30 research outputs found
Eligibility and enrollment in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)--27 states and New York City, 2007-2008.
The national Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides nutrition education, growth monitoring, breastfeeding promotion and support, and food to low-income pregnant or postpartum women, infants, and children aged <5 years. Several studies have linked WIC services with improved maternal and infant health outcomes. Most population-based studies have lacked information needed to identify eligible women who are not receiving WIC services and might be at risk for poor health outcomes. This report uses multistate, population-based 2007-2008 survey data from CDC's Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) and California's Maternal and Infant Health Assessment (MIHA) to estimate how many women were eligible but not enrolled in WIC during pregnancy and to describe their characteristics and their prevalence of markers of risk for poor maternal or infant health outcomes. Approximately 17% of all women surveyed were eligible but not enrolled in WIC during pregnancy. The proportion of women eligible for WIC and WIC participation rates varied by state. WIC participants had higher prevalences of markers of risk for poor maternal or infant health outcomes than eligible nonparticipants, but both groups had higher prevalences of risk markers than ineligible women, suggesting that many eligible women and their children might benefit from WIC services. The results of this analysis can help identify the scope of WIC outreach needed to include more eligible nonparticipants in WIC and whom to target
The Initial Mass Function and Disk Frequency of the Rho Ophiuchi Cloud: An Extinction-Limited Sample
We have completed an optical spectroscopic survey of an unbiased,
extinction-limited sample of candidate young stars covering 1.3 square degrees
of the Rho Ophiuchi star forming region. While infrared, X-ray, and optical
surveys of the cloud have identified many young stellar objects (YSOs), these
surveys are biased towards particular stages of stellar evolution and are not
optimal for studies of the disk frequency and initial mass function.We have
obtained over 300 optical spectra to help identify 135 association members
based on the presence of H-alpha in emission, lithium absorption, X-ray
emission, a mid-infrared excess, a common proper motion, reflection nebulosity,
and/or extinction considerations. Spectral types along with R and I band
photometry were used to derive effective temperatures and bolometric
luminosities for association members to compare with theoretical tracks and
isochrones for pre-main-sequence stars. An average age of 3.1 Myr is derived
for this population which is intermediate between that of objects embedded in
the cloud core of Rho Ophiuchi and low mass stars in the Upper Scorpius
subgroup. Consistent with this age we find a circumstellar disk frequency of
27% plus or minus 5%. We also constructed an initial mass function for an
extinction-limited sample of 123 YSOs (A_v less than or equal to 8 mag), which
is consistent with the field star initial mass function for YSOs with masses >
0.2 M_sun. There may be a deficit of brown dwarfs but this result relies on
completeness corrections and requires confirmation.Comment: 46 pages, 7 figures, 4 table
Sociocultural Determinants of Teenage Childbearing Among Latinas in California
Objectives U.S. Latinas have a persistently high rate of teenage childbearing, which is associated with adverse outcomes for both mother and child. This study was designed to investigate the roles of socioeconomic factors and acculturation in teenage childbearing in this population. Methods Logistic regression was used to analyze the association of measures of acculturation (language spoken at home, nativity, and age at immigration) and respondents’ parents’ education with age at first birth in a stratified sample of post-partum women in California. Results The unadjusted odds ratio for teenage birth for Latinas versus non-Latina Whites was 5.2 (95% CI 4.1–6.6). Nativity was not significantly associated with teen birth, but speaking Spanish at home was positively associated and immigrating at a later age was negatively associated with teen birth. Overall, these measures of acculturation accounted for 17% (95% CI 8–28%) of the difference in odds of teen birth between Latinas and non-Latina Whites. Higher levels of education among respondents’ parents had differentially protective effects across the racial/ethnic groups. Controlling for disparities in respondents’ parents’ education without changing its differential effects across racial/ethnic groups reduced the odds ratio for Latinas compared to non-Latina Whites by 30% (95% CI 14–60%). Conclusion These findings call into question common assumptions about the protective effect of acculturation on teen fertility and suggest that improving childhood socioeconomic factors among Latinas may decrease teen childbearing
The James Webb Space Telescope Mission
Twenty-six years ago a small committee report, building on earlier studies,
expounded a compelling and poetic vision for the future of astronomy, calling
for an infrared-optimized space telescope with an aperture of at least .
