Associations Between Sexual Trauma and Sexual Relationship Power Among Latina Immigrant Farmworkers: The Moderating Role of Gender Norms.

Sexual trauma is a national public health concern due to the alarming rates at which it occurs and decades of research supporting its long-term deleterious effects on health outcomes. We assessed the impact of gender norms and sexual trauma on power within sexual relationships among Latina immigrant farmworkers. At baseline, participants (N  = 175) completed a survey examining demographic information, sexual trauma history, and gender norms; a follow-up was administered 6 months later. Past sexual trauma was associated with less power in sexual relationships, r  = -.25, p < .001, as was endorsement of traditional Latina gender norms (i.e., marianismo): sexual relationship control, r  = -.38, p < .001; sexual decision-making dominance, r  = -.21, p  = .005. In contrast, egalitarian gender norm endorsement was associated with higher levels of sexual relationship control, r  = .37, p < .001, and sexual decision-making dominance, r  = .17, p  = .023. Gender norms moderated the association between sexual trauma and sexual relationship power. Specifically, women who subscribed more to marianismo and reported sexual trauma had less decision-making dominance in sexual relationships, whereas those with lower ratings of marianismo reported higher levels of decision-making dominance despite sexual trauma, R2   = .03, p  = .022. Sexual trauma history coupled with higher ratings of egalitarian gender norms was associated with higher levels of sexual relationship control, DR2   = .02, p  = .023. These results highlight the importance of culturally informed research to increase the sexual and overall health of vulnerable populations (e.g., Latina immigrant farmworkers).

Do intrinsic factor antibodies assays provide univocal answers in Biermer's disease?

The objective of the study is to evaluate the concordance of four assays for antibodies against intrinsic factor (IF-Ab). Sixty-two sera were tested with one competitive automated and three manual noncompetitive assays. Thirty-five percent patients had discordant results with at least one of the four assays. However, any method uncovered patients with proven Biermer's disease missed by the others assays. The observed discordance partly explains the poor sensitivity of IF-Ab in studies using a single assay.

IgA anti-transglutaminase antibodies as a tool for screening atypical forms of coeliac disease in a French at-risk paediatric population.

OBJECTIVE: The diagnosis of coeliac disease (CD) is often delayed because many children are free from the major symptoms characteristic of this enteropathy. The aim of the present study was to determine the efficacy of antibodies directed against tissue transglutaminase (tTG Abs) for early detection of CD in a population with few symptoms of the disease, as well as in children with an autoimmune disorder. METHODS: This was a prospective study in a paediatric population including 638 patients with clinical symptoms frequently associated with CD, autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM1), autoimmune thyroiditis or hepatitis, and Turner's syndrome. Anti-endomysium, tTG Abs and antigliadin antibodies were analysed in these patients using an indirect immunofluorescence technique and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay techniques. Intestinal biopsies were performed for some patients with positive or negative antibodies. RESULTS: tTG Abs were detected in 2.6% of children with symptoms associated with CD, such as digestive signs and growth failure, and in 5.4% of children with DM1. No other autoimmune disease was positive for tTG Abs. Biopsies performed in the patients with positive tTG Abs showed mucosal atrophy confirming the diagnosis of CD in all cases. CONCLUSION: Children displaying minimal symptoms frequently associated with CD and children with DM1 should be systematically screened for tTG Abs.