Child Abuse as a Predictor of Gendered Sexual Orientation Disparities in Body Mass Index Trajectories Among U.S. Youth From the Growing Up Today Study

PurposeThis research aimed to explain sexual orientation disparities in body mass index (BMI) by examining child abuse history, weight-related behaviors, and sociodemographics.MethodsWe used data from 7,960 females and 5,992 males from the prospective Growing Up Today Study over nine waves between 1996 (ages 12–14 years) and 2007 (ages 20–25 years). Using repeated measures of BMI (kg/m²) as a continuous outcome, gender-stratified latent quadratic growth models adjusted for child abuse history, weight-related behaviors, and sociodemographics. BMI at age 17 years (intercept) and 1-year change in BMI (slope) are reported.ResultsBisexual females had higher BMI at age 17 years (β = 1.59, 95% CI = 1.00–2.18) and displayed greater one-year increases in BMI (β = .09, 95% CI = .03–.14), compared with completely heterosexual females. Gay males displayed smaller 1-year increases in BMI (β = −.19, 95% CI = −.25 to −.12), compared with completely heterosexual males. No sexual orientation differences in BMI at age 17 years were observed for males, but gay males' BMI at age 25 was less than completely heterosexual males' BMI by 2 units. Among females, sexual orientation differences remained but were slightly attenuated after controlling for child abuse history, weight-related behaviors, and sociodemographics. Among males, the addition of child abuse and weight-related behaviors did not change the estimated difference in 1-year BMI increases.ConclusionsSexual orientation differences in BMI were partly explained by child abuse and weight-related behaviors in females. More research is needed to explore additional drivers of these disparities among both females and males.     

Research Synthesis of Recommended Acetabular Cup Orientations for Total Hip Arthroplasty

Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is regarded as one of the most successful surgical procedures of modern times yet continues to be associated with a small but significant complication rate. Many early failures may be associated with poor component positioning with, in particular, acetabular component orientation dependent on the subjective judgement of the surgeon. In this paper, we compare the manufacturers' instructions on acetabular cup orientation with the literature-based recommended safety zones and surgical technique, by transforming them onto a single, clinically-relevant framework in which the different reference systems, safety guidelines and current instrumentation surgical techniques can be evaluated. The observed limited consensus between results reflects ongoing uncertainty regarding the optimum acetabular component positioning. As malpositioning of the acetabular cup increases the risk of revision surgery, any ambiguity over the correct position can have a causal effect. Our analysis highlights the need for a surgical reference system which can be used to describe the position of the acetabular cup intra-operatively.