Social Support For Women Research Articles

The role of social support in women’s health and recovery processes

The aim of this study was to assess the psychological state of women who have undergone surgery for breast cancer or cardiac surgery, including examination of the role of social support in both groups. The study included 48 women (mean age: 66.04 ± 8.3 years). They were divided into two groups according to diagnosis: 23 women (mean age: 69.2 ± 8.6 years) who underwent heart surgery (cardiac group, CG) and 25 women (mean age: 63.2 ± 7.0 years) treated for breast cancer and associated with the Women After Mastectomy Club (oncology group, OG). In addition to the assessment of socio-demographic variables, the following self-report questionnaires were administered: Satisfaction with Life Scale, Acceptance of Illness Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory as well as Berlin Social Support Scale. In the CG, the severity of depressive symptoms was two times higher than in OG (p = .003). In both groups, there was a high percentage (80%) of women with severe symptoms of anxiety (p = .37). In both groups, the level of life satisfaction was similar (p = .58), but OG was characterized by a higher level of acceptance of the disease (p = .003). The correlation analysis showed that in both groups, social support was related differently to the parameters of emotional state. Women treated for breast cancer were in a better mental condition than women treated for heart disease. The support coming from other women in similar circumstances (Women After Mastectomy Club) seems to be more effective than the support coming from the patient’s immediate environment. The results for social support ought to be interpreted not only through the prism of mean values of received support, but also with regard to the information on the sources of support.

Psychosocial and demographic correlates of the discontinuation of in vitro fertilization

In this study, we investigated the relationship between psychosocial factors assessed pre-treatment and the discontinuation of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment after one year.A cohort study was performed in a Dutch fertility clinic and included 667 couples. Demographic characteristics, scores for psychosocial factors, discontinuation rates, reasons for discontinuation and outcome data of the treatment were measured. Discontinuation due to personal reasons was differentiated from discontinuation because of changing a clinic or physicians’ advice. The results showed that 37.5% of the couples became pregnant, while 40 (6%) discontinued IVF treatment because of personal reasons. A sample size of 288 women remained for analysis. A longer duration of infertility, less perceived social support in women and higher scores on acceptance of infertility in both men and women were significantly correlated with discontinuation. Multivariate analysis, using these variables including the age of the women, showed that these factors could explain 29% of the discontinuation.These results point to a differentiation between couples who choose positively choose to discontinue treatment and those discontinuing from a more negative perspective. Opportunities to tailor interventions to this second group of couples need to be investigated.

Women's autonomy and social support and their associations with infant and young child feeding and nutritional status: community-based survey in rural Nicaragua.

To evaluate the associations of women's autonomy and social support with infant and young child feeding practices (including consumption of highly processed snacks and sugar-sweetened beverages) and nutritional status in rural Nicaragua. Cross-sectional study. Feeding practices and children's nutritional status were evaluated according to the WHO guidelines complemented with information on highly processed snacks and sugar-sweetened beverages. Women's autonomy was assessed by a seventeen-item questionnaire covering dimensions of financial independence, household-, child-, reproductive and health-related decision making and freedom of movement. Women's social support was determined using the Duke-UNC Functional Social Support Questionnaire. The scores attained were categorized into tertiles. Los Cuatro Santos area, rural Nicaragua. A total of 1371 children 0-35 months of age. Children of women with the lowest autonomy were more likely to be exclusively breast-fed and continue to be breast-fed, while children of women with middle level of autonomy had better complementary feeding practices. Children of women with the lowest social support were more likely to consume highly processed snacks and/or sugar-sweetened beverages but also be taller. While lower levels of autonomy and social support were independently associated with some favourable feeding and nutrition outcomes, this may not indicate a causal relationship but rather that these factors reflect other matters of importance for child care.

From whence cometh their strength: social support, coping, and well-being of Black women professionals.

In the workplace, Black women encounter different job demands than their White counterparts and often experience less control. Demand-control theory offers a framework to examine the challenges Black women face as well as how factors such as coping strategies and social support can moderate levels of well-being. In this study we examined the impact of Black women's social support and coping strategies on job-family role strain, career satisfaction, and life satisfaction. Responses were collected from 188 highly educated Black American women employed in variety of occupations. Results of path modeling found that social support is important to well-being, and that self-help coping can overcome deficient social support's impact on well-being. Exploratory analyses revealed that support from ones' family, church, coworkers, and supervisor each individually related to aspects of well-being, particularly when self-help coping is low.

