Utilization of opportunistic cervical cancer screening in Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: While various interventions have been conducted to decrease cervical cancer's burden in Nigeria, no study has examined the trends in cervical cancer screening uptake over time. The present study sought to fill this gap in knowledge using data collected at Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) in Nigeria. METHODS: Data collected continuously between 2006 and 2016 were analyzed to identify trends in screening uptake, changes in risk factors for cervical cancer, and to identify factors for women screened at Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) in Jos, Nigeria. Categorical analyses and logistic regression models were used to describe patient characteristics by year, and to identify factors associated with repeated screening uptake. RESULTS: A total of 14,088 women who were screened between 2006 and 2016 were included in the database; 2,800 women had more than one screening visit. Overall, screening uptake differed significantly by year. On average women were first screened at age 38. About 2% of women screened were women living with HIV. Most women (86%) had normal pap smear at first screening, with the greatest decreased risk of abnormalities observed between 2011 and 2014. Odds of a follow-up screening after a normal result decreased significantly between 2008 and 2016 compared to women screened in 2006 and 2007. Finally, women living with HIV had increased odds of follow-up screening after having a normal pap smear. CONCLUSIONS: These findings contribute to our understanding of the potential social and health system barriers to cervical cancer control in Nigeria. The findings may assist policy makers to design interventions to increase access and compliance to recommended screening schedules in this vulnerable population.

'You have a lot of mirrors': structural and socioecological factors impacting adolescent pregnancy and reproductive health in the Amazon basin, Peru, a qualitative study.

Loreto, in the Peruvian Amazon, has one of the highest adolescent pregnancy rates in the country. However, underlying causes of adolescent pregnancy are not fully understood as data are limited in Indigenous and remote Amazonian communities. This study investigated adolescent reproductive health within Loreto using an ecological systems framework. Forty-one semi-structured interviews were conducted in June 2022: community leaders (n = 12) and adolescent participants between 15 and 17 years of age (pregnant girls, n = 11; never pregnant girls, n = 9; and boys, n = 9). We also conducted focus group discussions with community health workers and educators in October 2022 (three focus groups, n = 15). Adolescent reproductive health is complex with multi-layered factors that put girls at higher risk of pregnancy. We found a paradoxical relationship between expected social and gender norms and individual desires. This research provides a contextual understanding of the lived experience of adolescents and young people in the Amazon region of Peru. Our findings suggest the need for greater exploration of the contradictory ideas surrounding adolescent pregnancy and female sexuality.

A Glossary of Distress Expressions Among Kannada-Speaking Urban Hindu Women.

People's lived experiences of distress are complex, personal, and vary widely across cultures. So, too, do the terms and expressions people use to describe distress. This variation presents an engaging challenge for those doing intercultural work in transcultural psychiatry, global mental health, and psychological anthropology. This article details the findings of a study of common distress terminology among 63 Kannada-speaking Hindu women living in Mysuru, the second largest city in the state of Karnataka, South India. Very little existing scholarship focuses on cultural adaptation for speakers of Dravidian languages like Kannada; this study aims to fill this gap and support greater representation of this linguistic family in research on mental health, idioms of distress, and distress terminology. Between 2018 and 2019, we conducted a 3-phase study consisting of interviews, data reduction, and focus group discussions. The goal was to produce a non-exhaustive list of common Kannada distress terms that could be used in future research and practice to translate and culturally adapt mental health symptom scales or other global mental health tools.

Breast Cancer Education and Empowerment in Ethiopia: Evaluating Community-Based Cancer Prevention Efforts Using the RE-AIM Framework.

