A comparative study of family functioning, health, and mental health awareness and utilization among female Bedouin-Arabs from recognized and unrecognized villages in the Negev

A good portion of geography is contested by the Israeli state and the country's Bedouin-Arab population. There are two categories of Bedouin villages: those areas that are "officially" recognized by the state and those that are not. In this article we determine utilization and awareness of health and mental health services among 376 Bedouin-Arab women in recognized and unrecognized villages in the Negev. Although there are differences between them, primary health care (PHC) services usually are available within recognized villages, accessible to those from unrecognized villages, and tend to precipitate user satisfaction. We conclude with various suggestions for improving health service delivery and making PHC and mental health delivery more accessible. Through this article we intend to help mental health practitioners on two levels: the policy level, regarding the design of mental health services for societies in transition, such as the Bedouin Arab, and the practical level by helping practitioners better appreciate the psychosocial status of women in Bedouin-Arab societies and the factors associated with Bedouin-Arab PHC utilization.     

Primary Health Care Service Use Among Women Who Have Recently Left an Abusive Partner: Income and Racialization,Unmet Need,Fits of Services,and Health

Primary health care (PHC) can improve the health of women who have experienced intimate partner violence; yet, access to and fit of PHC services may be shaped by income and racialization. We examined whether income and racialization were associated with differences in PHC service use, unmet needs, fit with needs, and mental and physical health in a sample of 286 women who had separated from an abusive partner. Mothers, unemployed women, and those with lower incomes used more PHC services and reported a poorer fit of services. Poorer fit of services was related to poorer mental and physical health.     

Mental Health Service Utilization Among the Arabs in Israel

ABSTRACT

National hospitalization records (1995, 1986, N = 15,698) reveal that Arab women utilize psychiatric services less than Arab men. The exact reverse occurs among Jewish patients. Moreover, Arab patients significantly underutilize mental health services, compared to Jewish patients. Possible reasons for these utilization patterns include: Arab health care utilization patterns in general; the availability of mental health services in Arab communities; the influence of the “cultural” over the “professional” in Arab mental health utilization; the lack of Arab mental health practitioners; Arab attitudes towards mental health; and gendered role constructions within Arab society. Findings emphasize the need for a policy of developing infrastructure and trained personnel that can provide services adapted to the special cultural characteristics of the Arab population.     

Sense of coherence among Bedouin women in polygamous marriages compared to women in monogamous marriages

ABSTRACT

We compared sense of coherence (SOC) among Bedouin women in polygamous with those in monogamous marriages. SOC is a global orientation toward life as comprehensible, manageable, and meaningful, and is derived from generalized resistance resources that promote effective coping in stressful life situations. Strong SOC may be a resource for strengthening resilience and promoting health. We administered questionnaires to 464 Indigenous Arab Bedouin women (ages 18–49 years) in 2008–2009 using the 13-item SOC questionnaire. Contrary to our hypothesis, SOC was higher among women in polygamous compared to monogamous marriages. Husband‘s education, husband’s abandonment of the household, living in unrecognized villages, and low mastery (perception of one’s ability to control life situations) were associated with higher SOC. These results might suggest that polygamy may provoke new coping mechanisms among women as they reappraise life amidst low mastery, accept cultural norms, and marshal new resources, thereby increasing key elements of SOC, including comprehensibility, manageability, and meaningfulness. Interventions and services seeking to empower women in polygamous marriages should build on their resilience.     

They aren't all first cousins: Bedouin marriage and health policies in Lebanon

Objective. Fertility and consanguineous marriages among the Bedouin tribes of the Middle East have long generated interest particularly around health outcomes and social relations. In particular, Bedouin in Lebanon have increasingly embraced the Lebanese national bio-medical health system in the past two decades, while Lebanese policy-makers' responses continue to be minimal and ill-informed. This paper investigates the mismatch between policy-makers' formulations of Bedouin consanguineous marriages and the Bedouins's actual reproductive practices and discusses the implications of these formulations on the Bedouins's access to health services.

Design. The findings are drawn from the data collected as part of the Bedouin Health Project, an EU-funded five-year study (2005–2010), aiming at assessing access to reproductive and child health care among the Bedouin in Lebanon. The data was collected from 6 clusters representing the main Bedouin informal and unrecognized settlements in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon. The data consists of 111 socioeconomic questionnaires with Bedouin women users of local public, private, and nongovernmental reproductive and child health-focused clinics, in addition to 40 in-depth interviews with Bedouin women across the clusters and 17 semi-structured interviews with policy-makers.

