L L Sievert
Biographic Data
| ID | 5061 |
|---|---|
| NAME | L L Sievert |
| GIVEN NAMES | L L |
| FAMILY NAME | Sievert |
| SIGNATURE | SIEVERT L L |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Massachusetts Amherst |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-2703-6519 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 39 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 24 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 39 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1998 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Sex and Gender: Toward Transforming Scientific Practice
Women's Health: Contributions From Human Biology
The purpose of this review was to examine how human biologists have contributed to the field of women's health over the past 50 years. Prompted by the increasing international interest in gender equality during the 1970s and the beginning of the Human Biology Council in 1974, studies published in Human Biology (1974–1979) were reviewed for topical content. Based on the increasing national attention to the study of women's health and the inclusion…
Bothersome symptoms at midlife in relation to body fat percentage
OBJECTIVES: Increasing obesity has been associated with a higher frequency of symptoms at midlife. Bothersomeness represents an important measure of perceived symptom severity, but has received relatively little consideration, and relationships between symptom bothersomeness and obesity are not known. We evaluated the association between body fat percentage (%BF) and the bothersomeness of symptoms at midlife. METHODS: This cross-sectional study i…
Brown Adipose Tissue Activity and Childhood Exposure to Cold Are Associated With Hot Flashes at Menopause
OBJECTIVE: Hot flashes (HFs) are experienced as sudden sensations of heat. We hypothesized that brown adipose tissue (BAT) activation could increase the likelihood of HFs in winter. The aim of this study was to test whether women with more BAT activity were more likely to experience self-reported or biometrically measured HFs. METHODS: Women aged 45-55 years (n = 270) participated in face-to-face interviews and anthropometric and ambulatory measu…
Religious minority identity associates with stress and psychological health among Muslim and Hindu women in Bangladesh and London
OBJECTIVES: This study examined the association of minority religious identification (Hindu or Muslim) with self-reported stress and psychological symptoms among sedentee and immigrant Bangladeshi women. METHODS: Women, aged 35-59 (n = 531) were drawn from Sylhet, Bangladesh and London, England. Muslim immigrants in London and Hindu sedentees in Sylhet represented minority religious identities. Muslim sedentees in Sylhet and Londoners of European…
The Impact of a Lifestyle Intervention on Cardiometabolic Risk Factors among Postpartum Hispanic Women with Overweight and Obesity in a Randomized Controlled Trial (Proyecto Mamá)
Mean age at menarche and climate variables on a global scale
We propose that later ages at menarche in countries with high fertility may be a life-history strategy developed in response to climatic conditions that have resulted in higher immunological load. In these conditions, females may prioritize growth rather than reproduction. Shifts in climate and global population growth may change the future biological landscape of age at menarche
Relationship of Estradiol and Progesterone with Partnership and Parity Among Bangladeshi and British Women of European Origin
Hand grip strength, standing balance, and rapid foot tapping in relation to the menopausal transition in Campeche, Mexico
OBJECTIVES: This cross-sectional study investigated menopause status in relation to hand grip strength, standing balance, and rapid foot tapping. A secondary aim was to examine the relationship between physical performance and urban/rural residence with a focus on habitual daily tasks. METHODS: Maya and non-Maya women (40-60 years) were drawn from urban and rural sites in Campeche, Mexico (n = 543). Demographic, reproductive, and lifestyle inform…
No impact of developmental conditions on serum estradiol levels among Bangladeshi women in the UK and Bangladesh
INTRODUCTION: While many aspects of female ovarian function respond to environmental stressors, estradiol (E2) appears less sensitive to stressors than progesterone, except under extreme ecological conditions. However, earlier studies relied on saliva samples, considered less sensitive than blood. Here, we investigated E2 variation among 177 Bangladeshi and UK white women, aged 35-59, using single serum samples. Bangladeshi women either grew up i…
Symptoms at midlife among women in Nagaland, India
