34. PATTERNS OF CONTRACEPTIVE USE AFTER REPRODUCTIVE EVENTS: FINDINGS FROM THE AUSTRALIAN LONGITUDINAL STUDY OF WOMEN'S HEALTH

Sexual Health ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 297
Author(s):  
J. C. Lucke ◽  
M. Spallek
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Women’S Health ◽  
Women's Health ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Contraceptive Use ◽  
Pap Test ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Reproductive Age ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Australian Longitudinal Study

This paper examines changes in young women's contraceptive use over nine years in relation to a range of reproductive life events using longitudinal data from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH). Little previous research has examined changes in young women's contraceptive use after significant reproductive or health life events. Some research has examined the reasons that women might discontinue contraceptive use in general and there has been some work investigating contraceptive use after the birth of a child and after the termination of a pregnancy. However other events may also cause a woman to re-evaluate her contraception, for example, the diagnosis of an STD, or having an abnormal pap test. The Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health is a broad-ranging project which examines relationships between many biological, physiological, social and lifestyle factors and women's physical health, emotional well-being, and use of and satisfaction with health services. Women were selected from the Medicare database which includes all citizens and permanent residents using stratified random sampling, with systematic over-sampling of women from rural and remote areas. This paper presents data from 6716 women who completed a self-report survey in 1996 when they were aged 18-23, and again in 1999, 2002 and 2005. Multinomial analysis is used to explore patterns of contraceptive use before and after events related to pregnancy and birth (pregnancy, live birth, miscarriage and termination of pregnancy) and health (diagnosis with a sexually-transmitted infection and abnormal Pap test) and the factors associated with changes in contraceptive use. The ALSWH provides an exciting opportunity to examine patterns of contraceptive use over time among women of reproductive age.

The characteristics of women aged 59-64 years who consult health care practitioners for back pain from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH).

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pooja Maddela ◽  
Jane Frawley ◽  
Jon Adams ◽  
David Sibbritt
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Back Pain ◽  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Women’S Health ◽  
Women's Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Care Practitioner ◽  
Medical Specialist ◽  
Australian Longitudinal Study ◽  
Wide Range

Background: Back pain affects a substantial proportion of the adult population, and back pain sufferers tend to explore a wide range of health care options. This study investigates the use of medical and physiotherapy services by Australian women with back pain. Method: This is a sub-study of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (ALSWH), designed to investigate multiple factors affecting the health and well-being of women over a 20-year period. The study focuses on 1,851 women aged 59-64 years, who had indicated that they had previously sought help from a health care practitioner for back pain. Results: Half of the women (56.5%) with back pain had consulted a general practitioner (GP), 16.2% had consulted a medical specialist, and 37.3% had consulted a physiotherapist for their back pain. Women with regular or continuous back pain were more likely to consult a GP (OR=3.98), medical specialist (OR=5.66) and a physiotherapist (OR=1.63). Conclusion:  Australian women with back pain were more likely to consult a GP, medical specialist or physiotherapist if they had more regular/continuous back pain. Future research needs to investigate further the consultation and referral patterns identified in this study.

Risk factors for pregnancy and childbearing in single young women: Evidence from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health

2005 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 292-303 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren R. Miller-Lewis ◽  
Tracey D. Wade ◽  
Christina Lee
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Women’S Health ◽  
Women's Health ◽  
Young Women ◽  
Early Pregnancy ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Reproductive Behaviour ◽  
Developmental Perspective ◽  
Australian Longitudinal Study

This study investigated psychosocial predictors of early pregnancy and childbearing in single young women, consistent with the Eriksonian developmental perspective. Two mail-out surveys assessing reproductive behaviour and sociodemographic, education/competence, psychosocial well-being, and aspiration factors were completed 4 years apart by 2635 young women, aged 18 to 20 when first surveyed. Young women in the “emerging adulthood” developmental period were selected from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. Longitudinally, lower investment in education over low-status paid work, experiencing unemployment, greater psychosocial distress, stress and alcohol use, and high family aspirations combined with low vocational aspirations were risk factors for early single pregnancy and childbearing. Several mediational relationships also existed between these predictor variables. It was concluded that psychosocial factors play an important role in understanding early pregnancy and childbearing in single young Australian women, and that the findings provide some support for investigating early pregnancy and childbearing from an Eriksonian developmental perspective.

scholarly journals The Association between Dietary Intake, Asthma, and PCOS in Women from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 233
Author(s):  
Jessica A Grieger ◽  
Allison Hodge ◽  
Gita Mishra ◽  
Anju E Joham ◽  
Lisa J Moran
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Dietary Intake ◽  
Women’S Health ◽  
Women's Health ◽  
Dietary Patterns ◽  
Dietary Pattern ◽  
Contraceptive Use ◽  
Interaction Analysis ◽  
Polycystic Ovary ◽  
Australian Longitudinal Study