Results. The findings suggest a gap between the perceptions of policy-makers and the incidence of consanguineous marriages and reproductive practices among the Bedouin. While there was no national data available for the Bedouin populations, policy-makers relied on a constructed ‘Bedouin reproductive profile’ that portrayed them as ‘a problematic health group’. The national policy formulation of the Bedouin reproductive profile has an exclusionary impact on the Bedouin population as they are ignored from any targeted health policies or provided with politically motivated palliative care provision.

Conclusion. These findings highlight the importance of addressing stereotyping and discrimination among health practitioners and policy-makers, as a crucial part of improving the overall marriage and reproductive health practices of the Bedouin.     

Utilization of Maternal Health Care Services among Married Adolescent Women: Insights from the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, 2008

BackgroundAn ongoing social catastrophe of very poor performance in maternal health coupled with an unacceptably high number of maternal deaths is evident in Nigeria, especially among adolescent women. This study examines the factors associated with selected maternity services—married adolescent women who have had at least four antenatal care (ANC) visits, those who have undergone safe delivery care, and those who received postnatal care within 42 days of delivery.MethodsData from Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, 2008, were used. An eligible sample of 2,434 married adolescent (aged 15–19 years) women was included in the analysis. Pearson chi-square test and binary logistic regression were performed to fulfill the study objective.ResultsIt was found that about 35% of adolescent women had at least four ANC visits, a little over 25% had undergone safe delivery care, and nearly 32% received postnatal care within 42 days of delivery. Women's education, husband's education, wealth quintile, and region of residence were documented as the most important factors associated with maternal healthcare service utilization. The ANC visit was found to be vital in the utilization of safe delivery and postnatal care.ConclusionFindings indicate that programs to improve maternal healthcare have not succeeded in overcoming the socioeconomic obstacles in the way of adolescents' utilizing maternity services. In the long run, the content and service delivery strategy of maternity programs must be designed in keeping with the socioeconomic context with special attention to adolescent women who are uneducated, poor, and residing in rural areas.     

Health, mental health, substance use, and service utilization among rural and urban incarcerated women.

Incarcerated women commonly report health, mental health, and substance use problems, yet there is limited research on service utilization before incarceration, particularly among women from urban and rural areas. This study includes a stratified random sample of 100 rural and urban incarcerated women to profile the health, mental health, substance use, and service utilization; examine the relationship between the number of self-reported problems and service utilization; and examine self-reported health and mental health problems in prison as associated with preincarceration health-related problems and community service utilization. Study findings suggest that health and mental health problems and substance use do not differ significantly among rural and urban women prisoners. However, there are differences in service utilization -- particularly behavioral health services including mental health and substance abuse services; urban women report more service utilization. In addition, rural women who reported using needed community services before prison also reported fewer health problems in prison. Implications for correctional and community treatment opportunities in rural and urban areas are discussed.     

Factors Influencing Utilization of ASHA Services under NRHM in Relation to Maternal Health in Rural Lucknow

Background:

Under National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), ASHA (accredited social health activist) has been identified as an effective link to address the poor utilization of maternal and child health (MCH) services by rural pregnant women.

Objective:

To study the factors influencing utilization of ASHA services in relation to maternal health.

Study Design:

Cross-sectional.

Setting

Primary Health Centre (PHC), Sarojininagar, Lucknow and its rural field area.

Study Period:

September 2007 to August 2008.

Study Unit:

RDW (recently delivered women) were considered as those who delivered a live newborn at PHC Sarojininagar, within a week of interview and belonged to villages within the confines of the PHC being served by ASHA.

Materials and Methods:

350 RDW were interviewed at their bedside, by a preformed and pretested schedule and then were followed-up after six weeks.

Results:

Utilization of ASHA services for early registration was significantly associated with age and religion of RDW. Young, educated and socio-economic class III RDW utilized ASHA services the maximum for early registration. Utilization of ASHA services for adequate ANC or antenatal care (100 iron and folic acid tablets, 2 tetanus toxoid injection and ≥3 antenatal visits) was also inversely associated with age of RDW. Young, Hindu, scheduled caste, middle school pass, Class III RDW and those with birth order one had high odds for utilization of ASHA services for adequate ANC. With regard to postnatal check-up, again young RDW with birth order one, Hindu RDW in reference to Muslim and RDW in socio-economic class III had higher likelihood for utilization of ASHA services. Caste-wise scheduled caste (SC) and other backward caste (OBC) RDW had higher odds for utilization of ASHA services. Educated RDW and those with educated husband had higher odds for utilization of ASHA services for postnatal check-up.

Conclusion:

Young, educated RDW with low parity, educated husband and belonging to higher socio-economic class had higher odds of utilization of ASHA services.     

