History of infertility and anti-Müllerian hormone levels among participants in the Nurses' Health Study II.

OBJECTIVES: To better understand whether history of infertility is associated with anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels later in life, outside of reproduction. METHODS: Among 1,758 premenopausal women in the Nurses' Health Study II with measured AMH, we used multivariable generalized linear models to compare log-transformed plasma AMH for women with a history of infertility compared with fertile women. We investigated AMH levels by cause of infertility and effect modification by menstrual cycle regularity. Lastly, we investigated AMH levels by history of primary and secondary infertility and age at reported infertility. RESULTS: Mean age at blood collection was 40 years. We observed no association between overall history of infertility and AMH levels (% difference AMH: -8.1% [CI, -19.4 to 4.8]). The association between overall infertility and AMH was strongest among women who first reported infertility at >30 years (-17.7% [CI, -32.1 to -0.3]). CONCLUSIONS: Overall, we observed no association between the history of infertility and AMH levels later in life. However, specific subgroups of women with a history of infertility may have lower AMH levels throughout life compared with fertile women. This association was observed among subgroups, such as those who first experienced infertility at >30 years. These findings have implications for mechanisms through which infertility may be associated with premature menopause and chronic disease risk.

Navigating weight, risk and lifestyle conversations in maternity care: a qualitative study among pregnant women with obesity.

BACKGROUND: Pregnant women with obesity face heightened focus on weight during pregnancy due to greater risk of medical complications. Closer follow-up in maternety care may contribute to reduce risk and promote health in these women. The aim of this study was to gain a deeper insight in how pregnant women with obesity experience encounters with healthcare providers in maternity care. How is the received maternity care affected by their weight, and how do they describe the way healthcare providers express attitudes towards obesity in pregnancy? METHODS: We conducted in-depth interviews with 14 women in Trøndelag county in Norway with pre-pregnancy BMI of ≥ 30 kg/m2, between 3 and 12 months postpartum. The study sample was strategic regarding age, relationship status, education level, obesity class, and parity. Themes were developed using reflexive thematic analysis. The analysis was informed by contextual information from a prior study, describing the same participants' weight history from childhood to motherhood along with their perceptions of childhood quality. RESULTS: This study comprised of an overarching theme supported by three main themes. The overarching theme, Being pregnant with a high BMI: a vulnerable condition, reflected the challenge of entering maternity care with obesity, especially for women unprepared to be seen as "outside the norm". Women who had grown up with body criticism and childhood bullying were more prepared to have their weight addressed in maternity care. The first theme, Loaded conversations: a balancing act, emphasizes how pregnant women with a history of body criticism or obesity-related otherness proactively protect their integrity against weight bias, stigma and shame. The women also described how some healthcare providers balance or avoid weight and risk conversations for the same reasons. Dehumanization: an unintended drawback of standardized care makes apparent the pitfalls of prioritizing standardization over person-centered care. Finally, the third theme, The ambivalence of discussing weight and lifestyle, represent women's underlying ambivalence towards current weight practices in maternity care. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that standardized weight and risk monitoring, along with lifestyle guidance in maternity care, can place the pregnant women with obesity in a vulnerable position, contrasting with the emotionally supportive care that women with obesity report needing. Learning from these women's experiences and their urge for an unloaded communication to protect their integrity highlights the importance of focusing on patient-centered practices instead of standardized care to create a safe space for health promotion.

A mixed-methods analysis of moral injury among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers faced grave responsibilities amidst rapidly changing policies and material and staffing shortages. Moral injury, psychological distress following events where actions transgress moral beliefs/ expectations, increased among healthcare workers. We used a sequential mixed methods approach to examine workplace and contextual factors related to moral injury early in the pandemic. Using a Total Worker Health® framework, we 1) examined factors associated with moral injury among active healthcare professionals (N = 14,145) surveyed between May-August 2020 and 2) qualitatively analyzed open-ended responses from 95 randomly selected participants who endorsed moral injury on the survey. Compared to inpatient hospital, outpatient (OR = 0.74 [0.65, 0.85]) or school clinic settings (OR = 0.37 [0.18, 0.75]) were associated with lower odds of moral injury; while group care settings increased odds (OR = 1.36 [1.07, 1.74]). Working with COVID+ patients (confirmed+ OR = 1.27 [1.03, 1.55]), PPE inadequacy (OR = 1.54 [1.27, 1.87]), and greater role conflict (OR = 1.57 [1.53, 1.62]) were associated with greater odds of moral injury. Qualitative findings illustrate how outside factors as well as organizational policies and working conditions influenced moral injury. Moral injury experiences affected staff turnover and patient care, potentially producing additional morally injurious effects. Worker- and patient-centered organizational policies are needed to prevent moral injury among healthcare workers. The generalizability of these findings may be limited by our predominantly white and female sample. Further research is indicated to replicate these findings in minoritized samples.