Dietary intake potentially modifies the prevalence or severity of asthma. The prevalence of asthma is higher in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS); it is not known if diet confounds or modifies the association between asthma and PCOS. The aims of this study were: (i) To determine if the association of PCOS and asthma is independent of dietary pattern and (ii) to determine if dietary pattern modifies the association between PCOS and asthma. Women in this study were from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health (ALSWH) cohort born between 1973 to 1978 and aged 18 to 23 years (n = 7382). Logistic regression was used to assess the association between PCOS and asthma, adjusting for the following: (i) Potential confounders identified a priori and (ii) dietary patterns (z-score) identified by principle component analysis. In the adjusted analysis, women with PCOS were more likely to have asthma than the women without PCOS (OR 1.35 and 95% CI, 1.02 and 1.78). This relationship was not altered by further adjustment for dietary patterns (non-core food, meats and takeaway, or Mediterranean-style pattern). In the interaction analysis, only the women consuming less than the median intake of non-core foods (i.e., lower intake of discretionary or unhealthy foods) and with PCOS were more likely to have asthma (OR 1.91 and 95% CI, 1.29 and 2.82). Dietary intake did not confound the relationship between PCOS and asthma. Other mechanistic pathways are likely responsible for the asthma and PCOS association, and further studies assessing factors such as oral contraceptive use and sex steroid hormones warrant investigation.

Physical Activity in Mid-Age and Older Women: Lessons from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy J. Brown ◽  
Toby Pavey
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Women’S Health ◽  
Women's Health ◽  
Older Women ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Rapid Decline ◽  
Australian Longitudinal Study ◽  
Wide Range

The Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health (ALSWH) commenced in Australia in 1996 when researchers recruited approximately 40,000 women in three birth cohorts: 1973–1978, 1946–1951, and 1921–1926. Since then participants have completed surveys on a wide range of health issues, at approximately three-year intervals. This overview describes changes in physical activity (PA) over time in the mid-age and older ALSWH cohorts, and summarizes the findings of studies published to date on the determinants of PA, and its associated health outcomes in Australian women. The ALSWH data show a significant increase in PA during mid-age, and a rapid decline in activity levels when women are in their 80s. The study has demonstrated the importance of life stages and key life events as determinants of activity, the additional benefits of vigorous activity for mid-age women, and the health benefits of ‘only walking’ for older women. ALSWH researchers have also drawn attention to the benefits of activity in terms of a wide range of physical and mental health outcomes, as well as overall vitality and well-being. The data indicate that maintaining a high level of PA throughout mid and older age will not only reduce the risk of premature death, but also significantly extend the number of years of healthy life.

scholarly journals Increasing Fruit and Vegetable Variety over Time Is Associated with Lower 15-Year Healthcare Costs: Results from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 2829
Author(s):  
Jennifer N. Baldwin ◽  
Lee M. Ashton ◽  
Peta M. Forder ◽  
Rebecca L. Haslam ◽  
Alexis J. Hure ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Women’S Health ◽  
Women's Health ◽  
Healthcare Costs ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Healthy Weight ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable ◽  
Australian Longitudinal Study ◽  
Point Increase ◽  
Over Time

Healthcare costs are lower for adults who consume more vegetables; however, the association between healthcare costs and fruit and vegetable varieties is unclear. Our aim was to investigate the association between (i) baseline fruit and vegetable (F&V) varieties, and (ii) changes in F&V varieties over time with 15-year healthcare costs in an Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health. The data for Survey 3 (n = 8833 women, aged 50–55 years) and Survey 7 (n = 6955, aged 62–67 years) of the 1946–1951 cohort were used. The F&V variety was assessed using the Fruit and Vegetable Variety (FAVVA) index calculated from the Cancer Council of Victoria’s Dietary Questionnaire for Epidemiological Studies food frequency questionnaire. The baseline FAVVA and change in FAVVA were analysed as continuous predictors of Medicare claims/costs by using multiple regression analyses. Healthy weight women made, on average, 4.3 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.7–6.8) fewer claims for every 10-point-higher FAVVA. Healthy weight women with higher fruit varieties incurred fewer charges; however, this was reversed for women overweight/obese. Across the sample, for every 10-point increase in FAVVA over time, women made 4.3 (95% CI 1.9–6.8) fewer claims and incurred $309.1 (95% CI $129.3–488.8) less in charges over 15 years. A higher F&V variety is associated with a small reduction in healthcare claims for healthy weight women only. An increasing F&V variety over time is associated with lower healthcare costs.

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