Foreign Women Research Articles

Civic participation and self-reported health: An intersectional comparative study in Europe

Abstract Background Civic participation has been associated with better self-reported health (SRH). However, how does the association between civic participation and SRH vary by sex and migration status? This study aims to examine the association between social and political determinants of health and SRH in an intersectional perspective. Methods We use data from 26 countries in the 2022 EU Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) (n = 425,178, 18-80 y.o.), following an intercategorical approach. Eight intersectional groups are created based on sex, migration status and being socially/politically active (participation in activities related to active citizenship or in formal/informal voluntary activities). Multilevel (ML) logistic regression models are employed to assess the association between these groups and SRH, controlling for age and educational level. Results 24.6% of the sample indicate to be socially or politically active, with significant differences between sexes and migration status. A higher proportion of non-migrant active men report good SRH compared to the other intersectional groups (95.2%). Preliminary results from the ML logistic models show that being active increases the likelihood of good SRH (OR = 1.77, 95% CI 1.72-1.83). Migrant active women report better SRH than their non-active counterparts (OR = 1.27, 95% CI 1.12-1.44). Conclusions Findings suggest that being socially/politically active has a positive impact on SRH, especially among foreign women living in European countries. The study highlights the importance of considering civic (both political and social) participation as health determinant and the need of investing in social capital as a way of health promotion, tackling health inequalities and the marginalisation of at-risk groups. Key messages • Civic participation might strengthen individuals’ health, including among migrant women. • Public health policies should consider civic participation as significant determinant of individuals’ health, as well as a way of tackling health inequalities.

Assessment of five-year data of high-risk pregnancies.

Pregnancy is a natural physiological process, but certain conditions can increase the risk, leading to high-risk pregnancy. Several risk factors may cause high-risk pregnancy. The leading ones are chronic diseases, anemia, multiple pregnancies, premature rupture of membrane, preeclampsia, obesity, frequent pregnancy, and advanced maternal age. A total of 7,230 women with high-risk pregnancies followed up by the Unit of Women's and Reproductive Health of the Directorate of Public Health Services, Kayseri Provincial Directorate of Health between 2016 and 2020 were included in the study. Demographic data, pregnancy outcomes, and risk factors were recorded. The mean age was 27.62±6.55 years. The mean number of pregnancy follow-ups was 3.69±1.36. The mean number of follow-ups for Turkish pregnant women was 3.73±1.34 while it was 1.93±1.1 for foreign pregnant women. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the effect of risk factors on pregnancy outcomes. Pregnancies that did not result in live birth were associated with preeclampsia (OR=12.677), hypertension (HT) (OR=2.079), and cardiovascular disorders (OR=2.277). It was revealed that the number of follow-ups for high-risk pregnancies was low. In conclusion, we believe that increasing monitoring of high-risk pregnancies and developing follow-up models by health authorities will improve the quality of monitoring for high-risk pregnancies.

Visual Pleasures? Wehrmacht Vernacular Trophy Photographs and the Female Other in Nazi-Occupied Europe

ABSTRACT Innumerable historical snapshots from World War II depict German soldiers visually celebrating their victories over an enemy or conquered population. Trophy photographs of German soldiers serve as one valuable heuristic tool to probe German visual cultures and military performances of the self. Indulging in common pictorial tropes that include fixating on female bodies, they have largely been ignored by Holocaust scholars who tend to concentrate on photographs of violence and their evidentiary value. This article places German images of wartime courtship and sexual conquest in dialogue within a broader spectrum of images depicting encounters with women in Nazi-occupied Europe. Photographs of hookups and flirtation with the female vanquished population enable us to embed Nazi warfare and the Holocaust not only in the larger context of conquest and exploitation, but also the cultural and affective mindset of combatants. Delving into the multifaceted histories of these images allows one to deconstruct the violence that lurks beneath the esthetically ‘benign’ visibility and to question the ambivalent affective power of the hyper-violent photographs. In the aggregate, images of violence, humiliation, and non-injurious sexual desire expose a range of behaviors and further shine a light on the ways in which mass violence and genocide are embedded in photographs. The article investigates different motives and ways in which German soldiers visually and physically conquered foreign women and how they ogled and photographically appropriated them. By scrutinizing body language, gestures, facial expressions, and poses the article peels back different layers of the camera’s gaze and of the depicted German soldiers and female subjects, while simultaneously scrutinizing the intersection of sexuality and violence, where desire, spectacle, and esthetics converge into visual pleasure.

