Amina Alio

• University of Rochester

Purpose Black perinatal people in the United States are disproportionately affected by morbidity and mortality. An emerging hypothesis is that these disparities may be in part due to poor communication in obstetric care which may lead to poor perinatal care quality and adverse health outcomes. The purpose of this review is to provide a systematic r...

Statement of the problem Hispanic American adolescents experience high rates of pregnancy with profound consequences. Compared with White teens, Hispanic teens use contraception less frequently and often choose less effective forms of contraception. Access to contraception is a primary barrier to use which contributes to relatively high and dispara...

Background and Objective Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with unfavorable pregnancy outcomes. Fathers’ involvement during pregnancy positively impacts maternal behaviors and birth outcomes. Lack of voluntary paternity acknowledgment (PA) at birth implies potential limited paternal involvement. This study explores the association...

Leprosy-related stigma is deeply rooted in history and permeates every aspect of society, and stigmatization by healthcare professionals is no exception. This paper explores the experiences of persons affected by Leprosy with stigma in the healthcare setting throughout their treatment-seeking journey. We conducted one-on-one interviews with 112 ind...

Health literacy is generally low in marginalized groups, leading to delays in accessing care, poor health outcomes, and health disparities. Yet, some individuals in these groups demonstrate higher health literacy and better health outcomes. These exceptional cases exemplify ‘positive deviance’ because they have found ways to be successful where oth...

Statement of the Problem Hispanic American adolescents experience high rates of pregnancy with profound consequences. Compared with White teens, Hispanic teens use contraception less frequently and often choose less effective forms of contraception. Access to contraception is a primary barrier to use which contributes to relatively high and dispara...

Background Gay, bisexual, and cis-gender men who have sex with men (GBMSM) face severe consequences, especially within stigmatized environments. However, very little is known about the experiences of GBMSM living in slums in SSA and Ghana. This study investigates the experiences of stigma, victimization, and coping strategies and proposes some inte...

Background Gays, bisexuals, and cis-gender men who have sex with men (GBMSM) face severe consequences, especially within stigmatized environments. However, very little is known about the experiences of GBMSM living in slums in SSA and Ghana. This study investigates the experiences of stigma, victimization, and coping strategies and proposes some in...

Background The ongoing armed conflict in the two English-speaking regions of Cameroon, named the “Anglophone crisis”, has had a deleterious impact on the health and wellbeing of the populations inhabiting these regions, especially adolescents and youth, but there is sparse evidence on the effect of the crisis on adolescent and youth sexual and repr...

Obstetric violence has been recognized as a significant risk factor for maternal morbidity and mortality globally. However, there is lack of literature on the abuse of birthing women and their maternal rights in formal healthcare settings in Niger. This paper explores women's experiences of violence in public maternity care in Niger to identify dri...

12130 Background: Early goals of care (GOC) conversations appear to improve end of life (EOL) care in patients with advanced cancer. However, interventions to facilitate GOC conversations may be unsuccessful in changing EOL outcomes due to incomplete understanding of the components of such conversations essential to impacting EOL care. This study s...

Men who have sex with men living with HIV in majority Muslim communities face discrimination based on multiple forms of stigma at socio-cultural and legislative levels. This study aimed to explore qualitatively the experiences of men who have sex with men living with HIV in Dakar, Senegal. In-depth individual interviews were conducted with 30 Seneg...

Objectives Black women face disparities in maternal morbidity and mortality when compared to White women. Multiple factors contribute to these disparities. This study examines the perspectives of Black women who have given birth in the last 5 years, to understand their pregnancy and birth experiences as a means of ascertaining factors that may be c...

Background and Objective: Globally, father engagement is deemed an important factor in mothers’ breastfeeding practices. In the U.S., the role of the father in breastfeeding is understudied. This study examines the association between voluntary legal paternity and maternal breastfeeding outcomes. Methods: Using data from a modified Pregnancy Risk A...

Racial discrimination in the United States continues to adversely affect health outcomes to the detriment of African Americans. To assess the experiences of residents of a metropolitan community with high rates of racial health disparities in upstate New York, we conducted a survey to measure the primary reasons for discrimination and their experie...

