Understanding lesbians' mammography utilization.

Lesbians face unique barriers to health care, and may be at higher risk for breast cancer than are other women. Yet, no research on lesbians and mammography utilization exists. We conducted telephone interviews of 107 lesbians aged 51-80, of whom 68 had had mammograms in the last year and 39 had not. Responses to open-ended questions identified the barriers lesbians face in obtaining mammography, lesbians, reasons for obtaining mammograms, and factors that would help lesbians obtain mammograms. Some issues identified were particular to lesbians; many issues were common to those identified by general samples of women (which include lesbians).

Explaining women's intentions and use of hormones with menopause.

The purposes of this theoretically-based study were (a) to examine the contributions of psychosocial variables (i.e., affect, beliefs, and norms), habit, and facilitating conditions to explaining women's intentions and use of hormones with menopause and (b) to assess whether clinical or demographic factors explained intentions and use, when controlling for psychosocial, habit, and facilitating conditions variables. In a cross-sectional design, 184 pre-, peri-, and postmenopausal women completed questionnaire measures. To explain intentions, data from 124 participants who were not using hormones were analyzed. To explain use, data from 125 peri- and postmenopausal participants were analyzed. In multivariate analyses, anxiety was associated inversely with use; norms were associated positively with intentions and use. Age was associated inversely with intentions; hot flashes were associated inversely with use. Future researchers can examine the combined influences of affect, beliefs, and norms on decisions about hormones. Clinicians can address anxieties and assess social influences about hormone use, as well as offer ways to deal with hot flashes.

Professionalism of nurse practitioners.

Little information is presently available about the professionalism of nurse practitioners (NPs). Nor do we know what degree of professionalism is actually exhibited by NPs. Nurse practitioners in this study scored moderately professional. The highest level of education attained had no relationship to degree of professionalism. With increasing age and number of years in practice, NPs expressed a greater degree of professionalism. Nurse practitioners need to continue their development of professionalism, both as individuals and as members of groups and/or organizations. Recommendations for practice, education, and research are discussed.