Negative Consequences For Women Research Articles

The Longitudinal Associations of Body Dissatisfaction with Health and Wellness Behaviors in Midlife and Older Women.

Emerging research suggests that body dissatisfaction (BD) is prevalent among midlife and older women (i.e., upwards of 70%). Cross-sectionally, BD is associated with myriad poor health and wellness outcomes (e.g., depression, disordered eating, bad nutrition) in midlife/older women. However, relatively few studies have examined the longitudinal relations between BD and health outcomes in this population. This preliminary study investigated the longitudinal associations of BD with wellbeing and health-related quality of life (QOL) among midlife/older adult women over one year. Participants (n = 86, women aged 40-72 years, M = 51.49, SD = 7.34, 86% white) completed self-report measures of BD, psychosocial impairment, health behaviors, and QOL at baseline (T1) and 12-month follow-up (T2). A series of multiple linear regression models included T1 BD as the predictor variable of health outcomes at T2, covarying for T1 BMI and age in all models. BD was associated with greater negative emotions and psychosocial impairment, less physical activity enjoyment, and poorer physical, psychological, and social QOL one year later. Findings suggest that BD is associated with negative consequences for women across the lifespan (ƒ2 ranges = 0.06-0.60). Future research investigating BD as a unique, modifiable risk factor for health outcomes among diverse samples of midlife/older women is warranted. Targeting BD in interventions may improve health indices beyond eating disorders for this population.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Psychological and Adventure-based Multicomponent Therapeutic Program for Victims of Intimate Partner Violence: A Pilot Study.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a global health problem with different negative consequences for women's mental health. This pilot study aims to evaluate the efficacy of a multicomponent intervention for battered women using a comparison group design to analyze improvement in self-esteem, self-concept, self-efficacy, body dissatisfaction, and depression. The intervention consisted of an eight-session multicomponent intervention program based on the combination of group psychological therapy and adventure activities. The study sample originally consisted of 34 women IPV victims. Self-report psychological assessment was conducted during the pre-test and post-test while interviews were conducted during the post-test among the experimental group. The results of this pilot study suggest the efficacy of the cognitive-behavioral multicomponent intervention on self-esteem, self-efficacy, and depression in the IPV victims from the experimental group. We conclude that these findings support the efficacy of this psychological intervention program. Practical implications and suggestions are also discussed.

Stop looking at me! associations between men's partner‐objectification and women's self‐objectification, body shame and life satisfaction in romantic relationships

AbstractA growing amount of empirical evidence shows that sexual objectification can be elicited within the context of romantic relationships, leading to adverse consequences for women's well‐being. However, most of this research assessed women's self‐reported perceptions of being objectified by their romantic partner, while scant and not converging research has considered men's objectifying perceptions toward their romantic partners. Furthermore, little is known about the underlying mechanisms through which partner‐objectification is associated with negative consequences for women. To fill these gaps, we involved a sample of heterosexual couples (N = 196) and investigated whether men's partner‐objectification would be related to women's self‐objectification (in terms of self‐surveillance) and, in turn, their body shame. Further, we examined whether self‐objectification and body shame mediated the relation between men's partner‐objectification and women's undermined life satisfaction. Confirming our hypotheses, serial mediation analyses showed that partner‐objectification was associated with life satisfaction in women via the indirect effect of self‐objectification and body shame. Implications of these findings for literature on sexual objectification and relationship satisfaction are discussed. Please refer to the Supplementary Material section to find this article's Community and Social Impact Statement.

Gender differences in the acceptance of wife-beating in Nigeria: evidence from the 2018 Demographic and Health Survey

The world over, more than one-third of women have been victims of either physical or sexual violence, or both, most of which are perpetrated by intimate partners. Intimate partner violence (IPV) has negative consequences for women's health, socio-economic and psychological wellbeing. Similarly, acceptance of IPV has negative implications for its spread, sympathy for victims, and utilisation of antenatal and postnatal healthcare services among women. This study investigates the influence of age, education, location, religion, marriage type, employment, wealth level, extramarital sex, smoking, internet use, media exposure and decision making on the justification of IPV, and how the associations vary between men and women. The study utilised the 2018 Nigeria's Demographic and Health Survey. The data analysed was comprised of 8,018 men and 28,888 women who were married or living with a partner. It was found that women are more likely to accept IPV than men (AOR: 1.627). Educational difference between spouses influences women's experience of and acceptance of IPV. Overall, being young, being uneducated, living in the north, being Muslim, being polygamous, being employed, being poor, having extra-marital sex, being a smoker, not having access to internet, and not being exposed to the media increased the odds of IPV justification. However, while Muslim women had higher odds of accepting IPV than Christians (AOR: 1.587), Muslim men have lower likelihood of IPV justification than Christian men (AOR: 0.759). Gender differences also exist in the influence of age, marriage type, employment, extra-marital sex, smoking, media exposure and decision making. This study underscores the importance of applying differing intervention programmes to men and women where necessary.

