Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Reproductive History”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 847 records · Page 47Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

The EPIC Project: rationale and study design. European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition.

BACKGROUND: The most consistent result of epidemiological studies on diet and cancer is that a diet rich in vegetables, fruit and, more generally, in plant foods is associated with a reduced risk of cancer at several anatomical sites. Epidemiological studies have been less consistent regarding the putative increase in risk related to consumption of fat or meat. In addition it has not been possible to identify clearly the biological role of specific nutrients or non-nutrient food components in the prevention or causation of cancer. Limitations in the precision and validity of traditional dietary intake measurements and limited use of biomarkers combined with narrow ranges of variations in dietary habits within single populations, have been the main reasons for the limited success in identifying more specific diet and cancer links. METHODS: EPIC is a multi-centre prospective cohort study designed to investigate the relation between diet, nutritional and metabolic characteristics, various lifestyle factors and the risk of cancer. The study is based in 22 collaborating centres in nine European countries and includes populations characterized by large variations in dietary habits and cancer risk. Data are collected on diet, physical activity, sexual maturation and reproductive history, lifetime consumption of alcohol and tobacco, previous and current illnesses and current medication. Following a common protocol and using identical equipment, blood samples are collected, aliquoted into plasma, serum, white blood cells and erythrocytes, and stored in liquid nitrogen at -196 degrees C for future laboratory analyses on cancer cases and matched healthy controls. Anthropometric measurements are taken according to a standard protocol. It is planned to include around 400,000 middle-aged men and women. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The collection of questionnaire data, anthropometric measurements and blood samples is under way. Almost 340,000 subjects had been included in the study by mid-1996, and recruitment is expected to be almost complete by 1997. Follow-up for cancer incidence and total mortality has started and it is expected that about 23000 cancer cases will be identified during the first 10 years of follow-up.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Lactation and breast cancer risk.

BACKGROUND: Data from the Carolina Breast Cancer Study, a population-based, case-control study of breast cancer in African-American and white women residents of North Carolina, were evaluated to determine whether specific aspects of lactation are associated with a reduction in the risk of breast cancer. METHODS: Analyses included 751 parous cases and 742 parous controls frequency-matched on age and race. Information on lactation, reproductive history, lifestyle characteristics and family history were obtained through a personal interview. RESULTS: When women who breastfed were compared to those who never breastfed, odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals of 0.8 (0.5-1.1) and 0.7 (0.5-0.9) were found for women 20-49 years and 50-74 years, respectively. Similar inverse associations were observed for each of three categories of lifetime duration (1-3, 4-12, 13+ months). The inverse associations persisted and did not vary when number of children breastfed, ages at first and last lactation and lactational amenorrhoea were examined. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that any lactation, regardless of duration or timing, is associated with a slight reduction in the risk of breast cancer among younger and older parous women.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

The influence of socioeconomic status on stillbirth risk in Sweden.

BACKGROUND: Low socioeconomic status (SES) is generally associated with increased risk of stillbirth, but the mechanisms have rarely been investigated. Our aim was to study the association between SES and risk of stillbirth, and to assess whether any differences in risk are mediated by other maternal socio-demographic or anthropometrical characteristics, differences in lifestyle, or attendance at antenatal care. METHODS: Population-based individually-matched case-control study including 702 cases of stillbirth and 702 controls among Swedish primiparous women giving birth 1987-1996. We estimated the risk of stillbirth, and subgroups of stillbirth, for various categories of SES. Odds ratios (OR) with 95% CI, estimated by conditional logistic regression, were used to approximate the relative risk. The estimates were adjusted for maternal age, height, body mass index, cigarette smoking, and when necessary mother's country of birth. RESULTS: Compared with women who were high level white-collar workers, the adjusted risks of stillbirth were as follows: unskilled blue-collar workers, 2.2 (95% CI : 1.3- 3.7), skilled blue-collar workers, 2.4 (95% CI : 1.3-4.1), low level white-collar workers, 1.9 (95% CI : 1.2-3.2), and intermediate level white-collar workers 1.4 (95% CI : 0.9-2.4). These risks were not substantially changed when we further adjusted for attendance at antenatal care, previous reproductive history, or excluded pregnancies with maternal diseases, and pregnancy-related disorders. Low social class was most associated with risks of term antepartum and intrapartum stillbirths. CONCLUSIONS: Low SES increases the risk of stillbirth. The association could not be explained by any of the factors we studied, and the underlying reasons remain unclear.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Miscarriage, stillbirth and congenital malformation in the offspring of UK veterans of the first Gulf war.

