Female Circumcision and Sexual Negotiation Ability of Ethiopian Women

The following study attempts to assess the link between the circumcision status of Ethiopian women and their ability to negotiate sex. From the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey, we analyzed a subsample of 3,445 women aged 15 to 49. Women's sexual negotiation ability was measured by their ability to ask for condom and their ability to refuse sex. We performed a univariate, bivariate, and multiple logistic regression analysis. In the final analysis, only education, residence, media access, and sexually transmitted infections knowledge were independently associated with the sexual negotiation ability of women. Circumcision status was not associated with sexual negotiation ability.

'We are suffering. Nothing is changing.' Black mother's experiences, communication, and support in the neonatal intensive care unit in the United States: A Qualitative Study

OBJECTIVES

Black mothers experience markedly disproportionate maternal morbidity and mortality in the United States, with racism often cited as the root cause manifesting through several pathways. The study examined Black mothers' perceived provider communication, support needs, and overall experiences in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

DESIGN

This study used grounded theory embedded in the Black feminist theoretical (BFT) framework to generate new ideas grounded in the data. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews using videoconferencing, with questions related to the mother's overall NICU experiences, communication within the NICU, and perceived support needs. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Twelve mothers participated in the study; most were married (n = 10), had a cesarean birth, had a previous pregnancy complication (e.g., diabetes, hypertension), had attained a graduate degree or more (n = 9), earned an annual household income of $75,000 or more, and were between 35-44 years of age (n = 7). Three broad domains with several accompanying themes and sub-themes were identified, explicating the mother's experiences in the NICU. Specifically, factors influencing NICU hospitalization for mothers included maternal care/nursing experiences, interactions in the NICU, and the perceived support need that might attenuate negative care and birthing experiences. .

CONCLUSION

The study adds to the growing literature championing Black maternal health equity and multilevel quality improvement strategies to foster equitable maternal health. Our study reinforces the need for racially congruent interventions and policy reformations to protect Black birthing people regardless of socioeconomic factors and social class using life course, holistic approaches, and intersectionality mindset. Importantly, using the BFT, this study calls for culturally sensitive research to capture the nuances associated with the multiplicity of experiences of Black people.

The association between COVID-19 preventive behaviors and mental health conditions

BACKGROUND

An unintended consequence of COVID-19 quarantine preventive measures, is the increased prevalence of anxiety and depression. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between COVID-19 preventive behaviors and mental health conditions.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted using secondary data collected weekly from US adults aged 18 and older nationwide as part of the COVID-19 Household Impact Survey (CIS) from the University of Chicago. Logistic regression examined associations between COVID-19 preventive behaviors (wearing a face mask, washing or sanitizing hands, and keeping six-feet distance from those outside their household), mental health conditions (self-reporting feeling nervous, anxious, or on edge, feeling lonely, and feeling hopeless about the future and a history of a mental health condition) and demographic factors.

RESULTS

Majority of study participants were under 60 years (62.2%), female (55.8%), and non-Hispanic White (72.2%). Overall, participants more likely to have followed all three COVID-19 measures were those who reported high psychological distress compared to those with low distress for feeling anxious (adj. OR 1.16, 95% CI: 1.06-1.28, p = 0.002), lonely (adj. OR 1.12, 95% CI: 1.02-1.23, p = 0.019) or hopeless (adj. OR 1.10, 95% CI: 1.00-1.21, p = 0.043) for more than a day during the past 7 days.

CONCLUSION

Our findings highlight that individuals with mental health conditions reported more psychological distress. Specifically, feeling depressed, anxious, lonely, and hopeless were triggered and exacerbated as a result of the pandemic and may have long-term effects on general well-being and productivity. Therefore, our findings have important implications on the need to include mental health promotion as part of pandemic response efforts. This includes developing policies and allocating funding so as to ensure sustainable mental health interventions and support, public and provider education on the importance of screening for mental health issues.

