Reproductive health and domestic violence: Are the poorest women uniquely disadvantaged?

We use Demographic and Health Survey data from Cambodia, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti to compare women in different poverty and violence categories in terms of their experience of selected reproductive health outcomes. "Poor" women are those who belong to the bottom quintile of households arrayed according to a widely accepted asset-based wealth index. The results suggest that women who are both poor and have experienced violence are not unique in their reproductive health disadvantage. In particular, for all three reproductive health outcomes we consider the negative association with having experienced violence cuts across all women, poor and wealthy.     

Healthy postmenopausal women- physical activity and forearm bone mineral density: the Nord-Trøndelag health survey

The aim of this study was to analyze the association between Physical Activity (PA) and forearm bone mineral density (BMD) in healthy postmenopausal women. During 1984-1986, a population-based health survey (HUNT-1) was conducted in Nord-Tr?ndelag county, Norway. The second follow-up survey (HUNT-2) was conducted during 1995-1997. The subjects consist of all healthy postmenopausal women (N = 2,924). Higher intensity of recreational PA in HUNT-1 was associated with higher BMD ultradistally (slope = +0.0084, p = 0.0009). The summary score of duration, frequency and intensity of recreational PA in HUNT-1 was associated with lower risk of being below the 20th percentile ultradistally (OR = 0.90, p = 0.01, after adjustment for covariates). The trends for mean distal and ultradistal BMD and percent low BMD lacked statistical significance when we used the PA score that combined the recreational and occupational PA in HUNT-1 and HUNT-2. CONCLUSION: Higher intensity of prior recreational PA (HUNT-1) was associated with a protective effect on BMD measured in the forearm (HUNT- 2).     

Who uses reproductive health services in the Philippines (and who doesn't)?

Data from the 1993 National Demographic Survey and the Safe Motherhood Survey have filled gaps in knowledge about the accessibility and use of reproductive health services in the Philippines. Analysis of the data by the East-West Center's Program on Population has revealed that the number of women using family planning (FP) and maternal health services has risen to 40% in 1993 from 17% in 1973. Modest gains were also seen in the past five years despite disruption to program efforts. Prenatal care showed the greatest maternal care coverage rate increase, but 70% of births occurred at home, with only 51% attended by a trained person, and only 32% of postpartum women received care. Adolescents and women who are over age 40, uneducated, Muslim, and/or live in a rural setting have the most unmet need. In addition, less than half of the women reporting symptoms of a sexually transmitted disease sought treatment from a trained practitioner. Most women use public sector services, including 71% of those using modern contraceptives. While trained midwives provided 58% of prenatal care, traditional birth attendants delivered 52% of all births, and a high incidence of maternal mortality persists (209/100,000). Recommendations arising from this analysis include 1) improving prenatal and delivery care, 2) strengthening postpartum FP services, 3) expanding the program to reach more women, 4) extending the range of reproductive health services offered, 5) integrating traditional practitioners into the reproductive health system, and 6) balancing cost and service variations between the public and private sectors.     

Women’s mental health during pregnancy: A participatory qualitative study

Background/objectives

British public health and academic policy and guidance promotes service user involvement in health care and research, however collaborative research remains underrepresented in literature relating to pregnant women’s mental health. The aim of this participatory research was to explore mothers’ and professionals’ perspectives on the factors that influence pregnant women’s mental health.

How do health professionals support pregnant and young mothers in the community? A selective review of the research literature

BackgroundThe cultural phenomenon of “teenage pregnancy and motherhood” has been socially constructed and (mis)represented in social and health care discourses for several decades. Despite a growing body of qualitative research that presents an alternative and positive view of young motherhood, there remains a significant gap between pregnant and young women's experience of young motherhood and current global health and social policy that directs service delivery and practice.AimThis paper aims to heighten awareness of how a negative social construction of young motherhood influences global health and social policy that directs current community health models of practice and care for young mothers in the community.DiscussionThere is clear evidence on the vital role social support plays in young women's experience of pregnancy and motherhood, particularly in forming a positive motherhood identity. This discussion paper calls us to start open and honest dialogue on how we may begin to re-vision the ‘deficit view’ of young motherhood in order to address this contradiction between research evidence, policy discourse and current practice and service provision. Qualitative research that privileges young women's voices by considering the multidimensional experiences of young motherhood is an important step towards moving away from universally prescribed interventions to a non-standard approach that fosters relational and responsive relationships with young mothers that includes addressing the immediate needs of young mothers at the particular time.     

