Women's Circle Research Articles

The Politics of Menstruation

Menstrual blood is still regarded as embarrassing and taboo in many places all over the world. This article focuses on the study of the Red Tent as an example of feminist-spiritual menstrual activism established in 2007 in the US because it represents an important form of breaking the menstrual taboo. Although contemporary spiritualities present themselves as nonhierarchical and gender equal, spirituality and well-being in the women's circles is predominantly practiced by cisgender, heterosexual, and white middle-class women, excluding lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, and others (LGBTQ+). Constructs around the sacredness of female experiences (menstruation, menopause) are problematic for transgender women who do not share these experiences, and a lack of diversity may perpetuate systematic inequities and discrimination. This article discusses whether the Red Tent in Slovenia is open to include transgender and nonbinary people. By creating alternative domains of representation in which nonnormative bodies can exist, we disrupt the sex/gender system and dismantle normative femininity and masculinity. The article argues that in this way the Red Tent has the potential to subvert the dominant ideology of gender binary construction by providing alternative models for the embodiment of gender to challenge traditional conservative gender essentialisms in society. The methodology employed consists of ethnographic fieldwork, which was performed in the Red Tent gatherings and semistructured in-depth interviews with participants who host or participate in them. Because a part of the scope of the research “lives” in the cyber world, the ethnographic research methodology was integrated with the phenomena and data obtained from the internet in the form of netnography.

Lady Tan's Circle of Women by Lisa See (review)

Lady Tan's Circle of Women by Lisa See (review)

Motherhood as the Subject-Forming Element of the Woman Represented by Feminism


 This paper is dedicated to defining and solving the problem of the subject in feminist discourse through analyzing the concept of motherhood and investigating how women are introduced to it. The problem derives from lack of a single utopian future without oppression in feminism, and, inherently, the absence of a fully actualized subject. Therefore, the need arises for a type of individual that is suitable for representational politics, one able to absorb potentially infinite numbers of actors while maintaining a feminist focus. The first part of the paper shows that previous feminist attempts to identify women have failed to meet the challenges of feminism, excluding certain circles of women, etc. The analysis is conducted on the basis of a generalized representation of the feminist subjects of essentialist and anti-essentialist tendencies. The second part of the work is devoted to the construction of a new subject based on motherhood, which is considered one of the subject-forming elements. This proposed foundation is then correlated with the critique of how women are introduced to motherhood and why it, as the basis of the feminist subject, might allow to form a new type of subject. Thus, previous understandings of femininity are critically viewed as implicit in motherhood, and are replaced by the concept of a subject in which motherhood is not a condition of its existence, but one of its fundamental elements.

Tahirih and the Religious World of Nineteenth-century Qazvin

Abstract Nineteenth Century Qazvin was a maelstrom of religious controversy and conflict. Uṣūlīs, Akhbārīs, Shaykhīs, Bābīs, and Bahā’īs all interacted in conflict with each other and sometimes even in violence. This paper will first try to create a religious map of Qazvin in the early 19th Century. The central figure for much of the religious conflict in the city was Qurrat al-ʿAyn Tahirih, the daughter of an Uṣūlī scholar, who became a Shaykhī and then a Bābī. This paper will look at the circle of women around her and how she interacted with them. Although she herself was killed in 1852, the impact that she had on the women of the city had a lasting direct effect until the end of the nineteenth century and an indirect one up the present time.

Abstract IA038: Neighborhood factors for adiposity change and cardiovascular health among Black breast cancer survivors