Different trends in suicide rates among foreign residents in Japan and Japanese citizens during the COVID-19 pandemic

BackgroundSuicide rates in Japan have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, and foreign residents may be more vulnerable to mental stress during such crises. Therefore, we aimed to compare the trends in suicide rates during the COVID-19 pandemic between foreign residents and Japanese citizens.MethodsVital statistics of Japan data from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2021 were used to calculate quarterly sex-specific suicide rates for foreign residents and Japanese citizens. An event-study analysis was conducted to evaluate whether suicide rates during the COVID-19 pandemic increased compared to pre-pandemic estimates; foreign residents and Japanese citizens were compared using difference-in-difference-in-differences estimates.ResultsBetween 2016 and 2021, 1,431 foreign residents and 121,610 Japanese citizens died from suicide in Japan. Although the suicide rate for foreign residents was lower than that for Japanese citizens, Korean residents, who comprise approximately half of the foreign decedents, had largely higher suicide rates than Japanese citizens. The event-study analysis indicated that suicide rates increased among foreign residents for both men and women, and continued for men by the end of 2021. In Japanese citizens, after a decline in suicide rates in the second quarter of 2020, suicide rates increased both among men and women, and lasted for women until the fourth quarter of 2021. The difference-in-difference-in-differences analyses confirmed the initial decline in the second quarter of 2020 in suicide rate only in Japanese men and women, and the persistent increase through 2021 in foreign men.ConclusionsWe found differential trends in suicide rates between foreign and Japanese men and women during the COVID-19 pandemic featuring a persistent increase in foreign men. Suicide prevention measures should be focused on these high-risk subpopulations.

Pregnancy and Diabetes in Turin: Lights and Shadows from Real Life Data.

From 2021, PSDTA for women with pregnancy complicated by diabetes will be active in the ASL city of Turin; given the city's increasing multiculturalism, we decided to evaluate from this point of view the patients who entered this pathway. Data on women from 1/10/2022 to 30/09/2023 were collected from the computerized medical record. Total patients: 304, Type of diabetes: T1D 3%; MODY < 1%; T2D 4% Diabetes manifested in pregnancy (DMIP) 2%, GDM 90%, Foreigners prevalence: GDM: 67%, T2D%, T1D: Foreign 11%, Planned vs. neglected pregnancies: GDM 47% vs 18%, T2D 31% vs 32%, DMIP 28% vs 50%, T1D: 66% vs 11%, Therapy: GDM: insulin 31% (multi-injective <30%), metformin 5%, T2D: insulin 100% (multi-injective 68%, metformin in 20%); continuous glycemic sensor in 48%, DMIP: insulin 50% (multi-injective 50%), T1D: multi-injective therapy 33%; pump and glycemic sensor 33%; integrated sensor-micro-infuser system 33%. In the aspect of ISTAT data indicating that for northern Italy, a foreign origin for 26% of mothers, our population is "unbalanced" between GDM, T2D, and DMIP on one side and T1D on the other. The higher percentage of foreigners in the GDM group could be attributable to the higher share of Italian women opting for private practice, conversely, the "missing" share of foreign women with T1D is more difficult to interpret. Unplanned or even neglected pregnancies are significant in women with GDM and DMIP (who are mostly foreign). If these data are confirmed in other Italian realities, corrective strategies need to be planned.

Effect of an Internet-based mental health promotion intervention among immigrant Chinese women: A quasi-experimental study

