Women's Decisions Research Articles

Abstract B058: Cervical cancer prevention hesitancy comparison between Muslim and Non-Muslim American women: Qualitative study

Abstract Introduction HPV vaccination and regular cervical cancer screening are crucial in reducing cervical cancer morbidity and mortality. The Muslim population is a growing and understudied minority group in the US presenting with higher rates of a late-stage cervical cancer diagnosis than non-Muslims. Studies showed specific factors impacting Muslim women's beliefs and practices related to cervical cancer prevention. This study explored multi-contextual factors, including religious, behavioral, and sociocultural elements that may influence Muslim women's decisions regarding cervical cancer prevention in Virginia, USA compared to in Egypt. Methods The project recruited 20 American women (Muslim and non-Muslim) for in-depth interviews. The interviews followed a detailed guideline, asking questions about knowledge, attitude, and behavior related to HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screening. The qualitative data were analyzed using the Strauss and Corbin variation of the Grounded Theory using an iterative coding process to extract concepts and causal relations between them in the interviews. The study was approved by the Institutional Review Boards of Virginia Commonwealth University. Results The Muslim and non-Muslim cohorts showed different results. Most participants (Muslim and non-Muslim) had information about cervical cancer but not prevention methods such as the HPV vaccine. None of the single Muslim women visited a gynecologist due to modesty (Virginity), while all married women had at least one gynecologist visit. Most non-Muslim single cohorts are visiting the Primary Care Physicians regularly but not gynecologists. Female physicians were a preference for all women, the non-Muslim women were more open to male providers if there are no other options. Religious misconceptions about the risk factors of cervical cancers were common in the Muslim women cohort (e.g., cancer is a punishment from God). All participants in both cohorts agreed that vaccination generally was useful and effective, but they did not know about the HPV vaccine. None of the participants (Muslim and non-Muslim) were vaccinated against HPV. A language barrier was observed among Muslim women’s experiences in the US, even though all participants spoke English fluently. Discussion Both populations need education related to HPV prevention even those who graduated from American high school. Muslim women interfacing the health system complexity every day while they are visiting any clinic, thus creating a gap that growing up with the next generations would lead to health disparities. The next steps in this project include the implementation of community-based education programs. Our results also showed that the US healthcare providers have very little cultural competency related to the needs of Muslim women. Citation Format: Asmaa Namoos, Maryam Abdelkarim, NourEldin Abosumak, Dina Ramadan, Rana Ramadan, Venessa B. Sheppard, Tamas Gal. Cervical cancer prevention hesitancy comparison between Muslim and Non-Muslim American women: Qualitative study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 15th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2022 Sep 16-19; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2022;31(1 Suppl):Abstract nr B058.

Personality traits and entrepreneurship in Women

Several nations have expanded women's access to entrepreneurial endeavours, a privilege that was formerly largely reserved for men. As a result, women's entrepreneurship has sparked a lot of interest. Personality traits are essential to entrepreneurial behaviour, particularly in women, they play a vital role in making the decision to pursue entrepreneurship. Keeping this in mind, the research is being carried out with a dual objective in mind. First, to find the personality traits exhibited by women entrepreneurs and to analyse these across demographic traits.Second,  to study the different locus of control (external and internal) exhibited by women entrepreneurs across demographic characteristics.  The study is exploratory in nature, carried out in National Capital Region. This research employs quantitative analysis predicated on a field survey of 118 female entrepreneurs who have been running their own businesses for the past two years.The research reveals that personality traits are a significant aspect of women's decision to become entrepreneurs, as the internal locus of control and risk-taking ability are firmly displayed by Indian women entrepreneurs, emphasising the need to recognise such personalities while girls are in academic institutions and groom them at such levels so that their desires could become more noticeable and impact oriented.

Household Poverty-Wealth and Decision-Making Autonomy as Predictors of Reproductive and Maternal Health Services Utilization among Rural Women in Nigeria: Evidence from a National Survey.