Abstract Maintaining a healthy weight and cardiovascular health (CVH) after a breast cancer (BC) diagnosis is gaining clinical attention because they are essential for reducing the burden of cardiovascular disease, achieving optimal cancer survivorship, and possibly reducing mortality after a BC diagnosis. Individual behaviors and choices are largely influenced by the surrounding social and built environment; however, the neighborhood risk factors influencing post-diagnosis weight change and CVH are unclear among Black women, who have higher rates of obesity, unfavorable CVH and mortality than any other racial/ethnic group. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted analyses based on the Women's Circle of Health Follow-Up Study (WCHFS), a population-based prospective cohort of Black BC survivors in New Jersey. In the first analysis, adiposity changes during the period ~10 months to 2 years after diagnosis were evaluated among 785 women enrolled in the WCHFS. We found that despite a high baseline prevalence of overweight or obesity, weight gain was common. Greater density of fast-food restaurants and lower walkability were identified as neighborhood-level risk factors for weight gain. We also showed that intentional weight loss was much less common than weight gain, and its neighborhood risk factors were considerably different from unintentional weight loss. In a subsequent analysis, we aimed to capture the complex interplay between neighborhood features through neighborhood archetype analysis based on 16 social and built environment features, and to estimate their associations with CVH around 2 years after diagnosis among Black women. The CVH index used American Heart Association definition and scoring criteria for BMI, diet, smoking, physical activity, blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose, and sleep. We found that Black BC survivors, on average, reached only half of the recommended optimal CVH score, and no participant met all ideal CVH metrics. Among the four neighborhood archetypes identified, we found that the archetype associated with the most favorable post-diagnostic CVH was characterized by diverse racial and ethnic populations, a higher neighborhood socioeconomic status, greater densities of restaurants, food stores, physical activity facilities, walkable destinations, and ambulatory care. However, only 16% of our participants lived in this type of neighborhood. In summary, our work revealed that residential environments may considerably impact adiposity change and CVH among Black BC survivors. Through these studies, we provided insights into the distinct neighborhood characteristics and archetypes that may influence BC survivorship for Black women. Recognizing that social determinants of health act at multiple levels, domains, and factors, it is crucial that future research comprehensively investigates neighborhood and other multilevel determinants to identify the specific social barriers that must be addressed to achieve the most measurable improvements in BC survivorship for Black women. Citation Format: Bo Qin, Carola T. Sánchez-Díaz, Hari S. Iyer, Noreen Goldman, Nur Zeinomar, Andrew G. Rundle, Christine B. Ambrosone, Kitaw Demissie, Chi-Chen Hong, Gina S. Lovasi, Elisa V. Bandera. Neighborhood factors for adiposity change and cardiovascular health among Black breast cancer survivors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 16th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2023 Sep 29-Oct 2;Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2023;32(12 Suppl):Abstract nr IA038.

‘Circles of Women’: Feminist Movements in the Choreography of Oona Doherty

The focus of this article is the range of feminisms which circulate through Belfast-based Oona Doherty's choreographies for groups of women, namely the second episode of Hard to Be Soft: A Belfast Prayer (2017), which is titled ‘Sugar Army', and Lady Magma: The Birth of a Cult (2019). This analysis is motivated by the need to expand discussion of feminisms in tandem with examination of more complex identities in Northern Ireland: to look beyond a Nationalist–Unionist binary within post-conflict society and examine the intersections of gender, class and race. Tracking the movement of feminisms through Doherty's choreographies will explore how they mobilize, and fail, these women, as well as revealing the potential for, and pitfalls of, community and solidarity. Doherty's work has the potential to mobilize a dynamic intergenerational and intersectional feminism which recognizes the experiences of ‘differently positioned women’.

MTOR pathway candidate genes and energy intake interaction on breast cancer risk in Black women from the Women's Circle of Health Study.

Excessive energy intake has been shown to affect the mammalian target of the rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway and breast cancer risk. It is not well understood whether there are gene-environment interactions between mTOR pathway genes and energy intake in relation to breast cancer risk. The study included 1642 Black women (809 incident breast cancer cases and 833 controls) from the Women's Circle of Health Study (WCHS). We examined interactions between 43 candidate single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 20 mTOR pathway genes and quartiles of energy intake in relation to breast cancer risk overall and by ER- defined subtypes using Wald test with a 2-way interaction term. AKT1 rs10138227 (C > T) was only associated with a decreased overall breast cancer risk among women in quartile (Q)2 of energy intake, odds ratio (OR) = 0.60, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.40, 0.91 (p-interaction = 0.042). Similar results were found in ER- tumors. AKT rs1130214 (C > A) was associated with decreased overall breast cancer risk in Q2 (OR = 0.63, 95% CI 0.44, 0.91) and Q3 (OR = 0.65, 95% CI 0.48, 0.89) (p-interaction = 0.026). HIF-1α C1772T rs11549465 (C > T) was associated with decreased overall breast cancer risk in Q4 (OR = 0.29, 95% CI 0.14, 0.59, p-interaction = 0.007); the results were similar in ER+ tumors. These interactions became non-significant after correction for multiple comparisons. Our findings suggest that mTOR genetic variants may interact with energy intake in relation to breast cancer risk, including the ER- subtype, in Black women. Future studies should confirm these findings.