BackgroundOwing to a lack of social support, child-rearing Chinese women in Japan experience mental health disorders, such as depression and parenting stress. Effective interventions to improve the mental health of these women are lacking. This study aimed to develop an Internet-based mental health promotion intervention for this subsection of the population and evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention. MethodsWe used a quasi-experimental pre- and post-test design whereby the results of the intervention group were compared with those of a control group. Seventy-three child-rearing women were recruited from online groups of Chinese residents in Japan. In the Internet-based intervention, participants utilised an information provision application and attended online parenting workshops. The intervention group participated in the online workshops once a week for six weeks and accessed the application, whereas the control group did not. The outcome measures included the levels of mental health distress, depression, social support, and parenting stress. Data were collected from February to April 2022. Data analysis was performed using repeated-measures analysis of variance. ResultsMental health distress (F = 16.478, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.210) and depression (F = 13.078, p = 0.001, η2 = 0.174) were significantly affected in the intervention group compared with the control group. There were no significant differences in social support and parenting stress between the groups. The Internet-based mental health promotion intervention was highly appraised by the participants. ConclusionsThis study developed an Internet-based mental health promotion intervention that involved an information provision application and parenting workshops. The intervention significantly reduced the mental health distress and depression of Chinese women in Japan but did not affect social support and parenting stress. The findings suggest that this intervention could be applied to foreign women with multicultural backgrounds in diverse settings to improve their psychological well-being.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Fertility in Spain

We study the effect of the first wave of COVID-19 and the accompanying containment measures on fertility in Spain. We use earlier years to predict births in the absence of the pandemic and then compare our prediction to actual births. We document a large fall in births in December 2020 and January 2021 and a complete catch-up during the rest of 2021. The fall in fertility was moderate among native women, with a substantial rebound and a positive net effect of 5% by the end of 2021, while the decline in births among foreign women started early and was persistent.

Problematic smartphone use among russian and foreign medical students: prevalence, content consumed, associations with other forms online behavior

Aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of problematic smartphone use, the characteristics of the content consumed and associations with other forms of online behavior among Russian and foreign medical students. Material and methods. 296 medical students were examined using the online survey method: 219 Russians (main group) and 77 foreigners (comparison group); 107 (36.2 %) boys and 189 (63.8 %) girls; age 20 [18; 21] years (median [lower quartile; upper quartile]). The structure of online behavior was assessed: adaptive, non-adaptive, and pathological (PIU) Internet use; specific forms of PIU: problematic use of computer games and social networks, mixed and undifferentiated form of PIU. The values of the total score of the scales of the applied psychometric questionnaires were determined. The indicators were compared in the general group of subjects, in groups of Russians and foreigners, including gender. Results. Problematic smartphone use is typical for 14.2 % of all surveyed. The share of smartphone addicts is higher among foreigners than among Russians (27.3 and 8.0 %, respectively), both boys and girls. PIU prevailed among foreigners (16.1 and 7.4 %), they are more often dependent on social networks (34.5 and 2.4 %). Foreign women were distinguished by a high incidence of problematic use of computer games (20.0 and 3.6 %) and social networks (25.0 and 3.1 %), as well as a mixed form of PIU (20.0 and 2.5 %). The content consumed by Russians (boys + girls) was dominated by being on social networks (77.6 Russians and 46.7 % foreigners) and listening to music (50.7 and 31.2 %, respectively). Gender differences in content included more frequent use of social networks by Russian students, both boys (81.1 and 48.1 %) and girls (76.5 and 43.5 %); more frequent listening to music by Russian males in comparison with foreign males (66.0 and 29.6 %) and Russian females (66.0 and 45.8 %). Foreign boys use smartphones for games more often than foreign girls, the preoccupation with smartphone games is higher among Russian women as well. Conclusions. The prevalence of problematic smartphone use, the characteristics of the content consumed and associations with other forms of PIU among Russian and foreign students were established. In our opinion, it is necessary to carry out further research aimed at solving an urgent medical and social problem of timely diagnosis of smartphonedependent behavior and prevention of somatic and neuropsychic health disorders associated with it in young people. The current range of indicators to be studied in people with problematic smartphone use should include an analysis of comorbid psychosomatic disorders (recurrent pain: headaches, abdominal pain, back pain) and features of psychosocial characteristics, taking into account age, sex and ethnic differences of electronic gadget users.

Environmental education and sustainable tourism for visitors to Peru

This study examined the impact of environmental education on sustainable tourism. A causal and correlational investigation was carried out of a non-experimental and transversal nature, in which 1,000 tourists who visited the city of Arequipa-Peru participated. These were intentionally selected to represent a specific sample. Two expert-validated surveys were used for data collection. The results indicated a moderate level of environmental education, with foreign professional women showing profound environmental knowledge. On the contrary, young national professionals demonstrated a profound commitment to the environment. These results underscore the significant link between environmental education and sustainable tourism. Nevertheless, a definitive conclusion was not reached about the study, as there could be other contributing factors.

