Women's Trajectories Research Articles

Perinatal outcomes and gestational weight gain in women with eating disorders: a population‐based cohort study

To investigate adverse perinatal outcomes and gestational weight gain trajectories in women with lifetime (current/past) eating disorders (ED: anorexia nervosa [AN] and bulimia nervosa [BN]). A longitudinal population-based birth cohort. Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Women who enrolled prenatally, had complete information on exposure (lifetime ED), and gave birth to a live singleton (n = 5256). Four groups of exposed women: lifetime AN (n = 129), lifetime BN (n = 209), lifetime AN + BN (n = 100), other lifetime psychiatric disorder (n = 1002) were compared with unexposed women (n = 3816). Perinatal outcomes and gestational weight gain were obtained from obstetric and midwifery records, self-report and objective measurements. Exposed women were compared with unexposed women within the cohort using linear, logistic regression and mixed models. Any pregnancy, delivery and postnatal complications. Birthweight adjusted for gestational age, prematurity (born <37 weeks), small-for-gestational age; maternal weight gain during pregnancy. Maternal AN was positively associated with suspected fetal distress. No differences were found in mean birthweight, prevalence of a small-for-gestational-age, or premature birth. Relative to unexposed women, women with AN had, on average, a lower body weight but a higher rate of weight gain subsequently; whereas women with BN had a higher body weight but a lower rate of weight gain. Maternal lifetime ED is associated with few adverse perinatal outcomes in this sample. Differential gestational weight gain patterns in women with AN and BN are consistent with possible biological compensatory mechanisms aimed at protecting the fetus.

The smoking patterns of women in their forties: their relationship to later osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis is prevalent among women 50 years of age and older and accounts for numerous fractures and the related deaths of many sufferers. In this study, 22.4% of the women reported having osteoporosis. Smoking contributes substantially to osteoporotic fractures. This study assessed how different trajectories of women's smoking, covering the ages 40 to 48 years, relate to osteoporosis at age 65. Trajectory analysis of tobacco use data reveals smoking patterns which may have differing relationships to osteoporosis. Logistic regression analyses revealed the varying relationships of different smoking patterns to osteoporosis. As hypothesized, the chronic/heavy smokers were significantly more likely than the non-smokers to report having osteoporosis. Quitters and moderate smokers did not differ significantly from non-smokers on the osteoporosis measure. Chronic/heavy smokers should not be the only focus of public health efforts to reduce smoking and the associated risks of osteoporosis. The findings also highlight the efficacy of women smokers quitting in their 40s in order to reduce their likelihood of contracting osteoporosis.

"Identification of distinct depressive symptom trajectories in women following surgery for breast cancer": Correction to Dunn et al. (2011).

"Identification of distinct depressive symptom trajectories in women following surgery for breast cancer": Correction to Dunn et al. (2011).

‘Shades of grey’: spaces in and beyond trafficking for Thai Women involved in commercial sexual labour in Sydney and Singapore

In this article I explore the migration trajectories of some Thai women trafficked internationally for commercial sexual exploitation, suggesting that many figuratively ‘cross the border’ between coerced and consensual existence in volatile migrant sex industries during the course of their migration experiences, thus complicating debates around the notion of choice in ‘sex’ trafficking. In exploring these women's transitions I seek to understand why women who had either never previously been sex workers or who were sex workers operating without duress, but who were then trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation remain in, or re-enter volatile forms of migrant sex work at a later point under voluntary arrangements. In answering this question I focus on the temporal and spatial aspects of individual women's experiences in migrant sex industries drawing in detail on the narratives of two Thai women trafficked to Sydney, Australia and Singapore. I make some suggestions about methodologies used in trafficking research that can assist in bringing to light some of these complex time–space dimensions of women's experiences through their shifting positions in commercial sexual labour. The article also reflects on the implications of these women's trajectories for the ‘prostitution debate’ as it relates to trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation by suggesting that many trafficked women occupy ambiguous or in-between positions in migrant sex industries, neither easily distinguishable by the label of victim of trafficking or migrant sex worker.