Utilization of Health Services in Physician Offices and Outpatient Clinics by Adolescents and Young Women in the United States: Implications for Improving Access to Reproductive Health Services

PurposeWe examined utilization patterns of adolescents and young women as they seek general and reproductive health services in physician offices and hospital outpatient clinics.MethodsWe analyzed physician office visits in the 2003–2006 National Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys, and hospital outpatient clinic visits in the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys, to examine utilization patterns of females aged 9–26 years by 2-year age intervals and other characteristics such as physician specialty or clinic type.ResultsThe number of visits to primary care physician offices increased with age, from 4.9 million for ages 9–10 years to 9.0 million for ages 25–26 years. The proportion of visits made to obstetrician-gynecologists and family practitioners increased with age, and by ages 15–16 years fewer than half of all visits to primary care providers were made to pediatricians. The proportion of visits to family practitioners increased from 25% at ages 9–10 years to 30% at ages 25–26 years. By ages 17–18 years, a larger proportion of visits were made to obstetrician-gynecologists (33% of 7.0 million visits) and to family practitioners (34%) than to pediatricians (23%). The proportion of visits for reproductive health services peaked at 53% of 7.5 million physician visits at ages 20–21 years. Similar utilization patterns were observed for the 11.0 million hospital outpatient visits to primary care providers.ConclusionsBecause adolescents and young women most commonly utilize healthcare services provided by obstetrician-gynecologists and family practitioners, these specialties should be priority targets for interventions to improve the quality and availability of reproductive health services.     

Patterns of health service utilization and perceptions of needs and services in rural Orissa

Despite emphasis on strengthening local health care provision, concern remains regarding the rates of utilization of state-provided services within Orissa. The reported study examined patterns of service utilization across the rural population of four districts of Orissa, with special reference to perceptions of the availability and quality of state services at the primary care level. Within the selected districts, 219 interviews were conducted across 66 villages. Households reported utilizing a wide range of health care providers, although hospitals constituted the most frequently--and primary health care centres (PHCs) the least frequently--accessed services. Private practitioners (qualified and unqualified) represented a major sector of provision. This included high rates of access by scheduled tribes and castes (running at approximately twice the rate of access to both local and PHC provision). Key factors guiding patterns of utilization were reputation of the provider, cost and physical accessibility. Local health provision through assistant nurse midwives and male health workers was generally perceived of poor quality, with the lowest rates of resolution of health problems of all service providers. The location of a sub-centre base for assistant nurse midwives within a village had no demonstrable impact on access to services. Acknowledging constraints on broader generalization, the implications of the findings for informing health policy and programming within Orissa are noted. This includes support for current efforts to strengthen the capacity of PHC and sub-centre level provision within the state, and acknowledgement of the potentially growing role of effectively regulated private provision in meeting the needs of the rural poor.     

Utilization of maternal care in rural HeBei Province, the People's Republic of China: individual and structural characteristics

PURPOSE: To study the effect of individual's socio-economic characteristics and the structure of the health services in the village on utilization of maternal care in rural HeBei, the People's Republic of China (PRC). DATA: Data were collected from 4273 women who gave birth to one child at least, living in a stratified sample of 288 villages in HeBei Province. FINDINGS: 54.8% of the women had at least one pre-natal care visit, 27.5% gave birth in a health care facility, and 18.1% had post-natal check-up. Utilization was inversely related to age and parity and positively to education. Occupation was related to use of pre- and post-natal services, but not to home birth. Per-capita income and living arrangement are not related to utilization. MCH worker in the village promote pre- and post-natal care, but also home delivery. Village doctors promote pre-natal care and hospital delivery but do not promote post-natal check-up. Women tend to avoid the maternal services in the township health centers but some are ready to travel to city hospitals for delivery and post-natal care. CONCLUSIONS: Health education programs regarding the importance of all three maternal care services are clearly needed. These programs should address not only women of child bearing age but also care providers, MCH workers in particular. Township health center should reach-out and motivate women to use their accessible services.     

