Women's Health Commons^™

Early Marriage And Early Childbearing In South Asia: Trends, Inequalities, And Drivers From 2005 To 2018, Samuel Scott, Phuong Hong Nguyen, Sumanta Neupane, Priyanjana Pramanik, Priya Nanda, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta, Kaosar Afsana, Purnima Menon

Woman and Child Health

Early marriage (EM) and early childbearing (ECB) have far-reaching consequences. This study describes the prevalence, trends, inequalities, and drivers of EM and ECB in South Asia using eight rounds of Demographic and Health Survey data across 13 years. We report the percentage of ever-married women aged 20-24 years (n = 105,150) married before 18 years (EM) and with a live birth before 20 years (ECB). Relative trends were examined using average annual rate of reduction (AARR). Inequalities were examined by geography, marital household wealth, residence, and education. Sociodemographic drivers of changes for EM were assessed using regression decomposition analyses. We …

Relationship Between Psychosocial-Cultural Factors And African American Women Obesity., Francoise Knox-Kazimierczuk

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Objective: To determine associations between African American female obesity and SEM variables.

Design: Data from the National Survey of American Life Self-Administered Questionnaire (NSAL-SAQ), a 2001–2003 nationally representative cross-sectional survey was used to extract data for African American women.

Participants: African American females at a BMI of 18.5 kg/m2 or greater were included in the final sample (n = 2,100) for analysis.

Main Outcome Measure(s): BMI

Analysis: Measures for socioecological model (SEM) were analyzed using a regression model in SPSS.

Results: Intrapersonal and community/institutional levels were found to be significantly associated with BMI. Two multiple regression analyses models were developed …

Facing Covid-19: Knowledge, Attitudes, Practices, And Challenges Of Healthcare Providers, Population Council

Reproductive Health

This research brief describes findings from the Population Council study Reproductive Healthcare in the Time of COVID-19: Perspectives of Poor Women and Service Providers from Rahim Yar Khan, Punjab with the support of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). During this study, 60 health care providers that represented 60 unique health facilities in Punjab’s Rahim Yar Khan district were interviewed by telephone, to evaluate how much they know about COVID-19 symptoms, prevention, and treatment, as well as their individual attitudes, practices, and challenges during the ongoing pandemic. To assess how the situation evolved during the critical first three months of …

Poor Women's Reproductive Health And Family Planning Challenges And Needs During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Population Council

Reproductive Health

This research brief describes findings from the Population Council study Reproductive Healthcare in the Time of COVID-19: Perspectives of Poor Women and Service Providers from Rahim Yar Khan, Punjab with the support of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The study conducted 164 interviews by telephone with beneficiaries of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) in Rahim Yar Khan, Pakistan, previously surveyed in 2019, to determine how much those most vulnerable to the effects of COVID-19 know about the disease and its effects, in addition to understanding the pandemic’s effects on their lives, including their mental health and well-being as …

Prevalence And Determinants Of Anemia Among Women Of Reproductive Age In Thatta Pakistan: Findings From A Cross-Sectional Study, Sumera Aziz Ali, Zahid Abbasi, Babar Shahid, Ghazal Moin, K Michael Hambidge, Nancy F. Krebs, Jamie E. Westcott, Elizabeth M. Mcclure, Robert L. Goldenberg, Sarah Saleem

Community Health Sciences

Background: Anemia is a major public health concern among women of reproductive age leading to high maternal mortality in low- and middle-income countries. Of the prior studies conducted in Pakistan, most focused on large urban areas and did not explore the determinants of anemia among women of reproductive age (WRA) across socio-demographic, dietary, reproductive, and biological domains. Thus, we aimed to study the prevalence and determinants of anemia among WRA in rural Pakistan.
Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in the Thatta district of Pakistan from September 2018 to January 2019 and enrolled 150 non-pregnant, married women. Data collectors administered …

Health Impacts Of Global Climate Change With A Focus On Women’S Health, Mikhaila Samz

Theses and Graduate Projects

Background: Global climate change has been occurring at an unprecedented rate and is damaging to human health. With women having specific health care needs, this literature review examines the relationship between women’s health (including maternal health) and global climate change through subtopics including global temperature and heat waves, carbon dioxide emissions and air pollution, natural disasters and extreme weather events, malnutrition and food insecurity, water supply and resource scarcity, and changing infectious disease patterns.