OBJECTIVES: To assess whether the offspring of UK veterans of the first Gulf war are at increased risk of fetal death or congenital malformation. METHOD: This was a retrospective reproductive cohort study of UK Gulf war veterans and a demographically similar comparison group who were in service at the time but were not deployed to the Gulf. Reproductive history was collected by means of a validated postal questionnaire between 1998 and 2001. RESULTS: In all, 27 959 pregnancies reported by men and 861 pregnancies reported by women were conceived after the first Gulf war and before November 1997. The risk of reported miscarriage was higher among pregnancies fathered by Gulf war veterans than by non-Gulf war veterans (OR = 1.4, 95% CI: 1.3, 1.5). Stillbirth risk was similar in both groups. Male Gulf war veterans reported a higher proportion of offspring with any type of malformation than the comparison cohort (OR = 1.5, 95% CI: 1.3, 1.7). Examination by type of malformation revealed some evidence for increased risk of malformations of the genital system, urinary system (renal and urinary tract), and 'other' defects of the digestive system, musculo-skeletal system, and non-chromosomal (non-syndrome) anomalies. These associations were weakened when analyses were restricted to clinically confirmed conditions. There was little or no evidence of increased risk for other structural malformations, specific syndromes, and chromosomal anomalies. Among female veterans, no effect of Gulf war service was found on the risk of miscarriage. The numbers of stillbirths and malformations reported by women were too small to allow meaningful analyses. CONCLUSION: We found no evidence for a link between paternal deployment to the Gulf war and increased risk of stillbirth, chromosomal malformations, or congenital syndromes. Associations were found between fathers' service in the Gulf war and increased risk of miscarriage and less well-defined malformations, but these findings need to be interpreted with caution as such outcomes are susceptible to recall bias. The finding of a possible relationship with renal anomalies requires further investigation. There was no evidence of an association between risk of miscarriage and mothers' service in the gulf.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗
PubMed1996

Effect of pregnancy on the risk of developing active tuberculosis.

In a case-control study, the effect of recent pregnancy on the risk of developing active tuberculosis among women of reproductive age was investigated in Santo Domingo. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive and HIV-negative women diagnosed with new-onset tuberculosis (TB) were compared, respectively, with HIV-positive and HIV-negative women without TB with regard to reproductive history, demographic characteristics, and risk factors for HIV infection. In neither HIV-positive nor HIV-negative women was recent pregnancy or childbirth associated with an increased risk of developing active TB. These results fail to confirm earlier suggestions that pregnancy increases the risk that a woman of child-bearing age infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis will develop active TB.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

The health of Navajo women: findings from the Navajo Health and Nutrition Survey, 1991-1992.

Cancer-screening behaviors, reproductive history, risk behaviors during pregnancy and chronic disease risk factors were examined in a representative sample of 566 Navajo women residing on the Navajo Reservation in 1991-1992. Among all women 15 y and older, 59% were overweight, 4% were current smokers, 10% currently used smokeless tobacco and 12% were anemic. Seventy-one percent of Navajo women aged 18 and older reported ever having had a Pap smear, but only 35% of women aged 50 and over reported ever having had a mammogram. Among parous women, the prevalence of having received no prenatal care for any pregnancy declined from 60% among women 60 and older to 13% among women 20-29 y of age, and the prevalence of ever having had a child born at home declined from 82 to 2%. These data suggest marked secular improvement in these pregnancy-related risk behaviors. However, data on cancer-screening behaviors indicate opportunities to improve health of Navajo women by increasing their use of mammography and Pap smear screening services.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

Infant feeding practices in Barbados predict later growth.