Factores socioculturales que influyen en las usuarias de 50 años para la toma de papanicolau de un hospital nasca

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the sociocultural factors in 50-year-old users for Pap smears at the Ricardo Cruzado Rivarola de Nasca hospital during the period December 2021 - February 2022. Material and Methods: Observational, analytical, and prospective study. The study population is made up of 80 50-year-old users who attend the Ricardo Cruzado Rivarola hospital for Pap tests at the gynecology-obstetrics office and the sample is 67 users, selected by non-probabilistic sampling for convenience. Results: For the first analysis, in simple and multiple regression, it was found that women with high levels of knowledge had a 384% and 382% higher frequency of having ever undergone a PAP test compared to those with low levels of knowledge. Conclusions: The level of knowledge about the PAP has a relevant influence on having carried out a PAP; but also the women who had a high level were the ones who had the highest frequency of having done it. This added to the number of children; possibly because in the circles of women with children one of the topics to be discussed is about maternal health and within them the PAP.

MTOR pathway candidate genes and physical activity interaction on breast cancer risk in black women from the women's circle of health study.

Physical activity has been shown to affect the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway and consequently breast carcinogenesis. Given that Black women in the USA are less physically active, it is not well understood whether there are gene-environment interactions between mTOR pathway genes and physical activity in relation to breast cancer risk in Black women. The study included 1398 Black women (567 incident breast cancer cases and 831 controls) from the Women's Circle of Health Study (WCHS). We examined interactions between 43 candidate single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 20 mTOR pathway genes with levels of vigorous physical activity in relation to breast cancer risk overall and by ER-defined subtypes using Wald test with 2-way interaction term and multivariable logistic regression. AKT1 rs10138227 (C > T) and AKT1 rs1130214 (C > A) were only associated with a decreased risk of ER + breast cancer among women with vigorous physical activity (odds ratio [OR] = 0.15, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.04, 0.56, for each copy of the T allele, p-interaction = 0.007 and OR = 0.51, 95% CI 0.27, 0.96, for each copy of the A allele, p-interaction = 0.045, respectively). MTOR rs2295080 (G > T) was only associated with an increased risk of ER + breast cancer among women with vigorous physical activity (OR = 2.24, 95% CI 1.16, 4.34, for each copy of the G allele; p-interaction = 0.043). EIF4E rs141689493 (G > A) was only associated with an increased risk of ER- breast cancer among women with vigorous physical activity (OR = 20.54, 95% CI 2.29, 184.17, for each copy of the A allele; p-interaction = 0.003). These interactions became non-significant after correction for multiple testing (FDR-adjusted p-value > 0.05). Our findings suggest that mTOR genetic variants may interact with physical activity in relation to breast cancer risk in Black women. Future studies should confirm these findings.

An Integrative Review of Sistah Circles in Empirical Research

Sistah circles are spaces shared by Black women who share similar goals, exchange resources (e.g., support), and invest in developing strong relational bonds over time. Considering the significance of sistah circles for Black women's wellness and survival, in this study we examined how this phenomenon has been researched in the social sciences literature and, in turn, offered a more refined conceptual definition and framework that will direct future research on this topic. Specifically, we completed an integrative review of empirical studies on sistah circles using social science databases and search engines to identify relevant literature. Articles included for review met the following criteria: (a) published between 2000 and 2020, (b) analyzed empirical data, (c) were composed of Black women participants, and (d) mentioned Black women groups or friendships. Qualifying sources ( N = 45) were organized into a taxonomy of three types of sistah circles: health-focused, social, and professional. We also analyzed sample characteristics, research methods, and publication trends across all of the articles included in the review. Based upon our taxonomy and results of our review, we highlight the strengths and limitations of the current scholarship focused on Black women's sistah circles and offer suggestions regarding future research and practice. Additional online materials for this article are available on PWQ's website at http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/suppl/10.1177/03616843231154564

MTOR pathway candidate genes and obesity interaction on breast cancer risk in black women from the Women's Circle of Health Study.

