According to Gerson, cohabitation is not "working out ... very well." He states that "[r]elationships defined by lower levels of commitment are, not unexpectedly, more likely to break up," noting that 75% of children born to cohabitating parents "will see their parents split up by the time they turn 16."
Although it "may not be realistic to maintain the connection between marriage and sex, it remains essential to maintain the connection between marriage and childbearing," according to Gerson. He adds that the "age of first marriage is important to marital survival and happiness." He continues, "There is little use in preaching against a hurricane of social change," but "delaying marriage creates moral, emotional and practical complications." The "challenge, as always, is to humanize change," Gerson says, concluding, "The answer, even in the relational wasteland, is responsibility, commitment and sacrifice for the sake of children" (Gerson, Washington Post, 9/16).
Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.
© 2009 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.
четверг, 27 октября 2011 г.
Increasing Cohabitation By Young People Disrupts 'Courtship Narrative,' Post Columnist Writes
The traditional "courtship narrative" of "dating, engagement, marriage, children," has been "disrupted without being replaced, leaving many 20-somethings" to "evolv[e] a casual, ad hoc version of their own: cohabitation," Washington Post columnist Michael Gerson writes. According to Gerson, the average age when people marry has increased to about 26 for women and 28 for men, and the number of U.S. residents cohabitating increased fourteen fold from 1960 to 2007. It does not "seem realistic to expect most men and woman to delay sex until marriage at 26 or 28," so for some people cohabitation is "a test-drive for marriage," Gerson writes, adding, "For others, it's an easier, low-commitment alternative to marriage."
четверг, 20 октября 2011 г.
Opinion Piece Questions Depictions Of Pregnant Teens On MTV Reality Shows
The MTV reality show "16 and Pregnant" and its spin-off, "Teen Mom," both "are designed to deter adolescents from becoming mothers -- a relevant issue as teen pregnancy rates are up for the first time in more than a decade," Double X managing editor Jessica Grose writes in a Slate opinion piece. Grose says that the shows "follow adolescent mothers as they struggle to raise their children" and "are produced in partnership with the National Campaign To Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy." She asks, "Can a television show really convince teens that they should wait to become mothers? And even if it can, is it worth the cost of offering up a handful of young women as public examples during perhaps the most vulnerable period of their lives?" According to Grose, there is evidence showing that shows like these impact teen sexual behavior. A recent Ohio State University study found that "college-age women who watched an episode of 'The O.C.' that depicted a pregnancy scare were more likely to try to use birth control than women who watched a show in a news format about the hardships of teen motherhood."
Grose continues, "But at what price does '16 and Pregnant' get this message across?" She writes that she worries what "repercussions" a pregnant minor would face "for putting her life out there and wonder[s] whether she could really understand the consequences." She adds, "While MTV aims to send a good message with earnest shows about teen motherhood, the message gets muddled when it is in the context of the networks other reality programming," notably the show "Jersey Shore," "which depicted consequence-free carousing."
Grose reports that the executive producer of "16 and Pregnant," Morgan J. Freeman, says the participants are financially compensated for their time but did not provide details. Freeman said, "I don't think there's anything of an exploitative nature in what we're doing," adding, "We do our best to show a very unvarnished and honest portrayal of their experience." Grose writes, "But maybe essential truth isn't in the best interest of these girls, for whom excising some of their most unpleasant moments could be the equivalent of a televised white lie" (Grose, Slate, 2/22).
Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.
© 2010 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.
четверг, 13 октября 2011 г.
Pre-Eclampsia During Pregnancy Could Indicate Future Heart Disease Risk, Studies Say
Women who experience pre-eclampsia during pregnancy have more heart attacks, strokes and blood clots later in life than women without the condition, according to several studies, the New York Times reports. Pre-eclampsia occurs in about 5% of pregnancies, affecting about 300,000 women annually in the U.S. According to the Times, researchers do not know what causes the condition, which is marked by high blood pressure, protein in the urine, severe swelling, headaches and vision problems. Although pre-eclampsia usually disappears soon after delivery, a "growing body of evidence" indicates that women who develop pre-eclampsia have twice the risk of having a heart attack or stroke later in life, the Times reports.
