“It’s Just Not Very Realistic”: Perceptions of Media Among Pregnant and Postpartum Women

Although research has documented a connection between media and body image for women, little research has explored this connection among pregnant or postpartum women. The purpose of this study was to explore women’s perceptions of media and body image during the perinatal period. Fredrickson’s objectification theory provided a theoretical framework for the study. Data collection involved semi-structured in-depth interviews with 50 pregnant or postpartum women in which they were asked to describe their perceptions of media depictions of pregnant or postpartum women and its impact on their body image. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically. Four major themes emerged: (1) participants questioned the realism of media depictions of pregnant and postpartum women, (2) participants described complex reactions to media messages including negative impacts on body image and strategies for mitigating negative impacts, (3) participants desired changes in media messages to be more realistic and to depict a more complex portrayal of the life stage, and (4) participants discussed the unique and complex role of social media including both negative and positive impacts. Implications of the findings for pregnant and postpartum women, communication scholars, and healthcare professionals are discussed.     

“Watch Me!” Training Increases Knowledge and Impacts Attitudes Related to Developmental Monitoring and Referral Among Childcare Providers

Maternal and Child Health Journal - To evaluate the impact of “Watch Me!” developmental monitoring training on childcare providers’ knowledge and attitudes related to monitoring...     

“It Was Scary,But Then It Was Kind of Exciting”: Young Women’s Experiences with Choking During Sex

Choking/strangulation during sex is prevalent among young adults, with one study finding that 58% of women college students had ever been choked during sex. However, no qualitative study has examined women’s experiences with choking/strangulation during sex outside of intimate partner violence. The purpose of our qualitative interview study was to investigate women’s experiences with choking and/or being choked during partnered sex. Through in-depth interviews with 24 undergraduate and graduate women students ages 18 to 33, we sought to understand how women communicate about choking, their learning about and initiation into choking, their feelings about being choked and choking others, as well as consent and safety practices used in relation to choking. We found that women had first learned about choking through diverse sources including pornography, erotic stories, magazines, social media, friends, and partners. While all 24 women had been choked during sex, only 13 of 24 had ever choked a partner. They described having engaged in choking with men as well as women and with committed as well as more casual partner types. Participants described consensual and non-consensual choking experiences. While many women enjoyed choking, others did it largely to please their sexual partner. Women described different methods and intensities of having been choked. Although very few had ever sought out information on safety practices or risk reduction, and only some had established safe words or safe gestures with partners, participants consistently expressed a belief that the ways in which they and their partner(s) engaged in choking were safe.

     

“I Thought I was Less Worthy”: Low Sexual and Body Esteem and Increased Vulnerability to Intimate Partner Abuse in Women with Physical Disabilities

Several studies have documented disproportionately low sexual and body esteem in women with high degrees of physical impairment. Moreover, other studies have begun to examine the problem of intimate partner and other forms of abuse in women with physical disabilities. In this article we examine the link between low sexual and body esteem and intimate partner abuse in women with physical disabilities based on findings obtained from an in-depth qualitative study. Findings indicate that women with high degrees of physical impairment are more likely to perceive themselves as sexually inadequate and unattractive than women with mild impairment. These negative perceptions, when combined with a strong desire to be partnered, increased women’s vulnerability to getting into and staying in abusive relationships over time. Major themes presented in the article include: societal devaluation, low sexual and body esteem, preference for non-disabled men, desire to be partnered, and relationship decision-making. We depict the relationships between each of these themes in a simple model to further aid the reader’s understanding.     

“I was Right about Vaccination”: Confirmation Bias and Health Literacy in Online Health Information Seeking

When looking for health information, many people turn to the Internet. Searching for online health information (OHI), however, also involves the risk of confirmation bias by means of selective exposure to information that confirms one’s existing beliefs and a biased evaluation of this information. This study tests whether biased selection and biased evaluation of OHI occur in the context of early-childhood vaccination and whether people’s health literacy (HL) level either prevents or facilitates these processes. Vaccination beliefs were measured for 480 parents of young children (aged 0–4 years) using an online survey, after which they were exposed to a list of ten vaccine-related message headers. People were asked to select those headers that interested them most. They also had to evaluate two texts which discussed vaccination positively and negatively for credibility, usefulness, and convincingness. The results showed that people select more belief-consistent information compared to belief-inconsistent information and perceived belief-confirming information as being more credible, useful, and convincing. Biased selection and biased perceptions of message convincingness were more prevalent among people with higher HL, and health communication professionals should be aware of this finding in their practice.     

