Duration Of Marriage Research Articles

The Degree of Marital Compatibility and Family Stability during the Corona Pandemic according to a Number of Variables among a Sample of Married Couples in Irbid Governorate

The study aimed to identify the nature of differences in the degree of marital compatibility and family stability among a sample of married couples in Irbid Governorate according to demographic and personal variables (gender, age, duration of marriage, educational level). The descriptive approach was used for the study, the study sample consisted of (400) husbands and wives from all residents of Irbid Governorate who were drawn randomly. The results of the study showed statistically significant differences at the significance level (α≤0.05) in the field of companionship according to the gender variable, as the value of (F) reached (3.864) with a statistical significance of (0.050) and in favor of males , There are statistically significant differences at the significance level (α≤0.05) in the field of role participation between spouses according to the gender variable, as the value of (F) reached (89.216) with a statistical significance (0.000), in favor of females, there are no statistically significant differences at the significance level (α≤0.05) in the fields (the presence of disorders and the desire for separation and divorce, there are statistically significant differences at the significance level (α≤0.05) in family stability according to the variables (gender - age - duration of marriage - educational level).

The Role of Spirituality, Marital Satisfaction and Socio-Economic Status on Attitudes Toward Childbearing Among Married Women Without the Intention and History of Pregnancy: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Iran has experienced a sharp decline in childbearing rates over the past three decades, and the extent to which attitudes toward childbearing are influenced by marital satisfaction, socio-economic status, and spiritual health remains unclear. Additionally, past research has largely focused on women who already have children. This study, however, examines all women who, after five years of marriage, have not yet decided to have children. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the role of spirituality, marital satisfaction, and socio-economic status in shaping attitudes toward childbearing among married women in Semnan City in 2023, specifically those without a history of pregnancy or intention to conceive. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 235 married women who had neither the intention nor history of pregnancy, with a minimum marriage duration of five years. Participants were purposefully selected during visits to the family health center in Semnan City in 2023. Data were collected using the Childbearing Attitudes Questionnaire, the Spiritual Health Questionnaire, the Marital Satisfaction Questionnaire, and the Socio-Economic Status Questionnaire. Statistical analysis was conducted using multiple linear regression tests in SPSS software version 24. Results: The largest proportion of participants belonged to the age group of 26-32 years (31.35%). A majority (137 individuals, 58.3%) had either an associate or bachelor’s degree, and most participants (58.3%) were employed. The results demonstrated that spirituality (41%), socio-economic status (56%), and marital satisfaction (65%) were significant predictors of attitudes toward childbearing (P < 0.01). Conclusions: As marital satisfaction emerged as the strongest predictor of attitudes toward childbearing, it is recommended that health centers offer courses to improve and enhance marital satisfaction among women.

Predictors of Fertility Desire During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross Sectional Study

Background: Fertility, the most important factor in population growth, is affected by various factors, including pandemics. COVID-19 (CV) was a global challenge that spread rapidly around the world. Objective: This study aimed to investigate predictors of fertility desire during the covid virus pandemic. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 315 women who visited health centers in northern Iran for vaccination against covid virus were recruited using convenient sampling. The participants completed the sociodemographic information, Fertility Desire Scale, and Fear of covid virus scale. Logistic regression analysis was employed to assess the predictive factors of fertility desire. Results: The participants' mean age and marriage duration were 34.4 ± 6.7, and 7.3±11.5 years, respectively. It showed fertility desire among household women was about twofold more compared to employed ones [Odds Ratio (OR) = 1.96, p = 0.009)]. The fertility desire was decreased among more educated women (OR = 0.43, p= 0.035), women with one child (OR = 0.44, p= 0.030), and women with no infant gender preferences (OR = 0.53, p= 0.032). Fear of covid virus and any history of covid virus infection in the participants or their close relatives did not change fertility desire (P > 0.05). Conclusion: In conclusion, health policymakers should pay more attention to the potential effects of women's employment, their educational status, and their attitude toward infant gender preferences on fertility desire during the development of programs. Further research is needed to examine this empirical association on a global scale and its effect on trying to conceive.

INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE AS PREDICTOR OF MENTAL WELL-BEING AMONG MARRIED INDIVIDUALS

Several studies have shown that Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) has a negative influence on the mental well-being of married individuals in the contexts where they were conducted. However, the influence of intimate partner violence (IPV) on the mental well-being of married individuals in many developing countries, especially those in Africa, have been under-reported. The study reported here should thus add much value to the pool of literature aimed at exploring the predictive influence of IPV on mental well-being among married individuals in developing contexts. This cross-sectional survey adopted a purposive sampling technique to select 686 married individuals. The results showed that demographic variables (age, educational level, and marriage duration) and IPV dimensions (humiliation and afraid) jointly and independently predicted mental well-being with a variation of 11%. Regarding the contributions of each variable to mental well-being, age, educational level, marriage duration, humiliation, and afraid predicted mental well-being. Based on these findings it is recommended that more relevant training on attitudinal change programs and mechanisms to prevent and respond to violence among married individuals should be strengthened by relevant stakeholders.

International and internal migration and the subjective wellbeing of wives left behind in Ghana

AbstractHusbands' labour migration has ramifications for significant family members, particularly wives left behind. However, limited studies have been conducted to examine the impacts of husbands' migration on women left behind married to international and internal migrants. Drawing on a purposive sampling survey of 298 Ghanaian women (international = 129 and internal = 169) in the Volta Region, we assessed their subjective wellbeing using three dimensions: self‐reported health, self‐reported satisfaction with life, and self‐reported happiness. The results from t‐tests show that on average, international women left behind have higher perceived health (3.72), perceived happiness (3.82) and satisfaction with life (3.19). Results from the multivariable binary logistic regression analyses reveal that while no variables predict self‐reported health for international women left behind, high frequency of communication is statistically associated with internal women left behind self‐assessed health. International women left behind who lived in nuclear households and internal women left behind who reported high wealth quintiles were both statistically associated with satisfaction with life, respectively. While demographic factors (age and duration of marriage) were significant predictors of happiness for international women left behind, neighbourhood type and frequency of communication predicted happiness for internal women left behind. The differences in variables predicting each of the subjective wellbeing dimensions demonstrate the concept's multidimensionality. It also highlights factors influencing subjective wellbeing outcomes of women left behind are not solely due to their husbands' migration. The policy implications of this study are highlighted.

Investigating the relationship between internet addiction, domestic violence, and emotional divorce among married women in Tehran

BackgroundIdentifying the factors affecting emotional divorce due to the negative consequences of this social problem in women can play an important role in preventing its occurrence. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the relationship between internet addiction, domestic violence, and emotional divorce among married women in Tehran.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted among married women in Tehran, Iran. Sampling was conducted first through a multi-stage cluster method and then continued using a random method. Tehran was divided into five parts: central, northern, southern, eastern, and western. The sample size was divided by 5, resulting in 80 participants selected from each part. In each part, two regions were selected, and in each region, 40 houses were randomly selected. Researchers visited the selected houses, and the questionnaires were filled out at home by the women. Tools such as Gottman’s Emotional Divorce Test, Young’s Internet Addiction Test, and the Domestic Violence against Women Survey were used to collect data. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data in SPSS (version 24) software.ResultsA total of 400 women participated in the study. 46% of all married women suffered emotional divorce. The analysis of these tests showed that are positive and significant relationships between emotional divorce and internet addiction (r = 0.626, p < 0.0001), emotional divorce and domestic violence (r = 0.632, p < 0.0001), and internet addiction and domestic violence (r = 0.455, p < 0.0001). It was also found that there are significant negative relationships between emotional divorce and both the level of education (r=-0.115, p = 0.021) and employment status (r=-0.512, p < 0.0001). Additionally, there are significant negative relationships between internet addiction and age (r=-0.285, p < 0.0001), duration of marriage (r=-0.237, p < 0.0001) and employment status (r=-0.694, p < 0.0001). Furthermore, it was revealed that there are significant negative relationship between domestic violence and age (r=-0.104, p = 0.037) and level of education (r=-0.156, p = 0.002).ConclusionAlmost half of the married women in this study experienced emotional divorce, internet addiction, and domestic violence. These factors have a direct relationship with emotional divorce. Future studies are needed to understand how internet addiction might be associated with separation, emotional divorce and family problems.