Women's Preferred Sources for Primary and Mental Health Care: Implications for Reproductive Health Providers

PurposeTo describe women's preferences for reproductive health providers as sources of primary and mental health care.MethodsThis is secondary data analysis of the Women's Health Care Experiences and Preferences Study, an Internet survey conducted in September 2013 of 1,078 women aged 18 to 55 randomly sampled from a U.S. national probability panel. We estimated women's preferred and usual sources of care (reproductive health providers, generalists, other) for various primary care and mental health care services using weighted statistics and multiple logistic regression.Main FindingsAmong women using health care in the past 5 years (n = 981), 88% received primary and/or mental health care, including a routine medical checkup (78%), urgent/acute (48%), chronic disease (27%), depression/anxiety (21%), stress (16%), and intimate partner violence (2%) visits. Of those, reproductive health providers were the source of checkup (14%), urgent/acute (3%), chronic disease (6%), depression/anxiety (6%), stress (11%), and intimate partner violence (3%) services. Preference for specific reproductive health-provided primary/mental health care services ranged from 7% to 20%. Among women having used primary/mental health care services (N = 894), more women (1%–17%) preferred than had received primary/mental health care from reproductive health providers. Nearly one-quarter (22%) identified reproductive health providers as their single most preferred source of care. Contraceptive use was the strongest predictor of preference for reproductive health-provided primary/mental health care (odds ratios range, 2.11–3.30).ConclusionsReproductive health providers are the sole source of health care for a substantial proportion of reproductive-aged women—the same groups at risk for unmet primary and mental health care needs. Findings have implications for reproductive health providers' role in comprehensive women's health care provision and potentially for informing patient-centered, integrated models of care in current health systems.     

Women and Health Reform: How National Health Care Can Enhance Coverage,Affordability, and Access for Women (Examples From Massachusetts)

BackgroundMassachusetts women have the highest rates of health insurance coverage in the nation and women's access to care has improved across all demographic groups. However, important challenges persist. As national health reform implementation moves forward under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), states will likely encounter many of the same women's health challenges experienced in Massachusetts over the past 7 years.MethodsA review of the literature and data analyses comparing health care services access, utilization, and cost, and health outcomes from Massachusetts pre- and post-2006 health care reform identified two key challenges in women's continuity of coverage and affordability.ConclusionThese areas are crucial for state and national policymakers to consider in improving women's health as they work to implement health care reform at the state and federal levels.     

中国五城市流动育龄妇女孕产期保健影响因素研究

目的 了解流动育龄妇女孕产期保健现状及影响因素,为改善其孕产期保健质量提供依据。方法 利用2005年北京、南京、厦门、深圳和重庆5个城市流动人口生殖健康抽样调查数据,描述分析流动育龄妇女孕产期保健分布情况,用logistic回归分析流动育龄妇女孕产期保健影响因素。结果 5399份有效调查问卷中有4037来自经历妊娠的流动育龄妇女,其中参加过和未参加孕产期保健者分别占75.3%(3041/4037)和24.7%(996/4037)。初次产前检查时间与其受教育程度有关(P<0.05)。孕产期保健多因素logistic回归分析显示,孕产期保健在调查地区间存在差异(P<0.05),<30岁和30～39岁组参加孕产期保健的比例别是≥40岁组的4.09倍(95%Cl:3.11～5.39)和1.98倍(95%Cl:1.61～2.43);高中及以上、初中文化程度的流动育龄妇女参加孕产期保健的比例分别是小学及以下者的5.47倍(95%CI:3.85～7.77)和2.86倍(95%Cl:2.42～3.39);已婚流动育龄妇女参加孕产期保健比例是未婚流动妇女的2.36倍(95%Cl:1.07～5.22);生育1胎和2胎者均比生育≥3胎的流动育龄妇女更可能参加孕产期保健,其OR值分别是3.36(95%Cl:2.33～4.84)和1.61(95%Cl:1.12～2.30);有婚育证明者参加孕产期保健比例是无婚育证明者的1.44倍(95%Cl:1.21～1.71)。结论 教育程度高、已婚、生育胎数少及有婚育证明对流动育龄妇女的孕产期保健具有保护作用。通过改善孕产期保健影响因素,提高外来流动人口孕产期保健服务的利用水平,有助于预防和降低不良生殖健康结局的发生风险。     

A Cost-Effective Model for Increasing Access to Mental Health Care at the Primary Care Level in Nigeria