Relationship factors and trajectories of intimate partner violence among South African women during pregnancy and the postpartum period.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant public health problem in South Africa. However, there is limited research on whether and how IPV changes during pregnancy and the postpartum period and on the factors that might affect women's risk during this time. In this study, we describe the mean trajectories of physical and psychological IPV during pregnancy and the postpartum period and examine whether relationship power, partner social support, and relationship stress are associated with women's trajectories of IPV. Data come from a longitudinal study with 1,480 women recruited during pregnancy between May 2008 and June 2010 at a public clinic in Durban. Women completed behavioral assessments at their first antenatal visit, at fourteen weeks and at nine months postpartum. Women's experiences of IPV were measured at all three time points and relationship power, partner social support and relationship stress were each measured at the baseline assessment. We used multilevel random coefficients growth modeling to build our models. The mean trajectory for both types of IPV was flat which means that, on average, there was not significant change in levels of IPV over pregnancy and the postpartum period. However, there was significant individual variability in trajectories of IPV over the study period. Women who had higher relationship power had lower levels of physical and psychological IPV over time than women with lower relationship power. Additionally, women with higher relationship stress and lower partner support had higher levels of psychological IPV at pregnancy. Interventions that maximize women's relationship power and partner social support and minimize relationship stress during this transformative time are needed.

The influence of cognitive decline on rural identity: perspectives of older women.

The purpose of this study was to examine the perspectives of community-dwelling rural, older women concerning the meaning of cognitive decline and to ascertain how cognitive decline affects their lives and the lives of those around them. An ethnographic design guided 1 year of cultural immersion in a rural, farming county in Nebraska. Four life history interviews, participant observations, field notes, and cultural artifacts were collected for case-focused analysis. Cognitive decline was believed to threaten one's social identity as a "good woman" because of three strongly held beliefs that (1) the rural lifestyle protected health, (2) demands of the farm were more important than personal health needs, and (3) mainstream health care services were unnatural and insensitive, and therefore best avoided. Using mainstream health care also resulted in the loss of informal social support, which existed as a protective social silence and helped sustain older women's rural identity. The older women feared developing cognitive decline and believed the loss of one's life purpose would be the outcome of the condition. Holistic nursing actions that preserve older women's rural identity and social support may increase the likelihood that women accept rural health care aimed at treating cognitive decline.

Relevance of gender roles in life satisfaction in adult people

The aim of this study was to investigate the relevance of self-identification in traditional gender roles of masculinity and femininity in women’s and men’s life satisfaction. Participants consisted of 1233 women and 1233 men from the Spanish general population aged between 20 and 60years. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses showed that although in both genders the most important predictors of life satisfaction were self-esteem and social support, both masculinity and femininity were associated with higher life satisfaction in women and men. Besides, in the prediction of life satisfaction, femininity interacted with social support in women, and masculinity with self-esteem in men, and it was found that the association between femininity and life satisfaction only occurred in women with high social support, and self-esteem was associated with life satisfaction only in men with low masculinity. These results provide information concerning the significance of adherence to gender roles in life satisfaction.

학습동기가 시험 스트레스와 스트레스 대처 양식에 미치는 영향

Purpose : In this study, we selected three research subjects to attempt to clear learning motivation of college students is what impact the stress coping style and stress test. First, age, gender, the future career after graduation, the presence or absence of part-time job is, its impact on learning motivation. Second, learning motivation is what effect the stress of the test. Third, based on the motivation of learning, how deal pursuing efforts form the social support, the center of the problem-solving approach, seeking to avoid the reaction to stress how different form. Methods : K University occupational therapy and one, two, three grade 100 students (male 22 people, female 78) to target age, sex, and after graduation, part-time status, motivation, stress, stress coping style questionnaire for distribution and was written. Results : First of all, women's social support form graduation course, more robust than pursue blank after the synchronization uncertainty and stress, and graduated from the trading center and avoid the use of career, more form. Second, motivation and stress test, a difference between the notice could not see. Third, the higher the motivation of learning, problem-solving, Action form to the center to use as many as you, but avoid using too much in the center form is addressed. Conclusion : As a result of the study that came out of the course after graduating from ensure that learning motivation is high, the more the uncertainty, the more to cope with stress in the center of the form to avoid form address was used. Because of this, the student careers after graduation, to make sure that can help you to compare efforts over is believed to be necessary.