Determining domestic violence against women using machine learning methods: The case of Türkiye.

Domestic violence against women is a pervasive issue globally, representing a severe violation of human rights and a significant public health concern. The hidden nature of such violence and its frequent underreporting make it a critical area for research. Recent advancements in artificial intelligence offer new avenues for identifying and predicting instances of domestic violence through machine learning (ML) algorithms. This study aimed to determine the frequency and risk factors of domestic violence against women using ML methods. With a cross-sectional design, this research was conducted with 630 married women between December 2023 and February 2024. Data were obtained using the 'Demographic Information Form' and the 'HITS Domestic Violence Scale'. Data analysis used six ML algorithms (decision tree, random forest, support vector machine [SVM], logistic regression [LR], Naive Bayes and k-nearest neighbour). In our study, the rate of women experiencing violence was determined to be 11%, while the duration of marriage, number of children and level of education were identified as significant risk factors. Threat, insult and injury were common risk factors in all algorithms. SVM and LR algorithms were effective models in predicting violence with a 100% accuracy rate. All ML algorithms' sensitivity ranged from 91.12% to 100%, while specificity ranged from 85% to 100%. The findings of our study demonstrate that ML algorithms have high accuracy rates in determining the frequency and risk factors of domestic violence against women, indicating that they can be used safely.

Sexual Function and Quality of Life in Iranian Women With Human Papillomavirus Infection.

Considering the prevalence of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection and the lack of HPV vaccination program in Iran among young women and the importance of quality of life and sexual performance in women, we decided to conduct a study to examine the relationship between HPV infection and sexual dysfunction and quality of life in Iranian women. In this cohort study, 250 married women who infected with HPV were recruited via convinence sampling from colposcopy clinic of Arash women hospital (Tehran, Iran) from April 2020 to May 2022.They were evaluated concerning their sexual function in the domains of desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, satisfaction and pain with the female sexual function index (FSFI) questionnaire (the total FSFI score is calculated by the sum of the nineteen items). Sexual quality of life-female (SQOL-F) items (Likert-type scale with a cut-off of 65 points) were organized into four sub-scales: psychosexual feelings, sexual and relationship satisfaction, self-worthlessness, and sexual repression. All patients filled out the female sexual function index (FSFI) and sexual quality of life (SQOL) questionnaires. Variables were analysed via correlation coefficient and linear regression tests. Mean age and mean marriage duration were 38.5±4.5 and 12.2±7.2, respectively. There was a weak correlation between FSFI and SQOL (r=0.15, p=0.001).Time of marriage and genital warts were the predictors on the FSFI and SQOL. The findings suggest that HPV infection can impair sexual function and quality of life. This research contributes valuable insights, especially considering the prevalence of HPV.

The effect of spiritual self-care model on the self-efficacy of spouses of veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder: A quasi-experimental study

The present study aims to determine the effect of the spiritual self-care model on the self-efficacy of spouses of veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This quasi-experimental study, conducted in 2023, focused on the wives of veterans with PTSD. Data collection was carried out using a non-random sampling method. Data for this research were gathered using demographic and self-efficacy questionnaires. The demographic questionnaire collected information on the age of the veteran's spouse, duration of marriage, percentage of military service, education, and occupation. A total of 30 participants were divided into intervention and control groups. The independent t-test revealed a significant difference between the control and spiritual self-care groups after the intervention (P&lt;0.01), whereas no significant difference was observed before the intervention (P=0.36). Additionally, the paired t-test indicated no significant difference in the control group before and after the intervention (P=0.89). Still, a significant difference was found in the spiritual self-care group (P&lt;0.01). After adjusting for the pre-test effects, it was demonstrated that the spiritual self-care model significantly impacts the self-efficacy of veterans. It is estimated that approximately 85% of the changes in self-efficacy can be attributed to the spiritual care intervention (Eta=0.85, P&lt;0.001). This research demonstrated that spiritual self-care enhances self-efficacy in veterans' wives. As a psychological variable, self-efficacy is crucial in managing life crises and stresses. Spiritual beliefs serve as an effective strategy for coping with challenges and significantly improve the self-efficacy of veterans' wives.

