Search

Few studies have compared cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in sexual minority and heterosexual adults. It remains unclear whether changes in sexual identity over time are associated with increased CVD risk. The purposes of this longitudinal study were to (a) compare sex differences in CVD risk factors across sexual identity subgroups, (b) examine CVD risk factors based on changes in sexual identity, and (c) examine sex-stratified variations in CVD risk factors. Analyses of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health study data assessed the longitudinal association of changes in sexual identity with self-reported CVD risk factors (alcohol misuse, cigarette smoking, sedentary behavior, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and obesity). Based on changes in sexual identity between baseline/wave 1 and wave 5, 91.7% (n = 15,884) of the sample were heterosexual-stable, 1.1% (n = 265) were gay/lesbian-stable, and 0.8% (n = 265) were bisexual-stable. Less than 2% (1.5%; n = 376) indicated one heterosexual (sexual majority)-to-sexual minority change, 1.4% (n = 299) reported one sexual minority-to-heterosexual change, 0.7% (n = 202) reported one or more sexual minority-to-sexual minority changes, 1.4% (n = 345) reported heterosexual-to-sexual minority-to-heterosexual change, and 1.3% (n = 365) indicated two or more changes with no distinct pattern. Among women, having two or more changes in sexual identity without a distinct pattern was associated with increased odds of alcohol misuse in the past 30 days compared with heterosexual stable women. Associations between changes in sexual identity and alcohol misuse among women suggest the need for greater screening among healthcare providers who work with this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Author(s): HaEun Lee [sup.1] , Philip T. Veliz [sup.1] , Earl T. Ray [sup.2] , Nchimunya M. Chiboola [sup.3] , Tenford K. Phiri [sup.3] , Gertrude Musonda [sup.3] , Jody [...], Introduction Financial constraints are one of the biggest barriers for women of low-income countries to receive necessary reproductive health services. Educating women about the importance of saving money has been incorporated as a component of antenatal care (ANC) contacts, but little is known whether ANC contacts influence women's saving. Methods A secondary analysis was conducted on data from a cross-sectional household survey study of 1109 women who recently gave birth in two rural districts of Zambia. Results Receiving ANC contacts early and often and discussing saving money during ANC were associated with saving money for the mother's birth, but not with saving enough money for the most recent birth. Discussion Continued effort is needed to encourage women to attend ANC contacts earlier and more frequently. Additionally, the importance of saving money for birth should be discussed during ANC contacts. Future studies need to explore why women's action in saving does not necessarily lead to saving enough for childbirth.

Background: Many national studies fail to account for discordance between sexual orientation dimensions (e.g. a mismatch between sexual identity and sexual attraction) or sexual identity fluidity (e.g. changes in sexual identity over time). Objective: To examine the longitudinal relationships among sexual identity fluidity/stability, sexual orientation discordance/concordance, and alcohol and other drug use disorder symptoms. Methods: The study used nationally representative longitudinal data from Waves 1–5 (2013–2019) of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study of US adolescents and adults (N = 24,591). Results: Substance use disorder symptoms were most prevalent (45.8%) among bisexual-stable females relative to all other sexual identity subgroups. The adjusted odds ratios (AORs) of substance use disorder symptoms were significantly higher among bisexual-stable females vs. heterosexual-stable females in all models (AOR range: 1.94–2.32), while no such associations were found for males. Sexual identity-attraction discordant females had significantly greater AORs (17/20 instances) of substance use disorder symptoms compared to concordant females; this finding was not as consistent for males (6/20 instances). Conclusion: Sexual orientation discordance was significantly associated with substance use disorder symptoms, especially among females discordant in their sexual identity and attraction. Bisexual-stable and discordant females are at highest risk of developing symptomatic substance use; it is vital that they receive screening, no matter where they are in their coming out process. This study highlights pitfalls of relying solely on cross-sectional data using a single sexual orientation dimension to understand the relationship between sexual orientation and substance use disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To assess whether age of onset and duration of stimulant therapy for attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are associated with cocaine, methamphetamine, and prescription stimulant misuse during adolescence. Methods: Nationally representative samples of US 10th and 12th grade students (N = 150,395) from the Monitoring the Future study were surveyed via self‐administered questionnaires from 16 annual surveys (2005–2020). Results: An estimated 8.2% of youth received stimulant therapy for ADHD during their lifetime (n = 10,937). More than one in 10 of all youth reported past‐year prescription stimulant misuse (10.4%)—past‐year cocaine (4.4%) and methamphetamine (2.0%) use were less prevalent. Youth who initiated early stimulant therapy for ADHD (≤9 years old) and for long duration (≥6 years) did not have significantly increased adjusted odds of cocaine or methamphetamine use relative to population controls (ie, non‐ADHD and unmedicated ADHD youth). Youth who initiated late stimulant therapy for ADHD (≥10 years old) and for short duration (<1 year) had significantly higher odds of past‐year cocaine or prescription stimulant misuse in adolescence than those initiating early stimulant therapy for ADHD (≤9 years old) and for long duration (≥6 years). Youth who initiated late stimulant therapy for ADHD (≥10 years) for short duration (<1 year) had significantly higher odds of past‐year cocaine, methamphetamine, and prescription stimulant misuse versus population controls during adolescence. No differences in past‐year cocaine, methamphetamine, and prescription stimulant misuse were found between individuals who only used non‐stimulant therapy for ADHD relative to youth who initiated early stimulant therapy (≤9 years old) and for long duration (≥6 years). Conclusions: An inverse relationship was found between years of stimulant therapy and illicit and prescription stimulant misuse. Adolescents with later initiation and/or shorter duration of stimulant treatment for ADHD should be monitored for potential illicit and prescription stimulant misuse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to examine the extent to which involvement in high-contact, semicontact, or noncontact sports during the 12th grade is associated with the initiation and developmental course of prescription drug misuse (PDM) between ages 17/18 years and 27/28 years. Data were collected from a national multicohort panel sample of US 12th-graders (cohorts 2006–2017; n  = 4,772) from the Monitoring the Future Study who were followed for a decade, through age 27/28 years. Approximately 31% of high school seniors indicated PDM at baseline (age 17/18 years). While past-year PDM remained relatively stable between ages 17/18 years and 27/28 years, participation in both noncontact (adjusted odds ratio = 1.40, 95% confidence interval: 1.02, 1.91) and contact (adjusted odds ratio = 1.57, 95% confidence interval: 1.08, 2.28) sports in the 12th grade increased the odds of initiating prescription stimulant misuse during the 10 years following high school as compared with respondents who did not participate in these types of sports in the 12th grade. To our knowledge, this is the first national study to have assessed how sports participation during high school is associated with the initiation and developmental course of PDM from adolescence to young adulthood. These findings reinforce the need for PDM screening during adolescence, as nearly 1 in 3 high school seniors engage in PDM. Increased prescription stimulant misuse following high school warrants ongoing monitoring during young adulthood, especially among athletes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]