Methods: A literature search was conducted across several online databases, predominantly PubMed, for articles related to global climate change and its role in women’s health. The …

Knowledge Of Breast Cancer And Screening Methods Among Rural Women In Southwest Nigeria, Rowland Edet, Oluwayimika Ekundina

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

The objective of this study was to assess the awareness of rural women on breast cancer and its screening methods in Southwest Nigeria. Descriptive cross-sectional survey design with the aid of a semi-structured questionnaire was used to generate data among 422 rural women in selected communities in Egbeda local government area of Ibadan. The qualitative data was generated through in-depth interviews among rural women and key informant interviews among health workers in the communities. The study revealed that only 63.7% were aware of breast cancer screening methods compared to 31.6% who were not aware. The commonly known screening method among …

Speaking Volumes: The Failure Of American Courts To Address The Underlying Themes Of Silence And Patriarchy Within The Civil Order Of Protection Process In Davenport, Iowa, Catherine Priebe

Sociology: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

Domestic abuse is a pervasive issue within the United States. Approximately three women will be murdered by an intimate partner every day and around half of all women will experience psychological abuse by an intimate partner in their lifetime. As such, it is important to have legal avenues that survivors can pursue in order to ensure safety for themselves and their children. There are many obstacles to obtaining a civil order of protection despite it being the most common legal option survivors choose to pursue. Survivors must take on the burden of proof and hire their own attorney if they …

C'Est Vraiment Compliqué: A Case Study On The Delivery Of Maternal And Child Health And Nutrition Interventions In The Conflict-Affected Regions Of Mali, Anushka Ataullahjan, Michelle F. Gaffey, Moctar Tounkara, Samba Diarra, Seydou Doumbia, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta, Diego G. Bassani

Woman and Child Health

Background: Mali is currently in the midst of ongoing conflicts which involve jihadist groups, rebels, and the state. This conflict has primarily centered in the North of the country. Humanitarian actors delivering services in these geographies must navigate the complex environment created by conflict. This study aimed to understand how humanitarian actors make decisions around health service delivery within this context.
Methods: The current case-study utilized a mixed methods approach and focused on Mopti, Mali's fifth administrative region and fourth largest in population. Latent content analysis was used to analyze interview transcripts guided by our research objectives and new concepts …

Investigating The Delivery Of Health And Nutrition Interventions For Women And Children In Conflict Settings: A Collection Of Case Studies From The Branch Consortium, Anushka Ataullahjan, Michelle F. Gaffey, Samira Sami, Neha S. Singh, Hannah Tappis, Robert E. Black, Karl Blanchet, Ties Boerma, Ana Langer, Paul B. Spiegel, Ronald J. Waldman, Paul H. Wise, Zulfiqar Ahmed Bhutta

Woman and Child Health

Globally, the number of people affected by conflict is the highest in history, and continues to steadily increase. There is currently a pressing need to better understand how to deliver critical health interventions to women and children affected by conflict. The compendium of articles presented in this Conflict and Health Collection brings together a range of case studies recently undertaken by the BRANCH Consortium (Bridging Research & Action in Conflict Settings for the Health of Women and Children). These case studies describe how humanitarian actors navigate and negotiate the multiple obstacles and forces that challenge the delivery of health and …

Mass Matters: Increasing Mammography Rates To Underserved Women, Ingrid N. Cooper

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer among women in Indiana and the United States (Indiana Cancer Organization, 2019). An estimated 268,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer were diagnosed and 41,760 women died due to breast cancer in 2019 (ACS, 2019). Substantial breast cancer-related morbidity and mortality disparities persist among the underserved. Disparities in breast cancer outcomes are due to lower mammography screening rates, lack of timely follow-up of abnormal results, and lack of timely treatment initiation among women with breast cancer (Highfield et al., 2015). The purpose of this evidence-based practice project was to address low mammography …