The Role of Life Satisfaction and Sexual Self-Consciousness in Marital Disaffection

In this research, it was aimed to investigate life satisfaction and sexual self-consciousness as the predictors of marital disaffection and to reveal whether marital disaffection differs significantly according to determined demographical variables. The research was conducted with the data obtained from 435 (239 females and 196 males) married individuals living in various cities in Turkey. The findings obtained in the research suggested that life satisfaction and sexual self-consciousness significantly predicted marital disaffection and the present two predictive variables of the research together explain 28% of the total variance in the scores of marital disaffection. It was also concluded that life satisfaction was negatively and moderately related to marital disaffection, and that there was a low related positive relationship between sexual self-consciousness and marital disaffection and it was found that marital disaffection it differed significantly according to gender, type of marriage, duration of marriage and the number of children.

Extended postpartum intimate partner violence and its associated factors among Iranian women: Community-based cross-sectional study design.

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of different types of intimate partner violence (IPV) and factors associated with it during the postpartum period. In this cross-sectional study, 428 women were enrolled from 10 health centers in the south of Tehran, Iran, between April 2023 and October 2023. We used a sociodemographic questionnaire, Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS2), the short form of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) for data collection. Multivariate binary logistic regression was used to determine demographic and psychological predictors of IPV after childbirth. Approximately two-thirds of women (n=285, 66.6%) experienced IPV within 1 year of childbirth. Psychological aggression (n= 276, 64.5%) was the most common type of IPV, whereas injury (n=96, 22.4%) was the least common. Additionally, one in three women experienced physical assault (n= 134, 31.3%), and over one-third experienced sexual coercion (n= 152, 35.5%). Predictor factors of IPV during the postpartum period were: insufficient family income (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 4.52, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.24-15.28), husband's smoking (aOR 3.17, 95% CI 1.70-5.92), history of IPV in pregnancy (aOR 2.44, 95% CI 1.33-4.50), number of children (aOR 3.02, 95% CI 1.79-5.10), and depression (aOR 1.2, 95% CI 1.08-1.14). On the other hand, protective factors of IPV during the postpartum period were: longer marriage duration (aOR 0.85, 95% CI 0.77-0.93) and greater resilience (aOR 0.95, 95% CI 0.90-0.99). IPV is prevalent 1 year after childbirth. Healthcare providers should implement a thorough screening program to identify risk and protective factors related to postpartum IPV.

Demographic Factors, Biochemical Markers, and Obstetric History Associated with the Risk of Preeclampsia in a Sudanese Population Sample

Background: Preeclampsia significantly contributes to maternal and perinatal illness and death, particularly in low and middle-income countries like Sudan. It is classified by onset timing (early vs. late) and severity (mild vs. severe) and is one of the four hypertensive disorders in pregnancy, including chronic hypertension, gestational hypertension, and chronic hypertension with superimposed preeclampsia. This study aimed to evaluate the demographic, clinical, and biochemical predictors of preeclampsia among Sudanese women. Methods: This case-control study involved 100 women diagnosed with preeclampsia and 100 healthy pregnant women who acted as the control group at Omdurman Maternity Hospital in Khartoum State, Sudan, from 2019 to 2021. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, obstetric history, and biochemical markers, including platelet counts, were collected using a comprehensive questionnaire and blood sample analysis. Results: Women with preeclampsia were more frequently over the age of 40 (OR=9.33, 95% CI: 4.54-19.19, p &lt; 0.001) and had a longer median duration of marriage (OR=2.9, 95% CI: 1.51-5.58, p=0.001). Lower educational levels (p=0.008) and being housewives (p=0.024) were also more prevalent in the preeclampsia group. Clinically, headache (OR=18.98, 95% CI: 2.44-147.5, p=0.005) and blurring of vision (OR=25.83, 95% CI: 1.17-572.6, p=0.04) were more prevalent in women with preeclampsia. Biochemical markers showed lower platelet counts (p=0.002), higher levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (OR=2.23, 95% CI: 1.51-3.28, p &lt; 0.001) and creatinine (OR=16.76, 95% CI: 2.31-121.5, p=0.005), while aspartate aminotransferase (AST) was not significantly associated with preeclampsia. Conclusion: Family history of preeclampsia was the most significant predictor. Other important risk factors included older age, longer duration of marriage, lower education levels, headache, blurring of vision, and higher levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and creatinine.

