Raising awareness about early puberty
KP Research Radio talks to Ai Kubo, PhD, MPH, about her research into why girls are starting puberty earlier than they have in the past, risks associated with early puberty — and potential interventions.
Kaiser Permanente
Division of Research Spotlight
The Kaiser Permanente Division of Research conducts, publishes, and disseminates epidemiologic and health services research to improve the health and medical care of Kaiser Permanente members and society at large. We seek to understand the determinants of illness and well-being, and to improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of health care. Currently, DOR’s 550-plus staff is working on more than 350 epidemiological and health services research projects.
Kaiser Permanente researchers study pandemic pregnancies
Kaiser Permanente researchers are surveying pregnant women during the pandemic and the first findings from the survey show a low percentage of COVID-19 infections, with higher prevalence among younger women, Hispanic women, and those living in neighborhoods with greater economic deprivation.
Study finds no link between autism and common antidepressant when used in pregnancy
Mothers with psychiatric conditions such as depression and anxiety were more likely to have a child with autism than mothers without such conditions, new research led by Kaiser Permanente investigators finds. But the analysis found no association between use of common antidepressants by pregnant women and likelihood of autism in their children.
Healthy lifestyle linked to lower risk of preterm birth
A combination of 3 healthy lifestyle factors is associated with a 70% lower risk of preterm birth, according to an analysis of data from a Kaiser Permanente study involving nearly 2,500 pregnant women in Northern California.
Exercising more in early pregnancy may reduce gestational diabetes risk
Pregnant women who exercised more during the first trimester of pregnancy had a lower risk of developing gestational diabetes, a new analysis of Kaiser Permanente data finds.
5 Questions for . . . Lyndsay Avalos
To help pregnant women make informed decisions, Division of Research (DOR) investigator Lyndsay Avalos, PhD, MPH is leading a study to shed light on the nuances of depression treatment during pregnancy. Avalos recently received a $3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study the topic.
Study identifies geographic clusters of pregnant women who missed flu shots
A Kaiser Permanente analysis of women who did not get flu shots during their pregnancies found the women clustered in geographic “hot spots.” These women tended to have fewer prenatal medical visits and live in low-income neighborhoods.
Telephone coaching helped pregnant women with overweight or obesity manage gestational weight gain
Pregnant women with overweight or obesity better controlled their weight gain and improved health behaviors when they received a series of telephone sessions with a registered dietician, a new study from Kaiser Permanente finds.
Depressed pregnant women more likely to eat poorer diets, Kaiser Permanente analysis finds
Pregnant women with depression were more likely to eat poor diets with a higher intake of empty calories and lower intake of greens, beans, and fruit, according to an analysis of 1,160 adult pregnant women who were treated at Kaiser Permanente Northern California.
Study finds no evidence of harm to infant development after mothers get flu vaccine while pregnant
A Kaiser Permanente study of women who were given inactivated influenza vaccine while pregnant found no indication of developmental problems for their babies at 6 months old.