Problematizing “Security” in Citizen Security: A feminist security studies critique of Mexico's “feminist” foreign policy and women, peace and security projects

AbstractThis article problematizes the concept of “security” within the concept of “citizen security” employed by Mexico, through a feminist security studies critique. Considering feminist security studies critiques that often see security as ultimately tied to militarization, regardless of the security referent, this article shows how this problem surfaces in Mexico's National Action Plan for Women, Peace, and Security and in the claim that Mexico has adopted a feminist foreign policy. Not only do these initiatives largely ignore high rates of femicide and other forms of state and nonstate violence in Mexico, but they are also reproductive of violence, particularly militarized violence, in their attachments to security. The article delves into the literature on how Mexico and other states domestically inimical to feminist movements have instituted national action plans that militarize the women, peace, and security agenda, embraced feminist foreign policies as they have further militarized, or both, often promulgating plans with little or no input from civil society. Mexico is revealed as a Janus‐faced example where seemingly liberal feminist values are promoted abroad but are not implemented at home. Thus, the nation is refashioning itself as a “good global citizen” at the expense of implementing and expanding citizen (and noncitizen) rights and protections within its borders.

Pregnancy assistance for foreign women in Trentino Region (Northern Italy): retrospective cohort epidemiological study.

to identify any differences between Italian and foreign women in the access to prenatal care, including the number and appropriate scheduling of visits, the execution of diagnostic, blood, and microbiological tests and the use of specific healthcare services. retrospective cohort epidemiological study, based on the monitoring of current information flows. data extrapolated from the Birth Attendance Certificate information flow of the Autonomous Province of Trento (Northern Italy) between 2012 and 2016. A total of 23,165 women with data regarding citizenship were included in the analysis. outcome variables used to assess appropriateness of antenatal care were medically assisted procreation techniques, use of invasive prenatal diagnosis, gestational age at the first appointment, total number of appointments and ultrasounds during pregnancy, blood and microbiological tests taken, and participation in antenatal classes. data indicates a significant difference in the use of chorionic villus sampling, testing for Cytomegalovirus, and vaginal-rectal swab for the detection of group B streptococcus, which are lower in the foreign population. Furthermore, there is a statistically significant difference in the gestational age at which the first appointment is attended, in the total number of visits, and in the number of ultrasounds performed during pregnancy as well as in participation in antenatal classes. this study reveals significant differences in access and use of pregnancy assistance between foreign and Italian women. There are also differences in terms of social determinants of health, with a concentration of unemployment and low education in the foreign population. It is therefore necessary to identify the factors that can potentially create health inequalities, considering the socioeconomic determinants and the specific needs of migrant women.

The health of immigrants in Italy: the viewpoint of the Italian National Institute for Health, Migration and Poverty (INMP)

The foreign population accounts for 8.6 percent (about 5 million) of the total number of residents, so it is necessary to monitor their health status. Foreigners have standardized mortality rates of about half that of Italians. In terms of hospitalization, rates and causes of hospitalization differ substantially due to the younger average age of foreigners. In particular, a much higher burden of hospitalizations in obstetrical care is observed among foreign women. Maternal and child health is a major concern for foreigners, especially for pregnancy care, which is also reflected in worse health outcomes for newborns.Difficulties in accessing and using basic and specialized territorial services are confirmed by the higher proportion of ordinary emergency hospitalizations among foreigners, the higher risk of being hospitalized for causes that could be treated in an outpatient setting, and the higher frequency of access to emergency rooms with a white/green triage code.The pandemic exacerbated health inequalities because it affected the most disadvantaged social strata of the population, including immigrants, more severely in terms of infection and outcomes.Immigrants could become the least healthy part of the population, similar to what is observed in countries with a longer tradition of migration, even in a country like Italy, where access to care is universally guaranteed.

