2011 Women’s Health statistics & facts
From the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
A sexually active teen who does not use contraception
has a 90% chance of becoming pregnant within
a year. Page 7
The primary health risks to adolescents are behavioral,
not medical, such as a sedentary lifestyle, poor
nutritional habits, depression, cigarette smoking,
alcohol and illicit and prescription drug use, unsafe
driving, including driving under the influence of
alcohol, early initiation of sexual activity, and unprotected
sexual activity. Page 7
A nine-year, $8-million evaluation of federally funded abstinence-only-until-marriage programs found that these programs have no beneficial impact on young people’s sexual behavior. Students who received abstinence-only sex education were no more likely to delay sexual initiation, have fewer partners, or use condoms when they did become sexually active than were students who received other forms of sex education. Page 8
1.26.2012
Study finds Suicide rates for all military services increased during 2005 or 2007.
Objectives. The goal of this study was to investigate and identify risk factors for suicide among all active duty members of the US military during 2005 or 2007.
Methods. The study used a cross-sectional design and included the entire active duty military population. Study sample sizes were 2 064 183 for 2005 and 1 981 810 for 2007. Logistic regression models were used.
Results. Suicide rates for all services increased during this period. Mental health diagnoses, mental health visits, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), sleep prescriptions, reduction in rank, enlisted rank, and separation or divorce were associated with suicides. Deployments to Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom were also associated with elevated odds ratios for all services in the 2007 population and for the Army in 2005.
Conclusions. Additional research needs to address the increasing rates of suicide in active duty personnel. This should include careful evaluation of suicide prevention programs and the possible increase in risk associated with SSRIs and other mental health drugs, as well as the possible impact of shorter deployments, age, mental health diagnoses, and relationship problems.
Source: Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print January 25, 2012: e1-e9. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2011.300484
Long Shifts May Raise Some Nurses' Odds for Obesity
Job Stress and Work Schedules in Relation to Nurse Obesity
Objectives: This study aimed to examine the relationship between job stress/work schedules (JS/WS) and obesity among nurses.
Conclusions: Findings suggest interventions to limit adverse work schedules. Access to healthy food and optimal meal breaks should be investigated.
The obesity epidemic in the United States is a widely recognized major national health threat as obesity increases the risk of many health conditions and psychological impairments. Annual medical costs associated with obesity are expected to double every decade to $861 to $960 billion by 2030, or 16% to 18% of the total US healthcare costs. In workplaces, obese employees have more fatigue, sleepiness, and physical limitations, which lead to higher risks of occupational injury than among nonobese employees. Nurses' obesity and related health problems may be related to high absenteeism, retention, and high healthcare costs.
A socioepidemiologic approach suggests that certain work characteristics and conditions may cause negative health behaviors and outcomes among employees. According to the Demand-Control-Support model, job strain occurs because of high psychological demands, combined with low control/decision latitude and lack of social support on the job. In this context, job strain is exhibited as job stress that may affect eating behavior and food choices, for example, a tendency to eat more sweet and energy-dense foods. In nursing, high workload, low staffing levels, and shorter work breaks have all been reported as barriers to nurses' healthy eating. Disordered eating was more prevalent among nurses with high job stress, and the relationship between disordered eating (ie, binging) and obesity was exacerbated by psychological stress. Moreover, Lallukka et al found job stress related to decreased physical activity and unhealthy diet habits (eg, low vegetable or fruit consumption, not choosing whole grains).
Work schedules also may influence nurses' health by causing job strain or altering health behaviors. Adverse work schedules could lead to obesity among nurses; for instance, shift work and long work hours disrupt normal eating times and reduce access to healthy food. Because of a lack of available food service, nightshift workers tend to eat unhealthy food (eg, high salt, sugar) from vending machines or prepackaged foods. Nightshift nurses reported that their work schedules affected their stamina, frequency of exercise, and social and family life more than those working other shifts. However, few nurses' obesity studies have incorporated work schedule variables.
There is also lack of knowledge about the prevalence of nurses' obesity and of the potential relationship between nurses' work and obesity. The prevalence of nurse overweight/obesity was 55% in 1 study, slightly lower than for the US population (65%). Another study found that 65% of hospital nurses were overweight/obese (OW/OB). However, low response rates and oversampling of minority and male nurses hamper generalization of these estimates.
The purposes of this article were to (a) describe overweight/obesity rates among a more representative sample of nurses and (b) examine the relationship between job stress/work schedules and nurse obesity. Demographic and work characteristics, mental/emotional distress, health behaviors, and home demands were also examined in these analyses. Study findings can provide evidence of working conditions related to obesity and could support recommendations to reduce nurses' obesity and improve their health.
More
Source: The Journal of Nursing Adminstration
Objectives: This study aimed to examine the relationship between job stress/work schedules (JS/WS) and obesity among nurses.
Conclusions: Findings suggest interventions to limit adverse work schedules. Access to healthy food and optimal meal breaks should be investigated.
A socioepidemiologic approach suggests that certain work characteristics and conditions may cause negative health behaviors and outcomes among employees. According to the Demand-Control-Support model, job strain occurs because of high psychological demands, combined with low control/decision latitude and lack of social support on the job. In this context, job strain is exhibited as job stress that may affect eating behavior and food choices, for example, a tendency to eat more sweet and energy-dense foods. In nursing, high workload, low staffing levels, and shorter work breaks have all been reported as barriers to nurses' healthy eating. Disordered eating was more prevalent among nurses with high job stress, and the relationship between disordered eating (ie, binging) and obesity was exacerbated by psychological stress. Moreover, Lallukka et al found job stress related to decreased physical activity and unhealthy diet habits (eg, low vegetable or fruit consumption, not choosing whole grains).
Work schedules also may influence nurses' health by causing job strain or altering health behaviors. Adverse work schedules could lead to obesity among nurses; for instance, shift work and long work hours disrupt normal eating times and reduce access to healthy food. Because of a lack of available food service, nightshift workers tend to eat unhealthy food (eg, high salt, sugar) from vending machines or prepackaged foods. Nightshift nurses reported that their work schedules affected their stamina, frequency of exercise, and social and family life more than those working other shifts. However, few nurses' obesity studies have incorporated work schedule variables.
There is also lack of knowledge about the prevalence of nurses' obesity and of the potential relationship between nurses' work and obesity. The prevalence of nurse overweight/obesity was 55% in 1 study, slightly lower than for the US population (65%). Another study found that 65% of hospital nurses were overweight/obese (OW/OB). However, low response rates and oversampling of minority and male nurses hamper generalization of these estimates.
The purposes of this article were to (a) describe overweight/obesity rates among a more representative sample of nurses and (b) examine the relationship between job stress/work schedules and nurse obesity. Demographic and work characteristics, mental/emotional distress, health behaviors, and home demands were also examined in these analyses. Study findings can provide evidence of working conditions related to obesity and could support recommendations to reduce nurses' obesity and improve their health.
More
Source: The Journal of Nursing Adminstration
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