Supporting Masculinities: Wounded Healing and Masculinity in Peer Support Organizations for People with Experiences of Criminality and Substance Abuse

ABSTRACT The role of the “wounded healer” can have positive effects for former offenders as regards desistance and social (re)integration; however, research focusing on wounded healing/peer mentoring from a gender perspective is limited. Drawing on fieldwork conducted in Swedish peer support organizations (PESOs) for former offenders and qualitative interviews with former offenders working in five different PESOs, this study analyses how masculinity and support are performed and narrated by 15 wounded healers/peer mentors (men = 11, women = 4, age range 19–60 y/o). It contributes to knowledge about gendered power dynamics of peer support by showing that while masculinity can and do function as capital in peer support work, some displays of masculinity can trigger trauma, with negative consequences for women within PESOs.

Antenatal depression and anxiety across pregnancy in urban South Africa

BackgroundDepression and anxiety in pregnancy have negative consequences for women and their offspring. High adversity places pregnant women at increased mental health risk, yet there is a dearth of longitudinal research in these settings. Little is known about the pathways by which these problems emerge or persist in pregnancy. MethodsWomen were enrolled in a prospective pregnancy cohort in Soweto, South Africa (2014–2016) and assessed using validated measures (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale EPDS ≥13; State Trait Anxiety Index STAI ≥12) in early (T1) and later pregnancy (T2). Data was available for n = 649 women. Multinominal regression modelling was used to determine factors associated with transient versus persistent depression and anxiety across pregnancy. Cross-lagged panel modelling explored direction of effect between depression and anxiety, and stressors. ResultsWe found high rates of depression (T1: 27%; T2: 25%) and anxiety (T1: 15%; T2: 17%). Perceiving a partner made one's life harder increased risk of persistent depression (RR 5.92 95% CI [3.0–11.8] p<0.001); family stress increased risk for persistent anxiety (RR 1.71 95% CI [1.1–2.7] p = 0.027). We find evidence of a direct effect of early depression (T1) on later family stress (T2); and early family stress (T1) on later anxiety (T2). LimitationsWe used screening measures of depression and anxiety rather than clinical interviews. ConclusionsStudies which focus only on late pregnancy may underestimate risk. Early identification, in the first trimester, is critical for prevention and treatment. Partner and family stressors are a key intervention target.

Does cognitive reflection mediate the math gender gap at university admission in Chile?

In Chile, a vast and persistent gender gap in math performance at university admission has negative consequences for women’s opportunities. International evidence suggests that these gender differences reflect gender inequities in educational and economic opportunities available in a given culture. A theoretical model suggests that sociocultural factors such as gender stereotype and math anxiety have an impact on women’s math abilities by affecting their skills for cognitive reflection. This cross-sectional study collected data from 259 university students to gather preliminary evidence on the close relationship between gender gaps in math achievement and gender gaps in cognitive reflection. A mediation analysis shows that the level of cognitive reflection of students fully mediates the effect of gender on math achievement, even after controlling for participants’ linguistic abilities. These findings support the possibility that there is a close relationship between gender differences in cognitive reflection and gender gaps in math achievement at university admission in Chile. The discussion emphasizes that the university admission’s data is under the control of state agencies with strict protocols of information access that undermines the feasibility of researching this area. Assessments of cognitive reflection are easy to administer in only a few minutes and under laboratory conditions. Hence, one way to boost the viability of research and diagnosis of gender gaps in Chile is to use cognitive reflection assessments as proximal estimates for gender gaps in math performance at university admission.