Sexual function of overweight pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus: A cross-sectional study.

Overweight and obesity are on the rise worldwide and may affect female sexual function. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between sexual function in normal and overweight pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). This cross-sectional study was conducted in overweight and normal-weight pregnant women with GDM in Sari, Iran. Data were collected from 2018 to 2021. The demographic data collected from the participants included age, educational level, occupation, gestational age, duration of marriage, number of births, place of residence (city or village), private house, private bedroom, and insurance status. The General Health Questionnaire, Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), and Enriched Marital Satisfaction questionnaires were used to assess mental health, sexual functioning, and marital satisfaction, respectively. The study included 200 women with GDM. The mean age of the participants was 29.75 (SD = 4.40) years. Among pregnant women with GDM, 56.50% of them had sexual dysfunction based on FSFI. The mean FSFI score in pregnant women with GDM was 25.60 (SD = 3.61). Among the participants, 50.00% had normal body mass index (BMI). There was no significant difference between BMI status and total sexual function score (p > 0.05). The multivariate analysis revealed that marital satisfaction (β = 0.41, p < 0.001) and BMI status (β = -0.15, p = 0.002) were the only factors significantly associated with overall sexual function, explaining 27% of the variance in the total FSFI score. The results of this study showed that there was no significant relationship between sexual dysfunction and obesity in GDM. Considering that the research in this area is very limited and the negative effects of obesity and GDM have been confirmed in many areas, including sexual desire disorder, necessary planning should be done to control these factors.

A Study To Assess The Level Of Anxiety, Coping Strategies And Financial Burden Among The Spouses Of Alcoholics Attending De-Addiction Centre At Selected Hospital In Kolkata, West Bengal

Background: Alcoholism is one of the significant problems in India. It is a chronic progressive and often fatal disease but it has not a symptom like other diseases or emotional problems. Prolonged heavy use of alcohol is the cause of addiction. For this addiction higher anxiety level, depression, low self-esteem and communication apprehension have been reported in spouses of alcoholics and attributed to intense, stress and traumas experiences. [1] The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates (9th May 2022) that there are about Worldwide, 3 million deaths every year result from harmful use of alcohol. This represents 5.3% of all deaths. The excessive use of alcohol is one of the main causes of more than 200 disease and injury conditions. Overall, 5.1% of the global burden of disease and injury is attributable to alcohol, as measured in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). A cause of death and disability relatively early in life is alcohol consumption. In people aged 20–39 years, approximately 13.5% of total deaths are attributable to alcohol. [9] Materials and Methods: A descriptive survey research design was adopted in this study. Non-probability Convenience sampling technique was used to select 100 spouses of alcoholics attending de-addiction centre of R. G. Kar M. C. H. Kolkata and de-addiction centre of N. R. S. M. C. H., Kolkata. Result: The findings revealed that majority of the subject 70% experiencing moderate level of anxiety, majority of the subject 76% adapted moderate coping strategies and majority of the subject 87% experiencing moderate financial burden. There was no relation between the level of anxiety and coping strategies among the spouses of alcoholics. There was a statistical significant association between anxiety with the selected socio demographic variables as educational qualification (χ2= 4.842 df =1, p&gt;0.05), duration of marriage (χ2=4.762, df=1, p&gt;0.05). Conclusion: Alcoholism had the negative effects towards the individual, family and also the nations. Lower education, loss of job, unemployment, unsocial behaves were also the effect of alcoholism. Awareness about the adverse effect of alcohol can prevent the alcoholism, thus reduce the level of anxiety of the spouses