Cancer prevention challenges in Ethiopia include limited community awareness and low uptake of screening, which are in part driven by a lack of culturally and linguistically relevant cancer education appropriate for the diverse indigenous communities of this never-colonized nation. In 2022, a comprehensive multi-media breast cancer (BC) awareness campaign was implemented, featuring local cancer experts and survivors, with community-based screening events in the towns of Adama and Mojo. The RE-AIM framework was used to evaluate and describe its reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance. Educational pamphlets, videos, social media posts, and interviews were distributed in person and through local and national media networks, reaching tens of millions of people and resulting in 525 individuals screened, with one diagnosis of early-stage cancer. During the free screening events, an interview-administered survey of BC knowledge, attitudes, and screening practices was conducted to inform future cancer education for this population. Among 287 survey respondents, about half correctly identified swelling (46%) or changing nipples/discharge (48.4%) as signs of BC. Maintenance challenges include the lack of a national screening program. Educational resources and a mobile app, translated into the local language, encourage continued patient empowerment to perform breast self-exams. In the absence of established BC prevention programs, "pop-up" mobile screening events can be effective for mobilizing communities to get screened. The paper highlights challenges and lessons gleaned from this community-based BC awareness campaign and screening event to inform future cancer education initiatives in Ethiopia and similar resource-limited settings.

Measuring and addressing health equity: an assessment of cancer center designation requirements.

PURPOSE: By requiring specific measures, cancer endorsements (e.g., accreditations, designations, certifications) promote high-quality cancer care. While 'quality' is the defining feature, less is known about how these endorsements consider equity. Given the inequities in access to high-quality cancer care, we assessed the extent to which equity structures, processes, and outcomes were required for cancer center endorsements. METHODS: We performed a content analysis of medical oncology, radiation oncology, surgical oncology, and research hospital endorsements from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), American Society of Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer (CoC), and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), respectively. We analyzed requirements for equity-focused content and compared how each endorsing body included equity as a requirement along three axes: structures, processes, and outcomes. RESULTS: ASCO guidelines centered on processes assessing financial, health literacy, and psychosocial barriers to care. ASTRO guidelines related to language needs and processes to address financial barriers. CoC equity-related guidelines focused on processes addressing financial and psychosocial concerns of survivors, and hospital-identified barriers to care. NCI guidelines considered equity related to cancer disparities research, inclusion of diverse groups in outreach and clinical trials, and diversification of investigators. None of the guidelines explicitly required measures of equitable care delivery or outcomes beyond clinical trial enrollment. CONCLUSION: Overall, equity requirements were limited. Leveraging the influence and infrastructure of cancer quality endorsements could enhance progress toward achieving cancer care equity. We recommend that endorsing organizations 1) require cancer centers to implement processes for measuring and tracking health equity outcomes and 2) engage diverse community stakeholders to develop strategies for addressing discrimination.

Prioritizing rural populations in state comprehensive cancer control plans: a qualitative assessment.

PURPOSE: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Comprehensive Cancer Control Program (NCCCP) requires that states develop comprehensive cancer control (CCC) plans and recommends that disparities related to rural residence are addressed in these plans. The objective of this study was to explore rural partner engagement and describe effective strategies for incorporating a rural focus in CCC plans. METHODS: States were selected for inclusion using stratified sampling based on state rurality and region. State cancer control leaders were interviewed about facilitators and barriers to engaging rural partners and strategies for prioritizing rural populations. Content analysis was conducted to identify themes across states. RESULTS: Interviews (n = 30) revealed themes in three domains related to rural inclusion in CCC plans. The first domain (barriers) included (1) designing CCC plans to be broad, (2) defining "rural populations," and (3) geographic distance. The second domain (successful strategies) included (1) collaborating with rural healthcare systems, (2) recruiting rural constituents, (3) leveraging rural community-academic partnerships, and (4) working jointly with Native nations. The third domain (strategies for future plan development) included (1) building relationships with rural communities, (2) engaging rural constituents in planning, (3) developing a better understanding of rural needs, and (4) considering resources for addressing rural disparities. CONCLUSION: Significant relationship building with rural communities, resource provision, and successful strategies used by others may improve inclusion of rural needs in state comprehensive cancer control plans and ultimately help plan developers directly address rural cancer health disparities.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on routine HIV care and cervical cancer screening in North-Central Nigeria.