Background or objectives: Worldwide, men who have sex with men (MSM) and Transgender persons are vulnerable to psychosocial factors associated with high risk for HIV, and suffer disproportionately high rates of HIV/AIDS. In the United States (US), the House Ball Community (HBC) is a social network comprised predominantly of Black and Hispanic MSM...

Women with substance use disorders (SUDs) often experience inadequate health care, mental and physical health problems, trauma, lack of social support, and undermining of support for psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness needed for motivation and well-being. For women with SUD trying to reclaim sobriety and a healthy life, fa...

The Human Research Council’s National HIV Prevalence, Incidence and Behavior Survey ranks South Africa first in HIV incidence in the world with 400,000 new infections in 2012 and found the HIV incidence rate among female youth aged 15 to 24 years to be 2.5% that year. The objective of this study was to compare the pattern and predictability of sexu...

Aim: There is a debate within the medical community regarding the safety of planned home births. The presumption of increased risk of maternal and infant morbidity and mortality at home due to limited access to life-saving interventions is not clearly supported by research. The aim of the present study was to assess strengths and limitations of th...

We assessed the impact of Central Hillsborough Healthy Start (CHHS), a federally-funded program dedicated to improving maternal and infant outcomes in a population of high-risk obese mothers in the socio-economically challenged community of East Tampa in Florida on preterm birth and very preterm birth (VPTB). We utilized hospital discharge records...

Prior research indicates that infants with absent fathers are vulnerable to unfavorable fetal birth outcomes. HIV is a recognized risk factor for adverse birth outcomes. However, the influence of paternal involvement on fetal morbidity outcomes in women with HIV remains poorly understood. Using linked hospital discharge data and vital statistics re...

Although there have been tremendous strides in the treatment of childhood cancer over the past several decades, cancer survivors with limited access to quality medical care and follow up remain at a disadvantage. Long-term follow-up of the childhood cancer survivor continues to be of great concern to the medical community, and there are many challe...

In light of the increasing rates of HIV infection in African Americans, it is essential that black faith leaders become more proactive in the fight against the epidemic. The study aim was to engage faith leaders in a sustainable partnership to increase community participation in preventive HIV vaccine clinical research while improving their access...

Background: Within developed nations, the majority of births are delivered within hospital care settings. However, over the past decades, there has been a growing debate within the medical community regarding the safety of home births compared to hospital births. Though there has been a significant increase in the literature, policy markers must fo...

Objectives: In 2013, a community in Western New York implemented smoke-free policies in its 25 Multi-Unit Housing (MUH) complexes serving primarily low-income populations. This paper presents evaluation findings on MUH managers’ and residents’ anticipated concerns prior to the adoption of the policy, implementation processes and challenges, and ini...

Background. Workplace lactation support is key to breastfeeding mothers’ ability to provide human milk to their infants. Despite the business case for breastfeeding, state (and recently federal) regulations defining these workplace supports, employer compliance is far from universal. In a state with workplace regulations since 2007, through a Commu...

Background. Understanding racial/ethnic disparities at the local level is limited by lack of timely, actionable data. Furthermore analyses rarely control for key covariates. We report on analyses of longitudinal population level data collected over 15 years in an upstate New York community. Methods. Secondary data analyses compared 4 cross-sectio...

Men who sleep with men (MSM) and transgender individuals of color, the largest demographic in the House Ball community (HBC) are amongst the group at highest risk for HIV infection in the United States. The HBC have limited access to culturally appropriate HIV education. This study aimed to develop a partnership with HBC leaders to uncover strategi...

The informed consent process (ICP) for HIV vaccine trials poses unique challenges and would benefit from improvements to its historically based structure and format. Here, we propose a theoretical framework that provides a basis for systematically evaluating and addressing these challenges. The proposed framework follows a linear pathway, starting...

The absence of fathers during pregnancy increases the risk of feto-infant morbidities, including low birth weight (LBW), preterm birth (PTB), and small-for-gestational age. Previous research has shown that the Central Hillsborough Healthy Start project (CHHS)-a federally funded initiative in Tampa, Florida-has improved birth outcomes. This study ex...

Little is known of the experience and perceptions of care for survivors of emergency peripartum hysterectomy (EPH), an obstetric event that is increasing in incidence. We sought to explore women's experiences of EPH to make recommendations for care. This qualitative study utilized purposive sampling through an online support group of women who expe...