Graeme Smith, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Queen's University in Ontario, currently is tracking about 600 women after pregnancy, half of whom had pre-eclampsia. For Smith's most recent study, published last month in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, researchers compared 70 women from the pre-eclampsia group and 70 women without the condition. The study found that one year after delivery, women in the pre-eclampsia group had higher blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and body mass index than the unaffected women. According to the Times, another study published this year found that women with pre-eclampsia were more likely to form blood clots and a 2007 study identified greater prevalence of artery hardening among women who had high blood pressure during pregnancy. David Williams, an obstetrician at the University College London, in 2007 published an analysis of 25 pre-eclampsia studies, finding that about four out of 100 women in their mid-40s with a history of normal pregnancy would be expected to have a heart attack or stroke 10 years later. Williams said that the proportion rises to eight out of 100 among women who had pre-eclampsia during pregnancy and that it rises even higher among women who have had pre-eclampsia more than once. Thomas Easterling, an obstetrician and pre-eclampsia researcher at the University of Washington Medical School, said data from such studies are "overwhelming." Smith added that such findings are "a wake-up call," particularly because the women with pre-eclampsia "are, for the most part, young, healthy women."
According to the Times, most researchers do not believe that pre-eclampsia directly increases the risk of heart disease. Smith said that it seems more likely that the condition is an early indicator of the health of a woman's heart. He called pregnancy a type of stress test, adding, "How much or how badly you fail that stress test really is an indicator of your future health risk." According to the Times, Williams now advises women with pre-eclampsia to have frequent screenings for cholesterol levels, blood sugar and blood pressure, and to seek treatment if the levels are high. However, barriers remain for increasing awareness of the link between pre-eclampsia and heart health. Smith said the association is "not readily appreciated by physicians," adding, "If you ask a cardiologist, they go, 'I never heard of it.'" According to Daniel Jones, dean of University of Mississippi School of Medicine and former president of the American Heart Association, an expert panel responsible for revising national blood pressure guidelines currently is evaluating the recent evidence linking pre-eclampsia to heart disease. Smith said increased awareness about the two conditions might allow physicians to identify a woman's heart disease risk sooner. "The earlier you diagnose them, the more likely you are to prevent cardiovascular disease," he said, adding, "This is an opportunity where people can change their future (Westphal, New York Times, 3/17).
Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.
© 2009 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.
Graeme Smith, professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Queen's University in Ontario, currently is tracking about 600 women after pregnancy, half of whom had pre-eclampsia. For Smith's most recent study, published last month in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, researchers compared 70 women from the pre-eclampsia group and 70 women without the condition. The study found that one year after delivery, women in the pre-eclampsia group had higher blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and body mass index than the unaffected women. According to the Times, another study published this year found that women with pre-eclampsia were more likely to form blood clots and a 2007 study identified greater prevalence of artery hardening among women who had high blood pressure during pregnancy. David Williams, an obstetrician at the University College London, in 2007 published an analysis of 25 pre-eclampsia studies, finding that about four out of 100 women in their mid-40s with a history of normal pregnancy would be expected to have a heart attack or stroke 10 years later. Williams said that the proportion rises to eight out of 100 among women who had pre-eclampsia during pregnancy and that it rises even higher among women who have had pre-eclampsia more than once. Thomas Easterling, an obstetrician and pre-eclampsia researcher at the University of Washington Medical School, said data from such studies are "overwhelming." Smith added that such findings are "a wake-up call," particularly because the women with pre-eclampsia "are, for the most part, young, healthy women."
According to the Times, most researchers do not believe that pre-eclampsia directly increases the risk of heart disease. Smith said that it seems more likely that the condition is an early indicator of the health of a woman's heart. He called pregnancy a type of stress test, adding, "How much or how badly you fail that stress test really is an indicator of your future health risk." According to the Times, Williams now advises women with pre-eclampsia to have frequent screenings for cholesterol levels, blood sugar and blood pressure, and to seek treatment if the levels are high. However, barriers remain for increasing awareness of the link between pre-eclampsia and heart health. Smith said the association is "not readily appreciated by physicians," adding, "If you ask a cardiologist, they go, 'I never heard of it.'" According to Daniel Jones, dean of University of Mississippi School of Medicine and former president of the American Heart Association, an expert panel responsible for revising national blood pressure guidelines currently is evaluating the recent evidence linking pre-eclampsia to heart disease. Smith said increased awareness about the two conditions might allow physicians to identify a woman's heart disease risk sooner. "The earlier you diagnose them, the more likely you are to prevent cardiovascular disease," he said, adding, "This is an opportunity where people can change their future (Westphal, New York Times, 3/17).
Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.
© 2009 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.
четверг, 6 октября 2011 г.
Obesity And Physical Inactivity Poses Arthritis Risk, Especially For Women
Researchers from the Toronto Western Research Institute noted a higher prevalence of arthritis and arthritis-attributable activity limitations (AAL) in the U.S. versus the Canadian population. The authors attribute the higher prevalence of arthritis and AAL to a greater level of obesity and physical inactivity in Americans, particularly women. Full findings of this study are published in the March issue of Arthritis Care & Research, a journal of the American College of Rheumatology.
Arthritis is the leading cause of physical disability, and one of the most frequently reported chronic conditions in the U.S. and Canada. Those in mid to late life are particularly vulnerable to this disabling condition, which is expected to increase in both countries due to the aging baby boomer population. According to a 2005 figure from the National Arthritis Data Workgroup more than 21% of American adults (46 million) have arthritis or another rheumatic condition and over 60% of arthritis patients are women. The 2008 Canadian Community Health Survey reported 15.3% (4.3 million) of Canadians have some form of arthritis, with more women then men affected.
This study is the first to provide a direct comparison of U.S. and Canadian data in search of between-country disparities associated with the prevalence of arthritis and AAL. The authors analyzed results from the Joint Canada/United States Survey of Health (JCUSH) conducted in cooperation by Statistics Canada and the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics during 2002-2003. Data were obtained for 3,505 Canadians and 5,183 Americans with an overall response rate of 65.5% and 50.2%, respectively.
Results show that in the U.S. the prevalence of arthritis was 18.7% and AAL was 9.6%, while equivalent estimates in Canada were 16.8% and 7.7%, respectively. Researchers noted that arthritis prevalence was higher in American women at 23.3% compared with 19.6% of Canadian women. Women in the U.S. also had a higher prevalence of AAL than Canadian women at 13.0% versus 9.2%. The overall occurrence of arthritis and AAL in men was similar in both countries at roughly 14% and 6%, respectively.
"Our study results uggest that the higher prevalence of arthritis and AAL in the U.S. may be a consequence of greater obesity and physical inactivity in that country, particularly in women," noted Dr. Badley. "Public health initiatives that promote healthy weight and physical activity may benefit from including arthritis concerns to its message, and could potentially reduce the incidence of arthritis and AAL," concluded Dr. Badley.
Source: Wiley - Blackwell
Arthritis is the leading cause of physical disability, and one of the most frequently reported chronic conditions in the U.S. and Canada. Those in mid to late life are particularly vulnerable to this disabling condition, which is expected to increase in both countries due to the aging baby boomer population. According to a 2005 figure from the National Arthritis Data Workgroup more than 21% of American adults (46 million) have arthritis or another rheumatic condition and over 60% of arthritis patients are women. The 2008 Canadian Community Health Survey reported 15.3% (4.3 million) of Canadians have some form of arthritis, with more women then men affected.
This study is the first to provide a direct comparison of U.S. and Canadian data in search of between-country disparities associated with the prevalence of arthritis and AAL. The authors analyzed results from the Joint Canada/United States Survey of Health (JCUSH) conducted in cooperation by Statistics Canada and the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics during 2002-2003. Data were obtained for 3,505 Canadians and 5,183 Americans with an overall response rate of 65.5% and 50.2%, respectively.
Results show that in the U.S. the prevalence of arthritis was 18.7% and AAL was 9.6%, while equivalent estimates in Canada were 16.8% and 7.7%, respectively. Researchers noted that arthritis prevalence was higher in American women at 23.3% compared with 19.6% of Canadian women. Women in the U.S. also had a higher prevalence of AAL than Canadian women at 13.0% versus 9.2%. The overall occurrence of arthritis and AAL in men was similar in both countries at roughly 14% and 6%, respectively.
"Our study results uggest that the higher prevalence of arthritis and AAL in the U.S. may be a consequence of greater obesity and physical inactivity in that country, particularly in women," noted Dr. Badley. "Public health initiatives that promote healthy weight and physical activity may benefit from including arthritis concerns to its message, and could potentially reduce the incidence of arthritis and AAL," concluded Dr. Badley.
Source: Wiley - Blackwell
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