Reasons and types of domestic violence against married women: a community based cross sectional study in urban slums of Pune, India

Background: Worldwide, domestic violence against females is common across religion, culture, socio economic class and ethnicity. Objective was to assess reasons and types of domestic violence against married women in urban slums of Pune. Methods: A community based cross sectional study was undertaken amongst 405 married women above 18 years of age. Chi square test was used to find an association between the different demographic variables with respect to domestic violence. Univariate logistic regression was used to find the Odds ratio between the domestic violence and different risk factors. Results: Prevalence of domestic violence was 37.28%. Commonest reasons reported for domestic violence was ‘not doing household work properly’ (23.47%). Duration of marriage (p&lt;0.05), total number of children (p&lt;0.05), type of family (p&lt;0.05) and alcohol consumption by husband were significantly associated with domestic violence. Conclusions: Present study revealed that duration of marriage, total number of children, type of family and alcohol consumption by husband are the factors significantly associated with domestic violence against married women. Sessions on de -addiction and preventing the family from domestic violence arising due to it can be taken.

Prevelance and risk factors of female sexual dysfunction in females attending infertility clinic at Kasr Alainy hospital: a cross-sectional descriptive study

Background: Female sexual dysfunction (FSD) is a common health problem that is inadequately investigated in Egypt. Sexual problems are reported by approximately 40 percent of females worldwide. There is a strong relationship between FSD, quality of life and infertility. Objective: The aim of this study is to assess the prevalence of female sexual dysfunction and also to investigate possible risk factors that may cause sexual dysfunction in the Egyptian infertile women seeking fertility Patients and Methods: This cross-sectional clinic-based survey was conducted at the infertility clinic, in Kasr Al-Ainy Hospital, Cairo, Egypt from October 2023 to February 2024. During this study, 186 women were enrolled and asked to answer the validated Arabic version of the Female Sexual Function Index and World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire- Brief that were provided by female investigators. Results: 186 females were included in our study. The prevalence of FSD was 56 females (30.1%) while 130 females (69.9%) had good sexual function with FSFI &gt;28.1. Also, patients with sexual dysfunction had mean value of QoL that was (38.5±8.7) while females with good sexual function had mean value of QoL that (64.2±11.2) respectively. We found that the most frequent risk factors of female sexual dysfunction were advanced maternal and paternal age, no maternal occupation, duration of marriage &lt;5 years, nulliparous women ,maternal obesity, timed intercourse and number of IVF trials. On the other hand, no relations were reported between female sexual dysfunction and family income, residence, menstrual Rhythm, associated chronic medical diseases, drug intake, contraception, vaginitis, mode of delivery, circumcision and previous episiotomy. Conclusion: FSD is a major health problem that affect 30.1% of women attending infertility outpatient clinic in Kasr Alainy Hospital and greatly affected their quality of life.

Evaluation of 40 Cases of Sub-Fertile Couples in OPD of Holy Family Red Crescent Medical College and Hospital, Dhaka