Adequate reproductive and maternal healthcare services utilization are significant in reducing maternal deaths, however, the prevalence rate of contraceptive use remains low, with inadequate maternal health services utilization among rural women in Nigeria. This study examined the influence of household poverty-wealth and decision-making autonomy on reproductive and maternal health services utilization among rural women in Nigeria. The study analyzed data from a weighted sample of 13,151 currently married and cohabiting rural women. Descriptive and analytical statistics including multivariate binary logistic regression were conducted using Stata software. An overwhelming majority of rural women (90.8%) have not used modern contraceptive methods, with poor utilization of maternal health services. About 25% who delivered at home received skilled postnatal checks during the first 2 days after childbirth. Household poverty-wealth significantly reduced the likelihood of using modern contraceptives (aOR: 0.66, 95% CI: 0.52-0.84), having at least four ANC visits (aOR: 0.43, 95% CI: 0.36-0.51), delivering in a health facility (aOR: 0.35, 95% CI: 0.29-0.42) and receiving a skilled postnatal check (aOR: 0.36, 95% CI: 0.15-0.88). Women's decision-making autonomy regarding their healthcare significantly increased the use of modern contraceptives and the number of ANC visits, while women's autonomy on how their earnings are spent positively influenced the use of maternal healthcare services. In conclusion, the use of reproductive and maternal health services among rural women was associated with household poverty-wealth and decision-making autonomy. Government should formulate more pragmatic policies that will create awareness and promote universal access to reproductive and maternal healthcare services.

Increasing women's participation in biomechanics through National Biomechanics Day events

Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) occupations represent one of the broadest gender gaps in any professional field, with women and girls grossly underrepresented in STEM education and careers, particularly engineering and biomechanics. Factors such as bias, stereotyping, and a lack of female role models can significantly influence women's and girls' decisions to enter and remain in the field of biomechanics. A critical first step in increasing the number of female biomechanists is to create early opportunities for girls to explore biomechanics. To address this, international initiatives, such as National Biomechanics Day (NBD), have been developed to expand the awareness, influence, and impact of biomechanics by engaging young people in school biomechanics programs. The Biomechanics Initiative, the official sponsor of NBD, offers grant programs aimed at empowering women to host an NBD event designed to promote biomechanics to girls and women in an immersive, interactive, and engaging manner. In 2021, Biomechanics Research Laboratory (BRL) Ph.D. student Maddison Kirk was a recipient of the grant program. In this paper we describe the BRL NBD event, which involved 20 female athletes from diverse backgrounds, demonstrating to them how biomechanics can be used to assess their physical fitness and performance. Female biomechanists and research assistants running the NBD event acted as female role models to participants, increasing the visibility of women in biomechanics and, in turn, helping to address current bias and stereotyping in STEM. By diversifying biomechanics and ensuring STEM fields are representative of the society in which we live, we can advance the field of biomechanics both nationally and internationally.

Modern Postpartum Family Planning and Associated Factors Among Postpartum Women in a Rural District of Ethiopia, 2021: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The first year after a woman has given birth is critical for use of contraceptives although many women do not realize that they are at a risk for pregnancy. The main objective of this study was to assess the utilization of modern Postpartum Family Planning (PPFP) and associated factors among postpartum women in a rural district, Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study involving randomly selected 389 postpartum women was conducted in Ambo rural district from May 20, 2021 to June 10, 2021. Data were collected through face to- face interviews, entered into EPI Data version 3.1, and analyzed by SPSS version 25.0. In multivariable binary logistic regression, adjusted odds ratios (AOR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) were computed and statistical significance was declared at p < 0.05. The prevalence of modern PPFP was 72.5% (95% CI: 68%, 77%). Utilization of PPFP was significantly associated with women's self decision making (AOR = 6.43, 95% CI: 1.98, 20.90), counseling during antenatal care (AOR = 9.71, 95% CI: 3.83, 24.61), visit health facility after delivery (AOR = 5.24, 95% CI: 2.32, 11.84), ever heard of modern family planning (AOR = 5.17, 95% CI: 1.88, 14.23), perceived partner approval (AOR = 4.31, 95% CI: 1.62, 11.47), and the lowest income (AOR = 0.12, 95% CI: 0.02, 0.68). The use of modern PPFP in the study area was encouraging, which helps to prevent unplanned and unwanted pregnancies and spacing pregnancies. Therefore, family planning providers should focus on raising women's awareness and counseling their partners as part of a continuum of points of contact to encourage women to use the service.