Identification of distinct depressive symptom trajectories in women following surgery for breast cancer.

Depressive symptoms, common in breast cancer patients, may increase, decrease, or remain stable over the course of treatment. Most longitudinal studies have reported mean symptom scores that tend to obscure interindividual heterogeneity in the symptom experience. The identification of different trajectories of depressive symptoms may help identify patients who require an intervention. This study aimed to identify distinct subgroups of breast cancer patients with different trajectories of depressive symptoms in the first six months after surgery. Among 398 patients with breast cancer, growth mixture modeling was used to identify latent classes of patients with distinct depressive symptom profiles. These profiles were identified based on Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CES-D) scale scores completed just prior to surgery, and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 months after surgery. Four latent classes of breast cancer patients with distinct depressive symptom trajectories were identified: Low Decelerating (38.9%), Intermediate (45.2%), Late Accelerating (11.3%), and Parabolic (4.5%) classes. Patients in the Intermediate class were younger, on average, than those in the Low Decelerating class. The Intermediate, Late Accelerating, and Parabolic classes had higher mean baseline anxiety scores compared to the Low Decelerating class. Breast cancer patients experience different trajectories of depressive symptoms after surgery. Of note, over 60% of these women were classified into one of three distinct subgroups with clinically significant levels of depressive symptoms. Identification of phenotypic and genotypic predictors of these depressive symptom trajectories after cancer treatment warrants additional investigation.

Career Trajectories for Women After Childbirth: Job Quality and Work-Family Balance

In this article, we examined how women adjust their professional careers after the first childbirth. Reducing the hours of paid work is one way of reconciling work with family responsibilities. An alternative strategy consists of finding a job that integrates with family life more easily. We define jobs with better opportunities for positive role-combination (i.e. work and family) using the job demands–control model of Karasek. Using the longitudinal SONAR-data set on the transition from school to work in Flanders, Belgium, we analysed how the career trajectories of young women (N1⁄4 809) change with family formation. The results suggest that women with children try to improve their work–family balance by changing the kind of jobs they work in. We found no indications, however, that mothers anticipate the future combination by choosing less demanding jobs. The largest decrease in job strain is realized by women who start working part-time. Part-time work as a combination strategy however, appears to be needed most in those jobs which offer few opportunities for successful combination.

Widowhood, illegitimacy, marital reproduction and female longevity in a rural Spanish population

Using data from parish and civil registers in a rural community in northwest Spain (Los Nogales), family reconstitution provided 1502 complete reproductive histories, of which 584 corresponded to first marriages of women dying after their 50th birthday. A homogeneous sample consisting of women married in the period 1877–1899 ( N = 311) provided information concerning their reproductive performance, including ages at first and last maternity and number of children born alive and surviving, which was related to the mother's post-menopausal longevity, also considering premarital fertility and her marital status (widow/married). The results obtained indicate that mothers with a lower proportion of children dying before the first birthday and the age of 15 (mainly males) have a greater post-reproductive longevity. Moreover, women with a more protracted end to their reproductive period and greater fertility live for more years beyond their 50th birthday. These results do not prove a causality between maternal longevity and more successful reproduction; instead, they are indicative of a holistic condition of health. A wide spectrum of favorable biological and environmental factors will have positive consequences for a woman's life trajectory, affecting both her reproductive performance and her own likelihood of surviving.

Sentimentos de mulheres-mães diante da cirurgia neonatal nas malformações congênitas

O estudo buscou compreender os sentimentos vivenciados por mulheres-mães diante da cirurgia neonatal de seus filhos, portadores de malformações congênitas. Trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa, baseada no método história de vida. Utilizou a entrevista aberta entre 18 mulheres-mães de recém-nascidos submetidos a procedimentos cirúrgicos no período neonatal. A coleta de dados foi realizada entre julho e agosto de 2009. A análise temática das narrativas apontou para a expectativa de "normalização" da criança e das trajetórias de vida das mulheres. A experiência de hospitalização é ambígua: ao passo que desejam e criam grande expectativa perante o ato cirúrgico, sentem-se em conflito com múltiplos medos (da morte, da anestesia e da cronicidade). No processo de cuidado aos portadores de malformações congênitas cirúrgicas, a enfermagem deve considerar não apenas a visão técnica, mas, sobretudo, os sentimentos ambíguos expressos pelas mulheres-mães, em uma importante fase de construção de vínculos afetivos junto ao seu filho.

