A sum of its parts: A systematic review evaluating biopsychosocial and behavioral determinants of perinatal depression.

INTRODUCTION: Depression is one of the most common yet underdiagnosed perinatal complications and our understanding of its pathophysiology remains limited. Though perinatal depression is considered to have a multifactorial etiology, integrative approaches to investigation are minimal. This review takes an integrative approach to systematically evaluate determinants (e.g., biological, behavioral, environmental, social) and interactions among determinants of perinatal depression and the quality of methods applied. METHODS: Four databases (i.e., PubMed, CINAHL, APA PsycInfo, Web of Science) were systematically searched to identify studies examining determinants of perinatal depression in adult perinatal persons (≥ 18 years). Articles were excluded if the outcomes were not focused on perinatal persons and depression or depression symptoms, depression was examined in a specific subpopulation evidenced to have psychological consequences due to situational stressors (e.g., fetal/infant loss, neonatal intensive care unit admission), or was considered grey literature. The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme and AXIS tools were used to guide and standardize quality appraisal assessments and determine the level of risk of bias. RESULTS: Of the 454 articles identified, 25 articles were included for final review. A total of 14 categories of determinants were investigated: biological (5), behavioral (4), social and environmental (5). Though only 32% of studies simultaneously considered determinants under more than one domain, a pattern of interactions with the tryptophan pathway emerged. Concerns for risk of bias were noted or were unclear for three types of bias: 13 (52%) selection bias, 3 (12%) recall bias, and 24 (96%) measurement bias. CONCLUSIONS: Future research is needed to explore interactions among determinants and the tryptophan pathway; to strengthen the methods applied to this area of inquiry; and to generate evidence for best practices in reporting, selecting, and applying methods for measuring determinants and perinatal depression.

Improving Data Integrity and Quality From Online Health Surveys of Women With Infant Children.

BACKGROUND: Online surveys have proven to be an efficient method to gather health information in studies of various populations, but these are accompanied by threats to data integrity and quality. We draw on our experience with a nefarious intrusion into an online survey and our efforts to protect data integrity and quality in a subsequent online survey. OBJECTIVES: We aim to share lessons learned regarding detecting and preventing threats to online survey data integrity and quality. METHODS: We examined data from two online surveys we conducted, as well as findings of others reported in the literature, to delineate threats to and prevention strategies for online health surveys. RESULTS: Our first survey was launched inadvertently without available security features engaged in Qualtrics, resulting in a number of threats to data integrity and quality. These threats included multiple submissions, often within seconds of each other, from the same internet protocol (IP) address; use of proxy servers or virtual private networks, often with suspicious or abusive IP address ratings and geolocations outside the United States; and incoherent text data or otherwise suspicious responses. After excluding fraudulent, suspicious, or ineligible cases, as well as cases that terminated before submitting data, 102 of 224 (45.5%) eligible survey respondents remained with partial or complete data. In a second online survey with security features in Qualtrics engaged, no IP addresses were associated with any duplicate submissions. To further protect data integrity and quality, we added items to detect inattentive or fraudulent respondents and applied a risk scoring system in which 23 survey respondents were high risk, 16 were moderate risk, and 289 of 464 (62.3%) were low or no risk and therefore considered eligible respondents. DISCUSSION: Technological safeguards, such as blocking repeat IP addresses and study design features to detect inattentive or fraudulent respondents, are strategies to support data integrity and quality in online survey research. For online data collection to make meaningful contributions to nursing research, it is important for nursing scientists to implement technological, study design, and methodological safeguards to protect data integrity and quality and for future research to focus on advancing data protection methodologies.

A sum of its parts: A systematic review evaluating biopsychosocial and behavioral determinants of perinatal depression.