Preterm birth, low birthweight, intrauterine growth retardation and small for gestational age are birth phenotypes that significantly contribute to life-long morbidity and mortality. This review examines the epidemiologic and biologic evidence of folic acid (FA) as a potential population-based intervention to curtail some adverse birth phenotypic e...

Lack of paternal involvement has been shown to be associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, including infant morbidity and mortality, but the impact on health care costs is unknown. Various methodological approaches have been used in cost minimization and cost effectiveness analyses and it remains unclear how cost estimates vary according to the...

Aim: The aim of this paper was to assess the association between all-cause infant mortality (death<365 days) in the first pregnancy and the risk of preterm birth (<37 weeks of gestation) in the second pregnancy. Methods: Using the Missouri maternally linked dataset from 1989 to 2005 (N.=639134 singleton live births), we conducted a population-ba...

Background Defining male involvement during pregnancy is essential for the development of future research and appropriate interventions to optimize services aiming to improve birth outcomes. Study Aim: To define male involvement during pregnancy and obtain community-based recommendations for interventions to improve male involvement during pregnanc...

The objective of this study is to evaluate the levels of emergency obstetrics care (EOC) signal functions in health facilities in a developing setting with high maternal morbidity and mortality indices and to determine if there are differences between public and private health facilities in terms of availability of these signal functions. A survey...

Background: Defining male involvement and support during pregnancy is essential for the development of future research and appropriate interventions to optimize services aiming to improve birth outcomes. Methods: The project consisted of 5 focus group discussions conducted on March 6th and 7th, 2011, with participants of the National Healthy Start...

Background: The absence of fathers during pregnancy increases the risk of feto-infant morbidities, including low birth weight (LBW), preterm birth (PTB), and small for gestational age (SGA). Although previous research has shown that Central Hillsborough Healthy Start (CHHS) a federally-funded initiative in Tampa, Florida has effectively improved bi...

Introduction: The U.S. continually struggles with poor health outcomes despite enormous healthcare expenditures. Underutilized, novel methods in cost effectiveness analysis and comparative effectiveness research have been emphasized by the U.S. government to reduce healthcare spending and improve health outcomes. Using both traditional statistical...

Background: Advanced age and HIV status have been investigated separately for their influence on maternal and infant outcomes. Both have been independently associated with adverse fetal growth outcomes, including low birth weight and preterm birth. However, the impact of the co-occurrence of these factors in relation to birth outcomes remains relat...

Background: The Central Hillsborough Healthy Start (CHHS) is a federally-funded project dedicated to improving maternal and infant outcomes in socio-economically challenged neighborhoods in Tampa, Florida. Previous research has shown that CHHS effectively reduces the likelihood of preterm birth among service recipients by 30%. However, further inve...

Background: Advanced maternal age (AMA) and HIV status have been investigated separately for their influence on infant outcomes. Both are associated with adverse fetal growth outcomes, including low birth weight (LBW) and preterm birth (PTB). However, the impact of the co-occurrence of these factors in relation to birth outcomes remains relatively...

Research investigating the role of paternal age in adverse birth outcomes is limited. This population-based retrospective cohort study used the Missouri maternally linked data set from 1989 to 2005 to assess whether paternal age affects fetal birth outcomes: low birth weight (LBW), preterm birth (PTB), stillbirth, and small size for gestational age...

Please cite this paper as: Salihu H, August E, Salemi J, Weldeselasse H, Sarro Y, Alio A. The association between female genital mutilation and intimate partner violence. BJOG 2012;119:1597–1605. Objective To determine whether female genital mutilation (FGM) is a risk factor for intimate partner violence (IPV) and its subtypes (physical, sexual and...

To examine the association between prior infant mortality and subsequent risk for small for gestational age (SGA). This population-based, retrospective cohort study used the Missouri maternally linked, longitudinal dataset (1989-2005). Analyses were restricted to women who had two singleton pregnancies during the study period. Logistic regression w...

Barely two decades ago, HIV disease deemed a terminal illness accompanied by severe wasting. Today, HIV disease has become a chronic illness, largely due to the success of highly active antiretroviral therapy (ART). In the U.S., this increased longevity has naturally led to HIV-infected persons becoming increasingly overweight and obese, with rates...

