Explaining the Female Black-White Obesity Gap: A Decomposition Analysis of Proximal Causes

There exist remarkably large differences in body weights and obesity prevalence between black and white women in the United States; and crucially, these differences are a significant contributor to black-white inequalities in health. In this article, we investigate the most proximal explanations for the weight gap: namely, differences in diet and exercise. More specifically, we decompose black-white differences in body mass index and waist-to-height ratio into components reflecting black-white differences in energy intake and energy expenditure. The analysis indicates that overconsumption is much more important than a lack of exercise in explaining the weight gap, which suggests that diet interventions will have to play a fundamental role if the weight gap between black and white women is to decline.     

Activism among older women in Quebec, Canada: changing the world after age 65

The aim of this article is to examine senior women's involvement experience in Quebec, Canada. Study results are based on a qualitative methodology, and shed light on family history and continuity in the involvement trajectory, diversity in terms of group type and involvement practices, and gender differences in involvement. The meaning that older women attribute to their involvement is also addressed, including attitudes toward feminism. The discussion highlights the extent to which older women's involvement has been marked by their life trajectories, above and beyond their age. In sum, their involvement in the private and public spheres is quite impressive.     

Caring for a Memory-Impaired Spouse:

Since caregiving is often viewed as an extension of the female's traditional role of caring, it could easily be assumed that women would have the advantage in the role of primary caregiver to an impaired partner. Research however does not support this. Rather, studies have found that women, and particularly wives, who are caring for a memory impaired relative have repeatedly identified greater distress in the caregiving role than their male counterparts. Unfortunately, to date, the differential reactions of women are poorly understood. This limits effective intervention. The purpose of this article then, is to begin to develop a framework for conceptualizing the gendered impact of caring for a memory-impaired partner in order to better understand women's, and particularly wives', reaction. Specifically, using a relational perspective the experience of living with a memory impaired husband will be explored.     

The influence of network mortality experience on nonnumeric response concerning expected family size: Evidence from a Nepalese mountain village

This article investigates the effects of sociometric network members' self-reported experiences with infant mortality on nonnumeric responses regarding expected family size among women in a small Nepalese community. The hypotheses tested include (1) that uncertainty about child survival, measured as average infant mortality across social networks, increases the likelihood of a nonnumeric response and (2) that this effect will be stronger when there is less variance in infant mortality experience within women a networks. The results suggest that nonnumeric response may be related to uncertainty about mortality derived through social learning.     

Functional discomfort and a shift in midwifery paradigm

ObjectiveTo determine and critically examine maternity attitudes surrounding labour pain and how midwives can best facilitate women navigating intrapartum discomfort without relying on ‘pain-relief’ strategies or immediate recourse for analgesic assistance.ApproachThis article examines current literature using seminal research and wider international perspectives, exploring the complex and fluctuating needs of women negotiating the composite factors of labour discomfort are investigated.FindingsFactors such as birth environment, fear, midwifery presence, and self-efficacy, have a significant impact on the uptake of intrapartum analgesia. A holistic view of intrapartum discomfort is needed to shift the current paradigm of pathologising labour pain into one which situates it as a source of positive physiology and functional discomfort.ConclusionContinuing to practice with a pharmacological outlook, aiming to rid the labouring body of discomfort, is reductionist for both midwives and women. Midwives must seek to employ a new lexicon with which to communicate and facilitate women within the dynamic and continually changing territory of labour. If this conceptual shift is realised, the subsequent positive sequalae of women rediscovering their innate birthing capabilities could create a situation where birth can be considered as an aesthetic peak experience, improving satisfaction on both sides of the midwife-mother diad.     

Unblurring the lines: a qualitative exploration of young women’s opinions on popular music

Music is an important part of the human experience, arguably contributing to identity and the formation of relationships and group memberships. However, the way women are portrayed in music has been identified as harmful and disempowering. Past research relating music to these trends has often failed to “give voice” to participants by asking them what think about the music they listen to, which is in itself disempowering. Therefore, the aim of this study was to gain an understanding of young women’s perspectives of popular music. Face-to-face, in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 young women. Causal layered analysis was used to deconstruct participants’ understandings of popular music. Findings revealed that for participants, music can both reflect and contribute to conflicting worldviews regarding women’s freedom of expression and sexual conservatism. Music also acted as a conduit for discussion of the social construction of women; participants articulated that female artists are seen rather than heard, reduced to body parts and commodified. Findings indicate that participants are cognizant of gendered power differences in music, rendering popular music in particular a mechanism for the oppression of women, but also a useful means to monitor and challenge problematic cultural attitudes directed at women.     