Linking Women Who Test HIV-Positive in Pregnancy-Related Services to HIV Care and Treatment Services in Kenya: A Mixed Methods Prospective Cohort Study

IntroductionThere has been insufficient attention to long-term care and treatment for pregnant women diagnosed with HIV.Objective and MethodsThis prospective cohort study of 100 HIV-positive women recruited within pregnancy-related services in a district hospital in Kenya employed quantitative methods to assess attrition between women testing HIV-positive in pregnancy-related services and accessing long-term HIV care and treatment services. Qualitative methods were used to explore barriers and facilitators to navigating these services.Structured questionnaires were administered to cohort participants at enrolment and 90+ days later. Participants’ medical records were monitored prospectively. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were carried out with a sub-set of 19 participants.FindingsOnly 53/100 (53%) women registered at an HIV clinic within 90 days of HIV diagnosis, of whom 27/53 (51%) had a CD4 count result in their file. 11/27 (41%) women were eligible for immediate antiretroviral therapy (ART); only 6/11 (55%) started ART during study follow-up. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, factors associated with registration at the HIV clinic within 90 days of HIV diagnosis were: having cared for someone with HIV (aOR:3.67(95%CI:1.22, 11.09)), not having to pay for transport to the hospital (aOR:2.73(95%CI:1.09, 6.84)), and having received enough information to decide to have an HIV test (aOR:3.61(95%CI:0.83, 15.71)). Qualitative data revealed multiple factors underlying high patient drop-out related to women’s social support networks (e.g. partner’s attitude to HIV status), interactions with health workers (e.g. being given unclear/incorrect HIV-related information) and health services characteristics (e.g. restricted opening hours, long waiting times).ConclusionHIV testing within pregnancy-related services is an important entry point to HIV care and treatment services, but few women successfully completed the steps needed for assessment of their treatment needs within three months of diagnosis. Programmatic recommendations include simplified pathways to care, better-tailored counselling, integration of ART into antenatal services, and facilitation of social support.

Happily Ever After? Pre-and-Post Disaster Determinants of Happiness Among Survivors of Hurricane Katrina.

This study investigated pre- to post-disaster changes in happiness of 491 women affected by Hurricane Katrina, and identified factors that were associated with the survivors' happiness after the storm. Participants completed surveys approximately 1 year before and 1 and 4 years after the storm. The surveys collected information on the women's happiness, social support, household characteristics, and hurricane exposure. We found that happiness significantly decreased from pre-disaster to 1 year post-disaster but there were no significant differences in happiness between the pre-disaster and 4 years post-disaster assessments. An exception were 38 women who continued to have lower levels of happiness 4 years post-disaster than at pre-disaster. These women were more likely to be living on their own after the storm and reported consistently lower levels of perceived social support from the community both before and after the storm than the other women of the sample. Factors associated with the survivor's happiness after the storm included exposure to hurricane stressors and losing a loved one to the hurricane. These were predictive of lower happiness 1 year post-disaster. Four years after the hurricane only exposure to hurricane stressors was predictive of lower levels of happiness. In contrast, pre-disaster happiness and post-disaster social support were protective against the negative effect of the hurricane on survivors' happiness.

Women's empowerment and generalized anxiety in Minya, Egypt

Gender disparities in mental health are global, with women experiencing higher rates than men of anxiety disorders, mood disorders, and attempted suicide. Women's low social status may partly explain these disparities, yet evidence from Arab and Middle Eastern settings is limited. We assessed whether women's empowerment – or acquisition of enabling resources, and in turn, enhanced agency – was associated with their lower generalized anxiety. For 539 ever-married women 22–65 years who participated in the 2005 Egypt Demographic Health Survey (EDHS) and a 2012 follow-up survey in rural Minya, we estimated linear reduced-form and mediation regression models to assess the associations of women's premarital enabling resources with their generalized anxiety in 2012, overall and through measures of their marital agency in 2005. Women's higher schooling attainment, premarital economic activity, later age at first marriage, and greater proximity to natal (or birth) family had significant, adjusted associations with lower generalized anxiety. Measures of women's agency in marriage had mixed associations with generalized anxiety, but their inclusion modestly reduced the coefficients for premarital resources. Parallel qualitative findings confirmed nuanced associations between women's exclusive decision-making and their mental health. Efforts to enhance women's education and premarital economic activity might be combined with efforts to delay first marriage and ensure women's extra-marital social support to maximize their empowerment and its mental-health benefits.