Sexual orientation disparities in gestational diabetes and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: Sexual minority (SM) individuals (e.g., those with same-sex attractions/partners or who identify as lesbian/gay/bisexual) experience a host of physical and mental health disparities. However, little is known about sexual orientation-related disparities in gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP; gestational hypertension [gHTN] and preeclampsia). OBJECTIVE: To estimate disparities in GDM, gHTN and preeclampsia by sexual orientation. METHODS: We used data from the Nurses' Health Study II-a cohort of nurses across the US enrolled in 1989 at 25-42 years of age-restricted to those with pregnancies ≥20 weeks gestation and non-missing sexual orientation data (63,518 participants; 146,079 pregnancies). Our primary outcomes were GDM, gHTN and preeclampsia, which participants reported for each of their pregnancies. Participants also reported their sexual orientation identity and same-sex attractions/partners. We compared the risk of each outcome in pregnancies among heterosexual participants with no same-sex experience (reference) to those among SM participants overall and within subgroups: (1) heterosexual with same-sex experience, (2) mostly heterosexual, (3) bisexual and (4) lesbian/gay participants. We used modified Poisson models to estimate risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), fit via weighted generalised estimating equations, to account for multiple pregnancies per person over time and informative cluster sizes. RESULTS: The overall prevalence of each outcome was ≤5%. Mostly heterosexual participants had a 31% higher risk of gHTN (RR 1.31, 95% CI 1.03, 1.66), and heterosexual participants with same-sex experience had a 31% higher risk of GDM (RR 1.31, 95% CI 1.13, 1.50), compared to heterosexual participants with no same-sex experience. The magnitudes of the risk ratios were high among bisexual participants for gHTN and preeclampsia and among lesbian/gay participants for gHTN. CONCLUSIONS: Some SM groups may be disparately burdened by GDM and HDP. Elucidating modifiable mechanisms (e.g., structural barriers, discrimination) for reducing adverse pregnancy outcomes among SM populations is critical.

STEMI, Revascularization, and Peak Troponin by Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes in Women With Myocardial Infarction.

Background: Women with a history of adverse pregnancy outcomes have a higher risk of coronary heart disease. Emerging evidence suggests that women with a history of preeclampsia have a different pattern of overall coronary atherosclerosis and that they at the time of myocardial infarction (MI) more frequently present with ST-segment elevation MI (STEMI) compared to women with no such history. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine whether among women with MI, those with a history of adverse pregnancy outcomes are more likely to present with STEMI or other clinical characteristics indicating a more severe myocardial injury. Methods: The study sample consisted of 8,320 women aged ≤65 years with first MI in Sweden 2007 to 2022. Regression models were used to estimate the association between adverse pregnancy outcomes (hypertensive disorders of pregnancy [non-preeclamptic hypertension and preeclampsia], small for gestational age [SGA] infant, and preterm delivery) and STEMI, invasive revascularization, and high troponin, while considering known predictors of coronary heart disease. Results: In total, 3,128 (38%) of women suffered STEMI. The adjusted OR of presenting with STEMI were higher in women with a history of preterm preeclampsia (OR: 1.40; 95% CI: 1.05-1.88), or an SGA infant (OR: 1.30; 95% CI: 1.13-1.50) compared to women with no such history, as well as for in-hospital revascularization. Stratified by infarct type, troponin levels did not differ by adverse pregnancy outcome history. Conclusions: Among women with a first MI, a history of preterm preeclampsia or SGA infant were associated with STEMI and invasive revascularization.