Limited data are available on hepatitis rates during pregnancy by socio-demographic characteristics. This study examined temporal trends in hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) mono-infections and HIV/HBV and HIV/HCV co-infections in subpopulations among pregnant women in Florida between 1998 and 2007. We analyzed all Florida live bi...

We examine the association between prior C-section and subsequent pre-eclampsia; and describe the effect of gestational age at prior C-section, and obesity status on this association. The study population included women with two subsequent singleton births in Missouri between 1998 and 2005. The risk for pre-eclampsia/eclampsia was assessed among wo...

This study analyzes maternal deaths in a tertiary maternity in Niamey, Niger. This is a retrospective study covering the period of one year, from January 1 to December 31 2007. The setting for this study was the Maternity Issaka Gazobi, a tertiary maternity referral centre in the city of Niamey, Niger. Data encompasses all hospital maternal deaths...

We sought to assess the impact of paternal involvement on adverse birth outcomes in teenage mothers. Using vital records data, we generated odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) to assess the association between paternal involvement and fetal outcomes in 192,747 teenage mothers. Paternal involvement status was based on presence/absence...

To assess the association between bariatric surgery and pregnancy-related outcomes among obese and non-obese women in the state of Florida. We conducted a population-based, retrospective cohort analysis using vital records and hospital discharge data in Florida during 2004-2007. Women were categorized based on prior bariatric surgery and pre-pregna...

Background: Placenta-associated syndromes (PAS) comprise a number of abnormal conditions during pregnancy associated with placental dysfunction, and include pre-eclampsia, eclampsia, gestational hypertension, placental infarction, placental abruption, and placenta previa. Although the effects of cocaine on some components of PAS have been examined,...

Background: Despite the comparatively high prevalence of stillbirth and infant mortality in the US, little is known regarding the association between the two. Previous research has indicated that women with prior fetal loss are at higher risk for adverse outcomes in subsequent pregnancies, including low birth weight, preterm, and stillbirth. Howeve...

We reviewed 450 cases of caesarean delivery (January-December 2009) at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital in Nigeria. We analysed the association between caesarean delivery status (primary or previous) and the following outcomes: abnormal blood-loss, blood transfusion and perinatal mortality. Although significant differences were observed b...

We used propensity scores matching techniques to assess the association between maternal cocaine abuse in pregnancy and the occurrence of placenta-associated syndromes (PAS). Mothers who abused cocaine (n=5026) were matched to controls (n=5026) from a sample of 1,693,197, unexposed mothers in Florida from 1998 to 2007. Cocaine abuse was identified...

To examine the association between infant mortality in a first pregnancy and risk for stillbirth in a second pregnancy. Population-based, retrospective cohort study. Maternally linked cohort data files for the state of Missouri. Women who had two singleton pregnancies in Missouri during the period 1989-2005 (n = 320 350). Women whose first pregnanc...

Background/aims: To examine the association between interpregnancy body mass index (BMI) change and stillbirth. Methods: Retrospective study using Missouri maternally linked cohort files (1978-2005). A total of 218,389 women were used in the analysis. BMI was classified as: underweight (<18.5), normal (18.5-24.9), overweight (25-29.9), or obese...

We sought to assess the association between air particulate pollutants and feto-infant morbidity outcomes across racial/ethnic subgroups. This is a retrospective cohort study from 2000 through 2007 based on three linked databases: (1) The Florida Hospital Discharge database; (2) The vital statistics records of singleton live births in Florida; (3)...

We sought to evaluate neonatal morbidity and mortality among women who experienced successful vaginal births after previous cesarean delivery (VBAC) by obesity subtypes. Missouri maternally linked cohort data files were utilized. Analyses were restricted to successful singleton VBACs. Main study outcomes were neonatal death and neonatal morbidity....

To explore the psycho-social impact of vesico-vaginal fistula (VVF) on women in Niger. We conducted a qualitative study on 21 women in convalescence at the DIMOL Reproductive Health Center in Niamey, Niger, in 2008 and 2009. The women had undergone 1-3 fistula repair operations and all had stillborn infants. Women reported many psychological conseq...

