Prevalence and risk factors of perinatal depression among women in South Asian countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

This study explores the politeness strategies employed by characters in the film Shortcomings (2023), using Geoffrey Leech’s Grand Strategy of Politeness (GSP) framework. While politeness plays a crucial role in maintaining interpersonal relationships, it is often overlooked in daily interactions, especially in intercultural contexts. The film’s main character, Ben Tagawa, frequently exhibits impoliteness, highlighting the socio-pragmatic challenges of communication in diverse social settings. This study aims to address a gap in existing literature where GSP has not been widely applied to film discourse, particularly within intercultural communication. A qualitative content analysis was conducted, focusing on selected dialogues that showcase either politeness or its absence. Dialogues were purposively sampled based on their relevance to interpersonal dynamics and key emotional or conflict-driven scenes. The analyses were carried out manually, with data coded using Leech’s ten maxims to identify dominant strategies and patterns. Findings were discussed descriptively, with attention to how cultural norms and character roles shape linguistic choices. This study offers insights into the application of politeness theory in media texts, serving as a reference for scholars in pragmatics, sociolinguistics, and language education. It also aims to promote greater awareness of how politeness can enhance communication effectiveness in intercultural and social interactions.

The intersection of gender diversity and societal norms: How violence against women moderates ESG performance

The role of oxytocin and cultural tightness in model-based learning of social Incongruency.

Cannabis use among sexual minority adults: insights from recent U.S. nationally representative data.

Introduction: Maternity is not only a natural fact, it is also a multi-determined cultural construction, defined and organized by norms that arise from the needs of a specific social group and from a defined period of its history. Women are considered as historical beings and a source of inspiration for artists and creators through motherhood. Objective: Characterize the impact of motherhood in science, history and art. Methods: A literature review was conducted by consulting original articles, case reports, and open access systematic reviews in peer-reviewed academic journals from the last 5 years. Search terms include motherhood, science, art, and history, as well as their English translations. Results: From a biological perspective, the mother is the living being that assumes this condition from the moment of fertilization. From a cultural perspective, it constitutes an essential element in the upbringing of individuals, as well as in the constitution of the family institution. Conclusions: It was concluded that it is necessary to emphasize that motherhood and upbringing should be the subject of a renewed and constant psychosocial study that does not ignore that they will always be closely related to the different conceptions of children, social class, customs and social, historical and cultural norms. This concept has been the central axis of multiple artistic creations where the feminist art movement stands out.

How public open spaces co-construct solitary experiences in densely populated urban environments.

Unpaid care work for the elderly in Thailand: does the social gender norm on altruistic behavior matter?

Sewer misconnection: Recommendations for increasing sewer connections in low-income urban communities in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Preserved social behavior recognition in patients with epilepsy.

From the standpoint of sustainable consumption, this study examines the key factors influencing consumers’ decisions to use organic cosmetics in Ho Chi Minh City. Data from a survey of 380 consumers were analysed using reliability analysis, exploratory factor analysis, and multiple regression. The findings indicate that five factors–environmental awareness, perception of product price, product quality (PQ), convenience in use, and social norms–significantly impact consumer decisions. These results suggest that, beyond product attributes, consumers are also driven by sustainable values and societal influences. Managerial implications include the need for businesses to highlight environmental benefits, ensure consistent PQ, and adopt pricing and communication strategies aligned with consumers’ green values. This study enhances understanding of green consumer behaviour in emerging markets and offers practical recommendations for promoting sustainable consumption in the cosmetics sector.

Agency and queer solidarity: Help-seeking for alcohol and nicotine issues among lesbian, bisexual and queer women and non-binary people.

ABSTRACT Background This study investigates the impact of birth order on influenza vaccination behaviors and intentions among parents of children under 6 years of age, and identifies factors contributing to vaccination disparities to inform targeted strategies for reducing health inequities. Research design and methods A national cross-sectional survey was conducted in China (July – August 2024) using stratified sampling, with 3,569 parents of children aged 0–6 completing a questionnaire based on the Determinants of Vaccine Hesitancy Matrix developed by the World Health Organization (WHO-DVH Matrix). Logarithmic regression examined the relationship between age and vaccine hesitancy/vaccination rates. Random forest analysis identified key predictors, while one-way ANOVA examined influencing factors. Results Among respondents, 66.9% were first-time parents and 33.1% second-time parents. Vaccination rates for first-born children were lower than those for second-born children before 40 months (64.9% vs. 71.7%, p = 0.022), while vaccine hesitancy was higher among first-time parents before 49 months (58.6% vs. 49.9%, p < 0.001). These differences diminished after age three. Key predictors of vaccination intention included ‘Immunization as a social norm’ and the ‘Reliability of vaccine supply.’ Conclusions First-time parents demonstrate lower vaccination rates and higher hesitancy to children, particularly before age three, influenced by social norms and vaccine confidence. These findings provide empirical evidence for birth order-based strategies to improve vaccine equity.