BMI status and weight trajectories across females' reproductive years and risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) is a well-established risk factor of adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs). The associations of long-term and short-term weight trajectories with APOs are less clear. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine the associations of weight trajectories during females' reproductive years, before and between pregnancies, with risk of APOs. METHODS: We followed 16,241 females (25,386 singleton pregnancies) participating in a prospective cohort, the Nurses' Health Study II. Weight at age 18 y, current weight, and height were assessed at baseline (1989), and weight was updated biennially. Pregnancy history was self-reported in 2009. The primary outcome was a composite of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), gestational diabetes (GDM), preterm birth, and stillbirth. Secondary outcomes were individual APOs. The associations of weight change with APOs were estimated using log-binomial regression, adjusting for demographic, lifestyle, reproductive factors, and baseline BMI (in kg/m2). RESULTS: The mean (standard deviation [SD]) age at first in-study pregnancy was 33.7 (4.1) y. The mean (SD) time from age 18 y to pregnancy, baseline to pregnancy, and between pregnancies was 16.3 (4.0), 6.1 (3.0), and 2.9 (1.6) y, with a corresponding weight change of 6.4 (9.1), 3.1 (5.8), and 2.3 (4.8) kg, respectively. Of the pregnancies, 4628 (18.2%) were complicated by ≥1 APOs. Absolute weight change since age 18 y was most strongly associated with APOs. Compared with females whose weight remained stable (0-2 kg) since age 18, females who gained >2 kg had higher risk of APO (2.1-9.9 kg, relative risk [RR]: 1.12; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.02, 1.23; 10.0-14.9 kg, RR: 1.43; 95% CI: 1.29, 1.60; ≥15 kg, RR: 1.87; 95% CI: 1.69, 2.08), primarily driven by HDP and GDM. The associations of per 1 kg weight gain before and between pregnancies with HDP were nearly identical. CONCLUSIONS: Weight trajectories prior to and between pregnancies were associated with the risk of APOs, particularly HDP. Longer periods of weight gain, corresponding to greater absolute weight gain, were most strongly associated with higher risk of APOs.

Accuracy of Maternal Self-Report of Recent Preeclampsia Among Healthy Women.

Background: Preeclampsia history signals a higher risk for cardiovascular disease, but its value as a risk marker relies primarily on self-report. To identify the accuracy of maternal self-reports of recent preeclampsia, we conducted a validation study among women recruited to a web-based trial. Methods: Women with preeclampsia in the past 5 years were recruited to Heart Health 4 Moms. Preeclampsia was self-reported through an online recruitment questionnaire and affirmed via phone screen. Accuracy of maternal self-report was quantified using positive predictive value (PPV) versus medical record evidence of preeclampsia using three definitions: (1) documentation of clinician diagnosis, (2) American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) 2002 diagnostic criteria (gestational hypertension and proteinuria), and (3) ACOG 2013 diagnostic criteria (gestational hypertension and proteinuria or systemic symptoms). Results: Complete medical records were received for 290 women who delivered from 2011 to 2016 and were predominantly non-Hispanic White (81.7%) with a mean age of 31.2 ± 4.8 years. Mean length of recall was 13.6 ± 14.7 months. The majority of women (92.1%) had medical record evidence of preeclampsia using ≥1 of the definitions. Maternal self-report of preeclampsia was validated for 88.3% based on clinician diagnosis, 59.0% with ACOG 2002, and 65.2% with ACOG 2013. Conclusions: In this validation study of U.S. women, the majority accurately self-reported their preeclampsia diagnosis based on medical record review. A higher proportion of self-reports validated by clinician diagnosis than ACOG criteria, suggesting women remember the diagnosis given by their provider and providers may not always follow or document criteria when making a diagnosis.

Weight development from childhood to motherhood-embodied experiences in women with pre-pregnancy obesity: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Pre-pregnancy obesity increases the risk of perinatal complications. Post-pregnancy is a time of preparation for the next pregnancy and lifestyle advice in antenatal care and postpartum follow-up is therefore recommended. However, behavioral changes are difficult to achieve, and a better understanding of pregnant women's perspectives and experiences of pre-pregnancy weight development is crucial. METHODS: We used a qualitative design and conducted semi-structured interviews with 14 women in Norway with pre-pregnancy obesity 3-12 months postpartum. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Four themes addressing women's experiences and understanding of their weight development were generated: (1) Unmet essential needs, (2) Genetic predisposition for obesity, challenging life course transitions and turning points, (3) Under a critical eye: an ever-present negative bodily awareness, and (4) Wrestling with food. Parents' inability to meet children's essential needs caused weight gain through an unbalanced diet, increased stress, and emotional eating patterns. Body criticism and a feeling of not belonging led to negative body awareness that influenced behavioral patterns and relationships. Participants reporting having had a good childhood more often described their weight development as a result of genetic predisposition, challenging life course transitions and turning points, such as illness and injuries. Nevertheless, these participants also described how eating patterns were influenced by stress and negative emotions. CONCLUSIONS: Healthcare providers should pay attention to the insider perspectives of pre-pregnancy weight development. An open and shared understanding of the root causes of these women's weight development can form a basis for more successful lifestyle guidance.

