Recent Research Publications and Funding

BACKGROUND: This study investigates the relationships between health insurance coverage and prescription contraceptive use among women 18-24 years of age at risk for unintended pregnancy.

STUDY DESIGN: Data from the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth were analyzed. The sample comprised 1049 women 18-24 years of age at risk for unintended pregnancy. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was employed to examine the likelihood of prescription contraceptive use (1) between uninsured women versus ones with private insurance, Medicaid or another form of government insurance and (2) between those who had consistent versus inconsistent insurance coverage, after adjusting for a range of sociodemographic and sexual health factors.

RESULTS: Twenty percent of the participants were uninsured and over 30% had inconsistent coverage. Only 55% were currently using prescription contraceptives. In multivariate analyses, young women with private insurance or Medicaid were more likely than the uninsured to use prescription contraceptives. No significant differences in prescription contraceptive use were found between other forms of government insurance and uninsurance or between consistent and inconsistent coverage.

CONCLUSIONS: Access to comprehensive health insurance should be considered one strategy to address the high rates of unintended pregnancy among this vulnerable population.

The study's purpose was to describe and compare depression, anxiety, and quality of life, by degree of relationship, between closely related and distantly related survivors (persons close to the suicide victim, or "suicide survivors"; N = 60) during the acute phase of bereavement (within 1 month of the death). The close relationship category included spouses, parents, children, and siblings, whereas the distant relationship category included in-laws, aunts/uncles, and nieces/nephews. Analysis of covariance examined differences between the two groups on the symptom measures. Results indicate that, after controlling for age and gender effects, closely related survivors had significantly higher mean levels of depression and anxiety and had lower levels of mental health quality of life. There were no statistically significant differences on the physical health quality of life subscale.  

Heart failure (HF) is a growing public health problem affecting approximately 23 million people worldwide. Treatment options for advanced HF patients have moved beyond pharmacologic therapy to include left-ventricular assist devices (LVADs). Patients with an LVAD must manage a complex regimen of care. This article proposes the use of self-care deficit nursing theory (SCDNT) as a framework to identify and organize the care needs of patients with an LVAD from a nursing perspective. Within SCDNT, self-care refers to actions designed to meet self-care requisites to achieve regulatory goals. When formalized, self-care requisites have two components: the general action to be taken and a "factor" to be controlled. The reformulation of health-deviation self-care requisites common to LVAD patients are presented and may serve as an exemplar for other technology-assisted living situations. The strengths and limitations of using the SCDNT for patients with such complex needs, as well as implications for clinical practice, research, and advancement of nursing science, are examined.

Regulatory process may be altered in response to the intrauterine environment, leading to the development of altered growth trajectory and disease later in life. Previously, our lab reported reduced leptin levels in pregnant hypertensive Sprague-Dawley rat dams with placental insufficiency. The purposes of this study were to investigate the relationship between leptin levels, growth and hypertension in two generations of offspring exposed to placental insufficiency. Leptin levels were significantly different only at 12 weeks in female first generation offspring (p < 0.05). Variations in postnatal body and organ weights were evident in first generation females at 3 and 12 weeks of age. There were no significant correlations with plasma leptin levels and systolic blood pressure in offspring groups at any age point. Our findings indicate that fetal exposure to maternal hypertension and hypoleptinemia is associated with altered leptin and growth patterns in mature female offspring and not perpetuated to a second generation.