Maternal and Child Health Library

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November 21, 2007

1. AUTHORS EXPLORE EVIDENCE FOR THE EFFECTS OF HORMONES ON MOOD IN WOMEN

Mood Disorders and Hormonal Transitions: The Ups and Downs summarizes lessons learned on mood disorders and hormonal transitions in woman, and recommendations for the direction of future research. The report is based on a leaders' roundtable convened by the Society for Women's Health Research and the National Institute for Mental Health to discuss current efforts to understand the effects of hormonal transitions, specifically pregnancy and postpartum, and perimenopause, on the occurrence of mood disorders in women. Topics include basic affective neuroscience, depression and bipoloar disorder in pregnancy and postpartum, and mood disorders in perimenopause. A glossary of selected terms and references are also provided. The report, part of a scientific report series on understanding the biology of sex differences, is available at http://www.womenshealthresearch.org/site/DocServer/SWHR_NIMH_Roundtable_Report.pdf?docID=1821. Results of a national survey of physicians and consumers about their views regarding depression across hormonal transitions is also available at http://www.womenshealthresearch.org/site/DocServer/DepressionSurveyAnalysis.pdf?docID=1801.

• During 1979-2004, diabetes death rates among children and adolescents ages 1-19 years ranged from 1.34 per million (annual average for 1979-1980) to 0.84 per million (1993-1994).
• Trend lines for the entire population were similar to those for whites and indicated a significant decrease in overall diabetes death rates during 1979-1994, with an average annual percentage change of -2.7% and a significant increase during 1994-2004.
• Diabetes death rates were consistently higher for blacks compared with whites, with rate ratios ranging from 1.56 during 1987-1988 to 2.72 during 2001-2002.
• Trend analysis for blacks indicated a decrease in diabetes death rates during 1979-1998, but an increase after 1998.
• Diabetes death rates for whites decreased significantly during 1979-1994, but did not change significantly during 1994-2004.

• Overall, 43.5% of participants reported any lifetime use of alcohol or other drugs.
• Among participants, 24.1% reported impaired driving risk.
• Among participants, 14.8% screened positive on the CRAFFT (defined as a CRAFFT total score of two or higher; hereafter referred to as "CRAFFT+).
• CRAFFT+ prevalence rates differed significantly across practices, with the highest rates at school-based health clinics and rural family practices.
• CRAFFT+ status was significantly associated with older age, Hispanic ethnicity, and fewer parents at home, but not with gender or lower parent education level.
• Patients coming for well child care visits had a significantly lower CRAFFT+ rate than those coming for follow-up, sick, or other visits.
• New patients had a higher CRAFFT+ rate than established patients.
• Approximately 11.3% of participants had problematic use, 7.1% met the criteria for a diagnosis of substance abuse, and 3.2% met the criteria for a diagnosis of substance dependence.