Pregnant women with obesity face increased risks of pregnancy-related complications, warranting extended monitoring of their lifestyle and weight during pregnancy. The complexity of obesity makes lifestyle changes challenging both during and beyond pregnancy. Limited research exists on understanding weight development from the perspective of pregnant women with obesity. To explore their understanding and experiences of weight development from childhood to motherhood, we conducted in-depth interviews with 14 women with a BMI ≥ 30 before their pregnancies. The interviews were preformed 3­12 months post-birth. Through thematic analysis, four themes were developed: (1) Unmet essential needs, (2) Genetic predisposition for obesity, challenging life course transitions, and turning points, (3) Under a critical eye: an ever-present negative bodily awareness, and (4) Wrestling with food. Parental neglect of their children's essential needs may result in unhealthy weight gain through an unbalanced diet and/or an urgent need to regulate negative emotions with food. Body criticism and self-perceived differences deprive children and adolescents of a carefree and accepting relationship with their bodies. While participants with a satisfactory childhood more often understood their weight in light of hereditary factors, difficult transitional phases, illness, or injuries, several of them described an eating pattern influenced by negative emotions such as stress, work pressure, and depressed mood. An open and shared understanding of the root causes of these women's weight development can form a basis for more successful lifestyle guidance.

Prepregnancy plant-based diets and risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: Plant-based diets have been associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease in nonpregnant adults, but specific evidence for their effects on risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy is scarce. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the prospective association between adherence to plant-based diets before pregnancy and the risk for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. We hypothesized that women with higher adherence to plant-based diets would have a lower risk for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. STUDY DESIGN: We followed 11,459 parous women (16,780 singleton pregnancies) without chronic diseases, a history of preeclampsia, and cancers who participated in the Nurses' Health Study II (1991-2009), which was a prospective cohort study. Diet was assessed every 4 years using a validated food frequency questionnaire from which we calculated the plant-based diet index (higher score indicates higher adherence) to evaluate the health associations of plant-based diets among participants while accounting for the quality of plant-based foods. Participants self-reported hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, including preeclampsia and gestational hypertension. We estimated the relative risk of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy in relation to plant-based diet index adherence in quintiles using generalized estimating equations log-binomial regression while adjusting for potential confounders and accounting for repeated pregnancies for the same woman. RESULTS: The mean (standard deviation) age at first in-study pregnancy was 35 (4) years. A total of 1033 cases of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, including 482 cases of preeclampsia (2.9%) and 551 cases of gestational hypertension (3.3%) were reported. Women in the highest quintile of plant-based diet index were significantly associated with a lower risk for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy than women in the lowest quintile (relative risk, 0.76; 95% confidence interval, 0.62-0.93). There was an inverse dose-response relationship between plant-based diet index and risk for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. The multivariable-adjusted relative risk (95% confidence interval) of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy for women in increasing quintiles of plant-based diet index were 1 (ref), 0.93 (0.78-1.12), 0.86 (0.72-1.03), 0.84 (0.69-1.03), and 0.76 (0.62-0.93) with a significant linear trend across quintiles (P trend=.005). This association was slightly stronger for gestational hypertension (relative risk, 0.77; 95% confidence interval, 0.60-0.99) than for preeclampsia (relative risk, 0.80; 95% confidence interval, 0.61-1.04). Mediation analysis suggested that body mass index evaluation for dietary assessment and pregnancy explained 39% (95% confidence interval, 15%-70%]) of the relation between plant-based diet index and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and 48% (95% confidence interval, 12%-86%]) of the relation between plant-based diet index and gestational hypertension. CONCLUSION: Higher adherence to plant-based diets was associated with a lower risk of developing hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Much of the benefit seems to be related to improved weight control.

Intake of Energy Drinks Before and During Pregnancy and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes.