Communication patterns in women with provoked vestibulodynia and their partners

ABSTRACTProvoked vestibulodynia (PVD) is a recurrent vulvovaginal pain condition that has potentially negative consequences for women and their partners’ sexual functioning and overall quality of life. Research has found that greater observed empathic responses during conversations about the impact of vulvodynia are associated with greater relational and sexual satisfaction. However, observed self-disclosure was unrelated to relational or sexual satisfaction, perhaps due to the psychometric properties of the coding system used. The current study investigated observed empathic responses and self-disclosures in couples using a validated coding system, the Rapid Marital Interaction Coding System (RMICS). Eight women diagnosed with PVD and their male partners completed measures of relational and sexual satisfaction and spent seven minutes discussing an issue that the woman rated as moderately distressing. Coded interactions were analysed using pooled-regression actor-partner interdependence modelling (APIM). Results indicated that higher observed own and partner empathic responses were associated with greater relationship satisfaction, and greater observed own empathic responses were associated with greater sexual satisfaction. Greater observed own self-disclosures were negatively associated with sexual satisfaction. The findings suggest that empathy may help to buffer the effects of PVD on relationship satisfaction, whereas some types of self-disclosure may exacerbate the sexual impact of PVD.

The importance of access to comprehensive reproductive health care, including abortion: a statement from women’s health professional organizations

Barriers to women's reproductive health care access, particularly for termination of pregnancy, are increasing at the local, regional, and national levels through numerous institutional, legislative, and regulatory restrictions. Lack of access to reproductive health care has negative consequences for women's health. Twelve women's health care organizations affirm their support for access to comprehensive reproductive health care, including abortion.

The Social Nature of Perceived Illness Representations of Perinatal Depression in Rural Uganda.

While the global health community advocates for greater integration of mental health into maternal health agendas, a more robust understanding of perinatal mental health, and its role in providing integrated maternal health care and service delivery, is required. The present study uses the Illness Representation Model, a theoretical cognitive framework for understanding illness conceptualisations, to qualitatively explore multiple stakeholder perspectives on perinatal depression in rural Uganda. A total of 70 in-depth interviews and 9 focus group discussions were conducted with various local health system stakeholders, followed by an emergent thematic analysis using NVivo 11. Local communities perceived perinatal depression as being both the fault of women, and not. It was perceived as having socio-economic and cultural causal factors, in particular, as being partner-related. In these communities, perinatal depression was thought to be a common occurrence, and its negative consequences for women, infants and the community at large were recognised. Coping and help-seeking behaviours prescribed by the participants were also primarily socio-cultural in nature. Placing the dynamics and mechanisms of these local conceptualisations of perinatal depression alongside existing gaps in social and health care systems highlights both the need of, and the opportunities for, growth and prioritisation of integrated perinatal biomedical, mental, and social health programs in resource-constrained settings.

Isolated and dependent: women and children in high-rise social housing in post-war Glasgow

ABSTRACTIn 1971 Pearl Jephcott's Homes in High Flats, the culmination of her groundbreaking research into high rise living in Glasgow, revealed the problems faced by young mothers on the new high rise estates in the city. This article interrogates two connected factors, social isolation and economic dependence, which characterised the experience of many women who were rehoused to high flats in the postwar decades. Drawing on evidence collected by Jephcott's research in the form of qualitative questionnaires with high rise tenants as well as ethnographic observation and action research with residents, we argue that the experience of many women of managing everyday life in a high rise flat with young children was frustrating, often lonely and unsupported, at a time when the home was still conceptualised as central to women's lives. Jephcott asserted that high rise housing had socially negative consequences for women and children. We do not disagree but argue that in the particular context of the postwar settlement, women's financial and welfare dependence on top of their particular housing circumstances in high rise flats constrained their opportunities rather than producing contentment thereby demonstrating the value of revisiting social research data.

Inadequate Rates of BRCA Testing with its Negative Consequences for Women with Epithelial Ovarian Cancer and their Families: an Overview of the Literature

Fifteen per cent of women with epithelial ovarian cancer possess inherited mutations in the BRCA genes. Knowledge of her BRCA status is important to her and her family. Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors provide a new therapeutic option for her. For her family it provides the opportunity for the prevention of what otherwise is often a lethal disease. To access these opportunities, the mandatory first step is testing the woman with the cancer. However, referral rates for genetic counselling and subsequent BRCA testing are low, in the of 10–30% range. The current paradigm needs the patient to be referred to genetics, be counselled and then undergo testing. Such an ad hoc process will never be 100% successful. Removing the human element by using reflex tumour testing as part of the routine pathological analysis is an obvious solution. Now 100% of women carrying mutations will be identified. Subsequent testing within the family would identify all the carriers, who would then be eligible for risk-reducing surgery. The current process for this is also flawed, with significant drop off at each stage, as it involves the woman with epithelial ovarian carcinoma and a mutation providing the information to her family who then in turn need to be referred or make an appointment for genetic counselling/testing and then, finally, if carrying the mutation, make a decision about risk-reducing surgery. Process improvements and education can help to diminish these roadblocks. The relevant available literature has been reviewed in order to provide an extensive overview of this broad topic with actual rates of counselling/testing at each step, the uptake of risk-reducing surgery and some solutions to make the process more effective. The value of PARP inhibitors and surgical prevention are also discussed, but in a more condensed format.