Analysis of Variables of Gender, Religiosity, Emotional Intelligence and Allowances for Women's Decisions to Become Leaders

&lt;p&gt;Some people think that men are the most perfect in terms of leadership. The fact states that in a religious environment, it iswrong for a woman to become a leader. However, at UIN Walisongo Semarang the number of female leaders is quite large. Women with emotional intelligence, the softer and more sensitive feelings they have, can also be one of the determining variables. Emotional intelligence is the ability to control oneself, have endurance when facing a problem, able to control impulses, motivate oneself, able to regulate moods, ability to empathize and build relationships with others. Another variable is about benefits. The existence of allowances is a good wind as additional income for the family's economy/finances. This research uses quantitative research methods. The variables of this study are variable X including: gender, religiosity, emotional intelligence, and benefits, variable Y namely: women's decision to become leaders. The subjects of this study were 45 female respondents, the respondents came from university level administrators, faculty and institutional levels. The data analysis technique uses descriptive analysis and multiple regression analysis. The results of the study stated that there was a significant influence on the variables of gender, religiosity and emotional intelligence on women's decisions to become leaders. Meanwhile, there is no significant influence on the allowance variable on women's decisions to become leaders. In the gender variable, there is an ideological influence of gender roles on providing support to prospective female leaders in student organizations and there are ideological differences in the gender roles of female voters who choose female and male leaders. In the religiosity variable, leaders who have a transformative style who continue to motivate their employees and are supported by a high level of religiosity, the campus will develop and be able to compete well. In the emotional intelligence variable, one of the important factors that influence a woman to become a leader. Women have more empathy and can build better relationships. On the benefits variable, that benefits affect employee performance, but does not affect the decision making of a woman to become a leader.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p class="16"&gt; &lt;/p&gt;

Women And Work Choices In The Tourism Sector: A Form Of Women Empowerment

The covid-19 pandemic profoundly influenced the Balinese economy and tourism industry, particularly in Canggu's growing economy. The general purpose of this research is to discover how Canggu women's career options have changed since the rapid development of tourism in recent years, as the effect of tourism downfall during and after the COVID-19 epidemic. The research objective is to analyze the internal and external elements that impact women's decision to enter the workforce. This study adopted a qualitative descriptive analysis based on the research purpose. Female Canggu Village Youth Organization members were explicitly chosen as informants for this study. The interview process findings and researchers' involvement in the field revealed that women's decision-making in Canggu Village was influenced by internal factors, such as education level and personality traits, and external factors, such as cultural customs and the influence of those closest to them. Despite the economic slowdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, women in Canggu Village are mainly confident that tourism will become the leading industry driving the Canggu Village economy. The findings of this study are likely to assist local governments, academics working on women's empowerment, gender equality, and sustainable tourist development, as well as other communities working to achieve sustainable development.

A kind reminder-A qualitative process evaluation of women's perspectives on receiving a reminder of type 2 diabetes follow-up screening after gestational diabetes.

Women with previous gestational diabetesmellitus(GDM) are more than eight times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes (T2DM) compared to women without GDM. Annual follow-up T2DM-screening is recommended, but participation rates decrease rapidly after the first year. In the North Denmark Region, an electronic reminder has been tested with the aim of improving follow-up care for women with prior GDM. The aim of this study was to explore women's perspectives on receiving an electronic reminder, and the role of reminders in both women's decision-making and informed choice regarding participation in follow-up screening. A qualitative process evaluation informed by a critical realistic perspective. Data consisted of 20 semi-structured interviews with women previously diagnosed with GDM who had received the reminder. Interviews were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. The reminder affected women's decision-making and informed choices through a range of mechanisms. Its personalized design prompted feelings of co-responsibility and care from the healthcare system, supported continuity in women's care pathways, and helped women bridge the gap between healthcare sectors. Women's perception of diabetes risk and the importance of follow-up influenced their decision-making. Participation in follow-up screening was influenced by several contextual factors, as women's everyday life impeded their prioritizing follow-up screening. Women who experienced being met by their general practitioner (GP) with acknowledgement rather than stigmatization and received supportive information tailored to their life situation were more motivated to participate in future follow-up screenings. The reminder indicated both concern and co-responsibility for women's follow-up care after GDM and was well received by the women. It supported participation in follow-up screening through an emphasis on shared decision-making and informed choice. Women's interaction with their GP played a significant role.