Importance: Consumption of energy drinks has increased drastically in recent years, particularly among young people. It is unknown whether intake of energy drinks is associated with health during pregnancy. Objective: To examine associations of energy drink intake before and during pregnancy with risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs). Design, Setting, and Participants: This prospective cohort study included data from women enrolled in the Nurses' Health Study 3 (NHS3) between June 1, 2010, and September 27, 2021, and the Growing Up Today Study (GUTS) who reported 1 or more singleton pregnancy from January 1, 2011, to June 1, 2019. Data were analyzed from October 1, 2021, to September 28, 2023. Exposure: Intake of energy drinks, assessed by food frequency questionnaire. Main Outcomes and Measures: The main outcomes were self-reported APOs, including pregnancy loss, gestational diabetes, gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, or preterm birth, and a composite APO, defined as development of any of the APOs. Risk of APOs was compared between consumers and nonconsumers of energy drinks. Results: This study included 7304 pregnancies in 4736 participants with information on prepregnancy energy drink intake and 4559 pregnancies in 4559 participants with information on energy drink intake during pregnancy. There were 1691 GUTS participants (mean [SD] age, 25.7 [2.9] years) and 3045 NHS3 participants (mean [SD] age, 30.2 [4.1] years). At baseline, 230 GUTS participants (14%) and 283 NHS3 participants (9%) reported any intake of energy drinks. While no associations were found for pregnancy loss (odds ratio [OR], 0.89; 95% CI, 0.71-1.11), preterm birth (OR, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.71-1.61), gestational diabetes (OR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.58-1.35), preeclampsia (OR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.41-1.30), or the composite APO (OR, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.87-1.26), prepregnancy energy drink use was associated with a higher risk of gestational hypertension (OR, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.12-2.29). A significant interaction was found between age and energy drink intake in relation to hypertensive disorders (P = .02 for interaction for gestational hypertension; P = .04 for interaction for any hypertensive disorders), with stronger associations for participants above the median age. No associations of energy drink intake during pregnancy with any of the APOs were found in NHS3 (eg, any APO: OR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.41-1.79). Conclusions and Relevance: In this study, energy drink intake before pregnancy was associated with an elevated risk of gestational hypertension. Given the low prevalence of energy drink intake and low consumption levels among users, the results should be interpreted cautiously.

Best practices to promote rigor and reproducibility in the era of sex-inclusive research.

To enhance inclusivity and rigor, many funding agencies and journals now mandate the inclusion of females as well as males in biomedical studies. These mandates have enhanced generalizability and created unprecedented opportunities to discover sex differences. However, education in sound methods to consider sex as a subgroup category has lagged behind, resulting in a problematic literature in which study designs, analyses, and interpretations of results are often flawed. Here, we outline best practices for complying with sex-inclusive mandates, both for studies in which sex differences are a primary focus and for those in which they are not. Our recommendations are organized within the "4 Cs of Studying Sex to Strengthen Science: Consideration, Collection, Characterization and Communication," a framework developed by the Office of Research on Women's Health at the National Institutes of Health in the United States. Following these guidelines should help researchers include females and males in their studies while at the same time upholding high standards of rigor.

Prepregnancy Healthy Lifestyle and Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of healthy lifestyle factors before pregnancy (body mass index [BMI] 18.5-24.9, nonsmoking, 150 min/wk or more of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, healthy eating [top 40% of Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension score], no or low-to-moderate alcohol intake [less than 15 g/d], and use of multivitamins) with risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. METHODS: We conducted a secondary analysis of prospectively collected data for women without chronic diseases who are participating in an ongoing cohort in the United States (the NHSII [Nurses' Health Study II]). Healthy lifestyle factors preceding pregnancy were prospectively assessed every 2-4 years from 1991 to 2009 with validated measures. Reproductive history was self-reported in 2001 and 2009. A composite outcome of adverse pregnancy outcomes that included miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, gestational diabetes, gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, preterm birth, stillbirth, or low birth weight was assessed. RESULTS: Overall, 15,509 women with 27,135 pregnancies were included. The mean maternal age was 35.1±4.2 years. Approximately one in three pregnancies (n=9,702, 35.8%) was complicated by one or more adverse pregnancy outcomes. The combination of six low-risk factors was inversely associated with risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes in a dose-dependent manner ( P for trend <.001). Compared with women who had zero or one healthy lifestyle factor, those with six had a 37% lower risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes (relative risk 0.63, 95% CI 0.55-0.72), driven primarily by lower risks of gestational diabetes, gestational hypertension, and low birth weight. All prepregnancy healthy lifestyle factors, except avoiding harmful alcohol consumption and regular physical activity, were independently associated with lower risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes after mutual adjustment for each other. Healthy BMI, high-quality diet, and multivitamin supplementation showed the strongest inverse associations with adverse pregnancy outcomes. If the observed relationships were causal, 19% of adverse pregnancy outcomes could have been prevented by the adoption of all six healthy lifestyle factors (population attributable risk 19%, 95% CI 13-26%). CONCLUSION: Prepregnancy healthy lifestyle is associated with a substantially lower risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes and could be an effective intervention for the prevention of adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Validation of parental recall questionnaire to classify preterm delivery subtypes: Spontaneous preterm labour, preterm premature rupture of membranes and clinician-initiated preterm delivery.

