Married Women In Rural China Research Articles

The fertility effects of public pension: Evidence from the new rural pension scheme in China.

Public pension insurance has become a major form of social protection around the world. However, little is known about the association between public pension expansion and individuals’ fertility in developing economies. In this paper, we examine the effects of the New Rural Pension Scheme (NRPS) on the fertility of married women in rural China. Using data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), the difference-in-differences approach is employed to estimate the impact of NRPS expansion on fertility outcomes. The robustness of results is checked through additional estimations, including difference-in-differences with propensity score matching, fixed-effects model, and instrumental variable approach. Results show that the NRPS expansion has a significantly negative effect on the number of children, and it reduces the likelihood of having a second child. The fertility-reducing effect of the NRPS is larger for the younger, well-educated women and those in high-income families. Considerations of the fertility effects and their population differences are needed in the impact evaluations of relevant public pension reform.

Factors associated with life satisfaction among married women in rural China: a cross-sectional study based on large-scale samples

PurposeThe living environment in rural China may predispose individuals there to low life satisfaction (LS). This study aims to evaluate factors that affect LS among married women in rural China.Materials and methodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted in rural Liaoning Province in China, in 2015. Out of 3,900 married women, 3,385 (86.8%) completed a questionnaire survey. LS was assessed using the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), with 35 as the maximal possible score. Stress (quantified by the Perceived Stress Scale [PSS]), resilience (assessed by the Ego-Resiliency Scale [ERS]), and demographic and living/health conditions factors were collected through self-reported questionnaires. Hierarchical multiple regression and structural equation modeling were used to explore the contributing and mediating factors related to LS.ResultsThe overall LS score was 18.94±4.96. A younger age, lower monthly income, presence of chronic diseases, left-behind status, and sense of marriage insecurity were negatively associated with LS. Perceived stress was a strong predictor of LS, as it explained 19.7% of the variance. Higher levels of resilience were related to higher levels of LS, explaining 15.4% of the variance. Resilience partially mediated the relationship between stress and LS for rural residents in China.ConclusionOverall, married women living in rural China experienced a relatively low level of LS. The construction of additional recreational facilities, provision of convenient access to medical information, facilitation of communication between couples, reduction of stress, and development of resilience could all be beneficial intervention strategies to improve LS for these rural residents.

Factors associated with quality of life among married women in rural China: a cross-sectional study.

Specific medical and living conditions in rural China may predispose people there to a poor quality of life. This study aimed to evaluate factors affecting the quality of life among married women in rural China. This cross-sectional study was conducted in rural areas of Liaoning Province in China. Out of the 3900 married women, 3163 (81%) completed the questionnaire survey. Quality of life was assessed using the WHOQOL-BREF scale. Sociodemographic factors, such as monthly income, and living and health conditions, such as left-behind status, stress (quantified by the Perceived Stress Scale), and coping styles (assessed by the Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire) were collected through self-reported questionnaires. Hierarchical multiple regression was used to explore the factors related to quality of life. The mean scores of quality of life were 14.08 ± 2.27 for the domain of physical health, 11.78 ± 2.28 for psychological health, 13.07 ± 2.69 for social relationships, and 12.26 ± 2.67 for environmental conditions. Older age, having chronic diseases, being left-behind, sense of marriage insecurity, and stress were all negatively associated with quality of life scores, whereas a higher monthly income was associated with higher scores. Coping styles could be moderating factors in the relationship between stress and quality of life. Overall, married women living in rural China had relatively low scores for quality of life. Improving family income, providing access to affordable and high-quality medical care, facilitating couple communication, and promoting active coping styles could be intervention strategies to improve the quality of life of these rural residents.

Prevalence and associated factors of induced abortion among rural married women: a cross-sectional survey in Anhui, China.

This study aims to assess the prevalence of and factors associated with induced abortion among married women in rural areas of Anhui Province, China. A multistage probability sampling method was used to identify a representative sample of 53,652 married women aged 18-49 years in rural areas of Anhui Province, China. All women were interviewed in the form of a standardized questionnaire. We found that 32.0% (16,800) of these women had had at least one induced abortion: 21.1% (11,090) of women had had one; 7.6% (3976) of women had had two; and 4.1% (1734) of women had had at least three. The number of induced abortions per 100 pregnancies was found to be 22.0. Multivariate analysis showed that education, the age of a woman at her first marriage, number of total births, number of total pregnancies, and contraceptive methods were significant predictors for induced abortion after controlling for women's current age, employment and family yearly income. The study shows that the prevalence of induced abortion is still very high among married women in rural China, and highly effective methods of contraception (sterilization, intrauterine device) decrease women's recourse to induced abortion.