Private sector career trajectories for women in Denmark and the USA: Welfare state services versus corporate diversity programmes

According to welfare state theories, women pursuing high-level careers benefit from access to maternity-leave programmes and child care. Yet this is not the complete picture. While theories exploring public policy highlight the contribution of welfare services to the relative productivity of women compared to men, these theories should be complemented with a focus on conditions internal to the firm and in particular the organization of human resources. I focus on IT and pharmaceutical firms in the USA and Denmark, and show that US companies manage compliance by setting clear goals for gender diversity while this is not the case in Denmark. Furthermore, US subsidiaries in Denmark view the US paradigm of equality of outcome as more attractive than the Danish paradigm of equality of opportunity. The Danish welfare state is increasingly seen by human resource managers as inadequate when it comes to promoting female managers in the private sector.

Antecedents and consequences of marijuana use trajectories over the life course in an African American population

BackgroundWe examined developmental trajectories of marijuana use among a cohort of urban African Americans followed from first grade to mid adulthood. We compared risk factors in childhood and adolescence and consequences in mid adulthood across trajectory groups. MethodsUsing semiparametric group-based mixture modeling, five marijuana trajectories for men (n=455) and four trajectories for women (n=495) were identified extending from adolescence to young adulthood (age 32). We labeled the four trajectory groups similar for men and women “abstainers,” “adolescent only users,” “early adulthood decliners,” and “persistent users.” We named the unique fifth group for men “late starters.” ResultsMultivariate multinomial logistic regressions show that childhood problem behaviors, adolescent family involvement, and dropping out of high school differentiated trajectory membership. Analyses comparing the trajectory groups on behavioral, social, and health outcomes at age 42 revealed that for both men and women, those in the persistent trajectory had the most problems, and those in the early adult decliner group also had specific problems. Male late starters also had poor outcomes. ConclusionsThe findings point to the value of identifying specific patterns of substance use over the life course and understanding the differences in their correlates and consequences. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Rotas críticas de mulheres em situação de violência: depoimentos de mulheres e operadores em Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil

This qualitative study aims to describe the trajectories of female victims of gender violence in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. The methodology included in-depth interviews with women and staff, attempting to map the critical paths of women when they made the decision to seek professional help. We interviewed 21 women victims of gender violence and 25 professionals, including law enforcement officials, health and social workers, and nongovernmental organizations. The women's trajectories in the services were mapped, identifying facilitating factors and obstacles in the process of breaking with gender violence. The victims reported: pressure by professional staff to return to their marriages and police inefficiency in providing protection. The discourse of law enforcement officials and health and social workers showed a range of different concepts regarding violence, medicalization of violence, and network fragmentation.

‘Purani aur nai shaadi:’ Separation, Divorce, and Remarriage in the Lives of the Urban Poor in New Delhi

Low-caste women and men in New Delhi frequently remarry in their lifetimes. While one of the major stories about social change in modern India is that divorce is growing by leaps and bounds, for the urban poor in large cities remarriage remains foremost a practical necessity. For the lowest castes in India, the virtual absence of high-caste chastity norms pertaining to their conjugal lives has hitherto been a putative route for explaining why certain social groups are in a position to form liaisons and remarry so easily. This article seeks to foreground gender, structural constraints, and everyday deprivation as factors in understanding why remarriage is a widespread practice amongst the low-caste poor in a metropolitan setting. The ethnographic focus is on poor women's marital trajectories and on how they robustly negotiate divorce and remarriage with male partners, counsellors, the state, and NGOs in their quotidian lives.