To examine temporal trends of cardiomyopathy in pregnancy and its association with feto-infant morbidity outcomes. We performed a population-based retrospective cohort analysis utilizing the Florida hospital discharge data linked to vital statistics for 1998 to 2007 (N = 1 738 860). Prevalence rates and trend statistics of cardiomyopathy were compu...

We investigate sex differences in the incidence of stillbirth, neonatal mortality, and perinatal mortality among singletons born to mothers with preeclampsia or eclampsia. Retrospective cohort analysis of a population-based sample of singleton births covering the period 1989 through 2005 (n = 56,313). The study population comprised 26,931 female (4...

We sought to assess (1) the relationship between air particulate pollutants and feto-infant morbidity outcomes and (2) the impact of a Federal Healthy Start program on this relationship. This is a retrospective cohort study using de-identified hospital discharge information linked to vital records, and air pollution data from 2000 through 2007 for...

We investigated whether changes in interpregnancy body mass index (BMI) influence the risk of gestational and type 2 diabetes among a cohort of women with two consecutive live, singleton births of 20-44 weeks gestation (n = 232,272). Logistic regression models were used to examine the risk for development of gestational or type 2 diabetes during th...

To investigate stillbirth, neonatal, and perinatal death outcomes in pregnancies complicated by placental abruption, according to fetal sex. We utilized maternally linked cohort data files of singleton live births to mothers diagnosed with placental abruption during the period 1989 through 2005 (n = 10,014). Logistic regression models were employed...

Numerous studies have shown an association between shorter birth intervals, and several adverse fetal outcomes, including low birth weight (LBW), preterm birth (PTB), and small for gestational age (SGA). However, there is little evidence on the effectiveness of interconception care on fetal outcomes associated with sub-optimal interpregnancy interv...

Numerous studies have shown an association between shorter birth intervals, and several adverse fetal outcomes, including low birth weight (LBW), preterm birth (PTB), and small for gestational age (SGA). However, there is little evidence on the effectiveness of interconception care on fetal outcomes associated with sub-optimal interpregnancy interv...

Efforts to reduce infant mortality in the United States have failed to incorporate paternal involvement. Research suggests that paternal involvement, which has been recognized as contributing to child development and health for many decades, is likely to affect infant mortality through the mother's well-being, primarily her access to resources and...

To evaluate the effectiveness of a Federal Healthy Start program in reducing primary and repeat teen pregnancies in a disadvantaged community. An ecological study that compares trends in teen pregnancy in the catchment area in which the community-based intervention was administered with two ecologic controls: the county (Hillsborough) and the state...

In Florida, data reveal a widening black-white disparity in infant mortality to the disadvantage of black families. Eight Florida counties have a significantly pronounced black-white infant mortality gap: Broward, Duval, Gadsden, Hillsborough, Miami-Dade, Orange, Palm Beach, and Putnam. The black Infant Health Community Collaborative (BIHCC) was es...

We sought to assess the contribution of paternal involvement to racial disparities in infant mortality. Using vital records data from singleton births in Florida between 1998 and 2005, we generated odds ratios (OR), 95% confidence intervals (CI), and preventative fractions to assess the association between paternal involvement and infant mortality....

Cervical cancer incidence and mortality have declined in the U.S. over the past 50 years because of broad screening efforts; however, some states continue to bear a greater burden due to under-screened and -treated populations. The purpose of this study was to utilize the socio-ecological model to examine barriers to cervical cancer screening and t...

The biology of placental and fetal development suggests that alcohol may play a significant role in increasing the risk of feto-infant morbidity and mortality, but study results are inconsistent and the mechanism remains poorly defined. Previous studies have not examined the risk of placenta-associated syndromes (PASs: defined as the occurrence of...

To examine the association between intimate partner violence (IPV; physical, sexual, and emotional violence) and induced abortion in Cameroon. We used data from the 2004 Cameroon Demographic Health Survey (DHS) and hierarchic multivariate modeling to compare the rates of induced abortion by IPV type. In 2004, 2570 women were administered the domest...

We examined the association between recurrent versus isolated pre-eclampsia and feto-infant morbidity outcomes. This is a population-based retrospective study on Florida hospital discharge data linked to the birth cohort files from 1998 through 2007. The study population comprised women with singleton first and second births who experienced pre-ecl...