INTRODUCTION: Cervical cancer is the fourth most diagnosed cancer among women globally, with much of the burden being carried by women in limited-resource settings often worsened by the high prevalence of HIV. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted organized screening efforts and HIV management regimens worldwide, and the impact of these disruptions have not been examined in these settings. The purpose of this paper is to describe whether uptake of cervical cancer screening and HIV management changed before, during, and since the COVID-19 pandemic in North-Central Nigeria. METHODS: Longitudinal healthcare administration data for women who obtained care between January 2018 and December 2021 were abstracted from the AIDS Prevention Initiative Nigeria (APIN) clinic at Jos University Teaching Hospital. Patient demographics, pap smear outcomes, and HIV management indicators such as viral load and treatment regimen were abstracted and assessed using descriptive and regression analyses. All analyses were conducted comparing two years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the four quarters in 2020, and the year following COVID-19 restrictions. RESULTS: We included 2304 women in the study, most of whom were between 44 and 47 years of age, were married, and had completed secondary education. About 85% of women were treated with first line highly active retroviral therapy (HAART). Additionally, 84% of women screened using pap smear had normal results. The average age of women who sought care at APIN was significantly lower in Quarter 3, 2020 (p = 0.015) compared to the other periods examined in this study. Conversely, the average viral load for women who sought care during that period was significantly higher in adjusted models (p < 0.0001). Finally, we determined that the average viral load at each clinic visit was significantly associated with the period in which women sought care. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, we found that COVID-19 pandemic mitigation efforts significantly influenced women's ability to obtain cervical cancer screening and routine HIV management at APIN clinic. This study buttresses the challenges in accessing routine and preventive care during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in low-resource settings. Further research is needed to determine how these disruptions to care may influence long-term health in this and similar at-risk populations.

Systematic review of determinants and interventions of areca nut cessation: curbing a public health menace.

This letter presents a critical appraisal of a recent systematic review article published in Journal of Public Health. Systematic reviews are particularly important research articles that can meaningfully influence policy and research in the field due to their scientific value. We aimed to bring attention to certain methodological issues in this review that affect the validity of the findings on the very important topic of areca nut use and cessation.

A systematic review of interventions to promote HPV vaccination globally.

BACKGROUND: Despite the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine being a safe, effective cancer prevention method, its uptake is suboptimal in the United States (U.S.). Previous research has found a variety of intervention strategies (environmental and behavioral) to increase its uptake. The purpose of the study is to systematically review the literature on interventions that promote HPV vaccination from 2015 to 2020. METHODS: We updated a systematic review of interventions to promote HPV vaccine uptake globally. We ran keyword searches in six bibliographic databases. Target audience, design, level of intervention, components and outcomes were abstracted from the full-text articles in Excel databases. RESULTS: Of the 79 articles, most were conducted in the U.S. (72.2%) and in clinical (40.5%) or school settings (32.9%), and were directed at a single level (76.3%) of the socio-ecological model. Related to the intervention type, most were informational (n = 25, 31.6%) or patient-targeted decision support (n = 23, 29.1%). About 24% were multi-level interventions, with 16 (88.9%) combining two levels. Twenty-seven (33.8%) reported using theory in intervention development. Of those reporting HPV vaccine outcomes, post-intervention vaccine initiation ranged from 5% to 99.2%, while series completion ranged from 6.8% to 93.0%. Facilitators to implementation were the use of patient navigators and user-friendly resources, while barriers included costs, time to implement and difficulties of integrating interventions into the organizational workflow. CONCLUSIONS: There is a strong need to expand the implementation of HPV-vaccine promotion interventions beyond education alone and at a single level of intervention. Development and evaluation of effective strategies and multi-level interventions may increase the uptake of the HPV vaccine among adolescents and young adults.

Sociodemographic patterns of preterm birth and low birth weight among pregnant women in rural Mysore district, India: A latent class analysis.

