Hospital Technology Breeds Pathology

Electronic fetal monitoring. Oxytocin challenge tests and Cesarean sections are all examples of the technological deviations from the natural processes of birth. Obstetrical care in the United States has evolved into a technology of scientitic and active management which obviates the natural processes and the normal physiology of birth. As this deviation continues, birth naturally will continue to be the perverted and pathological product of modern technology.     

Measuring Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviors in Women with Young Children: A Systematic Review

Current evidence indicates that women with young children are less active than women without children. In this review the authors investigated the methods of measuring physical activity employed in studies of women with young children (aged 1–5 years) and the associated challenges in measurement. Articles from databases (MEDLINE, OVID, CINAHL, Google Scholar) and manual searches were limited to English peer-reviewed journals published from 1990 to 2010. Studies that included measurement of physical activity in samples of women with young children were selected. Measurement properties were extracted, and original reliability and validity articles were reviewed for physical activity measurement tools used by 15 samples. The evidence base was dominated by self-report measurement tools, many of which assessed leisure-time physical activity only. Use of motion sensors to assess physical activity in this population was limited. It is likely that much of the habitual physical activity performed by women with young children has not been captured by self-report measures. Further investigation should be undertaken using tools that capture adequately all health-enhancing physical activity among women with young children.     

Irregular menstruation according to occupational status

This cross-sectional study explored associations of irregular menstruation with occupational characteristics, using secondary analyses of data from 4,731 women aged 19–54 years, collected from a nationally representative sample, the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey-V during 2010–2012. The associations between irregular menstruation and occupation were explored using multiple logistic regression. Compared to non-manual workers, service/sales workers had a greater odds of irregular menstruation (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.44; 95percent confidence interval [CI]: 1.04–1.99) as did manual workers and unemployed women (aOR: 1.56; 95percent CI: 1.10–2.22, aOR: 1.46; 95percent CI: 1.14–1.89, respectively). Compared to regular workers, temporary workers and unemployed women had aORs of 1.52 (95percent CI: 1.08–2.13) and 1.33 (95percent CI: 1.05–1.69), respectively. Also, when compared to full-time workers, part-time workers and unemployed women had greater odds of irregular menstruation (aOR: 1.41; 95percent CI: 1.00–2.00 and aOR: 1.29; 95percent CI: 1.03–1.63, respectively). Furthermore, compared to daytime workers, shift workers and unemployed women had greater odds irregular menstruation (aOR: 1.39; 95percent CI: 1.03–1.88 and aOR: 1.28; 95percent CI: 1.04–1.59, respectively). Women with these occupational characteristics should be screened for early diagnosis and intervention for irregular menstruation.     

BOOK REVIEW

No abstract available for this article.     

Seri Indian food plants: Desert subsistence without agriculture

The Seri Indians of Sonora, Mexico, living on the east side of the Gulf of California, utilized over 75 species of seed plants from the desert and sea as food. Potable water, rather than food, was undoubtedly the primary factor limiting pre‐contact population levels of these hunting and gathering and seafaring people. Fewer species of plants were used for food than for medicinal purposes. Basic staples were obtained from the fruit of columnar cacti (Pachycereus, etc.), the pod and seed of mesquite (Prosopis), seed of eelgrass (Zostera), leaf‐base and stem of century plant (Agave), and seeds of various ephemerals such as amaranth (Amaranthus), goosefoot (Chenopodium), plantain (Plantago), and bean (Phaseolus). Other important food plants include cholla (Opuntia), wolfberry (Lycium), mala mujer (Cnidoscolus), palo verde (Cercidium), and saiya (Amoreuxia).

Mesquite, columnar cacti, and eelgrass were harvested at the height of the dry season and, because of drought‐evading adaptations, could be relied upon even during years of extreme drought. Various seeds and other plant‐derived foods were stored against time of need. Seeds and fruit of 59 species of plants were eaten, while only 16 species were utilized for their vegetative parts, and of these only two were prepared as greens. Seri predilection to watery foods (and medicines) appears to be an adaptation to the arid enviroment. Most plant‐derived foods were parched or toasted, ground into flour and consumed as gruel. Increasing the surface area of food particles by this means, a common practice in southwestern North America, effectively conserves water, fuel, and time required for cooking.

The diet of the different Seri Bands necessarily varied because of floristic, vegetational, faunal, and environmental differences. Each season and year in each region yields a different array of kinds and quantities of wild crops.     

The Interrelations Between Sexual Orientation,Sense of Belonging and Dysphoria Among Australian Women

ABSTRACT

This research examined whether sense of belonging in the community and sexual orientation were associated with dysphoria among women. Australian female heterosexuals (n = 202) and lesbians (n = 184) completed the Sense of Belonging Instrument and the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scales. Results indicated that lesbians experienced a decreased sense of belonging and more dysphoria compared with heterosexual women. Subsequent analyses indicated that sense of belonging to the community mediated the relation between sexual orientation and dysphoria. In addition, sexual orientation moderated the relation between sense of belonging and dysphoria. It appears that the enhancement of lesbians' sense of belonging in the community would be associated with a reduction in dysphoria.     

The Effect of Wearing the Veil by Saudi Ladies on the Occurrence of Respiratory Diseases

It is customary in clinical practice and elsewhere to put on a mask for protection against infection, dust, and so forth. The veil, which is traditionally worn by women in many Muslim countries, especially in Saudi Arabia, may have a similar effect. The study was carried out during 1998–1999 in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia. Adult women were asked to answer a structured questionnaire related to the occurrence of respiratory tract problems and about veil wearing. Veil wearing was practiced by 58% of the sample. Respiratory infections and asthma were significantly more common in veils users (p < 0.00001 and p < 0.0003, respectively). This unexpected finding was probably secondary to infection. More and bigger studies are recommended.     

A case with life-threatening interstitial pneumonia associated with bucillamine treatment

Abstract

We report a case of bucillamine-induced interstitial pneumonia accompanied by severe hypoxemia in an 83-year-old woman who had rheumatoid arthritis. Respiratory failure worsened even after withdrawal of bucillamine and administration of high-dose corticosteroids, and mechanical ventilation was required. A review of 15 cases with bucillamine-induced pulmonary injury suggests that advanced age may be associated with the development of severe interstitial pneumonia. Bucillamine can cause corticosteroid-resistant and life-threatening lung injury, especially in the elderly.