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BackgroundArea-level socioeconomic characteristics have been shown to be related to health status and mortality however, little is known about the association between residential community characteristics in relation to postpartum women's health.MethodsData from the longitudinal, multi-site Community Child Health Network (CCHN) study were used. Postpartum women (n = 2510), aged 18-40 were recruited from 2008 to 2012 within a month of delivery. Socioeconomic data was used to create deprivation indices. Census data were analysed using principal components analysis (PCA) and logistic regression to assess the association between deprivation indices (DIs) and various health indicators.ResultsPCA resulted in two unique DIs that accounted for 67.5% of the total variance of the combined all-site area deprivation. The first DI was comprised of variables representing a high percentage of Hispanic or Latina, foreign-born individuals, dense households (more than one person per room of residence), with less than a high-school education, and who spent more than 30% of their income on housing costs. The second DI was comprised of a high percentage of African-Americans, single mothers, and high levels of unemployment. In a multivariate logistic regression model, using the quartiles of each DI, women who reside in the geographic area of Q4-Q2 of the second DI, were almost twice as likely to have more than three adverse health conditions compared to those who resided in the least deprived areas. (Q2vs.Q1:OR = 2.09,P = 0.001,Q3vs.Q1:OR = 1.89,P = 0.006,Q4vs.Q1:OR = 1.95,P = 0.004 respectively).ConclusionsOur results support the utility of examining deprivation indices as predictors of maternal postpartum health.

The main objective of this research was to qualitatively examine the impacts of Housing First (HF) specifically on those participants who identified themselves as female in response to question asking what their gender was. The data analyzed are from a larger, muti‐site, randomized controlled trial. χ2 analysis was used to compare the life changes (coded as positive, neutral, or negative) experienced by 64 females (42 HF and 22 TAU). An in‐depth qualitative analysis was conducted on 45 of these participants (23 HF and 22 TAU). Significantly more female HF participants reported making positive life changes from baseline to 18‐month than those in TAU. Relative to females in TAU, female HF participants reported a number of specific positive changes, including enhanced safety, improved recovery in mental illness, greater reductions in drug use, and individual changes. The implications of findings for strengthening HF programs to meet the unique needs of female participants are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regular cervical screening can largely prevent the development of cervical cancer and innovative methods are needed to better engage people in screening. In Ontario, Canada, South Asian women have some of the lowest rates of screening in the province. In this study, we used concept mapping to engage two stakeholder groups—South Asian service users and service providers—to identify and prioritize points of intervention to encourage the uptake of cervical screening. After participants brainstormed a master list of statements, 45 participants rated the statements based off 'importance' and 'ease to address' in relation to encouraging cervical screening. A bivariate plot (X-Y graph) that shows the average rating values for each statement across the two rating variables (a 'go-zone' display) was produced to display priorities for implementation. Statements that were considered high priority to address reflected issues around education and awareness including understanding and communication related to cervical screening and preventative care, as well as the need for trusted sources of information. Statements that were considered high priority but challenging to implement were centered around fear, stigma, discomfort, family and personal priorities. This study highlighted that stigma, norms and social relations that impact the uptake of screening must be addressed in order for education and awareness raising to be effective and to move people from conviction around screening to action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precarious Employment (PE) is characterized by job, income, and benefit insecurities. Studies surrounding PE and well-being have been predominantly quantitative, leaving a gap in rich descriptions of employment experiences. We recruited a sample of 40 adults aged 25-55 who were involved in PE during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic or lost employment due to the pandemic. Semi-structured interviews were administered. Employment and income insecurities were common and had negative impacts on the well-being of participants and their families. Uncertainty about future employment prospects and job and income loss resulted in chronic distress. Other insecurities—access to benefits, violation of worker rights, worker safety—was also reported as impacting well-being. The COVID-19 pandemic deepened insecurities, hardships, and distress among workers with PE conditions. Given the myriad insecurities experienced by those engaged in PE, the focus of precarious work research should also include working conditions, violation of worker rights, and managerial domination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction The extant literature has examined social inequalities in high-risk categories of birth weight and gestational age (i.e., low birth weight and preterm birth) with little attention given to their distributional nature. As such, a scoping review was conducted to understand how researchers have conceptualized and analyzed socioeconomic inequalities in entire distributions of these birth outcomes. Methods Bibliographic databases were searched from their inception until August 2016 for articles from five similar, English-speaking, advanced capitalist democracies: Canada, United States, United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand. Results Twenty-one studies were included in the review, all of which provided rationales for examining socioeconomic inequalities in the entire distribution of birth weight. Yet, only three studies examined non-uniform associations of socioeconomic factors across the distribution of birth weight using conditional quantile regression, while the majority focused on mean birth weight using descriptive analysis or linear regression to analyze inequalities. Nevertheless, study results indicated that socioeconomic inequalities exist throughout the distribution of birth weight, extending beyond the high-risk category of low birth weight. Discussion Although social inequalities in distributions of birth weight have been conceptualized, few studies have analytically engaged with this concept. As such, this review supports further investigation of distributional inequalities in birth outcomes using methodology which allows one to empirically quantify and explain differences in population risk distributions, rather than solely between infants born low birth weight or preterm birth, versus not., Author(s): Chantel Ramraj [sup.1] , Ariel Pulver [sup.1] [sup.2] , Patricia O'Campo [sup.1] [sup.2] , Marcelo L. Urquia [sup.1] [sup.2] [sup.3] , Vincent Hildebrand [sup.1] [sup.4] , Arjumand Siddiqi [sup.1] [...]