The Victimization Of Native American Women In The United States: The Impact And Potential Underlying Factors, Kaci A. Clement

Honors Thesis

In recent decades, a topic of concern that has gained attention in the United States and throughout the world is violence against women. Surveys conducted nationally have found that there is a correlation between which racial group a woman identifies as and her likelihood to be victimized at some point in her life. American Indian/Alaskan Native women, in particular, are impacted by violence at disproportionate rates. However, definitive reasoning for the high rates of violence in these groups has not been fully investigated. There is a lack of surveillance and dissemination regarding this specific topic as well as other issues …

Increasing Chlamydia Trachomatis And Neisseria Gonorrhea Screening Among Women 15 To 24 Years Old Using A Multifaceted Approach, Mackenzie Shireman

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2017a) estimates that one-quarter of sexually active people are between 15 and 24 years old, but account for half of 20 million sexually transmitted diseases (STD) reported annually in the United States. Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhea (NG) are the most common reportable STDs (CDC, 2018). The purpose of this project was to increase CT/NG screening rates among sexually active, nonpregnant women 15 to 24 years old within the primary care setting through colleague education, routine sexual history taking, and indicated testing. A 30-minute colleague in-service was provided to educate clinical …

Loss Of Self In Dissociation In Prostitution; Recovery Of Self In Connection To Horses: A Survivor's Journey, Sandra Norak

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

This narrative is about dissociation in the lives of women who have been exploited through prostitution. When we speak about prostitution, we do not speak often enough about the dissociation needed for women and girls to survive sexual exploitation. The author challenges the wisdom of governments such as Germany that legalize prostitution, treating it as a “job” and ignoring the violence and subsequent dissociation in women. The author describes her personal journey, explaining how women are traumatized even after the first commercial sex act, which is a sexual assault. They dissociate which makes their lives bearable, but they fail to …

Psychosocial Implications In Breast Cancer, Daniyal Aamir, Yamna Waseem, Mustafa Saleem Patel

Medical College Documents

No abstract provided.

Does Age Affect The Association Between Race/Ethnicity And Hpv Screening: A Retrospective Cohort Study Of United States Women, Keila L. Marlin, Mph, Larissa R. Brunner Huber, Ph.D.

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Many studies have demonstrated disparities in awareness of and knowledge about human papillomavirus (HPV) among young, immigrant, and minority populations. Yet, there is a lack of existing research that has investigated the role of race/ethnicity and HPV screening, and how it varies by age. The purpose of this study was to evaluate this association using 2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data. This study included 120,646 women who self-reported information on race/ethnicity, HPV screening, and age. Logistic regression was used to obtain odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). A stratified analysis was conducted to determine if age …

Knowledge Of Breast Cancer And Screening Methods Among Rural Women In Southwest Nigeria: A Mixed Method Analysis, Rowland Edet, Oluwayimika Ekundina, Obasanjo Afolabi Bolarinwa, Julianah Babajide, Juliet Amarachukwu Nwafor

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

The objective of this study was to assess the awareness of rural women on breast cancer and its screening methods in Southwest Nigeria. Descriptive cross-sectional survey design with the aid of a semi-structured questionnaire was used to generate data among 422 rural women in selected communities in Egbeda local government area of Ibadan. The qualitative data was generated through in-depth interviews among rural women and key informant interviews among health workers in the communities. The study revealed that only 63.7% were aware of breast cancer screening methods compared to 31.6% who were not aware of it. The commonly known screening …

Coaching Women On The Impact Of Alcohol Intake On Mental Well-Being: A Systematic Literature Review, Amy Maloney

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

Alcohol intake among women has increased in recent years. Women’s bodies metabolize alcohol differently when compared to men and are at increased risk for adverse effects, both physically and mentally. The purpose of this systematic literature review is to explore the evidence related to the impact of coaching in primary care on drinking behaviors and over-all well-being of women. Four databases including PsycInfo, Academic Search Premier, CINAHL Plus with full text, and Gender Studies Database were searched using a variety of key words. Studies were included if they focused on female alcohol use and abuse, interventions specific to female alcohol …

