Recent Findings

The BWHS has published the following research articles in the current calendar year.
Click on the reference link to see the journal name and issue.

• The CES-D scale is a set of 20 questions used to classify women as having symptoms of depression. In this analysis, the scale was shown to be appropriate for use among African American women. (See Publication List, article #113 for full reference.)
  
  
• Based on 2,928 newly-diagnosed cases of diabetes in the BWHS, we found that the incidence of the disease was reduced among women who participated in vigorous physical activity compared with inactive women, in agreement with many studies of white women. In addition, brisk walking was also associated with reduce risk of diabetes in the BWHS-this is good news because it may be possible for many women to fit brisk walking into a busy schedule. On the other hand, risk of diabetes was increased among women who spent five or more hours a day watching television, regardless of their physical activity. Women who do not wish to cut down on their TV viewing should consider limiting the snacks that often go along with TV watching. (See Publication List, article #114 for full reference.)
  
  
• Studies of white women suggest that obesity is associated with increased occurrence of new-onset asthma. We found this to be so in the BWHS as well. There were 1,068 women who reported newly-occurring asthma together with medications for asthma. The occurrence of asthma increased with as body mass index increased: the risk was 2.85 times greater among women with a body mass index of 40 than in women with a body mass index of 20-24, which is the recommended body mass index for good health. (See Publication List, article #115 for full reference.)
  
  
• In the BWHS, approximately 50% of participants reported having been subjected to childhood abuse. We found that a higher proportion of women who reported sexual abuse during childhood started menstruating at an early age than women who reported no abuse. There was a weak association of age at start of menstruation with physical abuse during childhood. Because the age at which a girl's periods start is a predictor of various health outcomes later in life, an effect of childhood abuse on the age of onset is important. (See Publication List, article #116 for full reference.)