Depressive Symptoms Were Prevalent Among Left-Behind Women in Ma'anshan, China

Psychological well-being of rural left-behind women in Northwest China and its associated factors: a regional, population-based study

Purpose

Growing awareness has highlighted the challenging living condition faced by rural left-behind women (RLW), yet their psychological well-being has not been fully investigated. This study aims to investigate the psychological well-being of RLW in Northwest China and exploring its associated factors.

Samples and methods

A total of 697 RLW from five provincial regions were enrolled. Sociodemographic characteristics were collected using a set of researcher-designed questionnaires. Depression, anxiety, and feeling of security were assessed using the Zung's self-rating depression scale (SDS), Zung's self-rating anxiety scale (SAS), and security questionnaire (SQ), respectively.

Results

The prevalences of depression and anxiety among RLW were 35.7 and 37.6%, respectively, and feelings of security was relatively low in RLW, with a mean SQ score of 50.16 ± 11.37. Chi-square tests and multiple linear regression analyses indicated that labor intensity, physical health conditions, marital satisfaction and stability, relationships with children, frequency of husband coming home, left-behind duration, domestic violence, and sexual harassment after husbands left were risk factors of psychological well-being of RLW.

Conclusion

These findings revealed that the psychological well-being of RLW in Northwest China is not promising, which should therefore, be given special attention. It is essential to prioritize the improvement of the psychological well-being for RLW by providing accessible and targeted supports and interventions tailored to cope with their challenges.

The effects of spousal migration on perinatal healthcare utilization

Over the last three decades, out-migration has become a stable source of income for more than 12 million Bangladeshis. Of those migrants, 90% are men. Due to patriarchal cultural norms in Bangladeshi society, the migration of a male spouse may have significant consequences for the social well-being and health of left-behind women. In this study, we examine the impact of external (out of country) and internal (rural to urban) spousal migration on the perinatal healthcare utilization of left-behind women. We used data from the 2012 Matlab Health and Socioeconomic Survey (MHSS2) to examine use of antenatal care, presence of a medically qualified attendant at birth, and delivery at a healthcare facility for live births that occurred between 2007 and 2014 for currently married women aged 15-45 (N = 1,458 births among 1,180 women). Adjusted regression models indicated that for births occurring to women with a migrant spouse, odds of receiving antenatal care were significantly higher (OR: 4.1 for births to women with a domestic urban migrant spouse and 4.6 for births to women with an international migrant spouse, p < 0.01). Spousal migration was not linked to having a medically qualified attendant at birth or delivery at a clinic or hospital. Results suggest that spousal migration may be beneficial for receiving health care during a pregnancy, but not for the type of attendant or place of delivery at birth.

Sleep quality and related influencing factors in adult hypertensive patients in Shandong Province, China

Hypertension is a leading cause of death worldwide. Hypertension is associated with poor sleep quality, which adversely affects physical and mental health, and can increase the incidence rate and mortality of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and depression. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of the factors related to poor sleep quality in hypertensive patients in Shandong Province, China. This cross-sectional study of adult patients with hypertension from August 2020 to February 2021was conducted in 10 cooperative hospitals in Shandong Province, China. Information was collected in the form of a questionnaire. In this study, Pittsburgh sleep quality index was used to evaluate sleep quality. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the risk of poor sleep quality. Variables with a P value < 0.05 and a 95% confidence interval (CI) were considered statistically significant. A total of 528 patients with hypertension were included, ranging in age from 31 to 90 years old. The prevalence of poor sleep quality among study participants with hypertension was 319 (60.4%) (95% CI: 0.562-0.646). Female gender (adjusted odds ratios [AOR] = 3.231; 95% CI: 2.194-4.757), stage III blood pressure (AOR = 2.142; 95% CI: 1.108-4.141), mental labor, and labor both physical and mental (AOR = 1.639; 95% CI:1.03-2.611 and AOR = 1.632; 95% CI: 1.030-2.584), unstable marriage (AOR = 3.203; 95% CI: 1.026-9.997) and the very Low-density Lipoprotein (odds ratios = 0.776; 95% CI: 0.649-0.928) were significantly associated with poor sleep quality. This study preliminarily showed that poor sleep quality was a common problem in hypertensive patients, and more than half of the hypertensive patients had poor sleep quality. Poor sleep quality was significantly correlated with gender, hypertension level, occupation, marital status, and the very Low-density Lipoprotein. Considering the negative impact of sleep quality, appropriate strategies should be developed to prevent and treat poor sleep quality in hypertensive patients.

Urban-rural differences in epidemiology and risk factors of menopause syndrome in middle-aged Chinese women

OBJECTIVE

To compare the prevalence and severity of menopausal symptoms and investigate their associated factors among rural and urban middle-aged Chinese women.