Introduction: Depression is one of the most common yet underdiagnosed perinatal complications and our understanding of the pathophysiology remains limited. Though perinatal depression is considered to have a multifactorial etiology, integrative approaches to investigation are minimal. This review takes an integrative approach to systematically evaluate determinants and potential interactions among determinants of perinatal depression across four domains (i.e., biological, behavioral, environmental, social) and appraise the quality of methods applied. Methods: Four databases (i.e., PubMed, CINAHL, APA PsycInfo, and Web of Science) were systematically searched to identify studies examining determinants of perinatal depression in adult perinatal persons (≥ 18 years). Articles were excluded if the outcomes were not focused on perinatal persons and depression or depression symptoms, the evaluation of depression was specific to a discrete facet of the perinatal period with probable psychological consequences (e.g., abortion, fetal/infant loss, adoption), or was considered grey literature. The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme and AXIS tools were used to guide and standardize quality appraisal assessments and determine the level of risk of bias. Results: Of the 454 articles identified, 25 articles were included for final review. A total of 14 categories of determinants were investigated: biological (5), behavioral (4), social and environmental (5). Though only 28% of studies simultaneously considered determinants under more than one domain, a pattern of interactions with the tryptophan pathway emerged when determinants across domains were aggregated. Concerns for risk of bias were noted or were unclear for three types of bias: 13 (52%) selection bias, 3 (12%) recall bias, and 24 (96%) measurement bias. Conclusions: Future research is needed to explore interactions among determinants and the tryptophan pathway; to strengthen the methods applied to this area of inquiry; and to generate evidence for best practices in reporting, selecting, and applying methods for measuring determinants and perinatal depression.

Cancer-related cognitive impairment in racial and ethnic minority groups: a scoping review.

PURPOSE: Disparities in cognitive function among racial and ethnic groups have been reported in non-cancer conditions, but cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) in racial and ethnic minority groups is poorly understood. We aimed to synthesize and characterize the available literature about CRCI in racial and ethnic minority populations. METHODS: We conducted a scoping review in the PubMed, PsycInfo, and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature databases. Articles were included if they were published in English or Spanish, reported cognitive functioning in adults diagnosed with cancer, and characterized the race or ethnicity of the participants. Literature reviews, commentaries, letters to the editor, and gray literature were excluded. RESULTS: Seventy-four articles met the inclusion criteria, but only 33.8% differentiated the CRCI findings by racial or ethnic subgroups. There were associations between cognitive outcomes and the participants' race or ethnicity. Additionally, some studies found that Black and non-white individuals with cancer were more likely to experience CRCI than their white counterparts. Biological, sociocultural, and instrumentation factors were associated with CRCI differences between racial and ethnic groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that racial and ethnic minoritized individuals  may be disparately affected by CRCI. Future research should use standardized guidelines for measuring and reporting the self-identified racial and ethnic composition of the sample; differentiate CRCI findings by racial and ethnic subgroups; consider the influence of structural racism in health outcomes; and develop strategies to promote the participation of members of racial and ethnic minority groups.

Modification and Psychometric Analyses of Stress and Coping Scales for the Extended Postpartum Period.

OBJECTIVE: To modify and psychometrically assess two scales that are used to measure stress and coping during the extended postpartum period. DESIGN: Instrument modification and psychometric assessment. SETTING: Online, community, and health care settings. PARTICIPANTS: Mothers with infants who were 2 to 22 months old: 20 in Phase 1 and 373 in Phase 2. METHODS: In Phase 1, participants from diverse backgrounds served as content experts to recommend modifications of items on two scales: Sources of Stress-Revised (SoS-R) and Postpartum Coping Scale (PCS). The results were 32-item modified versions of each scale. In Phase 2, we conducted a psychometric analysis of both revised scales using principal components analysis to identify dimensionality, Cronbach's alphas to estimate internal consistency reliability, and Pearson correlations to estimate validity of the SoS-R and PCS with the Perceived Stress Scale and the Brief COPE, respectively. RESULTS: We identified six components for the SoS-R: Overload, Changes After Pregnancy, Baby-Related Concerns, Working Mother Concerns, Low Support Resources, and Isolated Motherhood. The Cronbach's alpha for the SoS-R was .94. The SoS-R subscales demonstrated correlations with the Perceived Stress Scale that ranged from 0.55 to 0.30. We identified six components for the PCS: Self-Regulation, Spiritual Care, Self-Care, Use and Seek Support, Internal and External Resources, and Health Promotion. The Cronbach's alpha coefficients for the PCS ranged from .84 to .66. The highest correlations observed between the PCS subscales and the Brief COPE subscales ranged from 0.67 to 0.26. CONCLUSION: The SoS-R and PCS each include six components. Internal consistency reliability for all SoS-R subscales and four of six PCS subscales exceeded .70. The dimensions of each scale highlight areas of clinical and research concern.

