Role Of Spousal Support Research Articles

Spousal Postpartum Social Support and Association with Sexual Function and Sexual Quality of Life among Breastfeeding Women

Background: The present study investigated the relationship between spousal support during postpartum period and the sexual function and sexual quality of life among lactating women. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out from October to March 2021 comprising 301 breastfeeding women referred to comprehensive health centers in Qazvin, Iran. The sampling method was performed in two stages. First, via cluster sampling, ten comprehensive health centers were randomly selected. Then based on the list of lactating mothers, 31 mothers in each center were randomly selected and invited to complete the survey. The survey included three psychometric instruments (i.e., Postpartum Partner Support Scale [PPSS], Female Sexual Function Index [FSFI] and Sexual Quality of Life-Female version [SQOL-F]) as well as a reproductive and demographic information questionnaire. The findings were analyzed using univariable and multivariable regression models at a significance level of p<0.05. Results: The participants had a mean age of 30.33 years and a mean length of marriage of 7.99 years. A total of 219 women were exclusively breastfeeding (72.8%), and 82 used a combination of breastfeeding and formula milk to feed their infants (27.2%). The mean (standard deviation) scores in the postpartum period were 61.34 out of 80 (SD=11.41) on the PPSS, 86.52 out of 108 (SD=19.68) on the SQOL-F, and 22.78 out of 36 (SD=6.20) on the FSFI. Based on adjusted multivariable regression models, spousal support in the postpartum period was a significant predictor of sexual quality of life (β=0.39, p<0.001) but not a significant predictor of sexual function. Sexual quality of life was a significant predictor of sexual function (β=0.44, p<0.001). Conclusion: Given the importance of spousal support during the postpartum period in relation to sexual quality of life and sexual function, designing and implementing counseling programs based on the role of spousal support during postpartum sexual life would be helpful.

Understanding women’s and men’s perspectives on cervical cancer screening in Uganda: a qualitative study

BackgroundCervical cancer remains a significant but preventable threat to women’s health throughout much of the developing world, including Uganda. Cervical cancer screening and timely treatment of pre-cancerous lesions is a cost-effective means of mitigating cervical cancer morbidity and mortality. However, only 5% of women in Uganda have ever been screened. Barriers to screening, such as social stigma and access to safe conditions, have been previously identified, but insights into the role of male spouses in encouraging or discouraging screening have been limited. To our knowledge, no studies have compared barriers and facilitators among women who had or had not yet been screened and male partners of screened and unscreened women.MethodsTo resolve this gap, we conducted 7 focus groups– 3 among women who had been screened, 3 among those who had not been screened, and 1 among men whose female partners had or had not been screened. We performed qualitative thematic analysis on the focus group data.ResultsWe identified several important factors impacting screening and the decision to screen among women, ranging from stigma, availability of screening, false beliefs around the procedure and side effects, and the role of spousal support in screening promotion. Male spousal perspectives for screening ranged from full support to hesitancy around male-performed exams and possible prolonged periods without intercourse.ConclusionThis exploratory work demonstrates the importance of dialogue both among women and their male partners in enhancing screening uptake. Efforts to address screening uptake are necessary given that it is an important means of mitigating the burden of cervical cancer. Interventions along these lines need to take these barriers and facilitators into account in order to drive up demand for screening.

Do parenthood worries impede the birth of a second child? Differences according to the parent’s gender and spousal support in Finland

Objective: This study examines the extent to which the experience of parenthood worries among Finnish first-time parents predicts the probability of a second birth, and whether the associations differ according to the parent’s gender or the sufficiency of spousal support in parenting. Background: First-time parents’ withdrawal from having a second child has been connected to declining fertility rates in Finland and many other high-income countries; consequently, more understanding is needed about why parents potentially refrain from subsequent childbearing. Method: We utilize longitudinal survey data collected from Finnish parents (N = 544) in three waves (2016–2020). Results: The results show that experiencing parenthood worries significantly predicts the probability of a second birth. Specifically, the accumulation of parenthood worries predicted a lower probability of a second birth, and each additional worry decreased the probability significantly more for fathers compared to mothers. Although we found no gender differences regarding the associations between specific parenthood worries and the probability of a second birth, our results showed that fathers who worried about loneliness or having sole responsibility for parenting were less likely to have a second child than fathers with no such worries. In terms of the sufficiency of spousal support in parenting, we found, first, that among parents who received insufficient spousal support, those who worried about their parenting skills adequacy had a lower probability of a second birth than those with no such worries. Second, among parents with sufficient spousal support, worrying about their own ability to cope was associated with decreased probability of a second birth compared to those who did not experience such worry. Conclusion: Our findings provide new insights into the potential influence of parenthood worries experienced by first-time parents and the role of spousal support in subsequent childbearing.