This longitudinal study was designed to examine reciprocal relationships between feeding practices and infant growth over the first 6 mo of life. The following three hypotheses were tested: 1) early feeding practices predict later infant growth; 2) early infant growth predicts later feeding practices; and 3) these relationships occur after controlling for related background variables. The sample included 226 healthy, well-nourished infants born at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Bridgetown, Barbados. Assessments were made at birth, 7 wk, and 3 and 6 mo of age. Factor analysis of a feeding practices questionnaire for those mothers who attended all three postnatal visits yielded five uncorrelated factors. Three of these factors, preference for breast-feeding, feeding intensity and feeding difficulty, declined with infant age. Two of these factors, father helps and relatives help, increased with infant age. Several background variables, including maternal age, anthropometry and reproductive history, and reliance on outside sources of information were correlated with infant growth. Multivariate analyses confirmed all three hypotheses. The group of feeding practices (particularly the preference for breast-feeding) at 7 wk predicted increases in infant lengths at subsequent ages. Conversely, infant weights at 3 and 6 mo predicted subsequent feeding practices, especially feeding intensity. These reciprocal relationships remained even after statistically controlling for the influence of the background variables. Implications for public policy include the need for comprehensive programs advocating breast-feeding and supporting the general health of mothers and infants.

Aging↗
PubMed1991

Is there evidence of a therapy-related increase in germ cell mutation among childhood cancer survivors?

Few studies have examined human population data for evidence of an association between environmental mutagens and genetic disease. Our objective was to determine whether study of pregnancies and offspring of childhood cancer survivors would show evidence that therapy potentially mutagenic to germ cells is associated with increased risk of miscarriage, serious congenital abnormalities, or altered sex ratio. We analyzed information from patients' general practitioners for 2286 survivors of childhood cancer (1049 females and 1237 males) who were exposed or not exposed to direct irradiation of the abdomen or gonads or treatment with an alkylating agent. In addition, external control data based on the general population were used for some of the comparisons relating to congenital abnormalities and sex ratio. Data on reproductive history were complete for 1037 female survivors, who had 944 completed pregnancies, and 1078 male survivors, who produced 537 offspring. For the female survivors given abdominal or gonadal irradiation, there was an excess of miscarriages for the total number of pregnancies (17%) and for first pregnancies (19%), compared with the proportion for the total number of pregnancies in the females with similar neoplasms who were not exposed to such therapy (9%) and for first pregnancies in these females (8%). These results show re-emergence of an association suggested in our previous report of an increased risk of miscarriage as well as low birth weight among off-spring of female survivors of childhood cancer who received abdominal irradiation. In that study, it was considered unlikely that the association was due to germ cell mutation. Data in the present study do not show an association of exposure to therapy potentially mutagenic to germ cells with sex ratio, or with occurrence of serious congenital abnormalities in the offspring of male or female survivors of such therapy. However, the question of a possible germ cell mutagenic effect of therapy will be adequately addressed only through an international collaborative effort.

Antineoplastic Agents↗
PubMed1991

Breast self-examination in relation to the occurrence of advanced breast cancer.

Two hundred nine female enrollees of the Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound who developed advanced-stage breast cancer during the period 1982-1988 were interviewed about their practice of breast self-examination (BSE), use of other breast cancer screening modalities, and medical and reproductive histories. Each subject's description of how she performed the examination was scored according to her mention of up to 10 recommended BSE techniques. A random sample of 433 women without advanced-stage breast cancer from the same population was interviewed for comparison. Relative to women not practicing BSE, the risk of advanced-stage breast cancer among BSE users was 1.15 (95% confidence interval, 0.73-1.81). Frequency of BSE did not differ between women with advanced-stage breast cancer and control subjects, whether in all subjects or in subgroups defined by age, use of mammography, or frequency of clinical breast examinations. While self-described proficiency in BSE was generally low in both case and control subjects, the small percentage of women reporting more thorough self-examinations, regardless of frequency, had about a 35% decrease in the occurrence of advanced-stage breast cancer compared to women who did not perform BSE. These results suggest that, while carefully performed BSE may avoid the development of some advanced-stage breast cancers, BSE as practiced by most Seattle-area women is of little or no benefit.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

A large kindred with 17q-linked breast and ovarian cancer: genetic, phenotypic, and genealogical analysis.