Control over Muslim Women's Bodies: A Critical Review

Struggling between the contradictory demands of colonial and neocolonial forces, Muslim women have been constantly at the center of ideological, political, and religious discourses and subjected to surveillance at multiple levels. More specifically, Muslim women's bodily practices, particularly the veil, as an embodied marker of difference that challenges the Western ideals of femininity and signals the “Otherness” of Muslim women, have been at the center of debates on Muslim women's bodies and embodiment. This thematic review of feminist scholarship on regulating and controlling Muslim women's bodies suggests that postcolonial and postsecular feminists have tried to alter narratives portraying veiled Muslim women as “victims” of patriarchal oppression and have disputed representations of Muslim women as “Others.” However, important nuances of Iranian Muslim women's multidimensional and complex decisions, informed by multiple matrixes of power, whether in the form of self‐regulation or through the constant control of the surveilling gaze of dominant “Others,” remain to be explored.

Gebelerde İnternet Kullanımının Kendisi ve Bebeğinin Sağlığı Hakkındaki Düşünceleriyle İlişkisi

Amaç: Bu araştırma gebelerde internet kullanımının kendisi ve bebeğinin sağlığı ile ilgili düşünceleri arasındaki ilişkinin incelenmesi amacı ile yapılmıştır. &#x0D; Yöntem: Tanımlayıcı kesitsel tipteki araştırma Kasım 2021- Şubat 2022 tarihleri arasında iki Aile Sağlığı Merkezi’ne kayıtlı 216 gebe ile yürütülmüştür. Araştırmanın verileri Kişisel Bilgi Formu, Gebelerde İnternet Yoluyla Karar Alma Ölçeği, Prenatal Kendini Değerlendirme Ölçeği’nin Kendi ve Bebeğinin Sağlığı Hakkındaki Düşünceler Alt Boyutu kullanılarak toplanmıştır. &#x0D; Bulgular: Gebelerin abortus/kürtaj öyküsü, gebelik sayısı ve mevcut gebeliği isteme durumları ile Gebelerde İnternet Yoluyla Karar Alma Ölçeği toplam puan ortalamaları arasında istatistiksel açıdan anlamlı bir fark belirlenmiştir. Gebelerin mevcut gebeliğe bağlı risk/hastalık durumu ile Kendi ve Bebeğinin Sağlığı Hakkındaki Düşünceler Alt Boyutu puan ortalamaları arasında istatistiksel açıdan anlamlı bir fark bulunmuştur. Gebe kadınların Gebelerde İnternet Yoluyla Karar Alma Ölçeği toplam puan ortalaması 34.75±7.13, Kendi ve Bebeğinin Sağlığı Hakkındaki Düşünceler Alt Boyutu puan ortalamasının 23.71±5.16 olduğu belirlenmiştir. Gebe kadınların Gebelerde İnternet Yoluyla Karar Alma Ölçeği toplam ve alt boyutları ile Kendi ve Bebeğinin Sağlığı Hakkındaki Düşünceler Alt Boyutu arasında pozitif yönde ilişki belirlenmiştir.&#x0D; Sonuç: Gebelerin internet yolu ile karar alma düzeyleri arttıkça, kendi sağlığı ve bebeğinin sağlığını geliştirmeye yönelik düşünceleri de artmaktadır.

Women's Decision in Agriculture and Climate Change Variables: Implications on Average Seasonal Harvest of Smallholder Corn Farmers

Women's Decision in Agriculture and Climate Change Variables: Implications on Average Seasonal Harvest of Smallholder Corn Farmers

Receiving quality antenatal care service increases the chance of maternal use of skilled birth attendants in Ethiopia: Using a longitudinal panel survey.