Social and immigration factors in intimate partner violence among Ecuadorians, Moroccans and Romanians living in Spain

Intimate partner violence (IPV) against women occurs in all countries, all cultures and at every level of society; however, some populations may be at greater risk than others. The aim of this study was to explore IPV prevalence among Ecuadorian, Moroccan and Romanian immigrant women living in Spain and its possible association with their personal, family, social support and immigration status characteristics. Cross-sectional study of 1607 adult immigrant women residing in Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia (2011). Prevalence rates and adjusted odds ratios (AORs) were calculated, with current IPV being the outcome. Different women's personal (demographic), family, social support and immigration status characteristics were considered as explicative and control variables. All analyses were separated by women's country of origin. Current IPV prevalence was 15.57% in Ecuadorians, 10.91% in Moroccans and 8.58% in Romanians. Some common IPV factors were found, such as being separated and/or divorced. In Romanians, IPV was also associated with lack of social support [AOR 5.96 (1.39-25.62)] and low religious involvement [AOR 2.17 (1.06-4.43)]. The likelihood of current IPV was lower among women without children or other dependents in this subgroup [AOR 0.29 (0.093-0.92)]. The IPV prevalence rates obtained for Moroccan, Romanian and Ecuadorian women residing in Spain were similar. Whereas the likelihood of IPV appeared to be relatively evenly distributed among Moroccan and Ecuadorian women, it was higher among Romanian women in socially vulnerable situations related to family responsibilities and the lack of support networks. The importance of intervention in the process of separation and divorce was common to all women.

Randomised controlled trial of a telephone-based peer support intervention to reduce depressive symptoms and improve social support in women with CHD

Randomised controlled trial of a telephone-based peer support intervention to reduce depressive symptoms and improve social support in women with CHD

Depression and Perceived Social Support Evaluation in Iranian Pregnant Women Who Underwent Elective or Non-Elective Cesarean Delivery in 2011-2012

Introduction: Psychological factors play an important role in post-partum period and they may cause some disorders such as post-partum depression. These disorders may be correlated with delivery modes. This study was designed to evaluated depression and social support in women who underwent elective or non-elective Cesarean delivery. Methods and Materials: This case-control study was conducted on 140 pregnant women who referred to Shairaaty Hospital, Isfahan, between 2011 and 2012. Seventy participants had a maternal request for Cesarean. Multi-dimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS-P) questionnaire and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were used for social support and depression evaluation in the subjects. Result: Mean age in the elective Cesarean group was 27.48 ± 4.25 years and mean age in group B was 27 + 4.16 years. 31.5% of the women who underwent elective Cesarean and 27.2% of the participants who underwent Cesarean with a medical reason had depression according to the BDI (p value =0.515) and there was no significant difference between the groups in the social support subscales (p value >0.05). Conclusion: According to our results and previous reports, there was no association between the delivery mode and post-partum psychological disorders; however, family support may decrease these disorders.[GMJ. 2012;1(2):72-77]

Job stress across gender: the importance of emotional and intellectual demands and social support in women.

This study aims to analyse whether any differences exist between the genders with respect to the effect of perceived Job Demands, Control and Support (JDCS model) on how individuals reach high levels of job stress. To do this, the perceived risk of suffering an illness or having an accident in the workplace is used as an outcome measure. The study is based on the First Survey on Working Conditions in Andalusia, which has a sample of 5,496 men and 2,779 women. We carry out a multi-sample analysis with structural equation models, controlling for age and sector. The results show that the generation of job stress has a different pattern in men and women. In the case of men, the results show that only one dimension of the job demands stressor is significant (quantitative demands), whose effect on job stress is weakened slightly by the direct effects of control and support. With women, in contrast, emotional and intellectual aspects (qualitative demands) are also statistically significant. Moreover, social support has a greater weakening effect on the levels of job stress in women than in men. These results suggest that applying the JDCS model in function of the gender will contribute to a greater understanding of how to reduce the levels of job stress in men and women, helping the design of more effective policies in this area.

Impact of Dual Disorders, Trauma, and Social Support on Quality of Life Among Women in Treatment for Substance Dependence

Objective: Women with dual disorders report lower levels of social support than women with substance dependence alone, and lower levels of social support have been associated with lower quality of life among individuals with substance use disorders. However, little is known about the impact of trauma symptoms and violence exposure on quality of life for women with dual disorders. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of dual disorders, trauma, and social support related to recovery on various domains of quality of life among women in substance abuse treatment. Methods: This study utilized multiple standardized measures and hierarchical ordinary least squares regression to examine quality of life, trauma, and social support in women with dual disorders. Four domains of quality of life were measured (physical, psychological, social, and environmental domains). Participants (N = 369) were recruited from three inner-city women-only addiction treatment programs. Institutional review board approval was obtained prior to sample recruitment. Results: Presence of dual disorders was significantly associated with lower quality of life in the physical and psychological domains. However, this difference was no longer significant when trauma symptoms were added to the model. Trauma symptoms and support for recovery significantly predicted quality of life across all four domains and friends’ support for abstinence across three domains. Conclusions: Findings suggest that the presence of dual disorders in women may indicate a history of trauma. They also support the importance of both friends’ support for abstinence and recovery support as predictors of quality of life in women with dual disorders. Interventions that focus on social support and quality of life in treatment with women with substance use disorders may potentially enhance treatment outcomes.

