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Background Pregnancy has been reported to be a risk factor for severe COVID-19. We evaluated the impact of pregnancy on severe COVID-19 and mortality in an electronic medical record (EMR) database that enabled exclusion of labor and delivery (L&D) encounters. Methods In this retrospective cohort study, EMRs from 82 healthcare facilities in the Cerner COVID-19 Datamart were analyzed. The study comprised 38 106 individuals aged 18–45 years old with COVID-19 who had emergency department, urgent care, or inpatient encounters from December 2019 to September 2020. Subgroups were balanced through propensity score weights for age, race, smoking status, and number of comorbidities. The primary outcome was COVID-19–related mortality; secondary outcomes were markers of severe COVID-19: intubations, mechanical ventilation, use of vasopressors, diagnosis of sepsis, and diagnosis of acute respiratory distress syndrome. Results In comparing pregnant and nonpregnant women, no statistical differences were found for markers of severe COVID-19, after adjusting for age, smoking, race, and comorbidities. The adjusted odds of an inpatient encounter were higher for pregnant vs nonpregnant women (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 13.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 11.6–15.3; P < .001), but notably lower after excluding L&D encounters (aOR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.89–2.88; P < .001). In comparison to women without L&D encounters, hospitalization was significantly more likely for men. Conclusions We did not find an increased risk of severe COVID-19 or mortality in pregnancy. Hospitalization does not necessarily indicate severe COVID-19 in pregnancy, as half of pregnant patients with COVID-19 were admitted for L&D encounters in this study.

In recent years obesity has reached epidemic proportions. In 2012, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that more than two-thirds of U.S. adults over the age of 20 were overweight (69%) and more than one-third of U.S. adults (32% - 37.9%) were obese. Sexual minority woman are heavily represented in these obesity statistics. Project LOLA utilized a 3-arm randomized control trial design of 16-weeks to test the effectiveness of achieving healthy weight among approximately 100 lesbian and bisexual women aged 40–69 in Columbia and St. Louis, MO. Participants were randomly assigned to a gym membership plus personal trainer group, smart pedometer use group, or a health education group (attention control group). All groups had weekly meetings. Using analysis of variance, significantly more participants in the gym and pedometer groups met physical activity (PA) guidelines at the 8 month follow-up, and the attention control group reverted back to pre-intervention values. Mediators or moderators, such as PA motivation, self-efficacy, social support, resilience, stress, depressive symptoms, general health status and demographics, were considered in the statistical models. Evaluation of several health-related behaviors to achieve healthy weight, such as weight loss, waist-to-height ratio reduction, increased aerobic fitness, decreased sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, increased fruit and vegetable consumption, and decreased alcohol consumption will be presented. These data support a tailored and activity focused approach to improving the health of older sexual minority women.

INTRODUCTION The purpose of this study is to more completely quantify smoking rate and support for smoke-free policies in private and public environments from a large sample of self-identified sexual and gender minority (SGM) populations. METHODS A targeted sampling strategy recruited participants from 4 Missouri Pride Festivals and online surveys targeted to SGM populations during the summer of 2008. A 24-item survey gathered information on gender and sexual orientation, smoking status, and questions assessing behaviors and preferences related to smoke-free policies. RESULTS The project recruited participants through Pride Festivals (n = 2,676) and Web-based surveys (n = 231) representing numerous sexual and gender orientations and the racial composite of the state of Missouri. Differences were found between the Pride Festivals sample and the Web-based sample, including smoking rates, with current smoking for the Web-based sample (22%) significantly less than the Pride Festivals sample (37%; p < .0001). The SGM group (n = 2,162) was 1.49 times more likely to be current smokers compared with the study's heterosexual group (n = 436; p = .005). Statistically fewer SGM racial minorities (33%) are current smokers compared with SGM Whites (37%; p = .04). Support and preferences for public and private smoke-free environments were generally low in the SGM population. CONCLUSIONS The strategic targeting method achieved a large and diverse sample. The findings of high rates of smoking coupled with generally low levels of support for smoke-free public policies in the SGM community highlight the need for additional research to inform programmatic attempts to reduce tobacco use and increase support for smoke-free environments.

Endometrial cancer is associated with endogenous and exogenous estrogen excess. Some investigators have posited that electromagnetic fields may influence cancer risk through estrogenic hormonal mechanisms; however, there have been no studies reporting on electric blanket exposure in relation to endometrial cancer. The authors examined this possible association between endometrial cancer risk and electric blanket or mattress cover use as part of a population-based, case-control study. This analysis included incident endometrial cancer cases 40-79 years of age, interviewed during 1994 (n = 148; response rate, 87%) and identified from the Wisconsin tumor registry. Female controls of similar age were randomly selected from population lists (n = 659; response rate, 85%). Information regarding electric blanket and mattress cover use and endometrial cancer risk factors was obtained through structured telephone interviews approximately 1 year after diagnosis. After adjustment for age, body mass index, and postmenopausal hormone use, the risk of endometrial cancer was similar among ever users (odds ratio = 1.04, 95% confidence interval: 0.70, 1.55) and among current users (odds ratio = 0.87, 95% confidence interval: 0.49, 1.54) as compared with never users. Despite its small size and potential misclassification of exposure, this study provides evidence against an association between electric blanket or mattress cover use and endometrial cancer.