Search

Goals of work: The objective of the study was to examine quality of life (QOL) and its age-specific factors in cervical cancer patients at different stages of life. Materials and methods: One hundred and seventy-three Chinese patients with cervical cancer were surveyed by telephone. QOL was assessed with the WHO Quality of Life Scale-Chinese/Hong Kong (HK) version (WHOQOL-BREF-HK) and compared across age groups. Using multiple regression analyses, demographic and medical factors that were independently associated with QOL outcomes in each age group were identified. Main results: The age groups did not differ in the level of QOL, except for the social relationship domain. Older patients reported poorer social functioning than younger patients. Different factors were associated with QOL outcomes in different age groups. For patients in young adulthood, employment and education level were positively associated with QOL. For patients in midlife adulthood, time since diagnosis and stage of cancer were positively associated with QOL. For patients in aging adulthood, QOL was negatively associated with age, physical morbidity, and a history of termination of pregnancy. However, having a partner and possessing religious belief were positively associated with QOL. Conclusions: Patient's age had a significant impact on the experience of QOL. Older patients had poorer social relationships than younger patients. Religion seemed to have a protective effect against poor social functioning in aging patients. © 2008 Springer-Verlag.

Objective: This longitudinal study examined the negative impact of postnatal bulimic symptoms on parenting behavior. Method: Ninety-one Chinese mothers were assessed with selfreport questionnaires during pregnancy (T1) and telephone interviewed at 6 months (T2) and 1 year postnatal (T3). Results: Bivariate correlation analyses showed that parenting behavior at T3 was correlated with maternal–fetal attachment at T1 and maternal bulimic symptoms at T2. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses further demonstrated that bulimic symptoms at T2 predicted maternal concern at T3 above and beyond the effects of maternal– fetal attachment at T1. However, bulimic symptoms at T2 did not uniquely predict maternal restrictiveness at T3. Conclusion: To facilitate effective parenting, examining maternal eating disturbance alone may not be sufficient to understand fully its impact on parenting behavior. This area of research should move toward identifying how multiple risk factors work together to interfere with the functioning of the parental role. © 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The process of modernization and rapid economic development in China has brought changes in family structure and gender relation. We reviewed empirical literature on intimate partner violence (IPV) in China within the past 20 years to understand the magnitude and nature of the problem. Information was drawn from 19 empirical studies and a total of 49,201 adult respondents. The average lifetime and year prevalence of male-on-female IPV was respectively 19.7% and 16.8% for any type, 42.6% and 37.3% for psychological, 14.2% and 6.7% for physical, and 9.8% and 5.4% for sexual violence. Higher lifetime prevalence of any type of IPV was reported by rural respondents, by studies conducted in healthcare settings, and by studies using standardized scales to assess IPV. Women were at increased fisk of IPV when they and/or their partners were of low education and socio-economic status, grew up in rural areas, and exhibited behavior problems of smoking, alcoholism, and illicit drug use. IPV was also related to long duration of marriage, poor marital quality, marital conflicts, sexual jealousy and extramarital affairs, status/power disparity between partners, inadequate social support, and extended family structure. Cultural and societal risk markers included patriarchal beliefs, wife-beating myths, and political/legal sanction of violence. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Objective: The current longitudinal study explored the prevalence and psychosocial factors of disordered eating among new Chinese mothers in Hong Kong. Method: Self-report questionnaires on bulimic symptoms and pregnancy-related factors were collected at both prenatal and postnatal periods from 131 Chinese women. Results: Participants reported significantly more severe disordered eating in the postnatal than in the prenatal period, with percentages being 19.08% and 8.4%, respectively, using the Eating Disorder Inventory-2. Results revealed that prenatal disordered eating, weak maternal-fetal attachment, a low level of instrumental spousal support during pregnancy, postnatal depressive symptoms, and a poor mother-infant relationship were significantly related to disordered eating at 6 months postchildbirth. Conclusion: Findings suggested that the transition to motherhood is a period of stress that may either precipitate or exacerbate disordered eating. © 2006 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Three-hundred-and-fifty-nine Chinese pregnant women were surveyed to determine prevalence and psychosocial correlates of eating disturbance in pregnancy. About 9.8% of participants reported disordered eating symptoms. Prevalence of these symptoms was related to general factors of drive for thinness, body image dissatisfaction, and traditional gender role attitudes. These general factors were, in turn, associated with factors specific to pregnant women. In particular, drive for thinness was related to poor spousal support; body image dissatisfaction was related to poor maternal-fetal attachment; and traditional gender role attitudes were related to strong maternal-fetal attachment and spousal support. Limitations and implications of these findings are discussed. Copyright © 2005 Taylor & Francis.