Chinese Experts Reflect on Women＇s Reproductive Health Effective family planning must consider the effect of the contraceptive method on the general health of women

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Unhealthy assimilation: Why do immigrants converge to American health status levels?

It is well documented that immigrants are in better health upon arrival in the United States than their American counterparts but that this health advantage erodes over time. We study the potential determinants of this "healthy immigrant effect, " with a particular focus on the tendency of immigrants to converge to unhealthy American BMI levels. Using data from the National Health Interview Survey, we find that average female and male immigrants enter the United States with BMIs that are approximately two and five percentage points lower than native-born women and men, respectively. Consistent with the declining health status of immigrants the longer they remain in the United States, we also find that female immigrants almost completely converge to American BMIs within 10 years of arrival, and men close a third of the gap within 15 years.     

Community-Run Fisheries: Avoiding the “Tragedy of the Commons”

This paper discusses how fishing communities around the world avoid destructive overfishing through local and largely informal self-management. The paper offers many examples that undermine the widespread assumption that the tragedy of the commons is inevitable without government regulation.     

Social resources and Arab women’s perinatal mental health: A systematic review

Background

Women’s mental health in the perinatal period is understudied worldwide and in Arab countries especially.

Women’s health and pregnancy outcomes: Do services make a difference?

We use data from the Indonesia Family Life Survey to investigate the impact of a major expansion in access to midwifery services on health and pregnancy outcomes for women of reproductive age. Between 1990 and 1998 Indonesia trained some 50,000 midwives. Between 1993 and 1997 these midwives tended to be placed in relatively poor communities that were relatively distant from health centers. We show that additions of village midwives to communities between 1993 and 1997 are associated with a significant increase in body mass index in 1997 relative to 1993 for women of reproductive age, but not for men or for older women. The presence of a village midwife during pregnancy is also associated with increased birthweight. Both results are robust to the inclusion of community-level fixed effects, a strategy that addresses many of the concerns about biases because of nonrandom program placement.     

Midwives’ provision of health promotion in antenatal care: A qualitative explorative study

ProblemStudies indicate that health promotion in antenatal care can be improved. Moreover, a schism seems to exist between health promotion and prevention in antenatal care.BackgroundAntenatal care to support and improve maternal health is a core midwifery activity in which prevention as well as HP and woman-centeredness are important.AimTo explore how Danish midwives experienced antenatal care and practiced health promotion.MethodsMidwives undertaking antenatal care were interviewed individually (n = 8) and two focus groups (n = 10) were created. Thematic analysis was performed inductively, and the theoretical models from Piper’s health promotion practice Framework for midwives were used to analyse the midwives’ health promotion approach.FindingsTwo major themes were highlighted. Theme 1: ‘The antenatal care context for health promotion’ described factors contributing to quality in health promotion in antenatal care, such as communication and building relationships with the pregnant women. Theme 2: ‘The health promotion approach in antenatal care’ described both midwife-focused and woman-focused approaches to pregnant women’s health. Barriers to high-quality antenatal care and a holistic health promotion approach were identified, such as shared-care issues, documentation demands and lack of time.DiscussionThe midwives’ experiences were discussed in the context of a health promotion approach. Why midwives practice using a midwife-centred approach has many explanations, but midwives need to learn and help each other understand how they can practice woman-focused care while simultaneously providing prophylactic, evidence-based care.ConclusionMidwives mainly had a midwife-focused approach. To further promote women’s health, midwives need to focus on a woman-focused approach.     