Chutes and Ladders: Dual Tracks and the Motherhood Dip

Using rich panel data recently available from Spanish Social Security records, we find that a negative motherhood earnings differential of 2.3 log points remains even after controlling for both individual- and firm-level unobserved heterogeneity. The analysis of the and childless women's earnings trajectories over time reveals that mothers to experience important earnings increases (of up to 6 log points) several years prior to giving birth to their first child. However, this earnings' advantage gets seriously hit right after birth, and it is not until nine years later that mothers' earnings return to their pre-birth (relative) levels. The study finds that heterogeneity matters as most of the motherhood penalty and earnings' dip is driven by working in the primary labor market (with permanent contracts). For these women, much of the earnings losses occur because change employers to work part-time, or (if they stay with their former employer) they take leave of absence. An instrumental variable approach is used to address concerns of selection into type of contract. We exploit variation in the amount, timing and profiling of subsidies offered to firms when hiring permanent workers, a policy that started to be implemented in Spain in 1997.

Unravelling Feminist Transformative Education Practices: An Indian experience

Malini Ghose draws on examples from rural India to illustrate what could represent transformative education processes for adult women that are informed by feminist perspectives. She presents two short case studies that connect the personal trajectories of women who have embarked on journeys to become literate and seek an education beyond the educational programmes that have enabled them to do so. These are contextualized with a brief overview of the discourses that have framed adult women's literacy and education in post-independent India.

Women, serious mental illness and recidivism

Two groups now constitute the fastest growing segment of the U.S. prison population: women and persons with mental illness. Few large-scale studies have explored associations among serious mental illness (SMI), gender, and recidivism, or compared factors such as illness severity and clinical history as these construct notably different situations for incarcerated women and men. We report on our recent study comparing prison recidivism rates, severity of mental illness, and clinical history for women and men released from Utah State Prison 1998-2002. While women generally have better recidivism outcomes than men, we find that SMI related factors have a greater negative effect on the trajectories of women in this sample as compared with the men. This suggests that programs and policies focused on the SMI-specific risks and needs of women could significantly reduce prison recidivism and increase community tenure for this group, with far-reaching effects for families and communities.

Growth in women's political representation: A longitudinal exploration of democracy, electoral system and gender quotas

AbstractThe expansion of women's formal political representation ranks among the most significant trends in international politics of the last 100 years. Though women made steady political progress, substantial country‐level variation exists in patterns of growth and change. In this article, longitudinal theories are developed to examine how political factors affect women's political representation over time. Latent growth curve models are used to assess the growth of women in politics in 110 countries from 1975 to 2000. The article investigates how electoral systems, national‐level gender quotas and growth of democracy – both political rights and civil liberties – impact country‐level trajectories of women's legislative representation. It is found: first, national quotas do affect women's political presence, but at a lower level than legislated by law; second, the impact of a proportional representation system on women's political representation is steady over time; and third, democracy, especially civil liberties, does not affect the level of women's political representation in the earliest period, but does influence the growth of women's political representation over time. These findings both reinforce and challenge prior cross‐sectional models of women's political representation.

Lifecourse influences on maternal smoking before pregnancy and postpartum among women from ethnic minority groups