“It’s natural and healthy,but I don’t want to see it”: Using Entertainment-Education to Improve Attitudes Toward Breastfeeding in Public

While it has been well established that breastfeeding provides the best nourishment for children, few women achieve the recommended breastfeeding duration. Negative media messages have been identified as one explanation for the lack of individual and public support for breastfeeding. This study explored the influence of media on the knowledge and attitudes of a nearly childless population to ascertain if and how entertainment media can positively impact perceptions of breastfeeding. Using cultivation and parasocial interaction, this research measured entertainment television’s effect on breastfeeding attitudes using randomized-group experiments involving 375 students. Overall, participants generally held positive attitudes but were uncomfortable seeing breastfeeding. Moreover, results indicate that viewing a prime-time television clip that depicted public breastfeeding not only significantly lessened the extent to which participants believed that breastfeeding was a private activity but also improved attitudes and support for breastfeeding in public. This study concludes that more pro-breastfeeding media messages in entertainment media could help create a climate conducive to breastfeeding success.     

“I May Not Say We Really Have a Method,It Is Gambling Work”: Knowledge and Acceptability of Safer Conception Methods Among Providers and HIV Clients in Uganda

In this qualitative study, researchers assessed knowledge, acceptability, and feasibility of safer conception methods (SCM; timed unprotected intercourse [TUI], manual self-insemination, and sperm washing) among various health care providers (n = 33) and 48 HIV clients with recent or current childbearing intentions in Uganda. While several clients and providers had heard of SCM (especially TUI), few fully understood how to use the methods. All provider types expressed a desire to incorporate SCM into their practice; however, this will require training and counseling protocols, sensitization to overcome cultural norms that pose obstacles to these methods, and partner engagement (particularly by men) in safer conception counseling.     

Reducing Smoking in Pregnancy Among Māori Women: “Aunties” Perceptions and Willingness to Help

Māori (the indigenous people of New Zealand) women have high rates of smoking during pregnancy and 42 % register with a lead maternity carer (LMC) after their first trimester, delaying receipt of cessation support. We used a participatory approach with Māori community health workers (“Aunties”) to determine their willingness and perceived ability to find pregnant Māori smokers early in pregnancy and to provide cessation support. Three meetings were held in three different regions in New Zealand. The aunties believed they could find pregnant women in first trimester who were still smoking by using their networks, the ‘kumara-vine’ (sweet potato vine), tohu (signs/omens), their instinct and by looking for women in the age range most likely to get pregnant. The aunties were willing to provide cessation and other support but they said they would do it in a “Māori way” which depended on formed relationships and recognised roles within families. The aunties’ believed that their own past experiences with pregnancy and/or smoking would be advantageous when providing support. Aunties’ knowledge about existing proven cessation methods and services and knowledge about how to register with a LMC ranged from knowing very little to having years of experience working in the field. They were all supportive of receiving up-to-date information on how best to support pregnant women to stop smoking. Aunties in communities believe that they could find pregnant women who smoke and they are willing to help deliver cessation support. Our ongoing research will test the effectiveness of such an approach.     

“Can I Ask That?”: Perspectives on Perinatal Care After Resettlement Among Karen Refugee Women,Medical Providers,and Community-Based Doulas

This study characterized the perspectives of Karen refugee women in Buffalo, NY, their medical providers, and Karen interpreters/doulas on perinatal care for Karen women in resettlement. In-depth qualitative interviews with Karen women (14), Karen doulas/interpreters and key informants (8), and medical providers (6) were informed by the social contextual model and focused on women’s questions about and opinions of perinatal care in Buffalo and on providers’ experiences caring for Karen patients. Karen women expressed gratitude for and understanding of perinatal care in Buffalo, and providers described Karen patients as agreeable but shy. Karen doulas offered an alternative view that exposed women’s many questions and concerns, and described how doula training empowered them as patients’ advocates. Low self-efficacy, trauma histories, and cultural expectations may contribute to Karen women’s seeming agreeability. Doulas/interpreters possess insider knowledge of women’s concerns and facilitate communication between patients and the care team.     

Health,Trust, or “Just Understood”: Explicit and Implicit Condom Decision-Making Processes Among Black,White, and Interracial Same-Sex Male Couples

Among gay and bisexual men, primary partners are a leading source of HIV infection. Trust, intimacy, and advancements in HIV treatment may impact same-sex male (SSM) couples’ decisions to engage in unprotected anal intercourse (UAI). This qualitative study explored how Black, White and interracial couples discussed, and made decisions regarding condoms. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 48 SSM couples in the New York and San Francisco metropolitan areas. Stratified purposive sampling was used to include Black (n = 16), White (n = 17), and interracial (Black–White) (n = 15) couples. Twenty-six couples were concordant HIV-negative and 22 were HIV-discordant. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, coded, and analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Some couples described explicit processes, which involved active discussion, while others described implicit processes, where condom-use decisions occurred without any explicit discussion. These processes also differed by race and HIV status. Black couples tended to report condom-use as “just understood.” White, HIV-discordant couples decided not to use condoms, with some identifying the HIV-positive partner’s suppressed viral load and high CD4 count as deciding factors. After an unplanned episode of UAI, White, HIV-negative couples tended to discontinue condom use while Black HIV-negative couples decided to revert to using condoms. HIV prevention efforts focused on same-sex, male couples must consider the explicit/implicit nature of condom decision-making processes. Understanding differences in these processes and considering relationship dynamics, across race and HIV status, can promote the development of innovative couple-level, HIV prevention interventions.     