Few studies have utilized person-centered approaches to examine co-occurrence of risk factors among pregnant women in low-and middle-income settings. The objective of this study was to utilize latent class analysis (LCA) to identify sociodemographic patterns and assess the association of these patterns on preterm birth (PTB) and/or low birth weight (LBW) in rural Mysore District, India. Secondary data analysis of a prospective cohort study among 1540 pregnant women was conducted. Latent class analysis was performed to identify distinct group memberships based on a chosen set of sociodemographic factors. Binary logistic regression was conducted to estimate the association between latent classes and preterm birth and low birth weight. LCA yielded four latent classes. Women belonging to Class 1 "low socioeconomic status (SES)/early marriage/multigravida/1 child or more", had higher odds of preterm birth (adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR): 95% Confidence Intervals (CI): 1.77, 95% CI: 1.05-2.97) compared to women in Class 4 "high SES/later marriage/primigravida/no children". Women in Class 2 "low SES/later marriage/primigravida/no children" had higher odds of low birth weight (aOR: 2.52, 95% CI: 1.51-4.22) compared to women in Class 4. Women less than 20 years old were twice as likely to have PTB compared to women aged 25 years and older (aOR: 2.00, 95% CI: 1.08-3.71). Hypertension (>140/>90 mm/Hg) was a significant determinant of PTB (aOR: 2.28, 95% CI: 1.02-5.07). Furthermore, women with a previous LBW infant had higher odds of delivering a subsequent LBW infant (aOR: 2.15, 95% CI: 1.40-3.29). Overall study findings highlighted that woman belonging to low socioeconomic status, and multigravida women had increased odds of preterm birth and low birth weight infants. Targeted government programs are crucial in reducing inequalities in preterm births and low birth weight infants in rural Mysore, India.

Use of Smartphones for Social and Sexual Networking among Transgender Women in South India: Implications for Developing Smartphone-based Online HIV Prevention Interventions.

BACKGROUND: Smartphone use is increasing among transgender women (TGW), including those who engage in sex work. Current government-supported HIV prevention interventions focus on physical venue-based outreach among TGW, missing the opportunity to reach them through smartphone-based interventions. OBJECTIVE: We examined the use of smartphones among TGW, especially in relation to social and sexual networking, and explored their perspectives on their willingness to use smartphone-based HIV prevention interventions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Through an exploratory descriptive-interpretive qualitative research design, we conducted 6 focus groups with a purposive sample of 30 TGW (70% in sex work) and 4 key informant in-depth interviews in Chennai and Hyderabad, India. Data were explored using framework analysis. RESULTS: Through smartphones, TGW used social media (e.g., WhatsApp and Facebook) and dating applications for socialization, meeting sexual partners, and entertainment. Low-literacy TGW used voice or video messaging. TGW expressed interest in receiving short health-related videos and text messages on HIV, mental health, and gender transition. CONCLUSION: At-risk TGW could potentially be reached through smartphone-based online health promotion interventions, but those interventions need to be holistic - moving beyond HIV.

Effectiveness of 2-Dose BNT162b2 (Pfizer BioNTech) mRNA Vaccine in Preventing SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Children Aged 5-11 Years and Adolescents Aged 12-15 Years - PROTECT Cohort, July 2021-February 2022.

The BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) mRNA COVID-19 vaccine was recommended by CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices for persons aged 12-15 years (referred to as adolescents in this report) on May 12, 2021, and for children aged 5-11 years on November 2, 2021 (1-4). Real-world data on vaccine effectiveness (VE) in these age groups are needed, especially because when the B.1.1.529 (Omicron) variant became predominant in the United States in December 2021, early investigations of VE demonstrated a decline in protection against symptomatic infection for adolescents aged 12-15 years and adults* (5). The PROTECT† prospective cohort of 1,364 children and adolescents aged 5-15 years was tested weekly for SARS-CoV-2, irrespective of symptoms, and upon COVID-19-associated illness during July 25, 2021-February 12, 2022. Among unvaccinated participants (i.e., those who had received no COVID-19 vaccine doses) with any laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, those with B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant infections were more likely to report COVID-19 symptoms (66%) than were those with Omicron infections (49%). Among fully vaccinated children aged 5-11 years, VE against any symptomatic and asymptomatic Omicron infection 14-82 days (the longest interval after dose 2 in this age group) after receipt of dose 2 of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was 31% (95% CI = 9%-48%), adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics, health information, frequency of social contact, mask use, location, and local virus circulation. Among adolescents aged 12-15 years, adjusted VE 14-149 days after dose 2 was 87% (95% CI = 49%-97%) against symptomatic and asymptomatic Delta infection and 59% (95% CI = 22%-79%) against Omicron infection. Fully vaccinated participants with Omicron infection spent an average of one half day less sick in bed than did unvaccinated participants with Omicron infection. All eligible children and adolescents should remain up to date with recommended COVID-19 vaccinations.