Obesity is known to stimulate the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway and both obesity and the mTOR signaling pathway are implicated in breast carcinogenesis. We investigated potential gene-environment interactions between mTOR pathway genes and obesity in relation to breast cancer risk among Black women. The study included 1,655 Black women (821 incident breast cancer cases and 834 controls) from the Women's Circle of Health Study (WCHS). Obesity measures including body mass index (BMI); central obesity i.e., waist circumference (WC) and waist/hip ratio (WHR); and body fat distribution (fat mass, fat mass index and percent body fat) were obtained by trained research staff. We examined the associations of 43 candidate single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 20 mTOR pathway genes with breast cancer risk using multivariable logistic regression. We next examined interactions between these SNPs and measures of obesity using Wald test with 2-way interaction term. The variant allele of BRAF (rs114729114 C > T) was associated with an increase in overall breast cancer risk [odds ratio (OR) = 1.81, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.10-2.99, for each copy of the T allele] and the risk of estrogen receptor (ER)-defined subtypes (ER+ tumors: OR = 1.83, 95% CI 1.04,3.29, for each copy of the T allele; ER- tumors OR = 2.14, 95% CI 1.03,4.45, for each copy of the T allele). Genetic variants in AKT, AKT1, PGF, PRKAG2, RAPTOR, TSC2 showed suggestive associations with overall breast cancer risk and the risk of, ER+ and ER- tumors (range of p-values = 0.040-0.097). We also found interactions of several of the SNPs with BMI, WHR, WC, fat mass, fat mass index and percent body fat in relation to breast cancer risk. These associations and interactions, however, became nonsignificant after correction for multiple testing (FDR-adjusted p-value > 0.05). We found associations between mTOR genetic variants and breast cancer risk as well as gene and body fatness interactions in relation to breast cancer risk. However, these associations and interactions became nonsignificant after correction for multiple testing. Future studies with larger sample sizes are required to confirm and validate these findings.

Ženska povijest na valovima feminizma

The article analyzes the entangled history of feminism and women’s history over the long period from the emergence of feminist thought to the challenges and changes of the 21st century. Based on the concept of four waves of feminism, the paper is organized into four separate chapters that show the development of feminism, women’s history, Croatian feminism, and finally the history of women in Croatia in each phase, while seeking continuities and discontinuities, links and points of divergence. It concludes that women’s history and feminism are intertwined at the theoretical, social and cultural-political level. They open and consider similar questions, and borrow patterns, terminology and arguments from each other. They were supported, conceived and implemented by the same circle of women and men, especially in the second wave, which played a key role in the creation and representation of contemporary feminism. During the third wave, there is a separation of the activist and theoretical aspects of feminism, as well as the emancipation of women’s history from its status as a political tool of feminism. However, the emergence of the fourth wave has shown that feminist criticism of society is not exhausted, nor is its connection to women’s and gender history. Feminism in Croatia developed simultaneously as an indigenous and imported concept. Although feminist ideas undoubtedly come from Western countries and we can follow similar trends in Croatian and global feminism in each wave, they were also implemented and adapted to local political and social circumstances and needs: national movements, socialism, war, transition or European integration. Finally, women’s history in Croatia developed in accordance with the achievements of local feminism, historiography and socio-political circumstances. Numerous similarities with general trends can be traced: a closer intermingling with the women’s movement and feminism, political engagement during the first and second waves, and the heterogeneity of approaches and themes since the end of the 20th century. However, the dynamics of its development, choice of topics and popularity were also determined by political context.

