Women's Health Commons^™

Antenatal Renal Pelvic Dilatation And Foetal Outcomes - Review Of Cases From A Tertiary Care Center In Karachi, Pakistan, Ruqiya Afroz, Shafia Shakoor, Muhammad Sohail Salat, Shama Munim

Woman and Child Health

Objective: To determine the incidence of antenatal renal pelvic dilatation to evaluate antenatal resolution/ progression and post-natal outcome.
Methods: This retrospective study was conducted at the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, and comprised data of all women found with renal pelvic dilatation in antenatal scans between January 2011 and December 2013. A cut-off of 5mm was used to diagnose renal pelvic dilatation. Renal pelvic dilatation was categorised into three groups: mild (5-6mm in second trimester and 5-9mm in third trimester), moderate (7-10mm in second trimester and 10-15 in third) and severe (more than 10mm in second trimester and more than …

Syrian Refugee Women In Jordan: Family Planning Preferences And Barriers In A Host Community, Hilary Smith

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The aims of this pilot study were to research and analyze the availability of birth control and family planning resources among Syrian refugee women at a reproductive age. This study took place in the host community of Karak, Jordan. Syrian women are a vulnerable population based solely on their gender. But being refugee women makes them more vulnerable and sometimes, their needs do not get met. This study is important because it will look into reproductive health aspects for this vulnerable population to ensure that there is satisfaction among women about their own health. This cross-sectional study sought to answer …

Breast Is Best: Determinants Of Breastfeeding In Bali, Leah Hardenbergh

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Breastfeeding greatly benefits the health of newborns, providing them with needed antibodies and protection from numerous diseases, including some of the leading causes of infant mortality. This paper explores breastfeeding practices in Bali, and the wide array of factors that have led to these practices. After discussing how breastfeeding fits into the larger context of maternal and newborn health, I explain factors in Bali that affect a woman’s decision to breastfeed and experience while breastfeeding. Determinants include those related to health, financial position, and social status. I explore the history of formula companies and formula as an alternative to breastmilk, …

Comparing Effectiveness Of Active And Passive Client Follow-Up Approaches In Sustaining The Continued Use Of Long Acting Reversible Contraceptives (Larc) In Rural Punjab: A Multicentre, Non-Inferiority Trial, Waqas Hameed, Syed Khurram Azmat, Moazzam Ali, Muhammad Ishaque, Ghazunfer Abbas, Erik Munroe, Rebecca Harrison, Wajahat Hussain Shamsi, Ghulam Mustafa, Omar Farooq Khan

Community Health Sciences

Background: The use of long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) methods is very low in Pakistan with high discontinuation rates mainly attributed to method-related side effects. Mixed evidence is available on the effectiveness of different client follow-up approaches used to ensure method continuation. We compared the effectiveness of active and passive follow-up approaches in sustaining the use of LARC-and within 'active' follow-up, we further compared a telephone versus home-based approach in rural Punjab, Pakistan.
Methods: This was a 12-month multicentre non-inferiority trial conducted in twenty-two (16 rural- and 6 urban-based) franchised reproductive healthcare facilities in district Chakwal of Punjab province, between November …

A Preliminary Study Of Intergenerational Differences In Masxha Regarding Practice And Attitudes Towards Zulu Traditions During Pregnancy And Birth, Momoko Oyama

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In the Zulu culture, several traditions and rituals are practiced during a woman’s pregnancy and perinatal period. However, as urbanization spreads and western influences strengthen, these rituals risk being lost. This project aims to capture existing knowledge of these traditions and to assess the intergenerational changes in practice and attitudes towards practicing the rituals.

Information on Zulu traditions practiced during a woman’s pregnancy and perinatal period was collected through two interviews and a focus group consisting of three elderly women in Masxha, a Black township in KwaZulu-Natal. Following the interviews and focus group, 32 Masxha residents were recruited to complete …

The Road Into The Future Of Health Care: The Importance Of Addressing Access To Health Facilities In Transportation Infrastructure Investment Decisions, Nicola (Nikki) Van Den Heever

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Background: One school of thought argues that transportation infrastructure is not an ultimate end goal of development and therefore shouldn’t be addressed within development funding decisions while the other argues that transportation infrastructure is the crucial foundation from which all development efforts are based and therefore needs to be addressed within development funding decisions. Within this framework, there is a lack of academic and other research addressing how physical access to health care for pregnant women can better be addressed when making decisions regarding funding of transportation infrastructure projects.