The Impact of Circular Migration on the Position of Married Women in Rural China

This study examines the impact of migration on women's positions in Chinese rural households. A number of studies have found that rural Chinese migrant women experience more autonomy and freedom in urban areas than they would at home. But do these experiences carry over into marriage when they return to rural areas? Using a survey of more than 3,000 married, rural women in Anhui and Sichuan provinces and controlling for potential endogeneity of migration and return, this paper explores four main categories of women's status: women's views on male/female relationships, women's roles in household decision making, women's relationships with their husbands, and women's views concerning parents and children. It concludes that for women from Anhui and Sichuan, migration has some statistically significant lasting effects on a woman's position in the household, though the effects are not always positive, nor are they universal.

Risk factors for reproductive tract infections among married women in rural areas of Anhui Province, China

Objectives The goal of this study is to identify factors that contribute to reproductive tract infections (RTIs) among women in rural China, including prevalence, influence of sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge, hygienic behaviors and the history of childbearing, menstruation and abortion. Study design A stratified cluster sample of 53,652 married women in rural Anhui Province of China completed an interviewer-administered standardized questionnaire, and underwent gynecological examination and laboratory investigation. Results RTIs were relatively common (30,939/58.1%) among our sample of 53,652 married women. The three most frequent RTIs in our samples were endocervicitis, bacterial vaginosis (BV) and trichomoniasis, with prevalences of 41.7%, 12.0% and 4.5%, respectively. Multiple infections were prevalent among our sample. 20.4% (10,854) of our sample had two RTIs and 8.8% (4713) had at least three RTIs. Multivariate analysis showed that women's age, education, occupation, dysmenorrhea, number of deliveries, personal hygiene habit, menstrual cycle, menstruation, abortion, the interval between abortion and sexual intercourse afterwards, RTI knowledge and the frequency of sexual intercourse per month were all related to RTIs in our sample. Conclusions Among married women in rural China, the prevalence of RTIs was high, indicating the need for health education.

Condom use among married women at risk for sexually transmitted infections and HIV in rural China

Objective To assess factors associated with condom use among married women in rural China, and provide evidence for implementing education strategies to prevent sexually transmitted infections and HIV. Methods A total of 737 sexually active married rural women who were aged between 18 and 49 years and had heard of AIDS were selected by cluster sampling and interviewed in 8 villages of Anhui province, China. Results The rate of condom use was only 5.4%.There were no significant differences in sexual behavior and condom use between married women whose husbands were away as migrant workers and the wives of nonmigrant men, except in knowledge of free condom sources. Significant factors associated with condom use included age, level of education, knowledge about condoms, training about condoms, sources of condoms, and husbands' attitude toward condoms. Conclusions More educational interventions are needed to increase condom knowledge and promotion, especially among less educated women and married women left behind by migrant husbands.

Long-term follow-up of a peer-led HIV/AIDS prevention program for married women in rural China

Women are infected with HIV at increasing rates worldwide and the incidence of new AIDS cases has been rising faster for women than for men. In China rural married women may become infected with HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) when their husbands return home after working in cities. Studies have demonstrated that many married rural women know little about condom use or STIs and that their low level of knowledge puts them at risk. Since HIV is mainly sexually transmitted and there is neither an effective vaccine nor a cure for HIV/AIDS the most important way to control HIV/AIDS is to decrease high-risk sexual behavior by improving womens HIV/AIDS-related knowledge and attitudes. In 2007 and 2008 we conducted a follow-up study with 737 married women in North Anhui China to evaluate the long-term effects of a peer education program for married women. (excerpt)

