Average Of Women Research Articles

Quality of antenatal care in 13 sub-Saharan African countries in the SDG era: evidence from Demographic and Health Surveys

BackgroundMaternal and neonatal mortality remains high in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) with women having 1 in 36 lifetime risk. The WHO launched the new comprehensive recommendations/guidelines on antenatal care (ANC) in 2016, which stresses the essence of quality antenatal care. Consequently, the objective of this cross-sectional study is to investigate the quality of ANC in 13 SSA countries.MethodsThis is a cross-sectional study that is premised on pre-existing secondary data, spanning 2015 to 2021. Data for the study was obtained from the Measure DHS Programme and included a total of 79,725 women aged 15–49 were included. The outcome variable was quality ANC and it was derived as a composite variable from four main ANC services: blood pressure taken, urine taken, receipt of iron supplementation and blood sample taken. Thirteen independent variables were included and broadly categorised into individual and community-level characteristics. Descriptive statistics were used to present the proportion of women who had quality ANC across the respective countries. A two-level multilevel regression analysis was conducted to ascertain the direction of association between quality ANC and the independent variables.ResultsThe overall average of women who had quality ANC was 53.8% [CI = 51.2,57.5] spanning from 82.3% [CI = 80.6,85.3] in Cameroon to 11% [CI = 10.0, 11.4] in Burundi. Women with secondary/higher education had higher odds of obtaining quality ANC compared with those without formal education [aOR = 1.23, Credible Interval [Crl] = 1.10,1.37]. Poorest women were more likely to have quality ANC relative to the richest women [aOR = 1.21, Crl = 1.14,1.27]. Married women were more likely to receive quality ANC relative to those cohabiting [aOR = 2.04, Crl = 1.94,3.05]. Women who had four or more ANC visits had higher odds of quality ANC [aOR = 2.21, Crl = 2.04,2.38]. Variation existed in receipt of quality ANC at the community-level [σ2 = 0.29, Crl = 0.24,0.33]. The findings also indicated that a 36.2% variation in quality ANC is attributable to community-level factors.ConclusionTo achieve significant improvement in the coverage of quality ANC, the focus of maternal health interventions ought to prioritise uneducated women, those cohabiting, and those who are unable to have at least four ANCs. Further, ample recognition should be accorded to the existing and potential facilitators and barriers to quality ANC across and within countries.

Women in Computer Science Degrees: A Cross-National and Longitudinal Study

This study focuses on the numerical gap in CS from different angles, whether it presents a similar behavior in all countries or not, and how it evolves over time. We have analyzed OECD statistics from 1998 to 2016 in twenty-nine countries and present results that show that this is a global problem. The average of women who graduated in CS is lower in 2016 than it was in 1998 and the tendency is to continue to diminish, although the situation is very different from some groups of countries to others. We have made statistical analysis that has allowed to present a country classification. This analysis has shown that there is a wide difference between countries such as Mexico, Italy and Belgium for example. We have also carried out statistical analysis of possible relations between economic and social variables for the countries studied along the almost 19 years’ span and have found no statistically significant correlation in global terms, which shows that the problem is complex and that the solutions adopted are only partial.

A Study on Hair Care Types and Self-Esteem of the MZ Generation

This study explored the relationship between the types of hair care and self-esteem of men and women in their 20s. As for the dataset, an anonymous self-entry online survey was conducted by randomly extracting men and women in their 20s nationwide who use hair management through structured questionnaires (n=320). One-way analysis of variance and independence test were performed, and SPSS 21.0 was used for statistical analysis. According to the results, there was no difference in the degree of overall self-esteem according to gender, but among the detailed items, the average of women was higher than that of men who said, “I sometimes think I am a bad person” (t=-2.271, p<.05). Self-esteem was high in the order of cut+pump, cut+pump+dye, cut, cut+dye, but the difference was not significant at the significance level of 5%. On the other hand, women showed higher self-esteem when “cut+perm”, “cut+perm”, and “cut+perm+dye”, in the order of cutting+dyeing, cutting+perm+dyeing, in the order of cutting+dyeing, cutting+perm+dyeing. This study revealed that the degree of self-esteem of men and women in their 20s differed by hair care type. Therefore, the hair care type was related to self-esteem. We also suggest that hair beauty management should be provided by type to manage the degree of self-esteem of men and women in their 20s.