Characterization of immigration in the Chilean Pension and Unemployment Insurance Systems

The levels of immigration recorded in Chile over the last few decades are unprecedented. Despite the magnitude of this phenomenon, the literature on immigration in Chile is scarce. Even though it is expected immigration has important effects on the Chilean labour market, there is not much historical neither systematic evidence available for a better understanding of the phenomenon. This can be mainly explained by the fact that related sources of information are limited and infrequent.This paper aims at describing the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of the immigrants’ formal working population in Chile (i.e. individuals working in the formal sector who by law contribute to the social security system), using administrative records of the Pension Systems and the Unemployment Insurance System, in addition to information provided by the Civil Registry and Identification Service on their nationality and country of origin.The results obtained show an exponential increase in new foreigners to the social security system over the last few years. Haitians and Venezuelans are the largest groups, representing 70% of the total number of new foreign affiliates to the Pension System in 2018. The average wage difference between Chileans and foreigners increased by over 600% during the 2010-2018 period, differing by almost USD 300 in 2018 in favor of Chileans. This difference deepens with higher wages. Finally, there is an important gender gap both for Chileans and foreigners (around 10% in 2018). The gender gap for foreigners has importantly decreased during the last decade reaching the relatively more stable, but still important, Chilean gender gap of around 10%. However, foreign women are in a much weaker relative situation than Chilean women when age, cohort and time effects are obtained.

Characteristics of midwifery care for foreign Muslim women living in Japan

Characteristics of midwifery care for foreign Muslim women living in Japan

SPORT, MEDIA AND BUSINESS IN SOUTHEAST EUROPE IN THE 21ST CENTURY: RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PROFESSIONALS AND SCHOLARS

Despite the shift from socialist to market economy and the proliferation of media outlets and opportunities, sport and media organizations in Southeast Europe have not kept up with global trends. Most teams and fixtures have become feeders for top leagues rather than remaining aspirational destinations in their own right. This phenomenon has manifested across all former Yugoslav republics. Yet, political divergences have hindered learning from neighboring countries’ mistakes and experiences.&#x0D; This paper outlines the broadcasting presence of selected leagues from Southeast Europe, describes the most common motivations for mediated sport consumption, and introduces the concept of mediatization of sport. Media professionals should develop contents designed to satisfy all motivations for sport spectatorship. Scholars should study such content, the professional situation of journalists and broadcasters, and the representation of foreign athletes and women in sport. Collaboration among scholars and professionals is vital for the continued development of sport, media and business in the region.

Highly Educated Women: Exploring Barriers and Strategies for Labour Integration in an Emotional Migratory Process

This article explores the barriers and the strategies of a group of highly educated foreign women to obtain a job-education matching situation in the Basque Country (Spain) where they all permanently settled following a binational heterosexual marriage. Drawing on 21 biographical interviews with women from Latin America and Europe, we examine new perspectives on the complexity and fluidity between their professional pathways and family projects. For that, we apply an intersectional lens to analyse their life experience. Our results show that respondents involved in a feminised labour market (education and health) have fewer difficulties to find a job-education match. In other cases, becoming self-employed is a way to gain independence and flexibility by running an open market-oriented business. Interviewees identified language, lack of personal networks, family reconciliation, traditional gender roles and the transferring of cultural capital as the main barriers for their incorporation into the labour market. The study finds that marriage support is not enough to overcome the barriers. We argue that for a more comprehensive understanding of labour integration of highly educated migrant women, motivation and agency, linked to family support, should be considered factors to cope with structural inequalities.

Antidiabetic Therapy during Pregnancy: The Prescription Pattern in Italy.

Pregestational and gestational diabetes mellitus are relevant complications of pregnancy, and antidiabetic drugs are prescribed to obtain glycemic control and improve perinatal outcomes. The objective of this study was to describe the prescription pattern of antidiabetics before, during and after pregnancy in Italy and to evaluate its concordance with the Italian guideline on treatment of diabetes mellitus. A multi-database cross-sectional population study using a Common Data Model was performed. In a cohort of about 450,000 women, the prescribing profile of antidiabetics seemed to be in line with the Italian guideline, which currently does not recommend the use of oral antidiabetics and non-insulin injection, even if practice is still heterogeneous (up to 3.8% in the third trimester used oral antidiabetics). A substantial variability in the prescription pattern was observed among the Italian regions considered: the highest increase was registered in Tuscany (4.2%) while the lowest was in Lombardy (1.5%). Women with multiple births had a higher proportion of antidiabetic prescriptions than women with singleton births both in the preconception period and during pregnancy (1.3% vs. 0.7%; 3.4% vs. 2.6%) and used metformin more frequently. The consumption of antidiabetics in foreign women was higher than Italians (second trimester: 1.8% vs. 0.9%, third trimester: 3.6% vs. 1.8%).