BACKGROUND: Mutation of a specific, but as yet unidentified, gene BRCA1 on chromosome 17q results in increased susceptibility to breast and ovarian cancer. It is important to know the effects of this gene in terms of the age-specific risks of these cancers and the potential interaction of this gene with other known risk factors. PURPOSE: We performed detailed studies on a large multigenerational family, in which there is known 17q-linked breast and ovarian cancer, in order to characterize the effects of the BRCA1 mutation on development of breast and ovarian cancer. METHODS: Data from the Utah Population Database were used to identify a family (identified as K2082) with a cluster of premenopausal breast cancer and ovarian cancer at any age. Blood samples from 195 members of the family were obtained and these individuals were genotyped for a series of four chromosome 17q polymorphic markers. Information on reproductive history, cancer incidence and treatment, and lifestyle factors was collected on 72 women in the family by questionnaire or through contact with living relatives. RESULTS: Odds in favor of linkage of breast and ovarian cancer in this family to the BRCA1 region of chromosome 17q are greater than 10(8) to 1. The estimated risks for breast or ovarian cancer because of the BRCA1 mutation in this family are 40% by age 50 years and 90% by age 70. No differences between affected and unaffected older BRCA1 gene carriers were observed for a number of known epidemiologic risk factors for these cancers. The gender of the parent from whom the mutant BRCA1 allele was inherited was significantly associated with phenotypic expression (P = .04). A recombinant which places BRCA1 distal to the marker Mfd191 was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Women with the BRCA1 mutation are at increased risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. In our study population, the mutation appears to confer a lower risk of cancer at younger ages than found in previous studies. Continued interaction with family K2082 will be useful in longitudinal follow-up studies and in studies of the psychosocial implications of providing DNA diagnosis of BRCA1.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Prenatal and neonatal risk factors for childhood lymphatic leukemia.

BACKGROUND: Because the incidence of childhood acute lymphatic leukemia peaks between 2 and 4 years of age, the risk factors may exert their influence during the prenatal and/or the neonatal periods. Results of previous studies of perinatal risk factors have been contradictory, perhaps because most studies either have been hospital based or have been restricted to limited geographical areas. PURPOSE: A nationwide case-control study was carried out to identify maternal and perinatal risk factors for this disease. METHODS: The case-control study was nested in cohorts defined by all live births in Sweden recorded in the nationwide Medical Birth Register. Since 1973, this register has routinely collected information on all hospital births in regard to maternal demographic data, reproductive history, pregnancy, delivery, and the neonatal period. From the Swedish National Cancer Register, 613 case subjects were identified in successive birth cohorts from 1973 through 1989. Five control subjects per case subject were randomly selected from the pool of children matched by sex and month and year of birth. Conditional logistic regression was used to calculate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for potential risk factors and to estimate their effects after adjustment for possible confounders. RESULTS: Risk of childhood lymphatic leukemia at all ages increased with Down's syndrome (OR = 20.0; 95% CI = 4.2-94.2), maternal renal disease (OR = 4.4; 95% CI = 1.6-12.1), use of supplementary oxygen (OR = 2.3; 95% CI = 1.5-3.6), postpartum asphyxia (OR = 1.8; 95% CI = 1.2-2.6), birth weight of more than 4500 g (OR = 1.7; 95% CI = 1.1-2.7), and hypertensive disease during pregnancy (OR = 1.4; 95% CI = 1.0-1.9). Down's syndrome affected risk mostly in children younger than 5 years, whereas other factors affected those children 5 years old or older. Being one of a multiple birth also increased risk among older children (OR = 2.5; 95% CI = 1.0-6.0). Use of supplementary oxygen may act as a causal intermediate (surrogate) for postpartum asphyxia and its causes, as would high birth weight for its causes. CONCLUSIONS: Several maternal and perinatal risk factors were found to be associated with childhood lymphatic leukemia, but they showed age-specific differences. Overall, only a few risk factors were identified, and these accounted for a small proportion of cases. We concluded that most risk factors for childhood lymphatic leukemia remain unidentified in very young children.