Evidence has suggested that maternal use of skilled birth attendant is the most important factor to reduce maternal mortality because of more than three-fourths of maternal deaths occur during child delivery or within 24 hours after delivery due to hemorrhage, hypertension, ruptured uterus and sepsis. In Ethiopia, more than 42% of pregnant women with 4+ antenatal care (ANC) visit did not deliver by skilled birth attendant. The factors for women not using skilled birth attendant after any ANC visit is not well-studied yet. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess effect of quality antenatal care service on maternal use of skilled birth attendant after any antenatal care visit. This study was initiated using performance monitoring for action Ethiopia longitudinal panel survey datasets. A total of 1,511 postnatal women were included in the analysis. Generalized estimating equation Poisson regression model was used to assess the effect of quality ANC service on maternal use of skilled birth attendant by accounting the clustering nature of the data using Stata vers.16 software. This study showed that about 54% of women used skilled birth attendant during the current baby delivery (rate = 53.6%, 95% UI = 51-56%). Nearly, 39% of the women received quality (more than 75th percentile) ANC service (rate = 39.05%, 95% UI = 36-42%). The highest and the lowest antenatal care service the women received, respectively, were blood pressure measure (91.9%) and syphilis test (12.4%). Women who received better quality ANC service were 20% higher more likely to use skilled birth attendant compared to women who received low quality ANC service (adjusted IRR = 1.20, 95% UI = 1.11, 1.31). Maternal use of skilled birth attendant can be improved by providing quality ANC service during subsequent ANC visits. Improving ANC service delivery may encourage or positively reinforce women's and partner's decision to use skilled birth attendant.

Acute malnutrition and its contributing factors among children under-five years in rural kebeles of Shashemene Oromia, Ethiopia.

Globally, more than 52 million under-five years old were wasted; One-third of these children live in Africa. Ethiopia is the seventh country among the ten top countries in which acute malnutrition (AM) is concentrated and currently 10% of under-five children are wasted. Even though Ethiopia has implemented a variety of nutritional interventions, acute malnutrition is still prevalent and spreading at an alarming rate. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prevalence of acute malnutrition and its contributing factors among children under-five years of age. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from July 1 to 30, 2018 among 12 randomly selected kebeles. The sample sizes were proportionally allocated to the selected kebeles. A total of 457 mothers/caretakers of under-five children were interviewed using pre-tested structured questionnaires and anthropometric measurements of the children were taken using standard procedures. EPI data version 4.2 was used for data entry and Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 21 was used for statistical analysis. The World Health Organization (WHO) Anthro software was used to convert nutritional data indices. Binary logistic regression was used to determine the association between dependent and independent variables. The level of significance was declared at a P-value < 0.05. The prevalence of acute malnutrition is 19.91% (95%CI; 16.24%, 23.57%) among under-five children. Factors contributing to acute malnutrition were mothers with no antenatal care (ANC) visits [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.26, 95% CI 1.14-4.46], mothers who had no autonomy in decision-making (AOR = 2.42, 95% CI 1.42-4.12), children with diarrheal disease in the last 2 weeks preceding the survey (AOR = 2.07, 95% CI 1.19-3.59), and not feeding colostrum (AOR = 1.99, 95% CI 1.07-3.71). The prevalence of acute malnutrition is high as compared to other findings in Ethiopia. Moreover, decision-making power, not feeding colostrum, no ANC visit, and a child's history of diarrhea were independent determinants of acute malnutrition. Therefore, the local health department and health extension workers should consider imparting health education for women on nutritional counseling and timely treatment for children with diarrhea. Empowering women's decision-making is also a key element in addressing wasting among under-five children.

The Decision of Women in Makassar City to Be Entrepreneurs

The participation rate of Indonesian women as entrepreneurs is the highest in Southeast Asia. The research aimed to determine the effect of personality factors, socio-cultural factors, and contextual element on the decision-making of female entrepreneurs in Makassar City. The research applied a quantitative-qualitative approach (mixed methods). The total population was 8.756 people. However, after the probability sampling was carried out, the sample of respondents was 382 people. Then, the three informants were determined by purposive sampling to become key informants based on the criteria. The analysis tool used in the test was structural equation model analysis with the help of the AMOS program. The results of the quantitative research and transcripts of the interview process are carried out at the qualitative stage which is analyzed descriptively. The results show that personality factors has a significant effect on the characteristics of female entrepreneurs in Makassar City. Through moderating variables, the results show that contextual elements have significant effect on entrepreneurial decisions. The characteristics of female entrepreneurs are to describe achievement motivation, future orientation, leadership, responsiveness, and creativity for all women in Indonesia to support economic transformation. The decision of women to become entrepreneurs also contributes to the sustainability of the household economy.