Comparison of the Clinical and Treatment Characteristics of Patients Undergoing Electroconvulsive Therapy for Catatonia Indication in the Context of Gender.

The aim of this study was to compare in the context of gender both clinical diagnosis and disease-related differences and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)-related differences in data and efficacy in hospitalized patients with catatonic signs and symptoms. Data from 106 patients who received ECT with catatonia indication were retrospectively analyzed. Clinical data of male (n = 58) and female (n = 48) patients were compared. Hospitalization documents and outpatient files, sociodemographic and clinical data form, Clinical Global Improvement scores used by the ECT unit in the follow-up of patients who received ECT were used in the study. It was seen that the mean age of women at the onset of ECT was higher than in men and the presence of prolonged seizures was more common than men. In men, it was found out that the average number of sessions with the onset of clinical response to treatment was higher than the average of women. The distribution of diagnoses by gender showed that the presence of schizophrenia diagnosis in men and of bipolar disorder in women were significantly more frequent compared to the opposite sex. It was found out that there were no significant differences between genders in terms of response rate to ECT. Our study is important for being the first study in the literature investigating the gender differences in ECT used for catatonia. However, gender is not a distinctive factor in the effectiveness of treatment, there are some important differences between male and female patients showing signs and symptoms of catatonia and undergoing ECT.

Standard reference values of the postural control in healthy female adults aged between 31 and 40\u2009years in Germany: an observational study

BackgroundTo detect deviations from a normal postural control, standard values can be helpful for comparison purposes. Since the postural control is influenced by gender and age, the aim of the present study was the collection of standard values for women between 31 and 40 years of age.MethodsFor the study, 106 female, subjectively healthy, German subjects aged between 31 and 40 years (35 ± 2.98 years) were measured using a pressure measuring platform.ResultsTheir average BMI was 21.60 ± 4.65 kg/m2. The load distribution between left and right foot was almost evenly balanced with a median 51.46% load on the left [tolerance interval (TR) 37.02%/65.90%; confidence interval (CI) 50.06/52.85%] and 48.54% [TR 43.10/62.97%; CI 47.14/49.93%] on the right foot. The median forefoot load was 33.84% [TR 20.68/54.73%; CI 31.67/37.33%] and the rearfoot load was measured at 66.16% [TR 45.27/79.33%; CI 62.67/68.33%]. The median/mean body sway in the sagittal plane was measured 12 mm [TR 5.45/23.44 mm; CI 11.00/14.00 mm] and 8.17 mm in the frontal plane [TR 3.33/19.08 mm; CI 7.67/9.33 mm]. The median of the ellipse area is 0.72 cm2 [TR 0.15/3.69 cm2; CI 0.54/0.89°]. The ellipse width has a median of 0.66 cm [TR 0.30/1.77 cm; CI 0.61/0.78 cm] and the height of 0.33 cm [TR 0.13/0.71 cm; CI 0.30/0.37 cm]. The ellipse angle (sway, left forefoot to right rearfoot) has a mean of − 19.34° [TR − 59.21/− 0.44°; CI − 22.52/− 16.16°] and the ellipse angle sway from right forefoot to left rearfoot has a mean of 12.75° [TR 0.09/59.09°; CI 9.00/16.33°].ConclusionThe right-to-left ratio is balanced. The forefoot-to-rearfoot ratio is approximately 1:2. Also, the body sway can be classified with 12 and 8 mm as normal. The direction of fluctuation is either approx. 19° from the left forefoot to the right rearfoot or approx. 13° the opposite. Body weight, height, and BMI were comparable to the German average of women in a similar age group, so that the measured standard values are representative and might serve as baseline for the normal function of the balance system in order to support the diagnosis of possible dysfunctions in postural control.