BACKGROUND: Although effective treatment modalities for mental health problems currently exist in Nigeria, they remain irrelevant to the 70% of Nigeria's 120 million people who have no access to modern mental health care services. The nation's Health Ministry has adopted mental health as the 9th component of Primary Health Care (PHC) but ten years later, very little has been done to put this policy into practice. Mental Health is part of the training curriculum of PHC workers, but this appears to be money down the drain. AIMS OF THE STUDY: To review the weaknesses and problems with existing mode of mental health training for PHC workers with a view to developing a cost-effective model for integration. METHODS: A review and analysis of current training methods and their impact on the provision of mental health services in PHC in a rural and an urban local government area in Nigeria were done. An analysis of tested approaches for integrating mental health into PHC was carried out and a cost-effective model for the Nigerian situation based on these approaches and the local circumstances was derived. RESULTS: Virtually no mental health services are being provided at the PHC levels in the two local government areas studied. Current training is not effective and virtually none of what was learnt appears to be used by PHC workers in the field. Two models for integrating mental health into PHC emerged from the literature. Enhancement, which refers to the training of PHC personnel to carry out mental health care independently is not effective on its own and needs to be accompanied by supervision of PHC staff. Linkage, which occurs when mental health professionals leave their hospital bases to provide mental health care in PHC settings, requires a large number of skilled staff who are unavailable in Nigeria. In view of past experiences in Nigeria and other countries, a mixed enhancement-linkage model for mental health in PHC appears to be the most cost-effective approach for these Nigerian communities. DISCUSSION: Nigeria is currently experiencing a 'double epidemic', and with high infant and maternal mortality rates, the burden of mental health problems is still invisible to policy makers. Meagre resources allocated to mental health need to be utilised maximally with cost-effective interventions. This mixed enhancement-linkage model draws on the strengths of both models, while taking into account their limitations. Concrete conclusions cannot be drawn until the model developed is fully tested. IMPLICATIONS FOR HEALTH CARE PROVISION AND USE: This model has the potential of making mental health services available, accessible and acceptable in these communities. This should reduce the burden of suffering for the mentally ill by providing treatment and restorative care, promoting mental health and preventing mental illness in the populace. IMPLICATIONS FOR HEALTH POLICY FORMULATION: The current mental health policy for Nigeria focuses on enhancement as the mode in which mental health can be successfully integrated into PHC and so far this has not been successful. Results emerging from this model can be presented to policy makers thereby supporting replication in other parts of the country. This could ultimately lead to a change in the mental health policy on training for mental health at the PHC level. IMPLICATIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH: Mental health services and mental health economics research are still at the stage of infancy in Nigeria. This study provides baseline information and should stimulate further research in these two vital areas.     

山西省榆社县改善生育卫生需求评估——参与性农村评估调查总结

１９９８年１１月,国家卫生部改善生育卫生服务山西课题组运用参与性农村评估（ＰＲＡ）对山西省榆社县经济状况好,中、差的３个行政村进行了参与性生育卫生服务需求评估调查。调查结果表明：（１）产前检查、新法接生、产后访视等常规孕产期保健服务的利用较差,妇女生育健康水平较低;（２）孕产妇及其丈夫,家属均缺乏孕产期保健、妇女生殖道感染等生育健康知识,同时她／他们也迫切需要了解这些知识。建议：（１）加强健康教育     

Correlates of Mental Health Service Use Among Lesbian,Gay, and Bisexual Mothers and Prospective Mothers

ABSTRACT

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual women undertake parenting in a social context that may be associated with unique risk factors for perinatal depression. This cross-sectional study aimed to describe the mental health services used by women in the perinatal period and to identify potential correlates of mental health service use. Sixty-four women who were currently trying to conceive, pregnant, or the parent of a child less than one year of age were included. One-third of women reported some mental health service use within the past year; 30.6% of women reported a perceived unmet need for mental health services in the past year, with 40% of these women citing financial barriers as the reason for their unmet need. Women who were trying to get pregnant or who were less “out” were most likely to have had recent mental health service use. Women who had conceived by having sex with a man or who reported more than three episodes of discrimination were most likely to report unmet needs for mental health services. Providers may benefit from additional knowledge about the LBG social context that is relevant to perinatal health, and from identifying a strong referral network of skilled and affordable counsellors.     

The pioneers of rural Pakistan: The lady health visitors

Since 1978, when the World Health Organization and the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund called for urgent action by all governments to provide appropriate health care for the underprivileged, the world community has attempted to implement primary health care strategies. Pakistan, with a population of 118 million people, is one of those countries where the rural population and the underprivileged groups in the katchi‐abadis (squatter settlements) of the urban areas lack appropriate and accessible health services. This article highlights the community experiences of a remarkable group of young Muslim women, the Lady Health Visitors (LHVs) of the Aga Khan Health Services, who deliver primary health care services to disadvantaged women and children in the northern mountainous areas and rural villages of Pakistan. The LHVs are the first contact with the health care system that these underprivileged women experience. The LHVs cure, care, teach, and train traditional birth attendants. In addition, they perform health promotion and document their findings. To provide their maternal and child health services, the LHVs travel by foot through miles of rough terrain to settlements and villages. Prenatal and postnatal care, anemia, diarrhea, and malnutrition are among the major health care problems of these rural women and their children under 5 years of age.