Purpose: To demonstrate the importance of considering access to health care …

“Always A Double-Edged Sword”: How Women And Health Care Providers Navigate Issues Of Contraception In Differing Senegalese Communities, Angelina Strohbach

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This paper examines how women and health care providers in two distinct Senegalese settings—Dakar and Mouit, a village located within the Gandiol region-- navigate contraception as both a social and medical good. Contraception is an invaluable tool in terms of advancing women’s right to reproductive health, but major discrepancies in its usage exist across a variety of social lines in Senegal, including level of education, marital status, occupation, age, and living in a rural versus urban setting. What socially constructed thought processes and lived experiences contribute to these discrepancies? In a cultural context heavily based upon tradition and Islamic faith, …

Continuous Care In Complex Contexts: Access To Health Services For Noncommunicable Diseases Among Syrian Refugee Women In Jordanian Host Communities, Jennifer Ostrowski

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study examines how, when and where Syrian refugee women living in a host community in central Jordan access health services related to noncommunicable diseases. Noncommunicable diseases are the leading cause of death and disability worldwide, but can be effectively managed through timely treatment. Examining access to care for these diseases in the context of humanitarian emergencies, such as war and displacement, is particularly important because they require continuous care, which may be interrupted during emergencies, and because they can cause acute complications, which may be exacerbated by emergencies (WHO, 2016).

Previous studies indicate a high burden of NCDs among …

The Effects Of The Yes You Can! Curriculum On The Sexual Knowledge And Intent Of Middle School Students, Joseph Donnelly, Robert Horn, Michael Young, Andrada E. Ivanescu

Department of Public Health Scholarship and Creative Works

BACKGROUND

The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of the “Yes You Can!” (YYC) curriculum on sexual knowledge and behavioral intent of program participants.

METHODS

Participants included students ages 10‐14 from schools in a northeast US urban area. Yes You Can! program lessons were designed to support healthy relationships. The curriculum was taught by trained instructors. The testing instrument was a 30‐item questionnaire, which included sexual knowledge and intent items. Students completed the questionnaire before program implementation, immediately following intervention, and a third time at follow‐up. Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance. …

Maternal Healthcare In Eastern Uganda: The Three Delays, Mothers Making Empowered Choices, And Combatting Maternal Mortality, Emma Gier

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Maternal and child health has been noted as an international concern and issue. While access to maternal healthcare has improved in Uganda since 2000, maternal mortality rates have remained high in the country as of 2015. However, maternal and child healthcare are inherently important in promoting sustainable and positive development. For that reason, I have explored maternal healthcare in Uganda’s Eastern region, specifically in Mbale Town and surrounding rural areas including Kween and Manafwa districts. Specifically I have looked at what factors influence women’s decision to give birth in a health centre or hospital, versus at home. I have also …

Antenatal Stressful Life Events And Postpartum Depression In The United States: The Role Of Women’S Socioeconomic Status At The State Level, Soumyadeep Mukherjee

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this dissertation was to examine patterns of antenatal stressful life events (SLEs) experienced by women in the United States (U.S.) and their association with postpartum depression (PPD). It further explored the role of women's state-level socio-economic status (SES) on PPD; the racial/ethnic dispartites in SLE-PPD relationship; and the role of provider communication on perinatal depression.

Data from 2009–11 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) and SES indicators published by the Institute of Women’s Policy Research (IWPR) were used. Latent class analysis (LCA) was performed to identify unobserved class membership based on antenatal SLEs. Multilevel generalized linear mixed …

Research Brief: "Spousal Military Deployment During Pregnancy And Adverse Birth Outcomes", Institute For Veterans And Military Families At Syracuse University

Institute for Veterans and Military Families

This study assesses the association between a spouse’s military deployment and adverse birth outcomes, and concluded that the effect of a spouse’s deployment on adverse birth outcomes can vary by maternal age. Given that a deployment during pregnancy or delivery can negatively affect the mother and baby, policymakers might allocate funds for additional research on the needs of expectant mothers with a deployed spouse. Future work in this field should further evaluate maternal age and number of children as modifiers of the association between these variables.