BACKGROUND: Preterm delivery (PTD) includes three main presenting subtypes: spontaneous preterm labour (sPTL), preterm premature rupture of membranes (pPROM) and clinician-initiated preterm delivery (ciPTD). PTD subtype data are rarely available from birth registries and are onerous to derive from medical records. OBJECTIVES: To develop and test the validity of a questionnaire to classify PTD subtype based on birthing parent recall of labour and delivery events. METHODS: The questionnaire was sent in 2022 to 581 patients with PTD history documented in the LIFECODES study, a hospital-based birth cohort in Boston, Massachusetts. Eighty-two respondents reported 94 PTDs that could be linked to medical records. Data on PTD subtype were extracted from medical records as the reference standard. RESULTS: Medical records indicated 47 spontaneous (24 sPTL, 23 pPROM) and 47 ciPTD deliveries occurring a median eight years earlier. The sensitivity and specificity of the recall questionnaire were 88% (95% confidence interval: 68, 97%) and 89% (79, 95%) for sPTL; 96% (78, 100%) and 94% (86, 98%) for pPROM; and 83% (69, 92%) and 100% (92, 100%) for ciPTD, respectively. Greater time since pregnancy did not degrade the sensitivity or specificity of the parental recall questionnaire. CONCLUSIONS: Although derived from a modest sample, the moderate-to-high sensitivity and specificity of the parental recall questionnaire to classify sPTL, pPROM and ciPTD demonstrates its potential for large studies of PTD and for correction of misclassification bias. Future studies are required to test the questionnaire in a variety of populations.

Association of Gestational Diabetes With Subsequent Long-Term Risk of Mortality.

Importance: Gestational diabetes has been associated with numerous chronic diseases. However, few studies have examined the association of gestational diabetes with long-term mortality risk. Objective: To investigate the associations between gestational diabetes and long-term risks of total and cause-specific mortality. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study analyzed participants of the Nurses' Health Study II who were followed for 30 years (1989-2019). Participants included US female nurses aged 25 to 42 years who reported at least 1 pregnancy (≥6 months) at 18 years or older across their reproductive life span. Data were analyzed from May 1, 2022, to May 25, 2023. Exposure: Gestational diabetes across the reproductive life span. Main Outcomes and Measures: Hazard ratios (HRs with 95% CIs) for total and cause-specific mortality were estimated by Cox proportional hazards regression models. Results: A total of 91 426 parous participants were included, with a mean (SD) age of 34.9 (4.7) years and a body mass index of 24.1 (4.7) at baseline. During a follow-up period of 2 609 753 person-years, 3937 deaths were documented, including 255 deaths from cardiovascular disease and 1397 from cancer. Participants with a history of gestational diabetes had a higher crude mortality rate than those without a history of gestational diabetes (1.74 vs 1.49 per 1000 person-years; absolute difference = 0.25 per 1000 person-years). The corresponding HR for total mortality was 1.28 (95% CI, 1.13-1.44), which did not materially change after additional adjustment for potential confounders and lifestyle factors during the reproductive life span (HR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.11-1.41). The association persisted regardless of the subsequent development of type 2 diabetes and was more robust among participants who adopted less healthy lifestyles; experienced gestational diabetes in 2 or more pregnancies (HR, 1.48; 95% CI, 0.99-2.19); had gestational diabetes both in the initial and subsequent pregnancies (HR, 1.71; 95% CI, 1.11-2.63); and concurrently reported hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (HR, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.21-2.67), preterm birth (HR, 2.46; 95% CI, 1.66-3.64), or low birth weight (HR, 2.11; 95% CI, 1.21-3.68). Cause-specific mortality analyses revealed that gestational diabetes was directly associated with the risk of mortality due to cardiovascular disease (HR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.03-2.47). Additionally, gestational diabetes was inversely associated with cancer mortality (HR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.59-0.98); however, it was only evident among participants who later developed type 2 diabetes. Conclusions and Relevance: Results of this cohort study suggest that participants who reported a history of gestational diabetes exhibited a small but elevated risk of subsequent mortality over 30 years. The findings emphasize the importance of considering gestational diabetes as a critical factor in later-life mortality risk.