The Hair in the Garland: Hair Loss and Social Stress Among Women in South India.

Generations of scholars have debated hair's significance as a symbol of womanhood, fertility, and spiritual morality in South India. For contemporary Indian women, hair is a site of concern, often expressed as an everyday preoccupation with hair loss or "hair fall," as it is known in the subcontinent. This exploratory study investigated hair fall among Kannada-speaking Hindu women in the South Indian city of Mysuru, Karnataka. It used a series of focus group discussions to explore how women talk about the causes and consequences of hair fall, and how women cope with hair-related distress. Participants articulated clear, shared ideas about why hair falls and how it can be managed. They connected hair fall to broader stressors in their lives both directly and symbolically. Hair fall, therefore, appears to function idiomatically in this context, both as an idiom of distress in its own right, and as a symptom of other idioms and forms of distress. Additional research is needed to establish the importance of hair fall relative to other distress constructs, and to more directly assess its potential value in research and intervention.

Interim Estimate of Vaccine Effectiveness of BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) Vaccine in Preventing SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Adolescents Aged 12-17 Years - Arizona, July-December 2021.

The BNT162b2 (Pfizer-BioNTech) mRNA COVID-19 vaccine has demonstrated high efficacy in preventing infection with SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) in randomized placebo-controlled Phase III trials in persons aged 12-17 years (referred to as adolescents in this report) (1); however, data on real-word vaccine effectiveness (VE) among adolescents are limited (1-3). As of December 2021, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for adolescents aged 16-17 years and under FDA emergency use authorization for those aged 12-15 years. In a prospective cohort in Arizona, 243 adolescents aged 12-17 years were tested for SARS-CoV-2 by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) each week, irrespective of symptoms, and upon onset of COVID-19-like illness during July 25-December 4, 2021; the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant was the predominant strain during this study period. During the study, 190 adolescents contributed fully vaccinated person-time (≥14 days after receiving 2 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine), 30 contributed partially vaccinated person-time (receipt of 1 dose or receipt of 2 doses but with the second dose completed <14 days earlier), and 66 contributed unvaccinated person-time. Using the Cox proportional-hazards model, the estimated VE of full Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination for preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection was 92% (95% CI = 79%-97%), adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics, health information, frequency of social contact, mask use, location, and local virus circulation. These findings from a real-world setting indicate that 2 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine are highly effective in preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection among Arizona adolescents. CDC recommends COVID-19 vaccination for all eligible persons in the United States, including persons aged 12-17 years.