“Who's afraid?”: Attitudes of midwives to the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for delivery of pregnancy-related health information

BackgroundUsage rates for information and communication technologies (ICTs) in healthcare have been increasing in recent years, but often lag behind general usage rates for populations as a whole. Research into such differential rates of ICT use across different segments of the population has identified a number of possible causal factors that limit usage.AimThe research investigated midwives’ attitudes and experiences of ICT use to identify potential causal factors that encourage or inhibit their usage in antenatal care.MethodsSemi-structured interviews, focus groups and short surveys were conducted with midwives who provide antenatal education at an Australian metropolitan hospital. Thematic and statistical analyses were used to interpret the data.FindingsAlthough midwives recognised the potential benefits of using ICTs to deliver pregnancy-related health information many had reservations about their use in everyday work. These reservations centred on lack of training in use of ICTs, the perceived legal risks associated with social media, potential violations of patient privacy, misdiagnosis and misunderstandings between midwife and client.ConclusionMidwives face a number of barriers to effective use of ICTs in healthcare including material access, skills access, usage access and motivational access. Motivational access appears to be a key concern due to the high perception of risk associated with social media in particular. Reducing the motivational barriers through a range of interventions with midwifery staff may assist in overcoming other barriers to ICT use in antenatal care. Further research is required to determine whether these findings are generalisable to other healthcare contexts.     

Fertility in China: from the 1970s to the 1990s

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Does parents’ valuation of children’s health mimic their valuation of own health?

A single latent variable model of health status and therapeutic health care utilization is estimated for parents and own children of 6,557 US households. The equation system that identifies latent health status simultaneously determines a number of indicators of general health, including presence of morbidity symptoms, mobility limitations, medication needs, and utilization of therapeutic health care services. The main goal of the paper was to obtain an unbiased estimate of parents’ marginal substitution rate between own and child health. Results indicate that parents’ valuation of their children’s health exceeds their valuation of own health by almost twofold on average.

Displacement and household adaptation: insured by the spouse or the state?

We investigate the added worker effect in a setting where female labour supply is high and the welfare state is generous. We trace couples’ labour supply and income development following the husband’s job displacement. We find no support for the added worker effect for the full sample of households. However, the added worker effect seems to be at work for subsamples characterised by households where the spouses are not working in the same industry and where the wife did not work full time pre-displacement. When using a measure of total household income, which includes public transfers, we find that the negative income impact of displacement is reduced by approximately 60 to 70 % when we also adjust for lower tax payments. Results suggest that income loss due to displacement is mitigated more by social welfare payments than by labour supply responses of the spouse.     

Richmond Barthé: Black Homoeroticism and the Raptures of the Hermaphroditic Body

ABSTRACT

African American sculptor Richmond Barthé (1901–1989) conjoined issues of sexuality and race in works that foreground the aesthetic worth of Black bodies. While exposing Western figuration practices that exclude Black people from artistic visibility, Barthé also targeted the African American distaste for the explicit treatment of nudity. Barthé’s androgynous sculptures have by now become the trademark of his art, but Barthésian scholarship still neglects the significance of a small group of statues, which de-emphasize the aura of same-sex desire, in order to explore the intricacies of corporeal ambisexuality. In view of his homoerotic depictions and the presence of the hermaphrodite at the core of his disruption of the sexual dichotomy, the frequent assumption that Barthé remained “closeted all his life” does not stand critical scrutiny. Instead of taking refuge in the sexual closet, Barthé debunked the man/woman binary as the foremost epistemic construct that prompts the societal need for sexual self-misrepresentations.     

Pie-eyed Optimists: Baby-boomers the Optimistic Generation?

Social indicators research is concerned with the measurement of quality of life in society from both the objective and subjective point of view. The subjective appraisal of quality of life often involves judgements in terms of satisfaction (Veenhoven, 1996: 1). Such research however, is not only concerned with satisfaction but also with dissatisfaction. The concepts of pessimism and optimism are used in this paper to determine feelings of satisfaction and dissatisfaction among an elite cohort of baby boom Australians. Objective and subjective potential indicators of quality of life are combined to explore these dimensions.     

Using community-based participatory research to address Chinese older women’s health needs: Toward sustainability

ABSTRACT

Although community-based participatory research (CBPR) has been recognized as a useful approach for eliminating health disparities, less attention is given to how CBPR projects may address gender inequalities in health for immigrant older women. The goal of this article is to share culturally sensitive strategies and lessons learned from the PINE study—a population-based study of U.S. Chinese older adults that was strictly guided by the CBPR approach. Working with Chinese older women requires trust, respect, and understanding of their unique historical, social, and cultural positions. We also discuss implications for developing impact-driven research partnerships that meet the needs of this vulnerable population.