Art and typology of Women’s sights of northern and northeastern Montenegro

Research and study of sights is not new in the Balkan area. The first important research in this field was carried out by two Bosnian-Herzegovinian researchers, namely Mehmed Mujezinović and Šefik Bešlagić. Those researches were carried out in Bosnia and Herzegovina through three levels - history, epigraphy and art. In addition to these two great men, we also have some other researchers who worked on sights such as Ćiro Truhelka, Antun Hangi, Seid Mustafa Trajlić, Alija Nametak, Alija Bejtić, Džemal Čelić. Often, these and many other authors classified men's sights into ulema, dervish, martyr, pashin, agin, hajji, clerical, etc. They did this, first of all, because of their rich decoration, which is as different as the weapons that are a frequent motif on those sights - shield, sword, bow, mace. It is not difficult to distinguish the sights of men from the niches of buried women. Men's sights are reminiscent of medieval tomb in their dimensions, with the difference that the headboards are represented with creases. Women's sights are significantly different: smaller, more modest and simpler, mostly in the form of a truncated shield, less often, on the frontal edges, decorated with floral motifs, leaves and tree branches. In addition to these ornaments, we also notice some that reflect and symbolize female beauty and elegance. In this section, it should be mentioned to the readers that women's sights could also be characterized in a better way, that is, they could get their own characteristic shapes. For example, until now every female sights has been treated in a broader scope and in the simplest sense as a sights of a deceased woman. Certainly, there were those researchers who classified the sights into stelae and women's caps. All this points to the fact that the division within the circle of women's sights is poor and that this allows deepening and classification in a new and appropriate way. In this sense, we are of the opinion that a new division could be made among women's sights based primarily on their external appearance. Such a starting point gives us the right to classify them into women's sights in the form of a stele, women's sights in the form of pillars with a women's cap and women's sights with solufs. But, even for this division, it could be stated that it is poor and not comprehensive, because women's sights can also be observed and explained from the point of view of social position and affiliation. Large and well-decorated nishans belong to rich women, while those of smaller dimensions and with less decorative ornaments belong to poorer people. Just as the Agin and Pašina sights are very richly decorated and of large dimensions, some women's sights could be classified in a similar category. However, we cannot prove this, because in that case we would have to conduct archaeological research, with the help of which it would be possible to obtain more detailed information that would enable better illumination of the deceased person's belonging to a certain social class. On the other hand, shapes can also help us to chronologically place women's sights in the appropriate century. Steles, as the oldest form, began to be used in a slightly older period of making women's sights, already in the second half of the 15th century, and are still in use today. These niches, initially without Arabic epitaphs, with ornaments that are represented on tombs, were carved mostly in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in a somewhat wider area. In the 17th century, women's nishan got another very different form, in the way that a woman's cap was placed on the columnar sights, which began to receive an Arabic epitaph. With these sights, the upper part is in the shape of an inverted fez, while the lower part has a collar that helps us identify these sights. We also have a sight with solufluks that symbolize women's zulufs and their beauty. With this, we have briefly presented the art and typology of sights from the 15th to the 20th century. There are sights that do not correspond to these types, but we have presented them in this work.

Greater Body Fatness Is Associated With Higher Protein Expression of LEPR in Breast Tumor Tissues: A Cross-Sectional Analysis in the Women's Circle of Health Study.

BackgroundThe mechanisms underlying the association of overall and central body fatness with poorer breast cancer outcomes remain unclear; altered gene and/or protein expression of the adipokines and their receptors in breast tumors might play a role.MethodsIn a sample of Black and White women with primary invasive breast cancer, we investigated associations of body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, hip circumference, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), fat mass index (FMI), and percent body fat with protein expression (log-transformed, n = 722) and gene expression (log2-transformed, n = 148) of leptin (LEP), leptin receptor (LEPR), adiponectin (ADIPOQ), and adiponectin receptors 1 and 2 (ADIPOR1, ADIPOR2). Multivariable linear models, adjusting for race, menopausal status, and estrogen receptor status, were used to assess these associations, with Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons.ResultsIn multivariable models, we found that increasing BMI (β = 0.0529, 95% CI: 0.0151, 0.0906) and FMI (β = 0.0832, 95% CI: 0.0268, 0.1397) were associated with higher LEP gene expression, corresponding to 34.5% and 38.3% increases in LEP gene expression for a standard deviation (SD) increase in BMI and FMI, respectively. Increasing BMI (β = 0.0028, 95% CI: 0.0011, 0.0045), waist circumference (β = 0.0013, 95% CI: 0.0005, 0.0022), hip circumference (β = 0.0015, 95% CI: 0.0007, 0.0024), and FMI (β = 0.0041, 95% CI: 0.0015, 0.0067) were associated with higher LEPR protein expression. These associations equate to 16.8%, 17.6%, 17.7%, 17.2% increases in LEPR protein expression for a 1-SD increase in BMI, waist circumference, hip circumference, and FMI, respectively. Further, these associations were stronger among White and postmenopausal women and ER+ cases; formal tests of interaction yielded evidence of effect modification by race. No associations of body fatness with LEP protein expression, LEPR gene expression, or protein or gene expression of ADIPOQ, ADIPOR1, and ADIPOR2 were found.ConclusionsThese findings support an association of increased body fatness – beyond overall body size measured using BMI – with higher LEP gene expression and higher LEPR protein expression in breast tumor tissues. Clarifying the impact of adiposity-related adipokine and adipokine receptor expression in breast tumors on long-term breast cancer outcomes is a critical next step.