METHODS

A descriptive, cross-sectional study of 4,580 urban and 2,729 rural randomly sampled participants aged 40 to 55 years in Gansu Province, China, was conducted. Questionnaires assessing the sociodemographic information and menstrual and reproductive histories of the participants were administered. The modified Kupperman scale was used to assess the presence and severity of menopausal symptoms. Binary and ordinal logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with the occurrence and severity of menopausal syndrome, respectively, according to the modified Kupperman Menopausal Index score rank.

RESULTS

The natural menopausal age of the rural women was significantly lower than that of the urban women (rural: 47.22, urban: 47.98; P < 0.05). Furthermore, rural women had a higher prevalence (rural: 56.35%, urban: 43.47%) and severity (rural: 11.40%, urban: 6.61%) of menopausal syndrome than the urban women ( P < 0.05). For both the urban and rural women, the prevalence and severity of most menopausal symptoms increased as menopause progressed. The three most prevalent symptoms in both the urban and rural women were fatigue (rural: 70.43%, urban: 68.19%), muscle/joint pain (rural: 62.84%, urban: 59.32%), and vertigo (rural: 57.42%, urban: 47.44%). Positive associations between menopausal symptoms and age, residence, body mass index, level of education, time of pregnancy, menstrual cycle, and presence of chronic diseases were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

Rural women experience more frequent and severe menopausal syndrome than do urban women.

Prevalence of Somatic Symptoms and Quality of Life Among Married Women Having a Distant Relationship With Their Spouses in Mangalore, India

Background: Married women having a distant relationship with their husbands are prone to mental disorders like somatic symptoms, eventually reducing their quality of life (QoL).

Objective: To assess the somatic symptoms and quality of life among married women having a distant relationship with their spouses.

Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in 2018. Women having a distant relationship were selected using snowball sampling from selected urban areas of Mangalore, Karnataka. The Scale for Assessment of Somatic Symptoms (SASS) and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale (WHOQOL)-BREF questionnaire were used to assess somatic symptoms and quality of life, respectively. Multiple linear regression was used to identify the predictors of somatic symptoms and QoL.

Results: Out of 100 married women with a distant relationship, 83% experienced at least one symptom at a moderate/severe level, whereas the prevalence of somatic symptoms was 30% (at least one symptom at a severe level). Among these 30 women, the majority were in the age groups of 25-30 (32%) and 31-35 (30%). The somatic symptoms had a negative association with Christians (p<0.05), whereas they were positively associated with women living in nuclear families (p<0.05) and marriages of less than 3 years (p<0.05). Among the four domains of WHOQOL-BREF, the highest QoL was seen in the social domain (61.06 ± 18.58), the lowest was seen in the psychological domain (54.78 ± 13.05).

Conclusion: Women who have a distant relationship with their husbands manifest somatic symptoms which decrease their quality of life. This emphasizes the need to use different approaches during hospital visits and community-oriented programs to identify and improve mental health among married women and wellbeing in the family.

Left-Behind Women in the Context of International Migration: A Scoping Review

Introduction: Despite the research on left-behind children, less is known about left-behind women across transnational spaces. The purpose of this scoping review was to assess the extent, range, and nature of the existing body of literature on left-behind women whose partners have migrated across borders. Method: This scoping review was guided by the five-step approach of Arksey and O'Malley. Fifty-four articles that focused on left-behind women across transnational spaces were included. Data were synthesized using descriptive statistics and conventional content analysis. Results: Left-behind women were primarily from Mexico (n = 13) and the migrants' place of destination was primarily the United States (n = 14). We identified two major themes: (a) women's social, economic and cultural conditions and (b) women's well-being. Discussion: We identified significant knowledge gaps regarding left-behind women in the context of transnational migration. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

Factors associated with sleep quality among "left-behind women" in rural China: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE

The present study aimed to assess the sleep quality of left-behind women in rural China and exploring the factors associated with sleep quality among rural women.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Liaoning province, China. A total of 1591 participants were investigated. The sleep quality of rural women was measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scale (PSQI). The data collected included sociodemographic together with psychological factors including depression (CES-D), loneliness (UCLA), social support (PSSS), and resilience (CD-RISC).

RESULTS

The total prevalence rate of poor sleep quality for all participants was 34.54%, the detection rate of poor sleep quality in left-behind women was 51.6%, while it was only 24.3% in nonleft-behind women. The binary logistic regression indicated that the state of left behind was definitely a risk factor for sleep quality. In addition, physical exercise, social support, and resilience had significantly protective effects on sleep quality. Labor pressure, raising children, life events, depression, and loneliness served as risk factors were related to sleep quality.

CONCLUSION

The general sleep quality of rural left-behind women was not promising in rural China. Urgent attention should be payed to sleep quality of left-behind women. It is very necessary to promote sleep quality of left-behind women by developing public service and mental health system and to provide psychological intervention for those with poor mental health to promote the development of physical and mental health ultimately.