OBJECTIVES: This article highlights the prevalence of symptom frequencies in Nagaland, India, with a focus on depressed mood and hot flashes. We also examine how symptoms cluster together among Naga women and identify factors associated with symptom experience. We hypothesized an elevated frequency of depressed mood because of the stresses associated with social responsibilities within a patriarchal culture, and a low frequency of hot flashes bec…
When Does Fertility End? The Timing of Tubal Ligations and Hysterectomies, and the Meaning of Menopause
We applied a biocultural lens to examine the temporal order of biological, behavioral, and medical events related to fertility across the female reproductive lifespan in three sites, two in Mexico and one in the United States. Using a mixed-method design, we expanded our thinking about the end of fertility in order to examine the timing of hysterectomies and tubal ligations. We discovered that menopause is not the end of fertility for a surprisin…
Meetings of the Human Biology Association, 2019
Hot Flashes Associated with Menopause in the State of Campeche, Mexico: Biometric Measurement and Self-Reported Experience
The purpose of this study was to apply a phenomenological perspective in order to better understand hot flashes among 87 Maya, 60 non-Maya, and 8 uncategorized women from rural and urban communities in the state of Campeche, Mexico. We combined in-depth interviews with ambulatory hot flash monitors to show that while the majority of women had biometrically measurable sternal (75%) and nuchal (81%) hot flashes, they were less likely to report hot …
Variation in levels of AMH among Maya and non‐Maya women in Campeche, Mexico
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels among women of Maya and non-Maya ancestry in the city of Campeche, Mexico. Levels of AMH can potentially predict age at menopause. Previous studies have indicated an early mean age at menopause among the Maya. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Women aged 40-60 (n = 97) participated in semistructured interviews, anthropometric measures, and blood samples. Maya/non-Maya e…
Hot flash report and measurement among Bangladeshi migrants, their London neighbors, and their community of origin
OBJECTIVES: To examine hot flashes in relation to climate and activity patterns, and to compare subjective and objective hot flashes among Bangladeshi immigrants to London, their white London neighbors, and women still living in their community of origin, Sylhet, Bangladesh ("sedentees"). METHODS: Ninety-five women, aged 40-55, wore the Biolog ambulatory hot flash monitor. Objective measurements and subjective hot flash reports were examined in r…
Cross cultural analysis of factors associated with age at natural menopause among latin‐american immigrants to madrid and their spanish neighbors
OBJECTIVES: In this study, age at menopause was examined in relation to demographic and life style factors among Latin-American immigrants to Madrid and their Spanish counterparts. METHODS: Respondents were drawn from the Decisions at Menopause Study (2002-2003) and from a recent sample of Latin-American immigrants to Madrid (2010-2011). The final sample included 484 women after excluding women with induced menopause and use of HT. Probit analyse…
Subjective and objective measures of hot flashes
Up to 75% of women in the US report having experienced hot flashes during the menopausal transition. The purpose of this review is to describe the physiology of hot flashes, and the ways in which hot flashes have been examined by subjective report and by objective measurement. Hot flashes occur because of an activation of the heat dissipation response, possibly triggered by a hypothalamic mechanism within the context of declining estrogen levels.…
Life course effects on age at menopause among Bangladeshi sedentees and migrants to the UK
OBJECTIVES: To assess how different variables experienced across the life course, but particularly during early life, might affect age at menopause among 174 Bangladeshi migrants to London by comparing them to 157 nonmigrant sedentees and 154 women of European descent in London. METHODS: Participants were aged 35-59 years, with no exogenous hormone use in the past three months, not pregnant or lactating, with no history of hysterectomy or oophore…
Somatic, mood, and vasomotor symptoms at midlife in relation to family structure and household workloads in Sylhet, Bangladesh
The purpose of this study was to test whether the frequencies of vasomotor, somatic, and emotional symptoms at midlife were associated with household composition or workloads. Patrilocal family arrangements are common in Bangladesh and, since mothers-in-law hold a position of power vis-à-vis their daughters-in-law, we hypothesized that living with a mother-in-law would increase the likelihood of symptoms at midlife, while living with a daughter-i…
Voices From the Hilo Women's Health Study: Talking Story About Menopause