The Presence Of Stem Cells In Human Breast Milk And Research Implications, Melody (Brooke) Peterson

Senior Honors Theses

Stem cell therapy research is an expanding area of study as stem cell therapy is believed to have the potential to provide treatment options for numerous disease processes. Currently, embryonic stem cell research is the method of choice to evaluate the potential for stem cell therapy. The use of human embryos for stem cell research raises moral and ethical controversies. Stem cells are found in a variety of mediums, but until the recent discovery of stem cells in human breast milk, the most versatile stem cells have been those found in the human embryo. Human breast milk stem cells could …

The Changing Roles And Reputations Of Dais In Rural Uttarakhand: An Investigation Into The Maternal Health Services Of Villages In Okhalkanda Block In Nainital, Jenna Davis

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The dai, once a prominent figure in Indian maternal health, now faces marginalization as the government of India adopts the goal of universal institutional delivery. Under pressure from international discourse that Skilled Birth Attendants (SBAs) were more effective at lowering Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) than Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) like dais (World Health Organization), dai training was discontinued and left in the hands of NGOs, while concurrently women and ASHAs were monetarily incentivized for every institutional birth (Park, 419). Yet in rural, isolated, or hilly areas like Okhalakanda block in Uttarakhand, institutional delivery is a long way from universal—only …

A Comparative Study Of Women’S Health Care: Non-Syrian Refugee Women Living In Amman And Syrian Refugee Women Living In Refugee Camps, Megan Kerstein

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The purpose of this study is to compare access and quality of women’s health care in Amman for non-Syrian refugee women and women’s health care in Syrian refugee camps. I also sought to understand how women’s health care could be improved in both Amman and in Syrian refugee camps. I hypothesized that Syrian refugee women in camps will have less access and lower quality women’s health care since refugee camps’ funding is limited, making medical equipment and women’s health care providers short. Since women in Amman often have more stable family situations and jobs, I thought they would have more …

Hypertensive Disorders Of Pregnancy In Rural Maharashtra: A Preventative Approach To Risk Factor Reduction Through Lifestyle Interventions, Jess Wiken

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The primary purpose of this study is to assess the contribution and correlation between lifestyle behaviors and modifiable risk factors (MRF) established in adolescence and during pregnancy with development of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) exclusive to preeclampsia (PE), eclampsia, and pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH). MRF include but are not exclusive to diet and nutrition, physical activity, and Mishri use. Associations of HDP with increased premature cardiovascular risk in the affected woman and child indicate the importance of healthy lifestyle modifications that promote cardiovascular health and longevity and reduction of risk factors through prevention. While cardiac conditions are primarily associated …

Engaging With Community-Based Public And Private Mid-Level Providers For Promoting The Use Of Modern Contraceptive Methods In Rural Pakistan: Results From Two Innovative Birth Spacing Interventions, Syed Khurram Azmat, Waqas Hameed, Hasan Bin Hamza, Ghulam Mustafa, Muhammad Ishaque, Ghazunfer Abbas, Omar Farooq Khan, Jamshaid Asghar, Erik Munroe, Safdar Ali

Community Health Sciences

Background: Family planning (FP) interventions aimed at reducing population growth have negligible during the last two decades in Pakistan. Innovative FP interventions that help reduce the growing population burden are the need of the hour. Marie Stopes Society--Pakistan implemented an operational research project--'Evidence for Innovating to Save Lives', to explore effective and viable intervention models that can promote healthy timing and spacing of pregnancy in rural and under-served communities of Sindh, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces of Pakistan.
Methods: We conducted a quasi-experimental (pre- and post-intervention with control arm) study to assess the effectiveness of each of the two intervention …

An Investigation Into The Dietary And Health Behaviours Of Pregnant Women In Ireland, Laura Mullaney