Comparison of commercial DNA extraction kits for whole metagenome sequencing of human oral, vaginal, and rectal microbiome samples.

Introduction: Advancements in DNA extraction and sequencing technologies have been fundamental in deciphering the significance of the microbiome related to human health and pathology. Whole metagenome shotgun sequencing (WMS) is gaining popularity in use compared to its predecessor (i.e., amplicon-based approaches). However, like amplicon-based approaches, WMS is subject to bias from DNA extraction methods that can compromise the integrity of sequencing and subsequent findings. The purpose of this study was to evaluate systematic differences among four commercially available DNA extraction kits frequently used for WMS analysis of the microbiome. Methods: Oral, vaginal, and rectal swabs were collected in replicates of four by a healthcare provider from five participants and randomized to one of four DNA extraction kits. Two extraction blanks and three replicate mock community samples were also extracted using each extraction kit. WMS was completed with NovaSeq 6000 for all samples. Sequencing and microbial communities were analyzed using nonmetric multidimensional scaling and compositional bias analysis. Results: Extraction kits differentially biased the percentage of reads attributed to microbial taxa across samples and body sites. The PowerSoil Pro kit performed best in approximating expected proportions of mock communities. While HostZERO was biased against gram-negative bacteria, the kit outperformed other kits in extracting fungal DNA. In clinical samples, HostZERO yielded a smaller fraction of reads assigned to Homo sapiens across sites and had a higher fraction of reads assigned to bacterial taxa compared to other kits. However, HostZERO appears to bias representation of microbial communities and demonstrated the most dispersion by site, particularly for vaginal and rectal samples. Conclusions: Systematic differences exist among four frequently referenced DNA extraction kits when used for WMS analysis of the human microbiome. Consideration of such differences in study design and data interpretation is imperative to safeguard the integrity of microbiome research and reproducibility of results.

Systematic Review of Health Promotion Frameworks Focused on Health in the Postpartum Period.

OBJECTIVE: To systematically review the scope and development of frameworks to promote health during the postpartum period. DATA SOURCES: We searched PubMed, CINAHL, and American Psychological Association PsycInfo during May 2021. STUDY SELECTION: We included English-language, peer-reviewed articles focused on frameworks for health promotion in the postpartum period. We placed no time limit on publication date. Our search resulted in 2,355 articles after we removed duplicates. After excluding articles based on titles and abstracts, we conducted full-text reviews of 23 articles. Three articles met inclusion criteria and addressed the following frameworks: Integrated Perinatal Health Framework, Perinatal Maternal Health Promotion Model, and Maternal Self-Care Framework. DATA EXTRACTION: We extracted data into analytic tables that included categories for the scope, such as time frame, and criteria for the level of development of the frameworks, including the origins, concept definitions and theoretical linkages among concepts, and evidence of application in research or practice. DATA SYNTHESIS: The three frameworks described in the articles included in our review covered various periods, including the reproductive life span, the first year after birth, and the first 6 weeks after birth. Overall, the frameworks were comprehensive. Most key concepts in the frameworks were defined, and some degree of relationships linking concepts was specified. Empirical referents were provided for most but not all concepts in the frameworks. Developers of the three frameworks elaborated on application in practice or health services, but only the developers of the Maternal Self-Care Framework indicated how their framework might be used in research. The Integrated Perinatal Health Framework and Maternal Self-Care Framework were partially derived from existing general theories; the methods used to develop the Perinatal Maternal Health Promotion Model were less clear. CONCLUSION: The frameworks met most criteria and together provided a comprehensive strategy for health promotion during the postpartum period. Elaboration of the frameworks for application in research is needed.