Donna L. Fowler-Merchant, Mothers in Israel: Methodist Beginnings through the Eyes of Women

Fowler-Merchant’s Mothers in Israel is a much-needed, careful, and exquisite analysis of Methodist women preachers during the eighteenth century. In quite appropriate fashion, John Wesley’s role takes a needed backseat, and women shine forth as the leaders, the voices, the mothers of this story.Chapter One begins as any true history of Methodism should, with the story of Susanna Wesley, mother of John, and arguably the original Methodist. Fowler-Merchant’s depiction of Susanna is poignant and presents us with a portrait of a quite independent woman, an attentive mother (even by twenty-first century standards), a person of deep faith in God, and the spiritual interlocutor of both John and Samuel. Chapter Two provides an overview of women during John Wesley’s time and in his movement of Methodists. This chapter is a much-needed synopsis and should be used in every Methodist History course. It establishes necessary background information such as the religious authority of women in the Church of England, women’s friendships in eighteenth-century British culture, the structure of early Methodism, and brief biographies of some of the women closest to John.Chapters Three through Five take a slightly different approach and they focus on the life of Mary Bosanquet (later Mary Fletcher) and her circle of women. Mary Bosanquet is presented as a devout person of God with a unique gift of the Spirit, which leads her to preach. She not only preaches, but she is the first person to defend a woman’s right to preach to John Wesley. Fowler-Merchant does an exceptional job laying out her influence on those around her (Sarah Ryan, Sarah Crosby, and Mary Tooth) and paints an intimate picture of the faith-driven, methodical, and selfless lives that these women led. She’s careful to nuance the changes in how their preaching was received, particularly by John Wesley himself.One of the greatest achievements of Fowler-Merchant’s work is how men are blended into the background, almost unnoticed. This is quite the feat when it comes to writing a history of religious authority in the eighteenth century. But she succeeds in constructing a story that solely focuses on women and their calls to ministry. Even when Mary Bosanquet marries John Fletcher (and changes her name to Mary Fletcher), the reader doesn’t notice much of a change to the narrative beyond the name change. Others who have written about this time and even this subject matter still make men the dominant characters, focusing on men debating women’s roles. Fowler-Merchant simply tells the complex story of these Mothers in Israel and Female Brethren who above all else sought to embody their call of God. I highly recommend this book for individual reading, small group study, and seminary-level classes. It speaks to a wide range of audiences and fills a much-needed gap in our Methodist history literature.

Pregnant and Postpartum Women's Perceptions of Barriers to and Enablers of Physical Activity During Pregnancy: A Qualitative Systematic Review.

Physical activity throughout pregnancy has been shown to have health benefits for the pregnant person, including reductions in the risk of preeclampsia and gestational weight gain and improvements in blood pressure regulation. Despite the benefits, many pregnant women do not meet the guidelines for physical activity throughout pregnancy. Therefore, it is important to determine what influences women's activity levels during pregnancy. This systematic review of the qualitative literature aimed to determine pregnant and postpartum women's perceptions of barriers to and enablers of physical activity, specifically during pregnancy. MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Embase were searched systematically to identify qualitative studies investigating pregnant or postpartum women's perceptions of barriers to and enablers of physical activity during pregnancy. Included studies were limited to populations of pregnant or postpartum women, the majority of whom were aged 18 to 40 years, and studies published from 1985 onward. Data quality was assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme Qualitative Studies Checklist. Data were extracted using NVivo software and subsequently mapped on the COM-B framework. Twenty-five qualitative studies were included in this systematic review. Sixteen themes were identified that mapped onto 6 components of the COM-B framework. Commonly reported barriers to physical activity during pregnancy included pregnancy symptoms, lack of knowledge of what constitutes safe activity, and the opinions of women's social circles. Commonly reported enablers of physical activity during pregnancy were social support and the experienced benefits, including physiologic, psychological, and social benefits. The results of this systematic review have clinical implications for perinatal care providers, as the overall benefits of physical activity during pregnancy have been well documented in previous studies. The authors recommend clinicians aim to explore pregnant women's perspectives on physical activity during pregnancy in order to be able to address their perceived barriers to and enablers of physical activity during pregnancy.