Studies using a lifecourse framework to examine women's smoking behaviour have focused on samples of predominantly white women. We examined the contributions of conventional lifecourse factors and women's domestic trajectories to smoking behaviour before pregnancy and postpartum among women from ethnic minority groups. We analysed data from 2140 mothers from ethnic minority groups in the UK Millennium Cohort Study. Mothers reported their smoking habits (smoking >or=1 cigarette/day) before pregnancy, at 9 months, and 3 years postpartum, along with information used to characterise their social and domestic lifecourse trajectories. In a mutually adjusted model, women were more likely to smoke before pregnancy if, when they were children, their father held a routine/manual occupation [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.67, 95% confidence interval 1.00-2.80] (compared with managerial/professional), they left education at age <or=18 (aOR 2.10, 1.18-3.73) (compared with >or=22), or they were currently in a routine/manual occupation (aOR 1.53, 0.84-2.76) (compared with managerial/professional). Women were also more likely to smoke before pregnancy if they were age 14-19 years at their first birth (aOR 1.92, 1.05-3.50) (compared with age >or=30) or a lone parent (aOR 3.39, 2.18-5.28) (compared with non-lone parents). Similar relationships were apparent for smoking at 9 months and 3 years postpartum. Among women from ethnic minority groups, those on more disadvantaged social and domestic lifecourse trajectories were more likely to smoke before pregnancy and postpartum. These patterns are consistent with studies of predominantly white women, indicating the importance of disadvantage across the lifecourse in all ethnic groups.

"Not to Intrude": A Danish Perspective on Gender and Class in Nineteenth-Century Dairying

Abstract This study follows the thread of gender divisions in dairying in Denmark and the American Midwest in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.Gender organization of dairying shifted at this time in diverse European and North American contexts. As agriculture mechanized and production scale increased, access to advanced education and international markets became critical. Women, who had been in the forefront of the development of dairying, ceded their leadership to men as these changes occurred. While some scholars see this shift as a strategic loss for women, this study finds that variables of class, marital status, rural demographics, and alternative occupations mediated the rural women’s experience of change. Not all women experienced the change as a loss. The question of which women were invested in dairying is critical to understanding the course of change. Increasingly, middle-class farm women were turning away from the hard work of dairying and investing themselves in new ways in the upward mobility of their family farms. Rural life shaped distinct gender patterns in European and American history, and the rural experience shaped the larger trajectory of women’s economic and political evolution, even though few rural women were involved in the organized women’s movement.

Childhood adversity, educational trajectories, and self-reported health in later life among U.S. women and men at the turn of the century

A major objective of current life course research is to specify the processes linking early childhood conditions to subsequent life course statuses that span educational, occupational, familial, and health domains across the life span. This study confronts at least two persistent challenges to the rigorous specification of the relationships among these variables. The first is that the point-in-time measurement of education as "years of schooling" masks considerable heterogeneity in the timing and curricular tracks of schooling and obscures our understanding of how and when education matters for life-course inequality. The second challenge involves inter dependencies between aspects of life-course inequality, including educational achievement and health. The intertwining of these variables across the life course, and their usual conceptualization and measurement, limit the interpretation of their relationship and its generalizability across studies. We use data from three waves of the National Survey of Families and Households between 1987-1988 and 2001-2002 to explore trajectories of self-reported health, applying latent class cluster analysis (finite mixture models) to deal directly with these measurement and specification issues. Generally, we find mediating effects of education in mid-to late-life health demonstrating the pivotal role of education in life course processes. Women's childhood backgrounds are more heterogeneous and temporally complex educational careers affect their self-assessed health more than men's. Late degrees are linked to poor health trajectories among women, but not men. Also, marital history, number of births and health behaviors are associated in expected ways with women's and men's health trajectories at midlife.

"Not to Intrude": A Danish Perspective on Gender and Class in Nineteenth-Century Dairying

This study follows the thread of gender divisions in dairying in Denmark and the American Midwest in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Gender organization of dairying shifted at this time in diverse European and North American contexts. As agriculture mechanized and production scale increased, access to advanced education and international markets became critical. Women, who had been in the forefront of the development of dairying, ceded their leadership to men as these changes occurred. While some scholars see this shift as a strategic loss for women, this study finds that variables of class, marital status, rural demographics, and alternative occupations mediated the rural women's experience of change. Not all women experienced the change as a loss. The question of which women were invested in dairying is critical to understanding the course of change. Increasingly, middle-class farm women were turning away from the hard work of dairying and investing themselves in new ways in the upward mobility of their family farms. Rural life shaped distinct gender patterns in European and American history, and the rural experience shaped the larger trajectory of women's economic and political evolution, even though few rural women were involved in the organized women's movement.