Case-Control Studies↗
PubMed1995

Postmenopausal hormone use and risk of large-bowel cancer.

BACKGROUND: The epidemiology of large-bowel cancer suggests a role for endocrine factors in its development. Although analytic studies have not consistently provided evidence for an association between reproductive history and large-bowel cancer, some relatively small studies have observed a reduced risk among women using postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy (HRT). PURPOSE: This study was planned to evaluate more precisely the relationship between HRT and the risk of colon and rectal cancers. METHODS: Female residents of Wisconsin aged 30-74 years with a diagnosis of colon or rectal cancer within 2 years were identified through a statewide tumor registry. Control subjects were randomly selected from lists of licensed drivers if the case subjects were less than 65 years old and from lists of Medicare beneficiaries if they were 65-74 years old. Information on post-menopausal hormone replacement use, medical history, and family history was obtained in telephone interviews. After premenopausal women were excluded, 694 case subjects and 1622 control subjects remained for analysis. The odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) obtained from conditional logistic regression models were used to estimate relative risks (RRs). All RRs were adjusted for age, family history of large-bowel cancer, use of screening sigmoidoscopy, and recent alcohol consumption. RESULTS: Compared with postmenopausal women who never used HRT, recent users had an RR of 0.54 (95% CI = 0.36-0.81) for colon cancer and an RR of 0.91 (95% CI = 0.54-1.55) for rectal cancer. This inverse association was observed among users of both estrogen only and combined estrogen and progestin preparations. Decreasing time since last use was inversely associated with colon cancer risk (P for trend < .001). The effect of HRT appeared to be stronger among women at lower absolute risk of colon cancer, particularly among women with lean body mass. CONCLUSIONS: Use of HRT was associated with a statistically significant reduced risk of colon cancer. In contrast, no statistically significant relationship was observed for rectal cancer. Given the widespread use of postmenopausal hormones and the morbidity and mortality from adenocarcinoma of the bowel in women, these findings may have potentially important public health implications.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

alpha-fetoprotein levels in maternal serum during pregnancy and maternal breast cancer incidence.

BACKGROUND: A full-term pregnancy is associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer, but the underlying biologic mechanism has not been elucidated. During pregnancy, maternal serum levels of alpha-fetoprotein, an estradiol-binding protein, rise sharply. In culture, alpha-fetoprotein inhibits the growth of estrogen-sensitive cells, including estrogen-sensitive breast cancer cells. Thus, we investigated whether a high level of alpha-fetoprotein in maternal serum during pregnancy is associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer. METHODS: From a population-based cohort of 42057 pregnant women in Denmark, enrolled in an alpha-fetoprotein-screening program from 1978 through 1996, we obtained a complete reproductive history, vital status, and a possible diagnosis of breast cancer (in 117 women) to the end of follow-up on September 1, 1998. RESULTS: During pregnancy, women with an alpha-fetoprotein level greater than or equal to the median value had a 41% lower risk of breast cancer than women with an alpha-fetoprotein level below the median value (relative risk [RR] = 0.59; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.41-0. 85). RRs for breast cancer by mother's age at childbirth were as follows: 29 years or younger, RR = 0.21 (95% CI = 0.08-0.56); 30-34 years, RR = 0.61 (95% CI = 0.32-1.14); 35-37 years, RR = 0.96 (95% CI = 0.49-1.89); and 38 years or older, RR = 0.71 (95% CI = 0.29-1. 75) (P for trend =.02). Further analyses suggested that high levels of alpha-fetoprotein were associated with a reduced incidence of aggressive disease. The most striking finding was that women with high levels of serum alpha-fetoprotein, compared with women with low levels of serum alpha-fetoprotein, showed a particularly reduced incidence of large tumors (>2 cm; RR = 0.24 [95% CI = 0.11-0.50]). CONCLUSION: A high level of alpha-fetoprotein in maternal serum during any pregnancy is associated with a low overall incidence of breast cancer and, in particular, with a low incidence of advanced breast cancer at diagnosis. This association appears particularly strong for a pregnancy occurring at a young age.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Soy, isoflavones, and breast cancer risk in Japan.