Background: Subfertility is defined as the inability to conceive after one year of unprotected intercourse, affects about 80 million couples worldwide, male factors contribute to 40-50% of these cases. The condition has a multifactorial pathogenesis affecting sperm function, highlighting the need for comprehensive diagnostic and treatment strategies. Objective: The study aimed to understand subfertility causes better through thorough history taking, clinical examination, and necessary investigations, thereby informing improved treatment strategies. Method and Materials: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 40 couples seeking treatment at the OPD, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Holy Family Red Crescent Medical College and Hospital, Dhaka from 1 July 2023 to 31 December 2023. Couples with infertility for over one year who agreed to participate were included via convenience sampling. Data were collected on socio- demographic factors and certain relevant questions where asked to find the causes of infertility. Female participants underwent pelvic ultrasound, thyroid function tests, serum prolactin, and random blood sugar tests for Male. Semen analysis was performed following WHO 2010 guidelines. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 23. Results: Among the 40 subfertility patients, the majority (25%) were aged between 26-30 years, with a mean age of 24.21 ± 2.04 years and a mean BMI of 23.08 ± 1.54. The duration of marriage was 5-10 years for 40%, under 5 years for 32.5%, and over 10 years for 27.5%. Subfertility lasted less than 6 years for 60% and 6-10 years for 40%. Female factors alone were responsible for 30% of cases, male factors and unexplained causes each accounted for 25%, and combined factors were 20%. Semen analysis showed normal results in 60% of cases, with abnormalities in 40%. Endometriosis and PCOS each affected 25%, tubal factors 20%, and hyperprolactinemia and uterine factors 15%. ........

Emotional Fertility Intention and its correlates in Ethiopia among married contraceptive user women: using linked community and health facility data from performance monitoring for action; a generalized ordered logistics regression modeling

BackgroundEmotional fertility intention and couples communication are key during pregnancy and childbirth with simultaneous minimization of reproductive coercion. Intention to conceive is an integral part of the reproductive health (RH) right and can be considered as decision making on fertility, family wellbeing and the country’s population demographic dividend and composition. However, in low and middle income countries including Ethiopia where males dominance is culturally constructed and socially accepted, males took the lead in every decision making process. In the aforementioned context, women are less likely for their voices to be heard, hence, this study aimed at determining the level of womens´ emotional fertility readiness and its correlates. The finding provided actionable evidence for the ministry and developmental partners working on reproductive and womens´ health so as to be used as an action point to empower women in terms of their reproductive health right to have control over their fertility.MethodsLinked community and facility data with nationally representation from Performance Monitoring for Action (PMA Ethiopia) 2020 Survey Ethiopia except Tigray Region were used for this study. A total of 2,069 current and/or recent contraceptive user women of child bearing age who are currently married/living together as a partner were included in this analysis. Frequency was computed to describe the study participant’s characteristics. Generalized Ordered logistics regression modeling was employed to identify correlates of the hierarchical variation in women fertility intention if they became pregnant. Results were presented in the form of percentages and odds ratio with 95% Confidence Intervals. Candidate variables were selected using p-value of 0.25. Statistical significance was declared at p-value of 0.05.ResultsThe proportion of womens´ emotional fertility intention of feeling unhappiness was 48.73% (95%CI: 46.21%, 51.23%). On the contrary, 22.88%, 11.36% and 17.03% of them reported that they felt sort of happy, very happy and mixed feeling. An increase in age,10 and above years marriage duration, the type of decision maker for contraceptive use were found to increase the odds of women emotional fertility intention across the higher level categories by (AOR: 95% CI: 6.75 (3.11, 14.62) times higher among elder women aged 35 to 49 years, (AOR: 95% CI: 3.79 (1.72, 8.31) times higher for women with a 10 or more years of marriage duration; and 1.83 (1.03,3.24) times higher for women whose contraceptive use was decided by the health care provide alone. A higher birth order lowered the cumulative odds of womens´ emotional fertility intention symmetrically across the higher level categories by 86% (AOR: 95% CI: 0.14 (0.07, 0.29). Women who wanted to have additional child and whose nearest facility provided 5 or more methods had an increased odds of being in the higher level categories of women emotional fertility intention with disproportional association across the cumulative logit. Accordingly, women whose nearest health facility provided 5 or more methods had an 49% (AOR: 95%CI:1.49 (1.01, 2.19) increased likelihood of being in the mixed or happy category than being very/sort of unhappy category of the emotional fertility intention while the number of methods had no significant association with emotional fertility intention at higher cumulative logit: 1.34 (0.87,2.10). Those who wanted to have an additional child had a 3.16 (2.28, 4.36) higher odds to be in the mixed or happy category than being in unhappy category. Further, this tendency was even stronger at higher categories of emotional fertility intention: 4.83 (3.23, 7.23).ConclusionNearly one in two women reported being unhappy while 17.03% felt mixed emotion calling up on intended and spaced pregnancies by ensuring women reproductive and economic empowerment to empower women to have control over their fertility. Activities and efforts that promote intended and spaced pregnancies; and diversifying access to contraceptive methods in the nearest health facilities are likely to improve women emotional fertility intention; and activities that enable women to decide their contraceptive as well. The finding that health care provider decides on women current/recent contraceptive use calls for activities to improve quality of contraceptive use counseling to enable women to decide their contraceptive use by the themselves while the access of diversified methods in the nearby health facility create an opportunity for women to obtain the method they preferred to use and make them emotionally well. These activities are hoped to enable women to plan their fertility thereby increasing their emotional well-being. These activities and interventions need to be tailored across regions and need to be age sensitive.