The Role of Spousal Support in Working Mothers’ Work-Life Balance

This paper studied how Saudi working mothers experience spousal support, and what types of support are most relevant for them. Drawing on a qualitative research design with 17 semi-structured in-depth interviews with Saudi working mothers, and a thematic analysis approach, this study explored and discussed in-depth six types of spousal support and how working mothers experience each. We find that the most relevant and welcomed type of support is professional support, especially as it relates to current and future career aspirations, followed by more practical support in the household and with childcare/parenting responsibilities. Intellectual and emotional support are appreciated, but not a must, as most women feel they should be able to deal with their own emotions without their husband’s involvement. Financial support is becoming less relevant and the least-needed type of spousal support. Overall, we find that most working mothers struggle to find a balance between their work and non-work-related life, and male partners have an essential role in helping their wives find that balance.

Within-couple health behavior trajectories: The role of spousal support and strain.

Objective: The current study sought to examine the associations between long-term health behavior engagement within couples and to test whether perceiving support or strain from a spouse impacts one's own health behaviors. Method: Data from 5,233 couples in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing were used to examine trajectories of physical activity, smoking, fruit and vegetable consumption, and alcohol use over a period of up to 12 years. Dyadic multilevel models examined patterns of change in each health behavior while allowing male and female partners to covary in intercepts, slopes, and occasion-specific residuals. The influence of perceived spousal support and relationship strain on each behavior was examined, adjusting for age, health, household income, and relationship length. Results: Male and female partners reported similar initial levels of each health behavior and tended to show similar occasion-to-occasion changes as their partner. Higher spousal support predicted increased engagement in physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption in men. Relationship strain appeared to be more impactful to female health behaviors, being associated with alcohol and tobacco use for female but not male partners. Conclusions: Despite romantic partners reporting similar baseline health habits, the long-term trajectories of most health behaviors were not similar for romantic partners. However, spouses did exhibit similar occasion-to-occasion variability. Spousal support and relationship strain differentially impacted men and women's health behavior engagement. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Supplemental Material for Within-Couple Health Behavior Trajectories: The Role of Spousal Support and Strain

Supplemental Material for Within-Couple Health Behavior Trajectories: The Role of Spousal Support and Strain

Social support, well-being and involvement of fathers in transnational families in the Philippines

This study investigated left-behind Filipino fathers and their involvement as child caregivers. It hypothesized that social support and well-being predict paternal involvement, with well-being as the mediator. Results showed that familial and peer support predicted involvement, with well-being as mediator. Spousal support did not predict involvement or well-being. Findings highlight the importance of familial and peer support to left-behind fathers. Interactions between significant predictors of involvement present novel pathways to childcare. The non-significant role of spousal support is discussed in the context of transnational migration. Several interventions involving families and peers are suggested.

Abstract C62: Sub-Saharan African immigrant men's knowledge and support related to cervical cancer screening: A qualitative descriptive study

Abstract Background: Cervical cancer screening disparity puts sub-Saharan African immigrant women at an increased risk for development of invasive cervical cancer. Several studies have identified various factors influencing cervical cancer screening use among sub-Saharan African immigrants in the United States. One of such factors is the role of spousal support; African men are often the gatekeepers of health for their families and have significant influence on the health-seeking behavior of their wives/female partners. However, limited research exists on men's knowledge and support related to Pap screening. Thus, we conducted a qualitative descriptive study to assess knowledge and support related to Pap screening among sub-Saharan African immigrant men in Lexington, Kentucky. Method: In-depth individual interviews using semistructured guide were conducted with 21 sub-Saharan African immigrant men who were married or in committed relationships. Data were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using content analysis. Results: The average age of the study participants was 36 ± 9; 53% have lived in the US for more than 5 years; 88% were college educated; 43% make more than $50,000 annually; and 62% were married. General knowledge of Pap screening, cervical cancer, and HPV's role in the etiology of cervical cancer was minimal. Men showed the desire to support their wives/female partners to have a Pap screening. All participants preferred to be carried along and informed about their wives' decision to have a Pap screening in order to provide any support that might be needed. The narratives related to health care providers' gender preference varied among men; several men showed preference for a female health care provider for Pap screening services for their wives/female partners while others showed no preference. Conclusions: These findings underscore the importance of men's support in promoting Pap screening among sub-Saharan African immigrant women. Men should be included in cervical cancer prevention efforts to leverage their support. Thorough understanding of African family dynamics, cultural norms, and values related to preventive health care seeking is essential to the design and implementation of interventions for improving Pap screening among sub-Saharan African immigrant women. Citation Format: Adebola Adegboyega, Jennifer Hatcher. Sub-Saharan African immigrant men's knowledge and support related to cervical cancer screening: A qualitative descriptive study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Tenth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2017 Sep 25-28; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2018;27(7 Suppl):Abstract nr C62.