Health workers' perspectives on barriers and facilitators to implementing a new national cervical cancer screening program in Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer disproportionately affects women in sub-Saharan Africa, compared with other world regions. In Ethiopia, a National Cancer Control Plan published in 2015, outlines an ambitious strategy to reduce the incidence and mortality of cervical cancer. This strategy includes widespread screening using visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA). As the national screening program has rolled out, there has been limited inquiry of provider experiences. This study aims to describe cancer control experts' perspectives regarding the cancer control strategy and implementation of VIA. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews with 18 participants elicited provider perspectives on cervical cancer prevention and screening. Open-ended interview questions queried barriers and facilitators to implementation of a new national screening program. Responses were analyzed using thematic analysis and mapped to the Integrated Behavioral Model. Participants were health providers and administrators with positionality as cancer control experts including screening program professionals, oncologists, and cancer focal persons at town, zone, and federal health offices at eleven government facilities in the Arsi, Bale, and Shoa zones of the Oromia region, and in the capital Addis Ababa. RESULTS: The cancer control plan and screening method, VIA, were described by participants as contextually appropriate and responsive to the unique service delivery challenges in Ethiopia. Screening implementation barriers included low community- and provider-awareness of cervical cancer and screening, lack of space and infrastructure to establish the screening center, lack of materials including cryotherapy machines for the "screen-and-treat" approach, and human resource issues such as high-turnover of staff and administration. Participant-generated solutions included additional training for providers, demand creation to increase patient flow through mass media campaigns, decentralization of screening from large regional hospitals to local health centers, improved monitoring and evaluation, and incentivization of screening services to motivate health providers. CONCLUSIONS: As the Ethiopian government refines its Cancer Control Plan and scales up screening service implementation throughout the country, the findings from this study can inform the policies and practices of cervical cancer screening. Provider perspectives of barriers and facilitators to effective cancer control and screening implementation reveal areas for continued improvement such as provider training and coordination and collaboration in the health system.

Mental health and diabetes self-management: assessing stakeholder perspectives from health centers in Northern Mexico.

BACKGROUND: People living with diabetes have an increased risk of developing mental health issues. Mexico has observed a high prevalence of people living with diabetes suffering from mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression. Self-management programs have demonstrated promise in helping participants address and prevent not only physiological health complications but mental health issues as well. This qualitative study aimed to understand the mental health benefits of a diabetes self-management intervention for health centers in Northern Mexico and opportunities for improvement through assessing stakeholder perspectives. METHODS: Trained research staff used a semi-structured questionnaire guide to conduct all interviews and focus groups from February-May 2018. Individual interviews (n = 16) were conducted face-to-face at four health center sites among all health center directors and key staff located throughout the state of Sonora. One focus group (n = 41) was conducted at each of the four health centers among intervention participants. Directed content analysis was used to establish themes by understanding relationships, identifying similar experiences, and determining patterns across datasets. RESULTS: In total 57 health center directors, health center staff, and intervention participants were involved in the interviews and focus groups across the four health centers. Overall the analysis identified four themes throughout the data, two were categorized as benefits and two as improvements. The primary themes for participant benefits were an increase in self-efficacy and social support to manage their chronic conditions. These were evident from not only participant perspectives, but health staff observations. Conversely, increased family involvement, and increased mental health integration and services within diabetes care were identified themes for opportunities to improve the intervention to be more inclusive and holistic. CONCLUSION: All stakeholders observed the benefits for intervention participants and opportunities for more inclusivity of the family and integration as well as an increase in mental health services. The themes identified demonstrated a need to more proactively enhance and utilize diabetes self-management as a means to improve mental health outcomes among people living with diabetes in Mexico. This is an opportunity to employ a more comprehensive approach to diabetes self-management, and integrate mental health services into overall diabetes care. TRIAL REGISTRATION: www.ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier: NCT02804698 . Registered on June 17, 2016.

Conversations about sexual activity within Haitian families: implications for HPV vaccine uptake.

Objective: Parents play an integral role in young adults' sexual health including human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine decision-making. The objective of this study was to explore conversations regarding sexual activity in Haitian households and the influence of such conversations on young Haitian women's HPV vaccine discussion with their parents.Methods: From a large university in the southeastern United States, 30 Haitian-American college women (ages 17-26) were recruited for semi-structured in-depth interviews. The interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Interview transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis.Results: Most participants stated that they either did not have conversations regarding sexual activity or the conversations that they had were described as 'uncomfortable' or 'awkward'. Many participants stated that once parents knew that HPV is sexually transmitted, their discussions about the vaccine would be considered an announcement of their sexual debut or sexual activity. Hence, many decided to not discuss the HPV vaccine with their parents.Conclusion: Findings have important implications for HPV vaccine uptake. Results showed that a lack of conversations about sexual activity within Haitian households led to limited discussions about the HPV vaccine among young Haitian-American college women and their parents. Future HPV vaccine uptake efforts should integrate familial and cultural beliefs about female sexuality, while focusing on cervical cancer prevention.