The Relationship Between Postpartum Depression and Maternal Attachment in Primiparous Women

Objective: Postpartum depression (PPD) and maternal attachment are two important concepts of the postpartum period, which significantly affect maternal well-being and mother-child relationship. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between PPD and maternal attachment in primiparous women. Methods: Our descriptive, cross-sectional and correlational design study was conducted between January-June 2023. The study was completed with 352 participants who volunteered to participate in the study, gave birth in the relevant clinic, had no communication problems, and had no diagnosed psychiatric illness. Data were collected face-to-face by the researchers using the Descriptive Information Form, Maternal Attachment Scale (MAS) and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Data were analyzed in SPSS-22 program. Results: The mean age of the primiparous mothers included in the study was 23.82±2.60 years and the mean duration of marriage was 2.01±0.77 years. The mean score of the MAS was 81.92±10.99 and the mean score of the EPDS was 11.3±4.39. There was a significant negative correlation between MAS score and EPDS score. Conclusion: In our study, it was found that the MAS score was higher and the EPDS scale score was lower in mothers with a university degree or higher, mothers who received adequate support from their husbands after birth, working mothers, mothers whose husbands had a regular job and mothers who breastfed their babies. The results are expected to guide intervention and early intervention programs related to PPD and maternal attachment.

Health-related quality of life and its associated factors among infertile women compared with fertile women in public hospital Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: a comparative cross-sectional study

BackgroundInfertility can have detrimental physical, psychological, and social effects that significantly impact health-related quality of life. Although the impact of infertility on quality of life is well established, there is a lack of research comparing the quality of life between fertile and infertile women in Ethiopia.MethodsA hospital-based comparative cross-sectional study was conducted among 287 infertile and 301 fertile women. Participants were selected using systematic random sampling. A structured, validated tool was used to collect data. An independent sample t-test was conducted to determine if there was a difference in the study participants' quality of life domains and the mean total quality of life score. Multiple linear regressions were used to correlate quality of life scores with significant predictor factors for the infertile group.ResultsInfertile women had a mean total Herbal of 66.54 ± 10.18, and fertile women (72.68 ± 7.57) were found to be statistically different between the groups. All domains except the physical domain were significantly different between the groups. Duration of marriage (β = -0.529), number of previous sexual partners (β = -0.410), total number of working hours per day (β = -0.345), types of infertility (β = -0.34), and history of the sexually transmitted disease (β = -0.277), in decreasing order of effect, were found to be associated with the quality of life of infertile women (R2 = 0.725).ConclusionsThe study found that infertile women had a lower mean HRQoL score compared to fertile women, with all domains except for the physical domain being significantly different between the two groups. This suggests that infertility can have a significant impact on various aspects of a woman's life, including her emotional well-being, social functioning, and psychological health. The factors associated with the quality of life of infertile women were the duration of marriage, the number of previous sexual partners, the total number of working hours per day, the types of infertility, and the history of sexually transmitted diseases, with duration of marriage having the strongest association. These findings highlight the need for healthcare providers to address the psychological and social aspects of infertility.