The Ending of Menstruation: Perspectives and Experiences of Lesbian and Heterosexual Women

This article aims to theorize how a sample of menopausal women, lesbian and heterosexual, construct the ending of their periods, and what the experience means for them. Findings indicate that for most of the lesbian participants (who were in a sizeable minority), emotions of loss at the ending of periods were simultaneously expressed alongside positive feelings, and they engaged in greater introspection around the issue than did heterosexual women. However, lesbians did not all take up a singular subject position in relation to menstruation, indicating that there is fragmentation and plurality in how the body is experienced across a group.     

The ending of menstruation: perspectives and experiences of lesbian and heterosexual women

This article aims to theorize how a sample of menopausal women, lesbian and heterosexual, construct the ending of their periods, and what the experience means for them. Findings indicate that for most of the lesbian participants (who were in a sizeable minority), emotions of loss at the ending of periods were simultaneously expressed alongside positive feelings, and they engaged in greater introspection around the issue than did heterosexual women. However, lesbians did not all take up a singular subject position in relation to menstruation, indicating that there is fragmentation and plurality in how the body is experienced across a group.     

Activism Among Older Women in Quebec,Canada: Changing the World After Age 65

ABSTRACT

The aim of this article is to examine senior women's involvement experience in Quebec, Canada. Study results are based on a qualitative methodology, and shed light on family history and continuity in the involvement trajectory, diversity in terms of group type and involvement practices, and gender differences in involvement. The meaning that older women attribute to their involvement is also addressed, including attitudes toward feminism. The discussion highlights the extent to which older women's involvement has been marked by their life trajectories, above and beyond their age. In sum, their involvement in the private and public spheres is quite impressive.     

Proud to be a woman: Womanhood,old age,and emotions

ABSTRACT

This article takes its starting point in the discussions regarding intersecting discourses of gender and age and the lived experience of older women. The main objective is to discuss the experience of womanhood among older women and to demonstrate their active role in creating spaces for themselves and their friends and affecting each other. The study is based on narrative interviews with female members of the University of the Third Age (U3A). The main findings describe older women who actively engage with discourses of gender to embark on positive constructions of womanhood. They create their own spaces for women’s activism that are filled with positive emotions mobilized to support each other. This article discusses such findings and their relevance to the study of old age and gender. As a result, it serves as an invitation to think and feel differently about older women and their experience of womanhood.     

流动妇女心理健康状况分析

通过对江苏省张家港市和江阴市流动人口基本情况和症状自评量表(SCL-90)的实地调查,从流动妇女的人口社会学因素和流动经历特征分层分析流动妇女的心理健康状况。流动妇女心理健康水平低于成年正常女性;从人口社会学因素来看,未婚、无小孩、年轻的流动妇女心理健康水平较低;从流动经历来看,常回老家者、和家人同在一个城市者、对生活状况满意者的心理健康状况相对较好。     

Self-management of a chronic illness: An exploratory study on the role of spirituality among older African American women

Living with a chronic illness is an experience characterized by changes in self-management behavior. Few studies have addressed the role of spirituality in the self-management of a chronic illness among older African American women. The purpose of this exploratory study was to understand the role of spirituality in the self-management of chronic illness. Data from a sample of 10 African American women were collected from semi-structured interviews and analyzed for common themes through narrative analysis. Four themes emerge from the linkage of spirituality and self-management. Understanding this experience will assist public health providers in creating culturally appropriate health education interventions.     

Childbirth experience in women participating in a continuity of midwifery care project

BackgroundContinuity models of care are rare in Sweden, despite the evidence of their benefit to women and babies. Previous studies have shown certain factors are associated with a positive birth experience, including continuity of midwifery care.AimThe aim was to investigate women's childbirth experiences in relation to background data, birth outcome and continuity with a known midwife, in a rural area of Sweden.MethodsAn experimental cohort study. Participating women were offered continuity of midwifery care in pregnancy and birth, during selected time periods. Data were collected in mid-pregnancy and two months after birth. The Childbirth Experience Questionnaire was used to determine women's birth experiences.ResultA total of 226 women responded to the follow-up questionnaire. Not living with a partner, fear of giving birth, and a birth preference other than vaginal were associated with a less positive birth experience. Having had a vaginal birth with no epidural, no augmentation and no birth complication all yield a better birth experience. Women who had had a known midwife were more likely to have had a positive birth experience overall, predominantly in the domain Professional support.ConclusionsThe results of this study showed that women who received care from a known midwife in labour were more likely to have a positive birth experience. The results also pointed out the benefits of a less medicalized birth as important for a good birth experience, and that some women may need extra support to avoid a less positive birth experience.     