Our purpose in conducting this qualitative study was to examine how a multiethnic sample of women living in Hilo, Hawai'i, describe menopause. Interviews were conducted with 185 pre-, peri-, and post-menopausal women aged 45 to 55. We found that pre-menopausal women felt anxious compared with peri- and post-menopausal women's more affirmative attitudes of increasing confidence and freedom in this new cycle of life. A dominant theme was the constr…
Prevalence and determinants of headaches in Hawaii: The Hilo Women's Health Study
Standardized measures of daily hassles, life and job satisfaction were not associated with headaches. The relationship between headaches and having young children suggests that the everyday stress of family life is a headache risk. This may be particularly true in Hilo, Hawaii, where the value of family is culturally prioritized
Relationship Between Hot Flashes and Ambulatory Blood Pressure: The Hilo Women's Health Study
OBJECTIVES: To examine ambulatory blood pressure (BP) differences between women who report hot flashes (HFs) and those who do not, and to observe whether an objectively measured HF is associated with transient changes in BP. HFs have been associated with elevated BP, but studies have not examined the relationship between objectively measured HFs and blood pressure during normal daily activities. METHODS: A sample of 202 women in Hilo, Hawaii, age…
Patterns of occurrence and concordance between subjective and objective hot flashes among Muslim and Hindu women in Sylhet, Bangladesh
This study examined the pattern of occurrence and the rate of concordance between objective hot flashes measured by sternal skin conductance and the subjective experience of “gorom vap laga” (feeling steaming hot) among Muslim and Hindu women living in Sylhet, Bangladesh. Participants were aged 40–55, not pregnant or lactating, not using hormone therapy, and with no history of hysterectomy. Thirty women wore an ambulatory hot flash monitor for 8 …
Medication Use and Gender in Massachusetts: Results of a Household Survey
In this study, we investigate the extent to which women and men differ in patterns of medication use, based on quantitative and qualitative data from a household survey in Western Massachusetts. Using a broad definition of medications, 96% of the sample reported taking one or more medications in the month preceding the survey (86% if vitamins, supplements, and alternative medications are excluded). Twenty-one percent of respondents reported takin…
Age at Menopause in Puebla, Mexico
Comparisons of age at menopause are made difficult by the different methodologies applied across populations. This study extended an opportunity to apply different methodologies to the same data to draw some preliminary conclusions about age at menopause in Puebla, Mexico. Among 755 women aged 28 to 70 interviewed in the capital city of Puebla, Mexico, 447 (59.6%) were naturally or surgically postmenopausal. Mean recalled age at natural menopause…
Hot Flashes Associated with Menopause in the State of Campeche, Mexico: Biometric Measurement and Self-Reported Experience
The purpose of this study was to apply a phenomenological perspective in order to better understand hot flashes among 87 Maya, 60 non-Maya, and 8 uncategorized women from rural and urban communities in the state of Campeche, Mexico. We combined in-depth interviews with ambulatory hot flash monitors to show that while the majority of women had biometrically measurable sternal (75%) and nuchal (81%) hot flashes, they were less likely to report hot …
Geographical distribution of hot flash frequencies: Considering climatic influences
Laboratory studies suggest that hot flashes are triggered by small elevations in core body temperature acting within a reduced thermoneutral zone, i.e., the temperature range in which a woman neither shivers nor sweats. In the present study, it was hypothesized that women in different populations develop climate-specific thermoneutral zones, and ultimately, population-specific frequencies of hot flashes at menopause. Correlations were predicted b…
Hot flash report and measurement among Bangladeshi migrants, their London neighbors, and their community of origin
OBJECTIVES: To examine hot flashes in relation to climate and activity patterns, and to compare subjective and objective hot flashes among Bangladeshi immigrants to London, their white London neighbors, and women still living in their community of origin, Sylhet, Bangladesh ("sedentees"). METHODS: Ninety-five women, aged 40-55, wore the Biolog ambulatory hot flash monitor. Objective measurements and subjective hot flash reports were examined in r…
Musculoskeletal pain among women of menopausal age in Puebla, Mexico
Urinary LH level and hot flash frequency: A preliminary report.