Current approaches to the management of Her2-negative metastatic breast cancer

While metastatic breast cancer (MBC) remains incurable, a vast array of active therapeutic agents has provided the opportunity for long-term disease control while maintaining quality of life and physical function. Optimal management of MBC balances a multitude of factors, including a woman's performance status, social support, symptoms, disease burden, prior therapies, and surrogates for tumor biology. Choosing the most appropriate initial therapy and subsequent sequence of treatments demands flexibility as goals and patient preferences may change. Knowledge of the estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and Her2 receptor status of the metastatic tumor has become critical to determining the optimal treatment strategy in the metastatic setting as targeted therapeutic approaches are developed. Patients with ER+ or PR+ breast cancer or both have a wide array of hormonal therapy options that can forestall the use of cytotoxic therapies, although rapidly progressive phenotypes and the emergence of resistance may ultimately lead to the need for chemotherapy in this setting. So-called 'triple-negative' breast cancer - lacking ER, PR, and Her2 overexpression - remains a major challenge. These tumors have an aggressive phenotype, and clear targets for therapy have not yet been established. Chemotherapy remains the mainstay of treatment in this group, but biologically based clinical trials of new agents are critical to developing a more effective set of therapies for this patient population.

A Comparative and Exploratory Analysis of Socio-cultural Factors and Immigrant Women’s Mental Health within a Canadian Context

The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of macro-level factors on immigrant and non-immigrant women's mental health status in a Canadian context. This study was part of a larger study examining women's quality of life in south eastern Ontario. Using survey research methods, data were collected through face-to-face interviews with 91 women of whom 66 identified their country of origin as "other" than Canada. Descriptive, bivariate and regression analysis of this data revealed that immigrant and non-immigrant women's macro-level predictors of mental health status vary. Overall, for immigrant women's perceptions of neighbourhood social cohesion was a stronger predictor influencing mental health status, while for non-immigrant women social support was more influential. Research with larger, representative samples should explore the findings to ascertain generalizability.

Age, sex and gender impact multidimensional geriatric assessment in elderly cancer patients

Abstract Objectives Multidimensional geriatric assessment (MGA) is essential in individualized treatment decisions in the elderly. The goal of this pilot study was to analyze the impact of age, sex and possibly gender on assessment status in senior cancer patients. Materials and methods An MGA consisting of 12 scores was applied in 111 patients (range 60–99, median 75 years; 51% female). The effect of sex on individual MGA test results was evaluated by analysis of covariance adjusting for the confounding effect of age. The effect of age was investigated by partial correlation analysis adjusting for sex. Results Women were significantly older than men (men 76.6 vs. 72.2 years, p = 0.008), and advanced age was weakly associated with a reduced assessment status in most MGA dimensions. Age as a confounding factor was apparent in WHO performance status and in the “Timed Up and Go Test”; women's weaker performance status disappeared when adjusted for age. A significant effect of sex was observed in iADL (better functional activities in women), F-SozU (less perceived social support in women), BMI (lower BMI in women) and comorbidities (fewer comorbidities in women). The sex differences in iADL disappeared completely after omitting the gender-specific items in the iADL-5, thus implying a pronounced gender effect. Likewise, the significant difference in self-perceived emotional support (F-SozU 4.3 women vs. 4.6 men, p = 0.005) suggests a gender effect in this dimension. Conclusion Age, sex and gender need to be recognized and integrated as interplaying and confounding factors in the assessment of elderly cancer patients.

The Case for Connection: Spirituality and Social Support for Women Living with HIV/AIDS

For many people coping with a serious health problem or illness, spirituality can be a vital resource. Despite a growing body of research connecting spirituality and health outcomes, there is little explanation for this connection. Exploring connections among spirituality, communication, and social support is important for explaining how, why, and for whom spirituality may be helpful. One particularly rich context for examining connections between social support and spirituality is that of women living with HIV and AIDS. Through an analysis of two data sets focused on the support experiences of women coping with HIV, a case is made that the intersections between social support and spirituality provide useful theoretical explanations for health outcomes.