The Engaging Men project aimed to identify facilitators, societal approaches to and support for domestic violence, and barriers to men's participation in domestic violence research, assessing the importance of each factor. Participatory concept mapping was used with a convenience sample of men (n = 142) in person and online across Australia, Canada and the United States of America. Engaging Men identified 43 facilitators, societal approaches to and support for domestic violence, and/or barriers to men's participation in domestic violence research. The strongest facilitators related to external connections, such as concern for women around them. Men also recognized societal approaches to and support for domestic violence and the strongest barriers centered on internal feelings, including fear, shame and guilt about being linked to domestic violence. This study suggests that providing a safe environment for men to express genuine thoughts, feeling and views about domestic violence is vital, yet rarely available in domestic violence research. Therefore, research opportunities need to be more effectively designed and incentivized to address challenging issues identified by men, such as fear, shame and guilt and offer meaningful opportunities to demonstrate positive change., Author(s): Raglan Maddox [sup.1] [sup.2] , Patricia O'Campo [sup.3] [sup.4] , Jonathan Grove [sup.5] , Michael Yonas [sup.6] , Carlos Chan [sup.7] , Aly Kassam [sup.3] , Alisa Velonis [sup.3] [...]

The goal of this research was to develop accessible and culturally relevant urban Aboriginal health information in Ontario. Concept mapping was used to engage Aboriginal stakeholders in identifying health concerns and priorities, with key stakeholders participating from three communities: First Nations people in Hamilton through De dwa da dehs ney>s Aboriginal Health Access Centre (DAHC), Inuit people in Ottawa through Tungasuvvingat Inuit Family Health Team (TIFHT) and Métis people in Ottawa through the Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO). Each community participated in the three concept-mapping activities and generated statements regarding health and health related issues in their communities. Concept systems software was used to create initial cluster maps, which were finalized during map interpretation sessions. Each of the clusters on the unique community maps represented a community health domain. The chosen domain labels and their ratings strongly reflected local First Nations, Inuit, and Métis understandings of health. Concept mapping is found to be an effective and culturally relevant community-based method for urban Aboriginal health research, building on traditional indigenous methods, encouraging cross-community participation and contributing to three unique health assessment tools that challenge existing illness-based narratives for these populations and reflect indigenous-specific social determinants of health.

History of abuse has been associated with greater HIV risk among women. This study examined client-perpetrated abuse among female sex workers (FSWs) in two Mexico-U.S. border cities where HIV prevalence is rising. Among 924 FSWs, prevalence of client-perpetrated abuse was 31%. In multivariate logistic regression models, intimate partner violence (IPV), psychological distress, and having drug-using clients were associated with experiencing client-perpetrated abuse. FSWs along the Mexico-U.S. border report frequently experiencing abuse from both clients and intimate partners, which may have serious mental health consequences. Our findings suggest the need for screening and gender-based violence prevention services for Mexican FSWs.

The aim of this case study was to explore the abilities and limitations of trade unions in their response to undeclared work, which has received scant attention in research on working conditions and industrial relations. The authors use power resource theory to examine the outcome of a Swedish government initiative aimed to boost the ability of the social partners to tackle undeclared work. The findings confirm previous literature suggesting cross-sectoral differences in the extent and nature of undeclared work and an association between low levels of power resources and high risk of undeclared work. The authors recommend that future initiatives take account of cross-sectoral differences in the nature and extent of undeclared work and available power resources. Future research should consider how different actors can contribute to the ability of the social partners in different sectors to engage in the battle against undeclared work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]