Reflections on Chinese studies of Russian women's prose

The active development of women's prose is an important phenomenon in world literature. After the 1980s, a large number of works by Russian writers were translated in China, which attracted more attention of Chinese Russian scholars. The subject of the research is the historical and cultural prerequisites for the study of Russian women's prose in China and the current state of research on this prose. The relevance of the article can be determined by the fact that with the rapid changes in the socio-cultural environment, the study of women's prose in China gradually demonstrates a systematic and interdisciplinary growing trend, thanks to which it is possible to take a fresh look at the study of Russian women's prose in China. Russian writers' main translated works and the main studies of Chinese scientists on Russian women's prose, published since 1942 to the present, are the material of the study. The research method is the analysis of review materials and generalization of philology researches opinions. The author's special contribution to the research of the topic is the answers received to questions about the context, development, current state and directions of studying Russian women's prose in China. Conclusions are drawn that 1992 is an important moment, before that Chinese scientists mainly paid attention to the translation of foreign women's literature, including Russian, after 1992, through a practical analysis of Western feminist theories in literary studies, Chinese researchers proposed the concept of "soft feminism", which influenced the development of women's prose in China, which led to attention to the inner world of a woman, her role not only in the family, but also in culture and history.

Entangled with the past in Norwegian academia

ABSTRACT This article explores entanglements of matter, space, and temporalities in shaping academic subjectivities in Norwegian higher education. Drawing on conversations with foreign women working at a major university, I explore the forces (re)producing what matters in academia, creating assumptions of who can be a real academic. Leaning on Karen Barad’s (2010, 2017a, 2019) hauntology and Walter Mignolo’s (2011) queering of temporality, this study elucidates how foreign women academics are entangled with the past through gendered and racialised hauntings and more-than-human discursive materialities, such as linear temporality and ideals of progress. Illustrating ways in which Othering are still enacted in the world of academia, I argue the necessity of rethinking institutions of higher education as spaces where westernised and patriarchal geopolitics of knowledge are reproduced. This study carries out a decolonial delinking of linear temporality towards the recognition of pluriversal experiences of now-time, expanding geopolitics of knowledge in Norwegian academia.

Sweden Feminist Foreign Policy in Building Women Entrepreneurship (SHE-Leads Program) in Saudi Arabia 2017-2021

In 2017, Sweden built women entrepreneurship (SHE-Leads Program) in Saudi Arabia to foster networks, meetings, and educational opportunities to train Saudi Arabian women as entrepreneurs and innovators. The aim of this study is to elucidate how did Sweden’s feminist foreign policy build women’s entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia 2017-2021. This study was conducted using interview method by electronic mail with Monika Wirkkala, Director of the Department of Communication and Analysis of Sweden at the Swedish Institute (SI). The data are analyzed using the feminist foreign policy concept proposed by Cheung, Gürsel, Kirchner, &amp; Scheyer, which encompasses five core values of feminist foreign policy. The results were as follows: (1) intersectionality, Sweden applied this policy fairly without any differentiation among participants; (2) empathetic reflectivity, Swedish leaders and stakeholders responded positively to this policy by developing SHE-Pioneer; (3) substantive representation and participation, Sweden actively engaged women from the Swedish Institute (SI) and collaborated with non-state actors in formulating and implementing policies; (4) accountability, the policy incorporates evaluation and monitoring, involving program participants, stakeholders, and partners; (5) commitment to peace, the SHE-Leads Program policy is implemented through collaboration, involving participants from diverse backgrounds, and aims to strengthen relations between Sweden and Saudi Arabia. This study concluded that Sweden feminist foreign policy in building women entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia (SHE-Leads Program) has reflected Sweden feminist foreign policy and has implemented the five core values of the feminist foreign policy concept.