Undernutrition and associated factors among pregnant women in East Borena Zone, Liban District, Oromia regional state, Ethiopia.

Undernutrition is cellular imbalance between supply of nutrients, energy and body's demand to ensure growth, maintenance, and specific function. However, there was no study conducted earlier on this topic in East Borena Zone. To assess the prevalence of undernutrition and associated factors among pregnant women in East Borena Zone, Liban District. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 420 study participants from November 20 to December 2021. The systematic sampling technique and simple random sampling methods were used to select study participants. Data were double entered into Epi-info software version 7 and SPSS version 21 software for analysis. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the characteristics of study participants. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regressions were carried out to identify the association between independent and dependent variables by measuring the adjusted odds ratio and 95% confidence interval. P-values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Prevalence of undernutrition among pregnant women was about (44.9%) of family monthly income [AOR = 8.72 (4.80, 15.83)], women's decision-making autonomy [AOR = 0.40 (0.19, 0.82)], skipping meal [AOR = 2.62 (1.41, 4.89)], substance use [AOR = 2.01 (1.07, 3.77)], household food insecurity [AOR = 2.01 (1.06, 3.80)], lack of prenatal dietary advice [AOR = 2.73 (1.53, 4.89)], absence of household latrine [AOR = 9.23 (3.48, 24.46)], not participating health development army's meeting at village level [AOR = 3.01 (1.57, 5.72)] and hand washing habit [AOR = 6.55 (3.02, 14.20)] had shown statistically significant association with undernutrition. The prevalence of undernutrition among pregnant women was high income. Women's decision-making autonomy, skipping meals, substances use, household food insecurity, lack of prenatal dietary advice, poor hand washing habit, lack household of latrine, and not participation in health development army's meeting were found to be predictors of the undernutrition.

Determinants of nutritional status among pregnant women in East Shoa zone, Central Ethiopia.

Undernutrition is an insufficient intake of energy and nutrients to meet an individual's needs to maintain good health. Undernutrition during pregnancy severely affects the health of mothers and her baby. Globally it contributes directly or indirectly to 3.5 million maternal deaths annually. This study aimed to determine the level of undernutrition and identify factors associated with undernutrition among pregnant women attending public health facilities in the East Shoa Zone, Central Ethiopia. Institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 472 randomly selected pregnant women from June to August 2021. Sociodemographic, obstetrics, and knowledge related data were collected using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire, and maternal nutritional status was measured using the Mid Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC). The collected data were entered to EPI-info version 3.5.4 and then exported to SPSS for windows version 26.0 software for analysis. Multivariable regression analysis was fitted to identify determinants of undernutrition. An adjusted odds ratio with 95% confidence intervals and a p-value < 0.05 was considered a statistically significant. The prevalence of undernutrition among pregnant women was 13.9% [95% CI: 11.0-17.4]. On multivariable logistic regression model after adjusting background variables, wealth (AOR: 4.9, 95% CI 1.34-18.20), women's decision making power (AOR: 3.31, 95% CI 1.18-7.79), and nutritional counseling (AOR: 3.53, 95% CI 1.29-9.60) were independently associated with nutritional status of pregnant women. Findings indicated that significant number of pregnant women in the study were undernourished. Higher wealth index, nutritional counseling, and women's decision-making power were inversely associated with undernutrition. The findings imply the need for economic empowerment of women, enhancing decision-making ability of women and routine and consistent nutritional counseling to decrease undernutrition among pregnant women.

When the doors open: implications of COVID-19 and the work-family interface for women entrepreneurs

The crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected women, placing them at the waves' center of unpaid work overload. Based on feminist and role theories, this qualitative study examines the motivations and experiences of women who decided to start a business during an overload period of family responsibilities and economic uncertainty caused by COVID-19 and the consequences of this action for the work-family interface. The results obtained that the woman's decision to undertake during the measures of social isolation caused a conflict of roles. Furthermore, it was possible to notice that, although these women make a great effort to balance all functions, the lack of family support and the cohabitation of professional and family tasks within the domestic environment can be perceived as a factor in the aggravation of a family-work conflict. This research enriches the understanding of the COVID 19 pandemic effects on women's work-family balance with entrepreneurial attitudes and behavior.