ABSTRACT Background Mistreatment of women during maternity care is a widespread global issue, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where health disparities intersect with rigid gender norms, systemic inequality and domestic violence. Objectives This paper aims to explore how health system failures and societal norms against women contribute to the mistreatment of women during maternity care. Methods A qualitative study was conducted among maternal healthcare providers in the East Wollega Zone, Ethiopia. In-depth interviews with purposively selected participants in Afan Oromo, each lasting 30–60 min, were conducted until data saturation was reached at 20 interviews. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, translated into English, coded using NVivo 12 and analysed through thematic analysis guided by the Socioecological and Quality of Care frameworks. Results Health system conditions and constraints, such as under-resourcing and issues related to governance and providers’ prejudices shaped by societal norms, were found to drive mistreatment of women during maternity care. These drivers manifest at various levels throughout the healthcare system, including personal, interpersonal, facility-level, health system and societal dimensions. Overcrowding, staff shortages and low pay led to burnout, which eventually resulted in mistreatment of women. The lack of recognition from administrators and professional hierarchies also added to provider frustration, which was sometimes directed at women. Societal issues, like gender-based violence, further influenced these behaviours. Conclusion Mistreatment of women during maternity care continues to hinder the delivery of quality care. Addressing gender inequality, boosting healthcare worker motivation and ensuring fair treatment among staff are essential for promoting respectful maternity care.

Purpose This study aims to explore the multifaceted nature of women's body perception and the personal and social factors that influence it. The research investigates how societal expectations, health concerns, and self-perception intersect in shaping women's views of their own bodies. Methods Adopting a phenomenological approach, this qualitative study involved semi-structured interviews with 30 women aged 18−65 from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. The data collection tool—a structured interview form—was developed through a literature review and expert consultation, and it was piloted for validity. Interviews were conducted both face-to-face and online, transcribed, and then analyzed using a phenomenologically informed thematic analysis. Three major themes were identified through high inter-rater agreement (over 90%): Physical Features and Health, Societal Pressures and Criticism, and Self-Perception and Emotions. Results Findings indicate that women's body perception is shaped by intersecting factors such as age, media portrayals, cultural norms, social surroundings, and lived experiences. Within the theme of Physical Features and Health, concerns around “Weight and Health” emerged most frequently, revealing the strong link between body perception and health consciousness. Conclusions The study underscores the need for social and educational interventions that promote body positivity and challenge restrictive beauty norms.

Acculturation and social networks shape ideals of weight perception, given that the construct is steeped in cultural perceptions of beauty and norms. This study leverages social network data from New York City (n = 80participants; 1600network members) who were asked “Would you like to weigh more, less, or stay the same?” as well as questions regarding their acculturation stress levels and the perceived weight of social network members. Body Mass Index (BMI) was objectively measured. Regression models evaluated the association between BMI, weight satisfaction, and acculturation stress, net of sociodemographic variables, weight loss attempts, and health behaviors. Those who were dissatisfied with their weight and experienced high acculturation stress had a significantly higher BMI (β = 5.4, 2.8–8.1, p &lt; 0.001) in the fully adjusted model. However, with every 25% increase in the perception of network members with obesity/overweight, there was a significant decrease in individual BMI. No other social network variables were significantly associated with BMI. More research is needed among Latinos/as across the acculturative stress spectrum to fully understand how social norms regarding weight affect both social networks and individuals, as well as how these might be influenced by cross-cultural differences between US and Latino/a norms regarding ideal weight perceptions.