To assess whether young maternal age at initiation of childbearing is associated with recurrence of perinatal mortality (PM), as well as its components: stillbirth and neonatal death. We conducted a population-based, retrospective cohort study on the Missouri maternally linked longitudinal data files comprising adolescent (10-19 years; n = 73,533)...

We examined whether the risk of preterm birth and its subtypes (medically indicated and spontaneous preterm) are influenced by changes in prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) between the first and second pregnancies. A population-based, retrospective cohort analysis was performed using the Missouri (1978 to 2005) longitudinally linked cohort data set...

To assess the impact of obesity on preterm birth among nulliparous women. Retrospective cohort study of nulliparous mothers delivering infants in Florida between 2004 and 2007. Women were classified as non-obese (pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) <30) or obese (BMI ≥ 30). The main outcomes assessed were preterm birth, very preterm birth and extre...

We examined the potential association between African couples' concordance on attitudes toward violence (ATV) and risk for intimate partner violence (IPV). Analyses included 13,837 couples from Demographic and Health Surveys conducted between 2003 and 2007, from six African countries. Concordance on ATV was defined as both spouses justifying physic...

Background: Cervical cancer mortality in the United States is twice as high among black women as white women. It is important for men to understand the role of HPV in increasing women's risk for cervical cancer and other ano-genital cancers common among men and women. However, because there is no routine screening test for men, research about HPV k...

Background: According to the World Health Organization, one in seven maternal deaths in Africa results from unsafe abortion. Approximately half of women in sub-Saharan Africa report abuse by a male partner. Recent research has begun to explore the intersection between violence and reproductive decision-making; however, the linkage between voluntary...

To examine trends in HIV/AIDS prevalence rates among pregnant women over the previous decade and across subpopulations in the state of Florida. We analyzed all Florida births from 1998 to 2007 (n = 1,700,734) using hospital discharge data linked to birth certificate records. The prevalence of HIV/AIDS in pregnancy decreased from 298 per 100,000 bir...

To review current research, policy, and practice on paternal involvement in pregnancy outcomes and suggest recommendations to improve paternal involvement in pregnancy and childbirth. Although much has been written about fathers' influence on child health and development, little is known about the expectant father's role in pregnancy and childbirth...

Researchers have long debated the adverse effects of exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) on children versus the benefits of breastfeeding. In this article, the authors provide an overview of the known health effects of PCBs in children and examine the level of evidence regarding the risk of postnatal exposure via breastfeeding. The major s...

We sought to estimate the impact of prepregnancy obesity on demise of one or both fetuses in twin gestations. We performed a retrospective cohort study using the Missouri maternally linked cohort files (years 1989-2005). Prepregnancy obesity was defined as a BMI >or=30. Outcomes of interest were stillbirth (intrauterine fetal death at >or=20 weeks'...

To examine the association between obesity subtypes and risk of early and late pre-eclampsia. Population-based retrospective study. State of Missouri maternally linked birth cohort files. All singleton live births in the state of Missouri from 1989 to 2005. The body mass index (BMI) was used to classify women as normal weight (BMI = 18.5-24.9 kg/m(...

The purpose of this study was to examine the association between prenatal alcohol consumption and the occurrence of placental abruption and placenta previa in a population-based sample. We used linked birth data files to conduct a retrospective cohort study of singleton deliveries in the state of Missouri during the period 1989 through 2005 (n = 1,...

To examine the association between prior pre-eclampsia and subsequent stillbirth in black women and white women. This is a population-based retrospective study of Missouri maternally linked birth cohort files from 1989 to 2005. We analyzed singleton first and second births to mothers in the state of Missouri. The study population comprised women wh...

To assess whether advanced maternal age modifies the relationship between maternal pregravid weight status, gestational weight gain patterns, and the occurrence of spontaneous preterm birth (SPB) and medically indicated preterm birth (MIPB). Retrospective cohort analysis of vital statistics data from the state of Florida for the period 2004 through...

Cigarette smoking is an established risk factor for adverse perinatal outcomes. The purpose of this study is to examine the association between maternal smoking in pregnancy and the occurrence of placental-associated syndromes (PAS). We analyzed data from a population-based retrospective cohort of singleton deliveries that occurred in the state of...