Doctoral

Maternal obesity increases the risk of metabolic complications in pregnancy such as gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Effective weight management following childbirth may reduce long-term metabolic risks among women of child bearing age. The aim of this study was to investigate the diet and health behaviours of pregnant and postpartum women in Ireland. Accurate dietary assessment in pregnancy is often difficult to achieve. We have shown that dietary under-reporting is more likely among pregnant women who are younger, materially deprived, obese and who have increased adiposity. These findings suggest that dietary underreporting represents a source of potential bias in obstetric obesity …

Formative Research On Assessing Barriers To Fistula Care And Treatment In Nigeria, Charlotte E. Warren, Rachel Agbonkhese, Salisu Mohammed Ishaku

Reproductive Health

This report documents results of a systematic study of peer-reviewed and “grey” literature which identified studies relevant for understanding barriers to accessing obstetric fistula (OF) care in developing countries. To more comprehensively and holistically understand these barriers in Nigeria and potential enabling factors for alleviation, this study explored the perspectives of those involved in both identifying fistula and accessing care, such as family members and other community stakeholders including patriarchs, matriarchs, community leaders, and other opinion leaders. It also examines the cultural patterns, myths, and perspectives related to OF and how they influence women’s willingness and capacities to access surgical …

Acceptability And Feasibility Of Introducing Strengthened School-Based Sexual And Reproductive Health Information And Services In Accra, Ghana, Terence Adda-Balinia, Philip Teg-Nefaah Tabong, Maya Teye, Philip Baba Adongo, Placide Tapsoba, Harriet Birungi

Reproductive Health

An initial study conducted by Population Council under the Strengthening Evidence for Programming on Unintended Pregnancies (STEP UP) project in 2012 assessed the knowledge and reproductive health needs of adolescents living in selected slums in Brong Ahafo and Greater Accra regions with the view of informing an improvement in adolescent sexual health (ASRH) programming in Ghana. The study concludes that stakeholders generally believed there was the need for enhanced adolescent sexual and reproductive health services in school as the present system of delivering these services were not sufficiently addressing ASRH needs. The use of trained psychologists and health workers was …

L’Expérience De Femmes Ayant Subi Une Grossesse Non Désirée Au Sénégal : Une Étude Qualitative [Compte Rendu De La Rencontre De Partage Des Résultats], Fatou Mbow, Nafissatou Diop, Babacar Mane

Reproductive Health

Dans le cadre du projet Strengthening Evidence for Programming on Unintended Pregnancy (STEP UP), et sur financement de DFID, une étude qualitative a été menée dans la région de Dakar au Sénégal par le Population Council en partenariat avec la Taskforce sur l’expérience des femmes ayant subi une grossesse non désirée suite à un viol ou un inceste pour apporter la voix de ces femmes au débat sur la légalisation de l’avortement médicalisée. Une rencontre plus large, dont ce rapport est la synthèse, a été organisée en janvier 2016 par la Direction de la Santé de la Reproduction et de …

L’Expérience De Femmes Ayant Subi Une Grossesse Non Désirée Au Sénégal : Une Étude Qualitative, Fatou Mbow, Nafissatou Diop, Awa Diop Dabo, Awa Tounkara Cissé, Seynabou Ba Diakhaté

Reproductive Health

Dans le cadre du projet Strengthening Evidence for Programming on Unintended Pregnancy (STEP UP), et sur financement de DFID, une étude qualitative a été menée dans la région de Dakar, au Sénégal, par le Population Council en partenariat avec la Taskforce pour développer une meilleure compréhension de la vie des femmes ayant subi une grossesse non désirée suite à un viol ou un inceste et apporter leur voix au débat sur la légalisation de l’avortement médicalisé. Actuellement, qu’elles décident de garder la grossesse non désirée ou de s’en débarrasser, dans tous les cas, leur vie en est affectée. En interdisant …

A State-Of-The-Art Synthesis On Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: What Do We Know Now?, Bettina Shell-Duncan, Reshma Naik, Charlotte Feldman-Jacobs

Reproductive Health

Efforts to end female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) are a rising priority on many national and global agendas. Thus it is imperative to have a clear understanding of the scale and scope of the practice, and where it occurs, as well as the dynamics of change and the broader context surrounding it. This state-of-the-art synthesis offers a snapshot of the most recent data available as of July 2016 and the most relevant contextual information on key FGM/C issues in clear, nontechnical language that can help inform policymakers, donors, program planners, and other key stakeholders. The data point to “hot spot” geographic …