Coronary Heart Disease, Hypertension And Use Of Biomass Fuel Among Women: Comparative Cross-Sectional Study, Zafar Fatmi, Georgia Ntani, David Coggon

Community Health Sciences

Objectives: To explore the associations of hypertension and coronary heart disease (CHD) with use of biomass fuel for cooking.
Design: Comparative cross-sectional study.
Setting: Rural villages in Sindh, Pakistan.
Participants: Women aged ≥40 years who had used biomass fuel for cooking for at least the last year (n=436), and a comparison group (n=414) who had cooked only with non-biomass fuel during the last year were recruited through door-to-door visits. None of those who were invited to take part declined.
Primary and secondary outcome measures: Hypertension was determined from blood pressure measurements and use of medication. CHD was assessed by three …

Same-Sex Sexual Coercion Among Women: The Impact Of Minority Stress On Perpetration And Victimization Experiences Of Women Of Diverse Sexual Identities, Allison Kirschbaum

Dissertations

The purpose of the current study was to investigate women’s experiences with same-sex sexual coercion perpetration and victimization. Specifically, I sought to explore the role that the stress of living as a sexual minority plays in these experiences as well as to determine whether the psychological variables of perceived powerlessness, psychological distress, social support, and alcohol use mediate the relationship between minority stress and perpetration and victimization experiences. Data were collected online from self-identified women and individuals assigned female at birth who reported experiencing genital sexual contact with another woman (N=339). Of the cisgender women in the sample, 31.6% reported …

Depression Among Expectant And New Mothers: A Multi-Study Investigation Of Rates, Correlates, And Training For Healthcare Providers, Molly M. Long

Health Services Research Dissertations

Perinatal depression (PD) is a common concern among women. PD has been shown to have negative effects on the mother, child, and mother-child relationship. Screening for PD is inconsistent and low among healthcare providers. However, several governing organizations (e.g., The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, The American Academy of Pediatrics) have provided guidelines for screening and treating PD, indicating the importance and utility of screening and treating PD by a variety of healthcare providers. Few studies, with low methodological rigor, have attempted to improve PD screening, treatment, and referral practices. Therefore, it is important to implement and assess additional …

Impacts Of Contraception On Women’S Decision-Making Agency In Indonesia, Michaela J. Fogarty

Undergraduate Economic Review

Increasing access to contraception has the potential to empower women and improve the economic standing of families across the globe. Many researchers have explored the impacts of contraception on families and the determinants of women’s level of empowerment, but little scholarship exists on their direct relationship. This paper explores the impacts of contraceptive use on women’s empowerment, measured by a sum of women’s household decision-making agency. Panel data from three rounds of the Indonesian Family Life Survey is used to run multiple regressions with household fixed effects. Results suggest that women who use contraception have input on two additional types …

“I Don’T Know If I Have The Courage”: Reproductive Choices In Times Of Zika, Ana Rosa Linde Arias, Elisa Tristan-Cheever, Grace Furtado, Eduardo Siqueira

Gastón Institute Publications

Neste estudo transnacional, pretendemos fornecer informações sobre as opiniões e atitudes das mulheres em relação aos seus direitos reprodutivos durante a epidemia do Zika. Mulheres de diferentes nacionalidades e etnias foram recrutadas em vários locais do Brasil, Porto Rico e Estados Unidos. Foram realizadas entrevistas semiestruturadas que sugerem que as decisões reprodutivas dos participantes estavam intimamente relacionadas às convicções pessoais e crenças culturais, e suas ações e pensamentos foram incorporados em suas normas socioculturais. A maioria das mulheres entrevistadas comunicou que é preciso coragem para tomar a decisão extrema, emocional e esmagadora de fazer um aborto. Os achados deste estudo …

Preventive Health Service Use Among Rural Women, Erika C. Ziller Phd, Jennifer D. Lenardson Mhs, Nathan Paluso Mph, Jaclyn Janis Bsn, Rn