Teach, Learn, Do, Repeat: Service Learning Curriculum that Drives Public Health Education while Improving Community Health Outcomes

The integration of service learning into public health curriculum allows students to apply and ultimately better understand often abstract but important theoretical concepts. We provide lessons learned and practical advice on how to plan and implement an experiential learning project over a two-semester period for upper level undergraduate public health students. Through application of program planning pedagogy, students obtained real-world experience while simultaneously improving mental health for college students. We also discuss how experiential curriculum also provides faculty the opportunity to engage with community stakeholders and organizations to build sustainable partnerships that positively impact students and the community at large.

Prevalence, correlates, and sources of women's health information-seeking behaviors in the United States

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the prevalence, correlates, and sources of women's health information-seeking behaviors in the United States using the Andersen Behavioral Model.

METHODS

The 2012-2019 Health Information National Trends Survey data were used to analyze how and where women seek health theoretically. Weighted prevalence, descriptive analysis, and separate multivariable logistic regression models were computed to test the argument.

RESULTS

The overall prevalence of seeking health information from any source was (83%, 95% CI: 0.82-0.84). Between 2012 and 2019, the analysis revealed a downward trend in health information seeking from any source (85.2-82.4%), health care provider (19.0-14.8%), family/friends (10.4-6.6%), and traditional channels (5.4-4.8%). Interestingly, there was an increase in Internet usage from 65.4% to 73.8%.

CONCLUSIONS

We found statistically significant relationships between the predisposing, enabling, and need factors of the Andersen Behavioral Model. Specifically, age, race/ethnicity, income levels, educational status, perceived health status, having a regular provider, and smoking status predicted women's health information-seeking behaviors.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Our study concludes that several factors influence health information-seeking behaviors, and disparities exist in the channels through which women seek care. The implications for health communication strategies, practitioners, and policymakers are also discussed.

Association between premarital HIV testing and ability to negotiate sexual relations among married women in Ethiopia: a population-based study

HIV/AIDS prevalence in sub-Saharan Africa remains an issue of concern and young women are disproportionately affected by the disease. Premarital HIV testing is one of the key strategies used in HIV prevention since heterosexual sex remains the primary mode of HIV transmission in sub-Saharan Africa. This study uses the 2016 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey to examine the association between premarital HIV testing and the ability to negotiate sexual relations among married women aged 15 to 49 years (N = 3,672). Women's ability to negotiate sexual relations was measured using two variables: the ability to refuse sex and the ability to ask for a condom during intercourse. Descriptive statistics, bivariate, and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed. Only 24.1% of the women had premarital HIV testing. Approximately 46.5% and 32.3% of women reported that they could refuse sexual intercourse and ask their partner to use a condom, respectively. In the multivariable model, having a premarital HIV test was positively associated with the ability to refuse sex odds ratio (95% confidence interval) 1.82 (1.38, 2.41; p < 0.001) and the ability to ask for a condom 2.30 (1.55, 3.41; p < 0.001). Premarital HIV testing can improve women's sexual negotiation ability and possibly prevent future HIV infection.

Factors Influencing COVID-19 Prevention Behaviors

COVID-19 remains a public health emergency with prevention guidelines and mitigation strategies being constantly updated to curb the rapid spread of the disease. Despite proven successes of recommended preventive behaviors, there is low uptake of wearing a mask, washing of hands, and social distancing in the United States (US). The purpose of this study was to examine factors that influence COVID-19 preventive behaviors. We used data from the nationally representative COVID-19 Household Impact Survey (n = 19,815) conducted in the US from April to June 2020. Chi-square (χ2) test and bivariate analyses were performed to compare study participants who used all COVID-19 related preventive behaviors and those who did not, and multivariate logistic regressions to determine associations across demographic and social characteristics. Of the 19,815 participants, 79.2% of participants reported practicing the aforementioned COVID-19 preventive behaviors. Further, non-Hispanic white, Spanish speaking, living in urban areas, of older age (60+), being female, having an education above an undergraduate, those with income levels $100K or more, living in the urban northeast region that trust and communicate frequently with family and neighbors were more likely to use all three preventive behaviors. Findings suggest a need for continued provision of information on prevention and vaccination importance, but expand efforts to target adopters of these behaviors and encourage them to share their uptake and adherence efforts. This type of horizontal communication where information is shared within trusted social networks can shape social norms that influence the uptake of COVID-19 preventive behaviors and slowly curb communal spread.