The difficulty of being a professional, a parent, and a spouse on the same day: Daily spillover of workplace interactions on parenting, and the role of spousal support

ABSTRACTDesigning parenting interventions and preventions requires knowledge on the factors and processes that shape parenting behaviors. Using data collected over 10 days, during the last hour of work and before going to bed, this study examined the spillover of interpersonal work stresses into positive and negative parenting behaviors. Data were collected among 103 couples who had at least one child between the age of one and eight years. Of particular interest was the role of received emotional spousal support as a moderator of stress spillover. Dyadic variants of multilevel models were used to analyze the data. The results showed that on days on which mothers or fathers reported stressful interpersonal interactions in the workplace, they also reported less positive parenting behaviors. In addition, mothers reported more negative parenting behaviors on days characterized by these kinds of work experiences. Mothers and fathers were found to report more positive parenting behaviors, and mothers less negative parenting behaviors, on the days on which they received more spousal support. Received spousal support also moderated spillover of work stress into parenting behaviors and this finding was found to be gender-specific: for mothers, support enhanced spillover into positive behaviors, and for fathers, it enhanced spillover into negative parenting behaviors.

Positive parenting as responsible care: Risks, protective factors, and intervention evaluation

ABSTRACTIn this themed issue of the Journal of Prevention & Intervention in the Community, the first four contributions provide knowledge on factors that can support or hinder positive parenting throughout children’s lives. In particular, the first article examined the spillover of work stressors on parenting behaviors and the role of spousal support as a moderator of stress spillover. The second contribution examines the association between parents’ promotion of volitional functioning and adopted children’s sense of strength of family bonds and belonging to the adoptive family. The third article analyzes the negative impact of intrusive parenting on young adult children’s romantic relationship quality and couple identity, and the fourth article examines parents’ autonomous and controlled motivations to transmit values to their adolescent children and their associations with parents’ socialization goals. Finally, the last two articles present the contents and evaluation of two parenting programs. The fifth article illustrates the development, content, and efficacy of an attachment-based intervention for parenting: the Video-feedback Intervention to promote Positive Parenting and Sensitive Discipline (VIPP-SD); the sixth article presents a qualitative evaluation of a group-based program focused on promoting parents’ identity together with parenting skills: The Groups for Family Enrichment_Parent version (GFE_P).

Abstract 3472: Does being married independently predict survival in patients with head and neck cancer? Results from a single institution

Abstract Purpose/Objectives An important factor in cancer survivorship is social support, often coming from a spouse. There is an emerging literature on the role of spousal support in head and neck cancer (HNC) outcomes; however most are based on results from national databases. While more generalizable, these studies may not always capture the unique variation in different patient populations. This single institution study aimed to describe the association between marital status and outcomes of HNC; and to determine if marital status independently predicts survival in a local patient population. Materials/Methods We identified 460 patients aged 20 to 91 (59.31 ± 11.42) years diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck at an academic tertiary referral center between 1997 and 2012 in this retrospective cohort study. Cox proportional hazards model assessed the effect of marital status on survival. Results are based on the final model constructed after accounting for covariates in the data. Results Our study population was made up of 73% males, and 82.2% Whites. We found an association between marital status and HNC survival. Unmarried HNC patients had a 66% increase in the hazard of death compared to married HNC patients (HR = 1.66, 95% CI = 1.23 - 2.23). This was after controlling for covariates, which included sociodemographic variables (age, race, sex, and health insurance status), social habits (tobacco and alcohol), primary anatomical subsite (oral cavity, oropharyngeal, laryngeal, and others), stage at presentation (early vs. late stage), and treatment modality (surgery, surgery with adjuvant therapies, other single modality therapy, and palliative care). Other factors found to be associated with an increased hazard of death were age (≥ 50 years), current tobacco use, late stage of presentation, palliative care, and laryngeal subsite. Conclusion Marital status is associated with head and neck cancer outcomes, and being married is an independent predictor of survival among patients. This result, found in previous national studies, held true in our local patient population. This underscores the need for the multidisciplinary HNC team to recognize this aspect of survivorship and to emphasize the need for social support among unmarried HNC patients. It could be that it is necessary to add social support to the clinical practical guidelines for managing head and neck cancer beyond palliative care. Citation Format: Nosayaba Osazuwa-Peters, Kara M. Christopher, Sean T. Massa, Lauren Cass, Ronald J. Walker, Mark A. Varvares. Does being married independently predict survival in patients with head and neck cancer? Results from a single institution. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 3472.

(116) The association between catastrophizing and daily pain intensity among patients with knee osteoarthritis: the moderating role of spousal support

(116) The association between catastrophizing and daily pain intensity among patients with knee osteoarthritis: the moderating role of spousal support

Work-family conflict, job satisfaction and spousal support: An exploratory study of nurses’ experience

In recognising the highly stressful nature of the nursing profession, the added burden of hospital staff shortages, and patient overload, the present study explored the impact of work on family functioning, its relationship to job satisfaction and the role of spousal support in a group of 80 female nurses working in a government hospital. Using a descriptive, correlational design, the relationships among job satisfaction, work-family conflict (WFC) and spousal/partner support were explored. The hypotheses that job satisfaction and WFC would be negatively correlated, that job satisfaction and spousal support would be positively correlated, and that WFC and spousal support would be negatively correlated, were tested using correlation techniques. All hypotheses were confirmed. The role of spousal support in the relationship between job satisfaction and work -family conflict was highlighted.