For many women in the United States, the perimenopause is characterized by irregular menstrual cycles and menopausal discomforts (e.g. hot flashes). Clinically, there is great intra- and inter- individual variation in hormone levels. The purpose of this study was to assess variation in urinary LH levels in relation to menopausal hot flashes. Data were drawn from a study of the menopause transition in Western Massachusetts (n=155). Urine samples f…
Marital status and age at natural menopause: Considering pheromonal influence
Married women generally report a later mean age at menopause. The results reported here, from a study carried out in Greene County, New York, are no exception. Married and widowed women report a later mean age at natural menopause compared to single and divorced women ( P
Menopause as a measure of population health: An overview
429-433
Effects of age, ethnicity and menopause on ambulatory blood pressure: Japanese‐American and Caucasian school teachers in Hawaii
Ambulatory blood pressure (BP) measurements of 120 female teachers of Japanese‐American or Caucasian ethnicity working in public schools located in Hilo, Hawaii, were recorded. BP was measured at 15‐min intervals during waking hours and 30‐min intervals during sleep over a 24‐hr period that included a full work day. These measurements were averaged during three daily settings: at work, at home while awake (“home”), and during sleep. ANCOVAs using…
Sex, Gender and Health (review)
From the beginning of Sex, Gender and Health, it is not clear whether the aim of the edited volume is to show how anthropologists explain differences in the health experiences of men and women (first sentence) or whether the aim is to show why the differences in health experience exist (second sentence). This confusion (are facts produced or uncovered?) highlights the difficulty of achieving the book's second aim: to bring social and biological a…
Risk factors for hysterectomy among Mexican‐American women in the U.S. southwest
The purpose of this study was to assess risk factors associated with a history of hysterectomy among Mexican-American women living in the United States Southwest. Mexican-American women ages 20-74 at time of interview were defined as a subpopulation among adults in the Hispanic Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (HHANES), 1982-1984. Language preference, reproductive history, level of education, poverty status, generation of immigration, mari…
Female Fertility and the Body Fat Connection (review)
Age at Menopause in Puebla, Mexico
Comparisons of age at menopause are made difficult by the different methodologies applied across populations. This study extended an opportunity to apply different methodologies to the same data to draw some preliminary conclusions about age at menopause in Puebla, Mexico. Among 755 women aged 28 to 70 interviewed in the capital city of Puebla, Mexico, 447 (59.6%) were naturally or surgically postmenopausal. Mean recalled age at natural menopause…
Physiology of the Graafian follicle and ovulation
172-173
Ambulatory blood pressure and heart rate in relation to hot flash experience among women of menopausal age
These data suggest first that there may be a relationship between the experience of hot flashes and accelerated heart rate, and second that women who do not experience hot flashes may have lower sleep blood pressures than women who do
Validating signals of ovulation: Do women who think they know, really know
This study was carried out to test whether women who think they know when they ovulate, really know. Fifty-three women of age 18.7 to 46.1 (mean age 28.4 years) participated in initial interviews about ovulation. Criteria for recruitment included perceived ovulation, regular menstrual cycles, and not using hormonal contraception. Women collected and refrigerated urine samples from day 5 until they thought they ovulated. Samples collected within 4…
Musculoskeletal pain among women of menopausal age in Puebla, Mexico
Geographical distribution of hot flash frequencies: Considering climatic influences
Laboratory studies suggest that hot flashes are triggered by small elevations in core body temperature acting within a reduced thermoneutral zone, i.e., the temperature range in which a woman neither shivers nor sweats. In the present study, it was hypothesized that women in different populations develop climate-specific thermoneutral zones, and ultimately, population-specific frequencies of hot flashes at menopause. Correlations were predicted b…
Determinants of hot flashes and night sweats
In logistic regression analyses, alcohol consumption was a significant predictor of vasomotor symptoms. A slightly different set of variables were associated with hot flashes compared to night sweats
Medication Use and Gender in Massachusetts: Results of a Household Survey
In this study, we investigate the extent to which women and men differ in patterns of medication use, based on quantitative and qualitative data from a household survey in Western Massachusetts. Using a broad definition of medications, 96% of the sample reported taking one or more medications in the month preceding the survey (86% if vitamins, supplements, and alternative medications are excluded). Twenty-one percent of respondents reported takin…
Patterns of occurrence and concordance between subjective and objective hot flashes among Muslim and Hindu women in Sylhet, Bangladesh
