Objective We utilized an updated nationally representative database to examine associations between maternal age and prevalence of maternal morbidity during complications of labor and delivery. Study design We used hospital inpatient billing data from the 2009 United States Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS), part of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP). To determine whether the likelihood that maternal morbidity during complications of labor and delivery differed among age groups, separate logistic regression models were run for each complication. Age was the main independent variable of interest. Results In analyses that controlled for demographics and clinical confounders, we found that complications with the highest odds among women, 11–18 years of age, compared to 25–29 year old women, included preterm delivery, chorioamnionitis, endometritis, and mild preeclampsia. Pregnant women who were 15–19 years old had greater odds for severe preeclampsia, eclampsia, postpartum hemorrhage, poor fetal growth, and fetal distress. Pregnant women who were ≥35 years old had greater odds for preterm delivery, hypertension, superimposed preeclampsia, severe preeclampsia, and decreased risk for chorioamnionitis. Older women (≥40 years old) had increased odds for mild preeclampsia, fetal distress, and poor fetal growth. Conclusions Our findings underscore the need for pregnant women to be aware of the risks associated with extremes of age so that they can watch for signs and symptoms of such complications.

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Purpose-We sought to examine the sentiment and themes of marijuana-related chatter on Twitter sent by influential Twitter users, and to describe the demographics of these Twitter users.Methods-We assessed the sentiment and themes of a random sample (n=7000) of influential marijuana-related Tweets (sent from 2/5 -3/5/2014). Demographics of the users Tweeting about marijuana were inferred using a social media analytics company (DemographicsPro for Twitter).Results-Most marijuana-related tweets reflected a positive sentiment towards marijuana use, with pro-marijuana Tweets outnumbering anti-marijuana Tweets by a factor of over 15. The most common theme of pro-marijuana Tweets included the Tweeter stating that he/she wants/plans to use marijuana, followed by Tweeting about frequent/heavy/or regular marijuana use and stating that marijuana has health benefits and/or should be legalized. Tweeters of marijuana-related content were younger and a greater proportion was African American compared to the Twitter average. Conclusions-MarijuanaTwitter chatter sent by influential Twitter users tends to be promarijuana and popular among African Americans and youth/young adults. Marijuana-related harms may afflict some individuals; therefore, our findings should be used to inform online and offline prevention efforts that work to target individuals who are most at-risk for harms associated with marijuana use. KeywordsMarijuana; Social Media; Youth © 2014 Society of Adolescent Health and Medicine. All rights reserved.Please address correspondence and reprint requests to: Patricia A. Cavazos-Rehg, Ph.D., Campus Box 8134, Department of Psychiatry, 660 South Euclid, St. Louis, MO 63110, Phone: (314) 362-2152, FAX: (314) 362-4247, rehgp@psychiatry.wustl.edu. Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.Conflicts of Interest Dr. Bierut is listed as an inventor on Issued U.S. Patent 8,080,371,"Markers for Addiction" covering the use of certain SNPs in determining the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of addiction. Implications and ContributionTwitter is a popular social media platform among young people. Results from this study highlight the pervasiveness of pro-marijuana Twitter chatter particularly among youth and African Americans and stress the need for more online marijuana prevention messages to target individuals who are most at-risk for marijuana use-associated harms. Twitter is a free-to-use social media platform that has become very popular among young people in recent years [1,2]. Twitter users can easily and instantly connect to a mass audience via Tweets that are 140 ...

Background-This study examined gender and racial/ethnic differences in sexual debut.Study Design-We analyzed 1999-2007 data from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS), a cross-sectional, nationally representative survey of students in Grades 9-12 established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to compute the probability of survival (not having become sexually active) at each year (age 12 through 17), and separate estimates were produced for each level of gender and racial/ethnic group.Results-African-American males experienced sexual debut earlier than all other groups (all tests of significance at p<.001) and Asian males and females experienced sexual debut later than all groups (all tests of significance at p<.001). By their 17th birthday, the probability for sexual debut was less than 35% for Asians (females 28%, males 33%) and less than 60% for Caucasians (58% females, 53% males) and Hispanic females (59%). The probability for sexual debut by their 17th birthday was greatest for African Americans (74% females, 82% males) and Hispanic males (69%).Conclusions-These results demonstrate a need for sexual education programs and policy to be sensitive to the roles of race and ethnicity in sexual debut.

ABSTRACT. Objective: The promotion of drinking behaviors correlates with increased drinking behaviors and intent to drink, especially when peers are the promotion source. Similarly, online displays of peer drinking behaviors have been described as a potential type of peer pressure that might lead to alcohol misuse when the peers to whom individuals feel attached value such behaviors. Social media messages about drinking behaviors on Twitter (a popular social media platform among young people) are common but understudied. In response, and given that drinking alcohol is a widespread activity among young people, we examined Twitter chatter about drinking. Method: Tweets containing alcohol-or drinking-related keywords were collected from March 13 to April 11, 2014. We assessed a random sample (n = 5,000) of the most infl uential Tweets for sentiment, theme, and source. Results: Most alcohol-related Tweets refl ected a positive sentiment toward alcohol use, with pro-alcohol Tweets outnumbering anti-alcohol Tweets by a factor of more than 10. The most common themes of pro-drinking Tweets included references to frequent or heavy drinking behaviors and wanting/needing/ planning to drink alcohol. The most common sources of pro-alcohol Tweets were organic (i.e., noncommercial). Conclusions: Our fi ndings highlight the need for online prevention messages about drinking to counter the strong pro-alcohol presence on Twitter. However, to enhance the impact of anti-drinking messages on Twitter, it may be prudent for such Tweets to be sent by individuals who are widely followed on Twitter and during times when heavy drinking is more likely to occur (i.e., weekends, holidays). (J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs, 76, 635-643, 2015)