Evidence To End Fgm/C: Research To Help Girls And Women Thrive, Population Council

Reproductive Health

This factsheet describes a new Population Council–led research program, funded by the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development, which will join the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on FGM/C: Accelerating Change and the Girl Generation in the Campaign to End Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) within One Generation. The program will generate high-quality evidence to influence strategic investment, policy, and programming to end FGM/C. This five-year program will work in 6–9 sub-Saharan African countries to dramatically expand the body of evidence on the most effective approaches to ending FGM/C. The research program will be organized around four themes: building the picture of where, …

Evidence To End Fgm/C: Research To Help Girls And Women Thrive [Arabic], Population Council

Reproductive Health

[In Arabic] This factsheet describes a new Population Council–led research program, funded by the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development, which will join the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on FGM/C: Accelerating Change and the Girl Generation in the Campaign to End Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) within One Generation. The program will generate high-quality evidence to influence strategic investment, policy, and programming to end FGM/C. This five-year program will work in 6–9 sub-Saharan African countries to dramatically expand the body of evidence on the most effective approaches to ending FGM/C. The research program will be organized around four themes: building the picture …

Root Causes And Persistent Challenges In Accelerating The Abandonment Of Fgm/C, Jacinta Muteshi-Strachan

Reproductive Health

No abstract provided.

Routine Screening For Intimate Partner Violence: A Guide For Trainers, Odongo Odiyo, Chi-Chi Undie, Margaret Mak'anyengo

Reproductive Health

This the first regional document devoted to building the capacity of providers to respond to intimate partner violence (IPV). The training guide is a follow-on initiative to the 6th Best Practices Forum in Health of the East, Central and Southern Africa (ECSA) Health Community, held in August 2012. This Forum brought to the fore research findings from the region centering on the acceptability and feasibility of IPV screening, and culminated in the passage of a resolution by Health Ministers that prescribes the integration of gender-based violence screening into healthcare settings in the ECSA region. This training guide responds to this …

Screening For Sexual And Gender-Based Violence In Emergency Settings In Uganda: An Assessment Of Feasibility, Chi-Chi Undie, Harriet Birungi, Jane Harriet Namwebya, Wossen Taye, Lilian Maate, Margaret Mak'anyengo, Anne Katahoire, David Apollo Kazungu, Darlson Kusasira, Zahra Mirghani, Joanina Karugaba

Reproductive Health

Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is a global predicament to which over a third of women worldwide are exposed. Its negative consequences for reproductive, maternal, adolescent, and mental health are well-documented, however there is sparse evidence for the feasibility of SGBV screening interventions in emergency contexts. Employing a descriptive case study design, this study assessed the feasibility of implementing SGBV screening and referral protocols within health facilities in the emergency setting in Western Uganda. Providers from two health facilities were trained to screen female clients routinely for current exposure to intimate partner violence and lifetime exposure to nonpartner sexual violence. …

Barriers To Fistula Repair In Nigeria: A Formative Study, Population Council

Reproductive Health

A formative research study was conducted in Nigeria to better understand the barriers and enabling factors for fistula repair care delivery and access. This brief presents results from a literature review conducted to identify and understand the delays in accessing and receiving treatment and corresponding barriers, to document interventions that help to overcome barriers, and to specify gaps in the literature that require further research. The report concludes that women’s concern over healing and reintegration reflects their expectation that the holistic approach of hospitals will bring them back to normal life incorporating physical, sexual, psychosocial, and economic rehabilitation. Awareness, financial, …

Landscape Analysis Of The Family Planning Situation In Pakistan—District Profile: Sukkur, Population Council

Reproductive Health

This district profile of Sukkur is part of the Landscape Analysis of the Family Planning Situation in Pakistan. The factsheet provides a detailed picture of use of antenatal and delivery care services; use of family planning; other socioeconomic indicators; availability of health facilities, pharmacies, and lady health workers; distribution of public static and private facilities by cadre; provision of specific family planning methods by sector; and presence and provision of family planning services/products. The factsheet concludes with a review of consumers’ perspectives on barriers to use of family planning and a chart listing district-specific donors, projects, and implementing partners. The …