What Do Women Want? Identifying Life Goals in a Community-Based Sample of Women Aged ≥60 Years.

Few studies have examined women's perspectives on their health and priorities in older age. In the current study, we administered a cross-sectional survey to women aged ≥60 years, recruited at a large community event in 2019. Participants (N = 303; mean age = 68 years) reported up to three 12-month life goals in open-text fields (N = 1,053 goals). Our qualitative analysis identified 25 themes under four domains: Health and Wellness (n = 339 goals), Work and Leisure (n = 316 goals), Relationships (n = 199 goals), and Personal Growth (n = 170 goals). The most frequent themes pertained to family relationships, travel, staying healthy, and physical activity. Findings did not vary by participants' comorbidity status. Women have diverse aspirations as they age, including nurturing relationships, acquiring novel skills and experiences, and maintaining overall health and wellness. Gerontological nurses can better meet the needs of this population by expanding their awareness of patients' life goals and partnering with women to optimize health to achieve these goals. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 48(12), 25-33.].

PrEP-aring the General Gynecologist to Offer HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis.

It is estimated that 450,000 American women are at increased risk of infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and yet only 7% have a prescription for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). PrEP is a safe and effective method of HIV infection prevention via a daily use of an oral combination antiretroviral pill or longer-acting intramuscular injections. Gynecologists are experts in women's sexual health, and provide over half of annual preventative health visits, but are not yet routinely providing PrEP to patients, citing lack of knowledge as a major barrier. The authors aim to provide the general gynecologist with the skills to expertly provide PrEP to their patients to reduce HIV infection.

Randomized trial examining the effect of exercise and wellness interventions on preventing postpartum depression and perceived stress.

BACKGROUND: Approximately 13-19% of postpartum women experience postpartum depression and a majority report at least some stress during the postpartum phase. Traditional interventions such as psychotherapy and antidepressant medications are often not feasible or desirable. The purpose of this study was to examine two low cost, brief, accessible interventions designed to prevent postpartum depression and perceived stress among women at high risk. METHODS: Participants (n = 450) who were on average four weeks postpartum, had a history of depression before pregnancy, and exercised less than 60 min per week were randomly assigned to one of the following three conditions: (1) 6-month telephone-based exercise intervention; (2) 6-month telephone-based wellness/support intervention (e.g., healthy eating, sleep, and perceived stress); or (3) usual care. RESULTS: Overall, 2.4% of participants met criteria for depression at 6 months and 3.6% at 9 months with no differences between groups. At 6 months following randomization, median symptoms of depression were significantly lower among wellness participants compared to usual care participants (b = - 1.00, SE = 0.46, p = .03). Perceived stress at 6 months post-randomization was significantly lower among exercise vs. usual care participants (b = - 2.00, SE = .98, p = .04) and exercise vs. wellness participants (b = - 2.20, SE = 1.11, p = .04). CONCLUSIONS: The wellness intervention was efficacious for preventing symptoms of depression; however, postpartum depression that met the diagnostic criteria was surprisingly low in all conditions among this at risk sample of postpartum women. Exercise interventions may have a protective effect on perceived stress among women at risk for postpartum depression. Practitioners should consider integrating exercise and wellness interventions into postpartum care. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Trials Number: NCT01883479 (06/21/2013).

Rationale, design, and baseline data for the Healthy Mom II Trial: A randomized trial examining the efficacy of exercise and wellness interventions for the prevention of postpartum depression.

Approximately 13-19% of women experience postpartum depression and approximately one-third of women who have a history of depression develop depression during the postpartum phase. Exercise is an efficacious intervention for depression among adults; however, few studies have examined the effect of exercise on postpartum depression. The purpose of this study was to conduct a randomized controlled trial examining the effect of exercise and wellness interventions on preventing postpartum depression among women at risk. Specifically, women (n = 450) who were on average 4.35 weeks postpartum and had a history of depression were randomly assigned to one of the following three conditions: (1) Telephone-based exercise intervention; (2) telephone-based wellness/support intervention (covered topics such as sleep, stress, and healthy eating); or (3) usual care. Both interventions lasted six months. The exercise intervention was based on social cognitive theory and the Transtheoretical model and was specifically designed to motivate postpartum women to exercise. The primary dependent variable was depression based on the Structured Clinical Diagnostic Interview (SCID). Secondary dependent variables included the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, PHQ-9, and Perceived Stress Scale. Potential mediator variables included quality of sleep, postpartum social support, fatigue, and exercise attitudes. Questionnaires were administered at baseline, six, and nine months. The purpose of this paper is to summarize the methodology, study design, and baseline data for this study. This trial will provide important information regarding the efficacy of exercise and wellness interventions for preventing postpartum depression.