Access / Insurance

Preventive health services and screenings are an important component in the continuum of care provided to individuals across all ages. Yet, research has shown that rural residents generally use fewer preventive health services and screenings. This study used the National Health Interview Survey to examine receipt of preventive health services (cholesterol check, fasting blood sugar test, mammogram, pap smear, and receipt of the HPV vaccine) by rural and urban women over the age of 18. Findings indicate that rural women were less likely than their urban peers to receive preventive health services, and that some of the differences may be …

Women And Hiv: Understanding And Addressing Stigma—Evidence From The Population Council, Population Council

HIV and AIDS

Over the last 20 years, the Population Council has carried out extensive work examining the intersection of stigma and gender and its impact on HIV-related outcomes. This brief summarizes key Population Council findings from a range of studies which elucidate the experiences of stigma among women and highlights avenues for addressing stigma to mitigate women’s risk and burden of HIV.

Developing An Evidence-Based Hiv Testing Message For Young African American Women, Melanie P. Moore

Theses and Dissertations

African American women have the highest rates of HIV infection among women of all racial/ethnic groups in the United States, and over 50% of HIV infected young adults are unaware of their infection. HIV testing is a cost-effective mechanism for reducing HIV transmission. Despite this, limited research has been devoted to developing interventions specifically promoting HIV testing. This two-part study proposed to address this gap through developing a culturally tailored HIV testing message aimed at increasing HIV test intentions among young African American women. Study 1 was a quantitative study that examined predictors of HIV testing history and future HIV …

Access To Care And The Use Of Healthcare Services By Women In Rural Cameroon: A Participatory Action Research Study, Grace Tadzong-Awasum

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Women in rural Cameroon do not access health care as timeously and as often as they should. They fail to get screened for common diseases, with the consequence that such diseases are often diagnosed at a very advanced stage. This accounts for the high morbidity and mortality rates as well as low life expectancy recorded among women. The purpose of this study was to explore and understand the health access experiences of women in rural Cameroon. Methodology: Participatory action research was used guided by a Focused ethnography in phase one. Twenty-five women aged 21-77 years were recruited through local the …

Patient Barriers For Weight Management Among African American Women, Owen Bowie, Jennifer Kusch, George L. Morris Iii, Tracy Flood, Jessica Gill, Renee E. Walker, Ron A. Cisler, Jennifer T. Fink

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: The primary aim of this study was to assess the perceptions of local African American women who are overweight or obese using semi-structured focus groups to identify barriers to weight management and factors that support strategy success. The secondary aim of this study was to determine recommendations for patient-centered weight management interventions established specifically for African American women in the Milwaukee-area community.

Methods: Three semi-structured focus groups to explore barriers to weight management were performed among women patients. Participants (N = 41) were recruited via email, postal mail, and phone as available from an academic medical center in Milwaukee, …

Pornography As A Public Health Issue: Promoting Violence And Exploitation Of Children, Youth, And Adults, Elisabeth Taylor

Dignity: A Journal of Analysis of Exploitation and Violence

The pornography industry is expanding exponentially as a result of ongoing technological advances. The ability to stream videos over the internet and the ubiquity of the smart phone have meant that pornography producers are able to use algorithms to target potential consumers, to cultivate new sexual tastes and to deliver content to a more diverse audience over mobile devices. The advent of virtual reality pornography with interactive sex toys and sex robots imbued with artificial intelligence promises to unleash a further step-change in the extent to which pornography influences ‘real-world’ sexual culture. The critical analysis of pornography undertaken over decades …

An Investigation Into The Relationship Between Spirituality And Coping Responses Among Women With A Visual Impairment, Sandra Marie Bullins

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine coping responses, specifically by women, and the relationship between those coping responses and a woman’s self-reported spirituality. The sample was comprised of women (n = 175) from the United States and 10 foreign countries. The results of a correlational analysis showed a strong positive relationship (r= 0.46, p<0.0001) between scores on the Spirituality Assessment Scale (SAS) and the Brief Cope (BC). There were also statistically significant correlations among subscales of the SAS and BC subscales. A multivariate analysis of variance was performed to evaluate the impact that select demographic variables might have on spirituality and coping responses. The results of the MANOVA showed no effect and were not statistically significant at alpha 0.1.