Women's Circles and Philosophical Practice

In recent years, traditional approaches to education and development have been increasingly criticized as being predominantly oriented towards developing the mind, at the detriment of the other dimensions of human existence (i.e., body, emotion, intuition, imagination), which have been associated with secondary, less important, or feminine aspects. Such an approach understands and engages these other dimensions merely from a mental perspective, instead of allowing each dimension to develop in its own space and rhythm. This creates a bias referred to as cognicentrism. A case for the shift of cognicentric approaches towards an integrative interplay of the mind, body, emotion, imagination, and intuition is presented in this study. This shift is envisioned as happening by pursuing an embodied, immanent approach towards all dimensions of knowing in an integrative manner. As one of the steps towards this achievement, in the context of philosophical practice, the practice of Circles of Women (CWs) is presented and studied. CWs are presented as spaces where the practice is centred on embodiment and immanence, where the voice of the feminine can be heard, explored, and honoured – aspects perceived as lacking in the context of a traditional philosophical practice. Philosophical practice is presented as having a more accentuated presence on the mental, intellectual sphere, and so a more versed perspective upon matters of ethics and logic – aspects through which CWs could also potentially benefit. The direction and focus of this study is to advance the need for an embodied, immanent approach to philosophical practice, thus building bridges between already existing practices and communities while acknowledging differences and presenting possibilities of complementarity or reciprocal influence.

Multilevel Factors for Adiposity Change in a Population-Based Prospective Study of Black Breast Cancer Survivors.

PURPOSEUnfavorable weight change after breast cancer diagnosis increases the risk of mortality, but individual and neighborhood risk factors affecting postdiagnosis weight and body fat changes are unclear among Black women, who have higher rates of obesity and mortality than any other racial/ethnic group.METHODSAdiposity changes during the period approximately 10 months-24 months after diagnosis were evaluated among 785 women diagnosed between 2012 and 2018 and enrolled in the Women's Circle of Health Follow-Up Study, a population-based prospective cohort of Black breast cancer survivors in New Jersey. Multilevel factors for weight and fat mass change (with gain or loss defined as a relative difference of 3% or more, and considering whether changes were intentional or unintentional) were estimated using multivariable polytomous logistic regressions and multilevel models.RESULTSAdiposity gain was prevalent: 28% and 47% gained weight and body fat, respectively, despite a high baseline prevalence of overweight or obesity (86%). Risk factors for fat mass gain included receiving chemotherapy (relative risk ratio: 1.59, 95% CI, 1.08 to 2.33) and residing in neighborhoods with a greater density of fast-food restaurants (relative risk ratio comparing highest with lowest tertile: 2.18, 95% CI, 1.38 to 3.46); findings were similar for weight gain. Only 9% of women had intentional weight loss, and multilevel risk factors differed vastly from unintentional loss.CONCLUSIONBoth individual and neighborhood factors were associated with adiposity change among Black breast cancer survivors. Residential environment characteristics may offer clinically meaningful information to identify cancer survivors at higher risk for unfavorable weight change and to address barriers to postdiagnosis weight management.

Метафоры рукоделия и проблематика субъектности в женской лирике Серебряного века

Focusing on the problems of female authorship, this article considers how the “I” of the author is expressed in the works of Z. Gippius, E. Dmitrieva, A. Gertsyk and T. Shchepkina-Kupernik in the context of the gender revolution of the late XIX – early XX centuries. This increased the scope of women’s opportunities but was still a very painful process. Constrained by gender role traditionalism, female writers’ authorial subjectivity was called into question. The article examines these poets’ narrative strategies and the emergence in resistance to dominant androcentric practices of a dual female style or voice, identified in analysis of metalyric texts containing metaphors of women’s needlework: images of spinning, sewing and weaving wreaths that encode the creative process of the female subject. Zinaida Gippius’ lyrics reveal the hidden female subject. Gertsyk (articulating passivity but hinting at a special relationship with the Higher Principle) and Dmitrieva (problematizing female authorship as a threatening act but emphasizing her heroine’s favorites) experiment with an ultra-feminine mode of poetic utterance. Even Shchepkina-Kupernik, whose poems do not stray beyond the traditional “women's circle”, uses gender role stereotypes to mask the true content and the addressee of her lyrics, as her own biography suggests.

Women's Circles: Agroecology, Movement, Resistance and Healing in Universities

Women's Circles: Agroecology, Movement, Resistance and Healing in Universities