Could a decision support tool be the key to supporting choice for women regarding place of birth?

ObjectiveTo assess the effectiveness of using an innovative decision aid, MyBirthplace, to facilitate shared decision-making regarding place of birth. DesignA quasi-experimental study comparing pre-test and post-test responses from participants who had access to the intervention. SettingA large urban hospital in the south of England. ParticipantsAll pregnant women who accessed maternity care between April and December 2016. InterventionA decision aid (MyBirthplace) designed to provide information and support regarding place of birth. The digital tool (available in both an app and web-based version) was used to facilitate discuss between the women and her midwife at the booking visit. MeasurementsWomen's stage of decision making as measured by the Stage of Decision Making Scale. A questionnaire was administered before and after using MyBirthplace at booking, and again at 28 weeks gestation. FindingsNearly half the women (42.1%) had already decided where they wanted to give birth before the booking appointment, but a third (34.3%) had not yet begun to think about their choices. The introduction of the decision aid during the booking visit was associated with a significant increase in the stage of decision making suggesting that women had greater certainty in their decision P< 0.0001 [SD 1.077]. Women who accessed MyBirthplace had lower decisional conflict after the booking appointment than those women that did not access the decision aid (35.5% compared with 22.0%) but this difference was not statistically significant. Key ConclusionsDecision aids, as a standard part of practice, have the potential to ensure women are informed of their options and encourage shared decision making about place of birth. Women were more confident with their decision following the booking appointment and by 28 weeks; however, further research is needed to identify the role that the decision aid played in building this confidence. Implications for practiceThe introduction of a decision aid, Mybirthplace, within the hospital impacted early discussions between the woman and the midwife and appeared to benefit women's decision making regarding place of birth. Further studies of midwives’ use of innovative technologies and their implementation are required.

The Perspectives of Nurses and HIV-Positive Women on a Selected Model of Pregnancy Decision-Making Processes in Northeast Thailand

Many women living with HIV intend to become pregnant. This is especially true for women who have received ARV treatment for a certain period. The purpose of this study was to explore the perspectives of nurses and Thai pregnant women living with HIV on pregnancy decision-making processes. This is a descriptive and qualitative study. Small group discussions were conducted with five nurses working with HIV-positive women and in-depth interviews were conducted with five Thai HIV-positive pregnant women. A model of the pregnancy decision-making process was provided to participants for the discussion. The nurses’ and women's perspectives on the model can be divided into two themes: 1) The perspective of the selected model and its five sub-themes, namely: 1.1) How the substantive model reflects the pregnancy decision-making process; 1.2) Complexity; 1.3) Usability; 1.4) Strength; 1.5) Weaknesses, in addition to the perspectives of women and nurses on the application of the model. The model reflects the real-life experiences and decision-making processes of Thai women with HIV, where each category shows the trail of the women's decision-making process. However, the model is complex and requires substantial explanation. From the participant's point of view, the model reflects the barriers to the practices and services provided.

Determinants Of Women’s Employment Participation Who Have Toddler In East Java During The Covid-19 Pandemic

The current COVID-19 pandemic situation has had an unfavorable impact on Indonesia's employment issues, especially women's employment. Women's work participation is needed to help improve the family's economy during the pandemic. The presence of toddler the household will affect a woman's decision to enter the labor market, because women are faced with a choice between raising children or working. Using Susenas 2021 data, this study aims to exemine the determinants of women's work participation who have toddler in East Java during the Covid 19 pandemic. Based on the results of binary logistic regression, it is known that age, education, area of residence, internet use, household poverty status, husband's employment status in East Java have a significant effect on the participation of women who have toddler in East Java during the Covid 19 pandemic. While the number of members has no significant effect. From this research, it is necessary to implement policies that make it easier for women with toddlers to enter the labor market that favors mothers with working toddlers such as policies on working time, sick leave, maternity leave, and exclusive breastfeeding.