Female labour supply and nursing home prices

Long term care in Germany is provided in nursing homes, by professional ambulatory services and by the patient's relatives at home, with the latter being predominantly provided by women. Given an increasing labour market participation of women, long term care at home by female relatives might become less frequent in the future which in turn may result in rising demand for and hence rising prices for long term care services. This paper builds upon the existing literature on the determinants of nursing home prices and investigates whether the labour market participation and the education level of women are correlated with the prices of nursing homes. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study using panel data approaches in this field of research. Based on a full sample of nursing homes in Germany for the years 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2007, our empirical results suggest that a high share of full-time employed women aged 50-65 at the district level is not associated with higher prices of nursing homes. Furthermore, we find only weak evidence for a positive correlation of prices with the local average of women's educational level and a negative correlation with part-time employment indicating that price levels are lower in regions with higher shares of part-time employed women.

Peran Gender, Kontribusi Ekonomi Perempuan, dan Kesejahteraan Keluarga Petani Holtikultura

This research was to analyze the role of gender, women's economic contribution, and family welfare of horticulture families in Sindangjaya village, Cianjur District, West Java Province. This research involved 30 families that chosen purposively and collecting data was held by interview. Gender roles consist of gender roles in domestic, public, and farm financial management activities. Economic contribution was measured by the proportion of women income in family income. Objective well-being was measured by poverty line of BPS and subjective well-being was measured by wife’s satisfaction. Data was analyzed by descriptively and Pearson correlation test. The results showed that gender roles in domestic and public activities in moderate category and gender roles in farm financial management in high category. Average of women's economic contribution in family income was 11,3 percent. Mostly family were nonpoor families base on BPS indicator and also had subjective well-being in moderate category. Women's economic contribution was correlated significantly with objective and subjective well-being.

Welfare Reform in the Mid-2000s: How African American and Hispanic Families in Three Cities Are Faring

This article reports on a sample of 538 African American and Hispanic women who were receiving TANF in 1999, 416 of whom left the program by 2005. The Hispanic women consisted of a Mexican-origin group and a second group that was primarily Puerto Rican and Dominican. Combining the experiences of the employed and the non-employed welfare leavers, we find at best a modest decline in the average poverty rate among African American welfare leavers between 1999 and 2005. Mexican-origin and other Hispanic leavers showed larger average declines in poverty. Among just the welfare leavers who were employed in 2005, the averages for women in all racial-ethnic groups showed increases in household income and declines in poverty. Among those who were not employed, African-Americans had experienced a decline in household income and were further below the poverty line than in 1999, whereas Hispanic women had experienced modest declines or slight increases in their household incomes.

Definition and prevalence of sedentarism in an urban population.

The present study sought to formulate a precise definition of sedentarism and to identify activities performed by active people that could serve as effective preventive goals. A population-based sample of 919 residents of Geneva, Switzerland, aged 35 to 74 years, completed a 24-hour recall. Sedentary people were defined as those expending less than 10% of their daily energy in the performance of moderate- and high-intensity activities (at least 4 times the basal metabolism rate). The rates of sedentarism were 79.5% in men and 87.2% in women. Among sedentary and active men, average daily energy expenditures were 2600 kcal (95% confidence interval [CI] = 2552, 2648) and 3226 kcal (95% CI = 3110, 3346), respectively; the corresponding averages for women were 2092 kcal (95% CI = 2064, 2120) and 2356 kcal (95% CI = 2274, 2440). The main moderate- and high-intensity activities among active people were sports (tennis, gymnastics, skiing), walking, climbing stairs, gardening, and (for men only) occupational activities. The definition of sedentarism outlined in this article can be reproduced in other populations, allows comparisons across studies, and provides preventive guidelines in that the activities most frequently performed by active people are the ones most likely to be adopted by their sedentary peers.

Development of the Gender Personality Scale

The purpose of this study was to develop a scale of gender personality and to confirm its reliability and validity. The scale consisted of the items concerned with masculinity, femininity, and female sex appeal, and these items were described in terms of behavioral tendencies and beliefs, instead of the character trait adjectives. The scale was administrated to 117 male and 117 female students. Questions about gender-role behavior and feminism-orientedness were also asked in order toexamine the construct validity of the scale. First, the results confirmed the reliability of the scale. Second, the results confirmed the validity of the scale, because (a) the average of men's masculinity scores is higher than the average of women's masculinity scores, and the average of women's femininity scores is higherthan the average of men's femininity scores, (b) as to women, female sex appeal is positively related to both masculinity and femininity, and (c) as to women, feminism-orientedness is positively related to masculinity and is negatively related to femininity.