The Use of Digital Health Tools for Health Promotion Among Women With and Without Chronic Diseases: Insights From the 2017-2020 Health Information National Trends Survey

Background

In the United States, almost 90% of women are at risk of at least one chronic condition. However, the awareness, management, and monitoring of these conditions are low and present a substantial public health problem. Digital health tools can be leveraged to reduce the alarmingly high rates of chronic condition–related mortality and morbidity in women.

Objective

This study aimed to investigate the 4-year trend of digital health use for health promotion among women with chronic conditions in the United States.

Methods

Data for this study were obtained from the 2017 to 2020 iterations of the Health Information Trends Survey 5. Separate weighted logistic regression models were conducted to test the unadjusted and adjusted association of the study variables and each digital health use. The 95% CI, adjusted odds ratio (aOR), and P value (.05) were reported. Analysis was conducted using Stata 17 software.

Results

In total, 8573 women were included in this study. The weighted prevalence of the use of a smartphone or tablet for various activities were as follows: track health goals, 50.3% (95% CI 48.4%-52.2%; 3279/7122); make a health decision, 43.6% (95% CI 41.9%-45.3%; 2998/7101); and discuss with a provider, 40% (95% CI 38.2%-41.8%; 2834/7099). In the preceding 12 months, 33% (95% CI 30.9%-35.2%; 1395/4826) of women used an electronic wearable device, 18.7% (95% CI 17.3%-20.2%; 1532/7653) shared health information, and 35.2% (95% CI 33.2%-37.3%; 2262/6349) sent or received an SMS text message with a health professional. Between 2017 and 2020, the weighted prevalence of having 0, 1, and multiple chronic conditions were 37.4% (2718/8564), 33.4% (2776/8564), and 29.3% (3070/8564), respectively. However, slightly above half (52.2%, 95% CI 0.50%-0.53%; 4756/8564) of US women reported having at least one chronic disease. Women with multiple chronic conditions had higher odds of using their tablet or smartphone to achieve a health-related goal (aOR 1.43, 95% CI 1.16-1.77; P=.001) and discuss with their provider (aOR 1.55 95% CI 1.20-2.00; P=.001) than those without any chronic conditions. Correspondingly, in the past 12 months, the odds of using an electronic wearable device (aOR 1.40, 95% CI 1.00-1.96; P=.04), sharing health information (aOR 1.91, 95% CI 1.46-2.51; P<.001), and communicating via SMS text messaging with a provider (aOR 1.31, 95% CI 1.02-1.68; P=.03) were significantly higher among women with chronic conditions than those without a chronic condition.

Conclusions

This study suggests that women with chronic conditions accept and integrate digital health tools to manage their care. However, certain subpopulations experience a digital disconnect that may exacerbate existing health inequities. Implications for research and opportunities to leverage and integrate digital health tools to prevent, monitor, manage, and treat chronic conditions in women are discussed.

Maternal Mental Health in Africa During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Neglected Global Health Issue

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has profoundly impacted mental health and well-being around the globe. Public health measures to control the virus’s rapid spread, such as physical distancing, social isolation, lockdown, restricted movements, and quarantine, caused fear and panic in the general population. Although pandemic-related stressors have been reported, changes that occur during the perinatal period compounded by those made to obstetric care guidelines may put pregnant and postpartum mothers at an increased risk of poor mental health. While an abundance of research has examined the impact of the pandemic on maternal mental health in developed nations such as Europe and America, very few studies have done so in the African continent. Considering that Africa has prominently weak health systems, poor mental health policies and infrastructure, high poverty rates, and unreliable maternal care, the pandemic is expected to have dire consequences on maternal mental health in the region. As such, multipronged mental health interventions and strategies that consider the heterogeneity within and between African regions must be developed. Doing so will close existing and widening global health disparities to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.