Menstruation, a natural phenomenon experienced by more than half the world’s population, is profoundly shaped by social norms, cultural beliefs and gendered practices. In Nepal, menstruation equates to ritual impurity. Although menstrual rituals are present throughout the country in many forms, academic research on the issue has mostly focused on the Chhaupadi Pratha. This research aimed to identify the menstrual taboos prevalent among adolescent girls in a metropolitan area and trace the reasons for their existence. A mixed-method study was conducted in one private and one public school in Lalitpur. A survey was used to gather the quantitative data among 400 students which was analyzed using IBM SPSS 20. One focus group discussion was then held in each school to collect the qualitative insights. Thematic analysis was applied and the responses are presented verbatim. Results revealed that 75.3% of the participants practice menstrual restrictions every month. The longevity of such customs is rooted in the masking of patriarchal expectations as cultural norms, the narrative of menstruation as an issue that only concerns heterosexual women, generational reinforcement of menstrual stigma, lack of women’s agency and women’s self-objectification. Although reproductive health education plays an important role in changing perceptions, the elimination of menstrual taboos requires multi-level interventions that begin at home.

Women’s involvement in the Egyptian tourism and heritage management has been increasing over the past few decades, especially in archaeology, heritage conservation and site management. However, there is no evidence to date that they can crack their glass ceiling and move above into senior leadership positions in the Egyptian tourism industry despite their growing proportion in the labour market. This study explores the barriers preventing Egyptian women from attaining more leadership positions in heritage and tourism management and discusses practical solutions for overcoming such challenges. A phenomenological approach, adopting indepth interviews, with experienced women in Egypt who have progressed in the tourism and heritage sector. Thematic analysis resulted in identifying five key challenges for their accessibility to leadership, i.e. organizational and structural issues, regulatory issues, cultural and social norms, individual issues and historical issues. Each of these issues or challenges has sub issues, which all combined to deter Egyptian women’s accessibility to leadership despite the interventions recently made by the government for women empowerment. All these challenges are overlapped and combined to hinder the ascent of women into leadership in heritage sites. These issues are associated with prejudice against female managers, who are stereotyped and perceived as nurturing and housewife, while leadership requires certain traits such as decisiveness, assertiveness and dominance as society and other colleagues assumed. This prejudice is noticed in minimizing the role of women and stigmatizing them as leaders by providing either negative or less favourable evaluation of them. The results align with notion made by Role Congruity Theory and Glass Ceiling Theory. The results suggest that addressing these concerns is vital for ensuring better integration of women in labour market and ultimatly to the economy overall. Special attention should be to addressing the cultural and organizational challenges to enable women move above the glass ceiling and achieve senior positions in the Egyptian tourism industry. The research suggested several policy and practical implications for decision makers and senior management of the tourism and heritage sector in Egypt. This research acknowledges the importance of policy reforms, support actions, and institutional development to increase women’s empowerment in Egyptian heritage.

The purpose of this conceptual analysis is to examine the influence of knowledge sharing behaviour on academic performance, group cohesion and trust by conducting a thorough review of past literature. Several empirical, review, and conceptual papers were reviewed, and it showed that most of the literature indicated that by fostering knowledge sharing behaviour among the students causes to increase academic performance, group cohesion and trust. Also, the past literature suggested that theory of planned behaviour is dominantly applied to determine the knowledge sharing behaviour. A large body of literature indicated that knowledge sharing attitude, social norms, behavioral control and knowledge sharing intention are key determinants of knowledge sharing behaviour. The overall conclusion is that the key attributes of Theory of Planned Behaviour play a key role in determining students’ engagement in knowledge sharing behaviour that leads to high academic performance, group cohesion and trust among the students. The finding of the conceptual analysis has practical and theoretical implications, which are addressed in the last part of the paper.

ABSTRACT Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a pervasive global health issue. Social norms supporting male dominance are key determinants of IPV. While targeting social norms is crucial for prevention, most intervention evaluations focus only on direct beneficiaries, overlooking diffusion effects to non-participants. This study used social network analysis to assess the diffusion effects of an IPV prevention intervention in Nepal. The participants included social network members (alters) of intervention beneficiaries (egos) across 13 communities in Nawalpur District (N = 258). Data were collected at baseline and midline (at the completion of the core curriculum). Using propensity score-adjusted GEE regression models for difference-in-difference estimates, we assessed intervention effects diffusion to alters of direct beneficiaries and alters of other participants compared to control participants' alters. The results showed both types of alters experienced significant increases in positive injunctive norms compared to control alters. Similar diffusion patterns were observed for financial decision-making, relationship quality and alcohol abuse. The effects diminished in low-closeness ego-alter pairs but remained significant in high-closeness relationships. Our study suggests that diffusion is an important change mechanism in IPV interventions, particularly for normative change, though effects vary depending on the outcome type and relationship closeness between participants and their social network members.