Condom use and knowledge among married women in rural areas of China

According to 2007 statistics for temporary urban populations in China there were 100441000 people who had migrated to cities from rural areas to find jobs and 59% was male. Many migrant men move back and forth frequently leaving their wives at home. Studies have shown that migrant men have high rates of unprotected sexual intercourse including with women working in the commercial sex industry are at a high risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV and do not notify their sexual partners of their extra-marital sexual experiences. When the men return home for busy agricultural seasons holidays or for other reasons they may transmit STIs or HIV to their wives. Condoms have proven to be cost-effective for prevention and control of STIs and HIV. However there is limited data on condom use and knowledge among married women in rural China whose husbands work away from home. To gain a better understanding of condom use and knowledge among this group of married women in rural China a cross-sectional study was conducted in North Anhui where the first HIV epidemic among plasma donors was reported in China. The present study found that many of the women did not know that condoms can prevent transmission of HIV or STIs and most had never used condoms within marriage. Potential reasons for not using condoms might be that the women were already using a contraceptive measure and did not think they need to protect themselves against STIs or HIV. This lack of knowledge and low level of use within marriage can put these women at high risk of infection. The present study underscores the need to promote condom use among married women whose husbands are migrant workers even if other contraceptive methods are being used particularly in areas with high rates of HIV infection.

Improving ability of married women to prevent reproductive tract infections in rural western China

The purposes of this study are to investigate and analyze the status of reproductive tract infections (RTIs) in married women in rural western China, and to develop effective strategies for improving the ability of married women to prevent RTIs in this region. We conducted in-depth interviews of 142 married women from four villages in three townships. Two questionnaires were used to gather data on married women's health care status, family income, knowledge about RTIs, relevant behaviors, and attitudes toward RTIs. Descriptive, parallel, and logistic regression analyses and the Chi-square test were applied to analyze the relationships between basic conditions and several influential factors. Over 80% of the respondents were of limited income and had with poor knowledge of and a lack of experience in preventing RTIs. Some 83.3% of the married women had experienced menstrual irregularities; 70.3% of those interviewed had experienced malodorous vaginal discharge with or without perineal itching. It was found that 80.7% of the interviewees did not have good personal hygiene habits in daily living regarding RTIs. It was found that the prevalence of RTIs was lower in women who had accurate information about RTIs. Most married women lacked basic knowledge of ways to prevent RTIs, and this, together with the limited support of the health care system and the absence of medical insurance schemes, was responsible for the observed high prevalence of RTIs. There is an urgent need to improve the capability of married women in rural China to prevent RTIs, and it is important to find effective ways to prevent these diseases. Three health promotion strategies are presently being implemented to prevent RTIs and to build capacity for disease prevention among married women in rural western China.

Prevalence and correlates of sexual dysfunction among young adult married women in rural China: a population-based study

The study investigates prevalence of sexual dysfunction (SD), sexual satisfaction and their correlates in the rural female population in China. An anonymous cross-sectional study was carried out in a random sample of 1178 married of age 20-39 years in Dengfeng County, Henan, China. The prevalence of having at least one SD was 43 and 38% of the respondents were satisfied with their sexual life; 64.0% thought that sex was not important to them; and 85.7% believed that they do not have adequate sex-related knowledge. Having SD and high sexual satisfaction were associated with high mental health or vitality quality of life scores and better perceived health status. Other independent predictors of SD included sociodemographic variables, biological variables, life style factors and masturbation. It is concluded that SD was prevalent among the studied women and were associated with mental health. The sexual health among married women needs to be improved in rural China.

Self-Reported Symptoms of Reproductive Tract Infections Among Rural Women in Hainan, China: Prevalence Rates and Risk Factors

The goal of this study was to examine risk of reproductive tract infections (RTIs) among women in rural China, including prevalence, influence of sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge, hygienic practices, attitudes, and behaviors related to premarital and extramarital sex, and abortion. During 2000, a stratified cluster sample of 606 rural married women in Hainan province completed an interviewer-administered standardized questionnaire. Overall, 39% of participants reported at least 1 RTI symptom in their lifetime and 20% during the past 6 months. Having had premarital sex, having sex during menstruation, belonging to an ethnic minority, being knowledgeable about RTIs, and living in a village at medium economic level were all related to having RTI symptoms. Among married women in rural China, the prevalence of RTI symptoms was high, indicating the need for health education, particularly targeting women from ethnic minorities and resource-poor areas.

The named and the nameless: gender and person in Chinese society

Personal naming provides an insight into the construction of gender and person in Chinese society. The process of naming marks important social transitions for Chinese men; the more names a man has the more socialized and also, in a sense, the more individuated he becomes. By contrast, married women in rural China are essentially nameless. If personhood is a process of social growth, judged against the standard of men, the evidence presented here suggests that Chinese women do not, indeed cannot, attain full personhood.