METHODS

Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate the influence of CPA on early health risk behavior (i.e., age of smoking onset) and current perceived health status in a community based sample of 368 SMW.

RESULTS

More than one fifth of the sample (21.5%) reported a history of CPA. One fourth of the sample was current smokers; the average age of smoking onset was 19 to 20 years old. The mean level of self-rated health status was between "fair" and "good." When relationships were simultaneously estimated, the effect of CPA on health status was mediated by two sequential smoking factors: CPA was associated with earlier age of smoking onset, and age of smoking onset was associated with current smoker status. Being a current smoker had a negative effect on perceived health status.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE AND/OR POLICY

These results suggest that tobacco use is an important pathway by which CPA influences current health status. Prevention and early intervention initiatives should focus on the reduction of CPA among SMW to eliminate the long-term health consequences of adverse childhood events among SMW.

Sexual orientation disparities in sexually transmitted infections: examining the intersection between sexual identity and sexual behavior

The terms MSM (men who have sex with men) and WSW (women who have sex with women) have been used with increasing frequency in the public health literature to examine sexual orientation disparities in sexual health. These categories, however, do not allow researchers to examine potential differences in sexually transmitted infection (STI) risk by sexual orientation identity. Using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health, this study investigated the relationship between self-reported STIs and both sexual orientation identity and sexual behaviors. Additionally, this study examined the mediating role of victimization and STI risk behaviors on the relationship between sexual orientation and self-reported STIs. STI risk was found to be elevated among heterosexual-WSW and bisexual women, whether they reported same-sex partners or not, whereas gay-identified WSW were less likely to report an STI compared to heterosexual women with opposite sex relationships only. Among males, heterosexual-identified MSM did not have a greater likelihood of reporting an STI diagnosis; rather, STI risk was concentrated among gay and bisexual identified men who reported both male and female sexual partners. STI risk behaviors mediated the STI disparities among both males and females, and victimization partially mediated STI disparities among female participants. These results suggest that relying solely on behavior-based categories, such as MSM and WSW, may mischaracterize STI disparities by sexual orientation.

Sexual orientation disparities in substance misuse: the role of childhood abuse and intimate partner violence among patients in care at an urban community health center

This study examined disparities in lifetime substance misuse by sexual orientation among 2,653 patients engaged in care at an urban community health center in Boston, MA, as well as the potential mediating roles of childhood abuse <age 15 (CA) and intimate partner violence (IPV). Violence indicators were highly associated with substance misuse, as was identifying as a sexual minority compared to heterosexual. CA and IPV experiences partly explained disparities in substance abuse by sexual orientation with differences seen by sex. Clinicians should assess history of CA and IPV among sexual minorities presenting with a history of substance abuse disorders. The study's limitations are noted.

Disproportionate exposure to early-life adversity and sexual orientation disparities in psychiatric morbidity

OBJECTIVES

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) populations exhibit elevated rates of psychiatric disorders compared to heterosexuals, and these disparities emerge early in the life course. We examined the role of exposure to early-life victimization and adversity-including physical and sexual abuse, homelessness, and intimate partner violence-in explaining sexual orientation disparities in mental health among adolescents and young adults.

METHODS

Data were drawn from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, Wave 3 (2001-2002), a nationally representative survey of adolescents. Participants included gay/lesbian (n=227), bisexual (n=245), and heterosexual (n=13,490) youths, ages 18-27. We examined differences in the prevalence of exposure to child physical or sexual abuse, homelessness or expulsion from one's home by caregivers, and physical and sexual intimate partner violence according to sexual orientation. Next we examined the associations of these exposures with symptoms of psychopathology including suicidal ideation and attempts, depression, binge drinking, illicit drug use, tobacco use, alcohol abuse, and drug abuse. Finally, we determined whether exposure to victimization and adversity explained the association between sexual orientation and psychopathology.

RESULTS

Gay/lesbian and bisexual respondents had higher levels of psychopathology than heterosexuals across all outcomes. Gay/lesbian respondents had higher odds of exposure to child abuse and housing adversity, and bisexual respondents had higher odds of exposure to child abuse, housing adversity, and intimate partner violence, than heterosexuals. Greater exposure to these adversities explained between 10 and 20% of the relative excess of suicidality, depression, tobacco use, and symptoms of alcohol and drug abuse among LGB youths compared to heterosexuals. Exposure to victimization and adversity experiences in childhood and adolescence significantly mediated the association of both gay/lesbian and bisexual orientation with suicidality, depressive symptoms, tobacco use, and alcohol abuse.

CONCLUSIONS

Exposure to victimization in early-life family and romantic relationships explains, in part, sexual orientation disparities in a wide range of mental health and substance use outcomes, highlighting novel targets for preventive interventions aimed at reducing these disparities.

A systematic review of the aetiology of tobacco disparities for sexual minorities

OBJECTIVE

To conduct a systematic review of the literature examining risk factors/correlates of cigarette smoking among lesbian, gay and bisexual (ie, sexual minority) populations.

METHODS

Sets of terms relevant to sexual minority populations and cigarette smoking were used in a simultaneous search of 10 databases through EBSCOhost. The search was limited to the peer-reviewed literature up to January 2011, using no geographic or language limits. For inclusion, the paper was required to: (1) have been written in English, (2) have sexual minorities (defined by either attraction, behaviour, or identity) included in the study population and (3) have examined some form of magnitude of association for risk factors/correlates of any definition of cigarette smoking. A total of 386 abstracts were reviewed independently, with 26 papers meeting all inclusion criteria. Abstracts were reviewed and coded independently by authors JB and JGLL using nine codes derived from the inclusion/exclusion criteria.

RESULTS

Studies used various measures of sexual orientation and of smoking. Risk factors that could be considered unique to sexual minorities included internalised homophobia and reactions to disclosure of sexual orientation. Some studies also indicated common smoking risk factors experienced at higher rates among sexual minorities, including stress, depression, alcohol use and victimisation.

CONCLUSIONS

This review identified risks that were associated with sexual minority status and common to the general population but experienced at potentially higher rates by sexual minorities. Government and foundation funds should be directed towards research on the origins of this disparity.