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and risk of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a prospective cohort study.

Background: Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDPs) have been associated with respiratory dysfunction during pregnancy and postpartum. In this study, we explored the associations between HDPs (gestational hypertension and preeclampsia) and the risk of incident asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) during adulthood and the potential mediating role of chronic hypertension. Methods: We included parous nurses in the Nurses' Health Study II reporting a pregnancy lasting no less than 6 months. The associations between HDPs and asthma and COPD were estimated using Cox proportional hazards models with adjustment for confounders. Findings: We included 73,807 nurses [92.5% (68,246 of 73,807) White] in asthma analyses and 79,843 [92.4% (73,746 of 79,843) White] in COPD analyses, whose mean (SD, range) age, at baseline, were both 34.8 (4.7, 25.0-44.0) years. During 24 years of follow-up, we identified 2663 incident cases of asthma and 537 COPD. Compared with nurses without HDPs, nurses reporting HDPs had an increased HR for incident asthma and COPD of 1.22 (95% CI 1.10-1.36) and 1.39 (95% CI 1.11-1.74), respectively. The risk of asthma was similar when gestational hypertension and preeclampsia were assessed separately [HR = 1.25 (95% CI 1.08-1.43) and 1.24 (95% CI 1.11-1.38), respectively]. However, only nurses with preeclampsia had a higher risk of COPD (HR = 1.41, 95% CI 1.11-1.78). Mediation analyses estimated that chronic hypertension explained 18.6% (95% CI 8.9-35.0%) and 10.7% (95% CI 2.9-32.4%) of the associations between HDPs and asthma and COPD, respectively. Interpretation: HDPs may serve as useful markers of increased susceptibility to chronic respiratory diseases during adulthood. Funding: The National Institutes of Health grants.

Adverse childhood experiences and pre-pregnancy body mass index in the HUNT study: A population-based cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: Investigate the association between adverse childhood experiences and pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) in a population-based cohort in Trøndelag county, Norway. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We linked data from the third (2006-2008) or fourth (2017-2019) survey of the Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT) and the Medical Birth Registry of Norway for 6679 women. Multiple logistic regression models were used to examine the association between adverse childhood experiences and pre-pregnancy BMI. Adverse childhood experiences were self-reported in adulthood and included perceiving childhood as difficult, parental divorce, parental death, dysfunctional family environment, bad childhood memories and lack of support from a trusted adult. Pre-pregnancy BMI was derived from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway or BMI measurement from the HUNT survey conducted within 2 years prior to the woman's pregnancy. RESULTS: Perceiving childhood as difficult was associated with higher odds of pre-pregnancy underweight (OR 1.78, 95%CI 0.99-3.22) and obesity (OR 1.58, 95%CI 1.14-2.2). A difficult childhood was positively associated with obesity with an adjusted OR of 1.19, 95%CI 0.79-1.81 (class I obesity), 2.32, 95%CI 1.35-4.01 (class II obesity) and 4.62, 95%CI 2.0-10.65 (class III obesity). Parental divorce was positively associated obesity (OR 1.34, 95%CI 1.10-1.63). Bad childhood memories were associated with both overweight (OR 1.34, 95%CI 1.01-1.79) and obesity (OR 1.63, 95%CI 1.13-2.34). Parental death was not associated with pre-pregnancy BMI. CONCLUSIONS: Childhood adversities were associated with pre-pregnancy BMI. Our results suggest that the positive associations between childhood adversities and pre-pregnancy obesity increased with increasing obesity level.