BACKGROUND: Although isoflavones, such as those found in soy, have been shown to inhibit breast cancer in laboratory studies, associations between consumption of isoflavone-containing foods and breast cancer risk have been inconsistent in epidemiologic studies. We evaluated the relationship between isoflavone consumption and breast cancer risk among women in the Japan Public Health Center-Based Prospective Study on Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases (JPHC Study). METHODS: In January 1990, 21 852 Japanese female residents (aged 40-59 years) from four public health center areas completed a self-administered questionnaire, which included items about the frequency of soy consumption. Through December 1999 and 209 354 person-years of follow-up, 179 women were diagnosed with breast cancer. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate the relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for breast cancer in relation to consumption of miso soup, soyfoods, and estimated isoflavones. All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS: Consumption of miso soup and isoflavones, but not of soyfoods, was inversely associated with the risk of breast cancer. The associations did not change substantially after adjustment for potential confounders, including reproductive history, family history, smoking, and other dietary factors. Compared with those in the lowest quartile of isoflavone intake, the adjusted RRs for breast cancer for women in the second, third, and highest quartiles were 0.76 (95% CI = 0.47 to 1.2), 0.90 (95% CI = 0.56 to 1.5), and 0.46 (95% CI = 0.25 to 0.84), respectively (P(trend) =.043). The inverse association was stronger in postmenopausal women (P(trend) =.006). CONCLUSION: In a population-based, prospective cohort study in Japan, frequent miso soup and isoflavone consumption was associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Multiplex sequence variation detection throughout the CFTR gene appropriate for preimplantation genetic diagnosis in populations with heterogeneity of cystic fibrosis mutations.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is one of the most important genetic diseases requiring prevention programmes. Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) represents an alternative to prenatal diagnosis, and is especially appropriate for couples with an unsuccessful reproductive history. For clinical application, protocols must be optimized to minimize PCR failure, allelic drop-out (ADO) and contamination, while simultaneously detecting a wide spectrum of CF genotypes. We have developed a flexible multiplex PCR protocol allowing analysis of sequence variations in any combination amongst seven CFTR gene exons (4, 10, 11, 13 in two parts, 14b, 17b and 21) by nested PCR and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis, along with analysis of a fluorescently labelled intragenic microsatellite (IVS8CA). The experiments were carried out on 390 single lymphocytes from three CF patients, one heterozygote and one non-CF individual. PCR efficiency of the exons ranged from 90 to 100%, and ADO from 0 to 3.8%. IVS8CA was co-amplified with a PCR efficiency of 92.4 and 10.8% ADO. The present method overcomes the need for separate assays for each CFTR gene mutation. Additionally, it facilitates analysis of any informative linked polymorphic sequence variation (within the seven exons) along with analysis of a microsatellite, which is useful (when informative) for minimizing misdiagnosis and/or indirect diagnosis. This method proved robust and flexible for diagnosing diverse CF genotype combinations in single cells.

Cystic Fibrosis↗
PubMed1996

Hispanic origin and neural tube defects in Houston/Harris County, Texas. II. Risk factors.