With the support of their governments in the US, Europe, and Canada, 20,000
people realized that vision as the James Webb Space Telescope. A
generation of astronomers will celebrate their accomplishments for the life of
the mission, potentially as long as 20 years, and beyond. This report and the
scientific discoveries that follow are extended thank-you notes to the 20,000
team members. The telescope is working perfectly, with much better image
quality than expected. In this and accompanying papers, we give a brief
history, describe the observatory, outline its objectives and current observing
program, and discuss the inventions and people who made it possible. We cite
detailed reports on the design and the measured performance on orbit.Comment: Accepted by PASP for the special issue on The James Webb Space
Telescope Overview, 29 pages, 4 figure
Segmented assimilation theory and perinatal health disparities among women of Mexican descent
A higher prevalence of infant low birth weight (USA Segmented assimilation theory Infant low birth weight Mexican American Health disparities Neighborhoods Acculturation Maternal and child health Social capital
Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Depressive Symptoms Among Pregnant Women Vary by Income and Neighborhood Poverty
We examined racial/ethnic disparities in depressive symptoms during pregnancy among a population-based sample of childbearing women in California (N = 24,587). We hypothesized that these racial/ethnic disparities would be eliminated when comparing women with similar incomes and neighborhood poverty environments. Neighborhood poverty trajectory descriptions were linked with survey data measuring age, parity, race/ethnicity, marital status, education, income, and depressive symptoms. We constructed logistic regression models among the overall sample to examine both crude and adjusted racial/ethnic disparities in feeling depressed. Next, stratified adjusted logistic regression models were constructed to examine racial/ethnic disparities in feeling depressed among women of similar income levels living in similar neighborhood poverty environments. We found that racial/ethnic disparities in feeling depressed remained only among women who were not poor themselves and who lived in long-term moderate or low poverty neighborhoods
The Affordable Care Act and Changes in Women’s Health Insurance Coverage Before, During, and After Pregnancy in California
ObjectivesHaving health insurance is associated with improvements in health care access and use, health behaviors, and outcomes. We examined changes in health insurance coverage for California women before, during, and after pregnancy after implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).MethodsWe used data from the 2011-2017 California Maternal and Infant Health Assessment, an annual representative survey of women sampled from birth certificates (n = 47 487). We examined health insurance coverage at baseline before ACA implementation (2011-2013) and in each survey year from 2014 to 2017 for 3 periods (before, during, and after pregnancy). We calculated prevalence ratios to evaluate changes in health insurance coverage, adjusting for changes in demographic characteristics. Few women were uninsured during pregnancy before implementation of the ACA; therefore, analyses focused on health insurance before pregnancy and postpartum.ResultsBefore ACA implementation, 24.4% of women reported being uninsured before pregnancy, which decreased to 10.1% in 2017. About 17% of women reported being uninsured postpartum before ACA implementation, and this percentage decreased to 7.5% in 2017. ACA implementation resulted in a >50% adjusted decline in the likelihood of being uninsured before pregnancy or postpartum, primarily because of substantial increases in Medicaid coverage.ConclusionsACA implementation resulted in a dramatic reduction in mothers in California who were uninsured before and after pregnancy. Medicaid expansion played a major role in this improvement
An Approach to Studying Social Disparities in Health and Health Care
Objective. We explored methods and potential applications of a systematic approach to studying and monitoring social disparities in health and health care. Methods. Using delayed or no prenatal care as an example indicator, we (1) categorized women into groups with different levels of underlying social advantage; (2) described and graphically displayed rates of the indicator and relative group size for each social group; (3) identified and measured disparities, calculating relative risks and rate differences to compare each group with its a priori most-advantaged counterpart; (4) examined changes in rates and disparities over time; and (5) conducted multivariate analyses for the overall sample and “at-risk” groups to identify particular factors warranting attention. Results. We identified at-risk groups and relevant factors and suggest ways to direct efforts for reducing prenatal care disparities. Conclusions. This systematic approach should be useful for studying and monitoring disparities in other indicators of health and health care