Combining work and child care: The experiences of mothers in Accra, Ghana

ABSTRACTWork–family research has focused predominantly on western women. Yet the forms of economic labour in which women are typically involved and the meaning of motherhood are context specific. This article aims to explore the experience of combining economic activity and child care of mothers with young children using urban Ghana as a case study. Semi-structured interviews (n = 24) were conducted in three locations in the Accra Metropolitan Area. Transcripts were analysed using the general inductive approach. The results found women’s experience of role conflict to be bi-directional. With regard to role enhancement, economic activity allowed women to provide materially for their children. The combination of work and child care had negative consequences for women’s well-being. This research questions policy-makers’ strategy of frequently targeting women in their roles either as generators of income or as the primary care-takers of children by highlighting the reality of women’s simultaneous performance of these roles.

Black College Women's Reflections on Sexting during High School

This study sought to identify perceptions of and responses to Black adolescent girls' who engaged in the distribution of sexually explicit images, known as sexting, during high school. Reflective individual interviews were conducted with 40 freshman and sophomore Black college women. The results of this study indicate that sexting is a common practice in high school culture and within Black peer groups. Perceptions of reasons why Black adolescent girls engaged in sexting during high school included seeking attention, responding to boys' requests, attempting to fit in, and boredom. The related negative social consequences for Black adolescent girls (e.g., name calling and social avoidance) reinforced traditional sexual gender norms expectations, although some acknowledge the double standards that existed when considering attitudes toward high school boys' sexting. More research is needed to understand why this common behavior has such negative consequences for women, particularly during adolescence.

Sexualized, objectified, but not satisfied

Although the objectification of women is pervasive, it has not been studied extensively in the context of romantic relationships. This is a curious oversight, given that physical appearance is considered a prominent factor in romantic attraction and conceptualizations of objectification tend to involve an exaggerated emphasis on physical appearance. Thus, objectification theory may have interesting implications for romantic relationships. Women who enjoy sexualization may be more likely to have a partner who objectifies them, which could have negative implications for the relationship, as objectification research has generally found that the experience of objectification has negative consequences for women. Across three studies of heterosexual women in relationships ( N = 114, N = 196, and N = 208), results showed that those who enjoyed sexualization tended to feel more objectified by their partner, which in turn related to lowered relationship satisfaction. These findings persisted even when controlling for perceptions of partner’s sexual desire, self-objectification, and objectification from strangers. Furthermore, Study 3 provides preliminary evidence that self-objectification may be a precursor to this mediation in that self-objectification was associated with higher enjoyment of sexualization, which was associated with higher partner-objectification, which in turn was associated with lower relationship satisfaction. This research sheds light on how the objectification of women operates within the context of a heterosexual romantic relationship.

Effects of the 2010 Haiti Earthquake on Women's Reproductive Health.

This article explores the effects of the 2010 Haiti earthquake on women's reproductive health, using geocoded data from the 2005 and 2012 Haiti Demographic and Health Surveys. We use geographic variation in the destructiveness of the earthquake to conduct a difference-in-difference analysis. Results indicate that heightened earthquake intensity reduced use of injectables-the most widely used modern contraceptive method in Haiti-and increased current pregnancy and current unwanted pregnancy. Analysis of impact pathways suggests that severe earthquake intensity significantly increased women's unmet need for family planning and reduced their access to condoms. The earthquake also affected other factors that influence reproductive health, including women's ability to negotiate condom use in their partnerships. Our findings highlight how disruptions to health care services following a natural disaster can have negative consequences for women's reproductive health.

Exploring gender norms, agency and intimate partner violence among displaced Colombian women: A qualitative assessment

Women displaced by conflict are often exposed to many factors associated with a risk of intimate partner violence (IPV) such as high levels of community violence and the breakdown of social support systems. Previous research found that Colombian women perceived IPV to increase after displacement. This study explored how the experience of displacement altered gendered roles in ways that influenced the risk of IPV. Thirty-three qualitative interviews were conducted with displaced partnered Colombian women. Women disclosed that couples often held patriarchal gender norms; however, the roles of each partner necessitated by conditions of displacement were often in conflict with these norms. Men's underemployment and women's employment outside the home were viewed as gender transgressive within some partnerships and increased relationship conflict. Economic resources intended to empower displaced women, notably women's earnings and home ownership, had unintended negative consequences for women's agency. These consequences included a corresponding decrease in partner financial contributions and reduced mobility. Women's ability to obtain support or leave violent relationships was hindered by interpersonal, social and structural barriers. For women to have agency to leave violent relationships, power relationships at all levels from the interpersonal to societal must be recognised and addressed.