This study examined the pattern of occurrence and the rate of concordance between objective hot flashes measured by sternal skin conductance and the subjective experience of “gorom vap laga” (feeling steaming hot) among Muslim and Hindu women living in Sylhet, Bangladesh. Participants were aged 40–55, not pregnant or lactating, not using hormone therapy, and with no history of hysterectomy. Thirty women wore an ambulatory hot flash monitor for 8 …
Relationship Between Hot Flashes and Ambulatory Blood Pressure: The Hilo Women's Health Study
OBJECTIVES: To examine ambulatory blood pressure (BP) differences between women who report hot flashes (HFs) and those who do not, and to observe whether an objectively measured HF is associated with transient changes in BP. HFs have been associated with elevated BP, but studies have not examined the relationship between objectively measured HFs and blood pressure during normal daily activities. METHODS: A sample of 202 women in Hilo, Hawaii, age…
Prevalence and determinants of headaches in Hawaii: The Hilo Women's Health Study
Standardized measures of daily hassles, life and job satisfaction were not associated with headaches. The relationship between headaches and having young children suggests that the everyday stress of family life is a headache risk. This may be particularly true in Hilo, Hawaii, where the value of family is culturally prioritized
Cross cultural analysis of factors associated with age at natural menopause among latin‐american immigrants to madrid and their spanish neighbors
OBJECTIVES: In this study, age at menopause was examined in relation to demographic and life style factors among Latin-American immigrants to Madrid and their Spanish counterparts. METHODS: Respondents were drawn from the Decisions at Menopause Study (2002-2003) and from a recent sample of Latin-American immigrants to Madrid (2010-2011). The final sample included 484 women after excluding women with induced menopause and use of HT. Probit analyse…
Subjective and objective measures of hot flashes
Up to 75% of women in the US report having experienced hot flashes during the menopausal transition. The purpose of this review is to describe the physiology of hot flashes, and the ways in which hot flashes have been examined by subjective report and by objective measurement. Hot flashes occur because of an activation of the heat dissipation response, possibly triggered by a hypothalamic mechanism within the context of declining estrogen levels.…
Life course effects on age at menopause among Bangladeshi sedentees and migrants to the UK
OBJECTIVES: To assess how different variables experienced across the life course, but particularly during early life, might affect age at menopause among 174 Bangladeshi migrants to London by comparing them to 157 nonmigrant sedentees and 154 women of European descent in London. METHODS: Participants were aged 35-59 years, with no exogenous hormone use in the past three months, not pregnant or lactating, with no history of hysterectomy or oophore…
Somatic, mood, and vasomotor symptoms at midlife in relation to family structure and household workloads in Sylhet, Bangladesh
The purpose of this study was to test whether the frequencies of vasomotor, somatic, and emotional symptoms at midlife were associated with household composition or workloads. Patrilocal family arrangements are common in Bangladesh and, since mothers-in-law hold a position of power vis-à-vis their daughters-in-law, we hypothesized that living with a mother-in-law would increase the likelihood of symptoms at midlife, while living with a daughter-i…
Voices From the Hilo Women's Health Study: Talking Story About Menopause
Our purpose in conducting this qualitative study was to examine how a multiethnic sample of women living in Hilo, Hawai'i, describe menopause. Interviews were conducted with 185 pre-, peri-, and post-menopausal women aged 45 to 55. We found that pre-menopausal women felt anxious compared with peri- and post-menopausal women's more affirmative attitudes of increasing confidence and freedom in this new cycle of life. A dominant theme was the constr…
Hot flash report and measurement among Bangladeshi migrants, their London neighbors, and their community of origin
OBJECTIVES: To examine hot flashes in relation to climate and activity patterns, and to compare subjective and objective hot flashes among Bangladeshi immigrants to London, their white London neighbors, and women still living in their community of origin, Sylhet, Bangladesh ("sedentees"). METHODS: Ninety-five women, aged 40-55, wore the Biolog ambulatory hot flash monitor. Objective measurements and subjective hot flash reports were examined in r…
Variation in levels of AMH among Maya and non‐Maya women in Campeche, Mexico
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels among women of Maya and non-Maya ancestry in the city of Campeche, Mexico. Levels of AMH can potentially predict age at menopause. Previous studies have indicated an early mean age at menopause among the Maya. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Women aged 40-60 (n = 97) participated in semistructured interviews, anthropometric measures, and blood samples. Maya/non-Maya e…
Medicine (31 works) · Demography (24 works) · Internal Medicine (23 works) · Menopause: Health Impacts and Treatments (19 works) · Menopause (15 works) · Gerontology (12 works) · Population (11 works) · Psychology (10 works) · Sociology (10 works) · Anthropometry (8 works)