Birth Weight Increased, Costs Cut with Medicaid Care-Coordination Plan

This preliminary study evaluates the outcome of case management services in the Baby Love Program over 2 years (1988-89). A comparison was made between 15526 Medicaid eligible women who received the special services and the 34643 Medicaid eligible women who did not. Information was collected on the incidence of low birth weight (LBW) very low birth weight (VLBW) infant mortality (IM) newborn medical care costs and participation in the Special Supplemental Food Program for Women Infants and Children (WIC). Methods for matching Medicaid claims to births are given as well as the description of the nature of the Baby Love Program. The findings were that the rate of LBW was 21% higher and VLBW was 62% higher among those not receiving the special services. LBW was 8.7% for Baby Love mothers and 10.5% for the other mothers. VLBW was 1.2% for Baby Love mothers and 2.0% for other mothers. IM was also reduced in the program group i.e. 9.9/1000 live births for Baby Love mothers and 12.2/10000 live births for other mothers. Prenatal care services were used by 91% of Baby Love mothers and 67% for the other group. Over US $2 million was saved in medical costs for infants within 60 days of birth. Care cost US$1694 in the care coordination group and US$1971 in the other group. Better outcomes are recorded regardless of the nature of the care-giving facility. The ratio saved is just over US$2 for every US$1 spent for care coordination of all medical services beginning within 60 days after birth. The savings per women averages US$140. In the regression analysis of maternal risk factors on LBW and IM the findings were that current pregnancy being under 18 years of age and being black were strong predictors of LBW i.e. odds ratios of 2.14 1.29 and 1.66 respectively. When these risk factors are controlled for as well as education marital status previous infant death or stillbirth smoking prenatal care and receipt of prenatal care other than a public health clinic the findings were that women without special care were 20% more likely to have an LBW 50% more likely to have a VLBW and 20% more likely to have IM. Prenatal care was further analyzed by time involved. Those receiving services for <3 months and were covered for <26% of their maternity care had more LBW and VLBW babies and more IM. The likelihood of receiving postpartum and well-baby care was greater among Baby Love mothers.

Malawi maternal and child nutrition study: Study design and anthropometric characteristics of children and adults.

The Malawi Maternal and Child Nutrition (MMCN) Study is a three-year longitudinal investigation of some of the determinants and consequences of protein-energy malnutrition in a rural African population. This paper describes the anthropometric characteristics of children and adults based on the baseline census conducted in the 89 villages included in the MMCN Study. Mean length-for-age of Malawian children (birth-60 months) is very low (Z-score = -2.21) and, unlike most other populations, continues to decline with advancing age. Weight-for-length is more nearly normal (mean Z-score = -0.21) but shows the same age-related decline between birth and 18 months (and subsequent return to normal levels) as that seen in many other developing countries. This age pattern is also reflected in upper arm anthropometry, notably estimated arm fat area. Length-for-age and weight-for-age of children is associated with birthweight in the 40% of children having health cards, but body composition indicators do not show the same consistent association with birthweight at all ages. Adult men and women have very low skinfold thicknesses relative to U.S. blacks (50-60% of U.S. medians at the triceps and subscapular sites). Estimated upper arm cross-sectional muscle (plus bone) area for Malawian men averages 74% of U.S. white values, while that for women averages 100% of U.S. white values.

One Week for Women? The Structure of Inclusion of Gender Issues in Introductory Textbooks

Gender inclusiveness is studied by a content analysis of index citations on women and women's issues in 36 introductory sociology textbooks published between 1982 and 1988. The number of citations and the number of unique devoted to women were coded for location in one of 26 sociological areas. The amount of information on women averages less than five percent of the total number of pages in the book for the sample as a whole. Most of the information on women is ghettoized into a single chapter on gender, which contains two-thirds or more of all the information on women for the sample as whole, and into topics traditionally associated with women, such as the family and socialization. Individual textbooks are compared by their rankings on overall inclusiveness and gender ghettoization, especially in terms of the effect of various theoretical perspectives. Implications for teaching and for developing a gender-inclusive sociology are discussed.