Several investigators have reported Hispanics to be at elevated risk for neural tube defects (anencephaly and spina bifida). Factors contributing to this risk have not been established. The authors conducted a case-control study of neural tube defects (NTDs) among births occurring in Harris County, Texas, from April 1, 1989, through December 31, 1991. Through the use of multiple ascertainment methods, 59 cases of anencephaly and 32 cases of spina bifida were detected. Controls (n = 451) were sampled for the same time period from Harris County vital records. Regardless of how Hispanic ethnicity was classified, having a Hispanic parent was a risk factor for both anencepahly and spina bifida. The primary etiologic question was whether increased NTD risk in Hispanics is explained by maternal diabetes or by other factors (e.g., maternal birthplace, prenatal care, reproductive history, age, socioeconomic status). Mexico-born Hispanics were no more likely than Texas-born Hispanics to deliver a fetus or infant with an NTD. Having a Hispanic mother was a risk factor for anencephaly among infants born to women with early prenatal care (odds ratio (OR) = 4.54, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.21-9.40) but not for those born to latecomers. Earlier prenatal care seemed "protective" for non-Hispanics (OR = 0.18, 95% CI 0.06-0.65) but not for Hispanics. After simultaneous adjustment for eight variables in multivariate analysis, having a Hispanic (versus non-Hispanic) mother remained a strong risk factor for both anencephaly (OR = 2.58, 95% CI 1.19-5.61) and spina bifida (OR = 3.71, 95% CI 1.48-9.31). Any previous pregnancy termination/fetal loss was also associated with anencephaly in a final logistic regression model (OR = 2.48, 95% CI 1.20-5.10), and having a teenage mother (aged < 20 years) approached significance (OR = 2.21, 95% CI 0.92-5.31). "Hispanic mother" was the only study variable significantly associated with spina bifida in multivariate analysis. Results for diabetes suggested no association with anencephaly (OR = 1.24, 95% CI 0.25-6.17). An increased risk of NTDs among Hispanics remained after controlling for other factors. For anencephaly, this risk might be partially explained by economic and cultural differences between Hispanics and non-Hispanics, and the effect of these factors on rates of prenatal diagnosis and elective pregnancy termination.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Differences in risk factors for epithelial ovarian cancer by histologic type. Results of a case-control study.

A case-control study of associations between dietary and reproductive factors and cancer of the ovary was conducted during 1989-1992 in metropolitan Toronto and nearby areas of southern Ontario, Canada. In total, 450 women aged 35-79 years with histologically verified new primary epithelial ovarian cancers were interviewed concerning their reproductive history and dietary practices. Over the same time period, 564 randomly selected population controls, frequency-matched to the cases according to three 15-year age groups, were also interviewed. Continuous unconditional logistic regression methods were used for analysis. It was found that childbearing and use of oral contraceptives were associated with significant decreasing trends in the risk of epithelial ovarian cancer of all principal histologic types except mucinous tumors. For each full-term pregnancy, the odds ratio was 0.76 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.69-0.85) for nonmucinous tumors and 1.03 (95% CI 0.88-1.21) for mucinous tumors; for each year of oral contraceptive use, the odds ratio was 0.89 (95% CI 0.85-0.93) for nonmucinous tumors and 0.98 (95% CI 0.93-1.04) for mucinous tumors (p = 0.00051 and p = 0.0040, respectively, for the difference in odds ratios between mucinous and nonmucinous tumors). Saturated fat intake also appeared to convey greater increased risk for women with mucinous tumors than for women with neoplasms of other histologic types (p = 0.029). Among women with nonmucinous tumors, increasing trends in risk of invasive serous cancer (p = 0.018), and particularly endometrioid cancer (p = 0.0041), were seen with use of noncontraceptive estrogens. Otherwise, borderline-malignant neoplasms seemed to have a similar spectrum of risk factor associations as invasive cancers. On the basis of this study and a number of others, the authors suggest that mucinous ovarian tumors may be etiologically unrelated to other types of epithelial tumors, and thus should be considered separately in studies of ovarian cancer.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

A comparison of four methods for determining prevalence of induced abortion, Taiwan, 1970-1971.

A methodological study of four procedures for obtaining information about induced abortion was done in Taiwan in 1970 and 1971. About 2000 women were in a repeat interview group and seen every six weeks for nine rounds; one-half of these were also asked to provide urine on each round for a pregnancy test. Another 2000 women were interviewed only once; about one-half were asked "standard" knowledge, attitude, and practice questions about their reproductive history, including abortion. The other one-half were asked the same questions except they were not queried about their practice of abortion, but rather were asked to participate in the randomized response technique (RRT). Three methods produced estimates that 13-14% of the women had had an induced abortion. The RRT gave a significantly higher estimate, 28%. All methods used were judged feasible, although there is a suggestion that, without some improvement, the RRT may be difficult to use in low literacy populations. The repeat interview did not demonstrate advantage over the single interview in obtaining prevalence of women with a history of induced abortion. Ths use of a shorter interval with probing when the pregnancy test is positive might improve identification of recent abortions.

Abortion, Induced↗