Self-Management of a Chronic Illness: An Exploratory Study on the Role of Spirituality Among Older African American Women

ABSTRACT

Living with a chronic illness is an experience characterized by changes in self-management behavior. Few studies have addressed the role of spirituality in the self-management of a chronic illness among older African American women. The purpose of this exploratory study was to understand the role of spirituality in the self-management of chronic illness. Data from a sample of 10 African American women were collected from semi-structured interviews and analyzed for common themes through narrative analysis. Four themes emerge from the linkage of spirituality and self-management. Understanding this experience will assist public health providers in creating culturally appropriate health education interventions.     

Research on persistent pain in late life: current topics and challenges

Older women often experience pain in their daily lives. This article provides an overview of topics addressed in the geriatric pain research published between 1999 and 2004. New areas of emphasis of research have emerged such as the recognition of body mass and weight as a factor in persistent pain, while other areas have expanded, including the focus on pain among elders with cognitive impairments and the use of alternative treatment approaches. Understanding of pain in late life is hindered by study samples that lack diversity, treatment approaches that are narrowly focused, and a lack of attention to quality of life issues.     

Racial and Ethnic Variation in the Relationship Between Student Loan Debt and the Transition to First Birth

The present study employs discrete-time hazard regression models to investigate the relationship between student loan debt and the probability of transitioning to either marital or nonmarital first childbirth using the 1997 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY97). Accounting for nonrandom selection into student loans using propensity scores, our study reveals that the effect of student loan debt on the transition to motherhood differs among white, black, and Hispanic women. Hispanic women holding student loans experience significant declines in the probability of transitioning to both marital and nonmarital motherhood, whereas black women with student loans are significantly more likely to transition to any first childbirth. Indebted white women experience only a decrease in the probability of a marital first birth. The results from this study suggest that student loans will likely play a key role in shaping future demographic patterns and behaviors.     

Overeducation as Status Inconsistency: Effects on Job Satisfaction,Subjective Well-Being and the Image of Social Stratification

Social Indicators Research - In this article, we aim to study the effects of the experience of overeducation, understood as a specific form of status inconsistency, in three areas: job...     

Experiences of Purpose in Life When Becoming and Being a Very Old Woman

The aim of the study was to illuminate how very old women describe their experiences of purpose in life (PIL) in narratives about becoming and being very old. The participants comprised 30 women selected from 120 women who had answered the PIL test and had been interviewed about their experiences of being very old. The interviews were analyzed with qualitative content analysis, which revealed four themes: having a positive view of life, living in relation to God, having meaningful activities, and simply existing. Our findings show that very old women experience purpose in life both in their daily activities and in their contact with a spiritual world. It seems to be facilitated by a positive view of life. Although the results were dominated by a positive view of life, some of the participants saw their lives in terms of simply existing, and did not experience purpose in life.     

The Effect of Sensorimotor Training on the Postural Stability of Visually Impaired Women Over 50 Years of Age

Previous studies indicated that blind and visually impaired people are a group with greater risk of falls. Postmenopausal changes significantly decrease physical efficiency and impair the body’s mechanisms for maintaining postural stability. In addition, the frequency of falls among women is much higher than in men. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of sensorimotor exercise on changes in postural stability of visually impaired women over 50 years of age. Visually impaired women from group E showed a lower level of postural stability measured with EO compared to the healthy women. After completing the exercise, a more pronounced improvement in the level of postural stability was observed in group E.     

Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain:

Two diseases, osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, are responsible for a majority of the chronic musculoskeletal pain that older women experience. Osteoporosis is the metabolic bone disease most common in older women and is responsible for fractures, kyphosis, and chronic pain. Osteoarthritis, the most commonly diagnosed musculoskeletal problem in older women, causes degeneration of the weight-bearing joints in the body, resulting in limited function and chronic pain. In this paper, these and other common disorders are briefly described and typical coping strategies used by older women in pain are reviewed. In addition, potential multidisciplinary treatment regimens are discussed.