The threat of sexism in a STEM educational setting: the moderating impacts of ethnicity and legitimacy beliefs on test performance

Social identity threat has negative consequences for women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. The present study examined whether legitimacy beliefs—beliefs that status differences between men and women in STEM fields are fair—put women at risk for experiencing social identity threat and poorer performance on a difficult logic test. Legitimacy beliefs served as a risk factor for both women from ethnic groups that are overrepresented in STEM (e.g., Asian Americans and European Americans) and from ethnic groups that are underrepresented in STEM (African Americans and Latina Americans), albeit under different conditions. Among women from overrepresented ethnic groups, legitimacy beliefs were negatively related to test performance when explicit cues to sexism were present. However, among women from underrepresented ethnic groups, legitimacy beliefs were negatively related to test performance when explicit cues to sexism were absent. The present research points to the need for inclusion of ethnic diversity in studies of women in STEM.

The influence of adolescent eating disorders or disordered eating behaviors on socioeconomic achievement in early adulthood.

Much research documents the etiology and health consequences of adolescent eating disorders (ED), but very little is known about the long-term effects of EDs on the transition to adulthood. This study explores gender differences in the influence of EDs or disordered eating behaviors (DEB) on measures of socioeconomic independence in early adulthood. Using the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health), this study compares individuals who self-identified as have been diagnosed with an ED or engaged in DEBs in late adolescence to those without ED or DEB on three measures of socioeconomic independence during early adulthood, including educational attainment, income, and likelihood of owning a home. This study uses multiple regression techniques and attempts to account for early-life conditions and health outcomes associated with EDs and DEBs. For females, ED or DEB in late adolescence had a statistically significant, negative association with educational attainment (coefficient = -0.20, p = .05), personal income (coefficient = -0.12, p < .05) and odds of owning a home (odds ratio = 0.73, p < .02) in early adulthood. For males, ED or DEB was not associated with socioeconomic attainment. Our findings suggest that EDs and DEBs are negatively associated with socioeconomic achievement during early adulthood for females, but not for males. EDs or DEBs during adolescence may set individuals on a different trajectory whereby they do not have the same life chances or opportunities for success in adulthood. These results confirm the public health message that EDs or DEBs have lasting negative consequences for women.

Arts versus science — Academic background implicitly activates gender stereotypes on cognitive abilities with threat raising men's (but lowering women's) performance

There is ongoing debate as to whether “innate” cognitive sex differences contribute to the underrepresentation of women in science and engineering careers. Decades of gender research have revealed good evidence that both biological (e.g. sex hormones) and socio-cultural factors (e.g. gender stereotypes) contribute significantly to cognitive sex differences. Research on gender stereotypes has revealed that priming gender can have adverse or beneficial effects on cognitive performance, depending on whether primed participants appraise the testing situation as threatening or challenging. Several contextual factors have been investigated in this respect. Despite the debate on women in STEM disciplines, however, surprisingly little attention has been paid to academic discipline as a potentially relevant contextual factor. The present study investigated whether gender stereotypes affect cognitive sex differences differently in STEM (chemistry, engineering) and arts (English, philosophy) students. In Experiment 1, male and female arts and science students were tested on two sex-sensitive cognitive tests (mental rotation and verbal fluency) after gender stereotypes were activated. In Experiment 2, arts versus science stereotypes were activated. It was hypothesized that beliefs linked to gender and academic discipline are strongly associated (science=male, arts=female) with similar cognitive effects. Regardless of which identity is primed, it was hypothesized that female arts students would be particularly vulnerable to stereotype threat and would show the lowest performance of all groups in a male cognitive domain (i.e., mental rotation). Due to men's higher confidence in their cognitive abilities, it was hypothesized that primed men would show a performance increase in both spatial (stereotype lift) and verbal abilities (stereotype reactance). The results supported these hypotheses. The two experiments suggest that prompting participants' academic discipline implicitly activated gender stereotypes with considerable negative consequences for women's cognitive test performance. The results also suggest that the well-known sex difference in mental rotation (with men outperforming women) primarily occurs when negative stereotypes about women's spatial abilities are implicitly primed.