Multilevel influences of women's empowerment and economic resources on risky sexual behaviour among young women in Zomba district, Malawi.

Gender disparities are pronounced in Zomba district, Malawi. Among women aged 15-49 years, HIV prevalence is 16.8%, compared with 9.3% among men of the same age. Complex structural factors are associated with risky sexual behaviour leading to HIV infection. This study's objective was to explore associations between multilevel measures of economic resources and women's empowerment with risky sexual behaviour among young women in Zomba. Four measures of risky sexual behaviour were examined: ever had sex, condom use and two indices measuring age during sexual activity and partner history. Multilevel regression models and regression models with cluster-robust standard errors were used to estimate associations, stratified by school enrolment status. Among the schoolgirl stratum, the percentage of girls enrolled in school at the community level had protective associations with ever having sex (OR = 0.76; 95% CI: 0.60, 0.96) and condom use (OR = 1.06; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.11). Belief in the right to refuse sex was protective against ever having sex (OR = 0.76; 95% CI: 0.60, 0.96). Participants from households with no secondary school education had higher odds of ever having sex (OR = 1.59; 95% CI: 1.14, 2.22). Among the dropout stratum, participants who had not achieved a secondary school level of education had riskier Age Factor and Partner History Factor scores (ß = 0.51; 95% CI: 0.23, 0.79, and ß = 0.24; 95% CI: 0.07, 0.41, respectively). Participants from households without a secondary school level of education had riskier Age Factor scores (ß = 0.26; 95% CI: 0.03, 0.48). Across strata, the most consistent variables associated with risky sexual behaviour were those related to education, including girl's level of education, highest level of education of her household of origin and the community percentage of girls enrolled in school. These results suggest that programmes seeking to reduce risky sexual behaviour among young women in Malawi should consider the role of improving access to education at multiple levels.

Pregnancy Fasting in Ramadan: Toward a Biocultural Framework.

Pregnancy fasting poses a paradox: why would a woman restrict her diet during a period of increased nutritional need? This qualitative, cross-sectional study applied biological and cultural evolutionary theories of pregnancy diet to emic models of fasting with the aim of establishing a testable biocultural framework of pregnancy fasting. The research took place with Muslim women residing in Mysore, India. In-depth interviews were conducted with pregnant women who have experience and knowledge of fasting during during the holy month of Ramadan. Our findings indicate that pregnancy fasting is socially acquired via multiple modes of transmission and that women do not fast according to mainstream evolutionary theories of pregnancy diet, but perhaps to gain moral capital.

So you think you can PLS-DA?

BACKGROUND: Partial Least-Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA) is a popular machine learning tool that is gaining increasing attention as a useful feature selector and classifier. In an effort to understand its strengths and weaknesses, we performed a series of experiments with synthetic data and compared its performance to its close relative from which it was initially invented, namely Principal Component Analysis (PCA). RESULTS: We demonstrate that even though PCA ignores the information regarding the class labels of the samples, this unsupervised tool can be remarkably effective as a feature selector. In some cases, it outperforms PLS-DA, which is made aware of the class labels in its input. Our experiments range from looking at the signal-to-noise ratio in the feature selection task, to considering many practical distributions and models encountered when analyzing bioinformatics and clinical data. Other methods were also evaluated. Finally, we analyzed an interesting data set from 396 vaginal microbiome samples where the ground truth for the feature selection was available. All the 3D figures shown in this paper as well as the supplementary ones can be viewed interactively at http://biorg.cs.fiu.edu/plsda CONCLUSIONS: Our results highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of PLS-DA in comparison with PCA for different underlying data models.