Shortening the Distance Between the “I” and the “It”: A Transformative Approach to Improving Teaching

“It” science focuses on the external and technical dimensions of action. “I” science focuses on the internal experiences and meaning particular actions hold for people. Elevating “It” science over “I” science can deform occupational therapy's body of knowledge and, consequently, stunt its practices. Similarly, elevating the technical or instrumental dimension of teaching over the internal experiences of educators can deform education and even do harm to students. A transformative learning approach to improving teaching foregrounds the inner lives of educators, thus balancing the instrumental with the deeply personal aspects of teaching. Such a balance is vital given the hopes that ride on occupational therapy education.     

HPV vaccination intent and willingness to pay for 2-,4-, and 9-valent HPV vaccines: A study of adult women aged 27–45 years in China

ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate acceptance and willingness to pay for HPV vaccination among adult women in China.MethodsAn online survey was sent to mothers aged 27–45 years of primary school pupils in the Fujian province, China. Participants completed questions about HPV related knowledge and health beliefs, intention to take the HPV vaccine and the willingness to pay for bivalent vaccine (2vHPV), quadrivalent vaccine (4vHPV), and 9-valent HPV vaccine (9vHPV).ResultsOf a total of 2339 complete responses, 58.3% reported intent to obtain HPV vaccine. Mothers who were younger in age, residing in urban, working in managerial or professional occupations, who knew someone with cervical cancer and who were able to make independent decisions about the HPV vaccine (vs. joint decision with spouse) were more likely to express intent to have HPV vaccination. Perceived barriers, cues to action and self-efficacy were three of the constructs in the health belief model that significantly influenced HPV vaccination intent. A higher proportion of participants expressed willingness to pay for 2vHPV (81.2%) and 4vHPV (75.9%), as compared to 9vHPV (67.7%).ConclusionAdults women expressed moderate intention to receive the HPV vaccine. Intervention to address barriers to uptake of the HPV vaccine among adult women in China is warranted.     

“Being Talked to Like I Was a Sex Toy,Like Being Transgender Was Simply for the Enjoyment of Someone Else”: Fetishization and Sexualization of Transgender and Nonbinary Individuals

Archives of Sexual Behavior - Despite the growing interest in the experiences of transgender individuals, the phenomenon of fetishization of transgender bodies and identities has been overlooked....     

“You Have to Die Not to Come to Work”: A Mixed Methods Study of Attitudes and Behaviors regarding Presenteeism,Absenteeism and Influenza Vaccination among Healthcare Personnel with Respiratory Illness in Israel, 2016–2019

IntroductionHealthcare personnel (HCP) have an increased risk of exposure to influenza and other respiratory pathogens. Increased presenteeism, decreased absenteeism, and low uptake of the influenza vaccine can contribute to the spread of influenza among HCP in healthcare settings. We used a mixed methods approach to investigate attitudes and behaviors of HCP in Israel towards influenza vaccination, presenteeism, and absenteeism.MethodsThe study took place over three influenza seasons (2016–2017, 2017–2018, 2018–2019) at the largest hospital in southern Israel. We administered a Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) questionnaire and conducted semi-structured interviews with HCP who had been recently ill with respiratory symptoms. The KAP questionnaire included closed-ended questions about attitudes and behaviors regarding influenza, working while sick, and influenza vaccination. The interviews investigated HCP’s perceptions of influenza infection and attitudes about absenteeism, presenteeism, and the influenza vaccine.ResultsWe conducted 74 semi-structured interviews over three influenza seasons. Four HCP were interviewed twice, in separate seasons for different illness episodes. The 70 individuals interviewed included 16 physicians, 45 nurses or technicians, and 9 administrative staff. The median age was 42.5 years (range: 25–60), and most (79%) were female. Half (50%) got vaccinated against influenza before their illness episode. In interviews, most HCP said they come to work while sick (presenteeism) due to a strong personal work ethic and an institutional culture that discourages taking sick leave (absenteeism). HCP expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of the influenza vaccine as well as concern that the influenza vaccine causes severe illness.DiscussionOver three influenza seasons in Israel, HCP cited a number of reasons for working while sick, and doubted the usefulness of influenza vaccine. Addressing reasons for presenteeism and vaccine hesitancy among HCP is crucial to protect HCP and patients from influenza virus infection and other viral respiratory illnesses, such as COVID-19.