Association of early life physical and sexual abuse with premature mortality among female nurses: prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To explore associations between early life physical and sexual abuse and subsequent risk of premature mortality (death before age 70 years). DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: The Nurses' Health Study II (2001-19). PARTICIPANTS: 67 726 female nurses aged 37-54 years when completing a violence victimization questionnaire in 2001. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals for total and cause specific premature mortality by childhood or adolescent physical and sexual abuse, estimated by multivariable Cox proportional hazard models. RESULTS: 2410 premature deaths were identified over 18 years of follow-up. Nurses who experienced severe physical abuse or forced sexual activity in childhood and adolescence had a higher crude premature mortality rate than nurses without such abuse in childhood or adolescence (3.15 v 1.83 and 4.00 v 1.90 per 1000 person years, respectively). The corresponding age adjusted hazard ratios for premature deaths were 1.65 (95% confidence interval 1.45 to 1.87) and 2.04 (1.71 to 2.44), respectively, which were materially unchanged after further adjusting for personal characteristics and early life socioeconomic status (1.53, 1.35 to 1.74, and 1.80, 1.50 to 2.15, respectively). Cause specific analyses indicated that severe physical abuse was associated with a greater risk of mortality due to external causes of injury and poisoning (multivariable adjusted hazard ratio 2.81, 95% confidence interval 1.62 to 4.89), suicide (3.05, 1.41 to 6.60), and diseases of the digestive system (2.40, 1.01 to 5.68). Forced sexual activity as a child and adolescent was associated with greater risk of mortality due to cardiovascular disease (2.48, 1.37 to 4.46), external injury or poisoning (3.25, 1.53 to 6.91), suicide (4.30, 1.74 to 10.61), respiratory disease (3.74, 1.40 to 9.99), and diseases of the digestive system (4.83, 1.77 to 13.21). The association of sexual abuse with premature mortality was stronger among women who smoked or had higher levels of anxiety during adulthood. Smoking, low physical activity, anxiety, and depression each explained 3.9-22.4% of the association between early life abuse and premature mortality. CONCLUSION: Early life physical and sexual abuse could be associated with a greater risk of adult premature mortality.

Pregnancy Intention, Changes in Pregnancy Intention, and Pregnancy Incidence Among Female Nurses in North America.

Importance: Pregnancy intention assessment is a key element of preconception and contraceptive care. The association between a single screening question and the incidence of pregnancy is unknown. Objective: To prospectively evaluate the dynamics of pregnancy intention and pregnancy incidence. Design, Setting, and Participants: This prospective cohort study (the Nurses' Health Study 3) was conducted from June 1, 2010, to April 1, 2022, in 18 376 premenopausal, nonpregnant female nurses aged 19 to 44 years. Main Outcomes and Measures: Pregnancy intention and pregnancy status were assessed at baseline and approximately every 3 to 6 months thereafter. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate the association between pregnancy intention and pregnancy incidence. Results: A total of 18 376 premenopausal, nonpregnant women (mean [SD] age, 32.4 [6.5] years) participated in the study. At baseline, 1008 women (5.5%) were trying to conceive, 2452 (13.3%) were contemplating pregnancy within 1 year, and the remaining 14 916 (81.2%) were neither trying to conceive nor thought they would be pregnant within 1 year. A total of 1314 pregnancies were documented within 12 months of pregnancy intention assessment. The cumulative incidence of pregnancy was 38.8% in women actively trying to conceive (median [IQR] time to pregnancy, 3.3 [1.5-6.7] months), 27.6% in women contemplating pregnancy (median [IQR] time to pregnancy, 6.7 [4.2-9.3] months), and 1.7% in women neither trying to conceive nor contemplating pregnancy (median [IQR] time to pregnancy, 7.8 [5.2-10.5] months) among those who became pregnant. Women who were actively trying to conceive were 23.1 times (95% CI, 19.5-27.4 times) and women who were contemplating pregnancy were 13.0 times (95% CI, 11.1-15.2 times) more likely to conceive within 12 months than women who were neither attempting nor contemplating pregnancy. Among women contemplating pregnancy at baseline who did not get pregnant during follow up, 18.8% were actively trying and 27.6% were not trying by 12 months. Conversely, only 4.9% of women neither trying to conceive nor contemplating pregnancy within 1 year at baseline changed pregnancy intention during follow up. Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study of reproductive-aged nurses in North America, pregnancy intention was highly fluid among women who were contemplating pregnancy but relatively stable among women trying to conceive and women who were neither trying to conceive nor contemplating pregnancy. Pregnancy intention was strongly associated with pregnancy incidence, but the median time to pregnancy points to a relatively short time window to initiate preconception care.