Violencia y factores sociales en mujeres de la ciudad de Temuco / Social and familial determinants of anxiety and depressive symptoms in middle to low income women

Background: Among women, risk factors for mental disorders are violence, economical inequities and disadvantages and discrimination. Aim: To determine the prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms in women and to determine factors associated with them. Material and methods: A cross sectional study of a probabilistic sample of 422 women aged 34 years as a mean, living in a medium to low income neighborhood in Temuco, Chile. Mental health was assessed with the self reporting questionnaire (SRQ20), partner violence was evaluated using a 12 item scale and family conflict and violence was evaluated using the Conflicts Tactics scale. A logistic repression analysis was used to identify factors associated with mental health alterations. Results: Forty one percent of women had anxiety or depressive symptoms. The main associated factors with these symptoms were severe physical violence against children (odds ratio (OR) =14.3), sexual violence against women (OR =9.7), self perception of health (OR =4.5), alcohol abuse (OR =4.4), psychological violence during childhood (OR =3.2) and lack of family support network (OR =2.7). Unemployment and lack of a support network of relatives had an OR 3.3 for mental health alterations. The OR for psychological violence plus sexual violence was 18.5. The figure for psychological violence plus sexual violence plus a history of parental violence during childhood was 26.5. Conclusions: Forty one percent of this group of women had mental health alterations. There is a strong association between these alterations, family violence and socioeconomic factors.

Prevalencia de síntomas biológicos y psicológicos en mujeres perimenopáusicas, según estrato socioeconómico, en la ciudad de Temuco / Prevalence of biological and psychological symptoms in perimenopausal women of different socioeconomic levels Temuco city

Background: Psychological and biological symptoms occur in the perimenopausal period. However the real prevalence of these, is not well known in Chile. Aim: To determine the prevalence of biological and psychological symptoms and self care sexual health practices of perimenopausal women of Temuco, Chile. Patients and methods: A random sample of 171 women aged 45 to 55 years old, affiliated to private preventive health institutions and community organizations, were studied. These women were stratified in three income levels. Chi square, Fisher test and ANOVA were used for statistical analysis. Results: Bone and muscle aches were the most frequent referred symptoms in 36 percent of women. Thirty one percent complained of vaginal dryness and 28 percent of headache. No differences in symptom frequency per age or between post or pre menopausal women, were observed. Depressive disorders were found in 39 percent of women, mostly in women not working outside their houses. In the previous two years, 67 percent of women had a PAP smear and 58 percent had a mammography performed. Women of low income levels had a greater prevalence of biological and psychological symptoms and a lower frequency of self care behaviors. Conclusions: The most frequent symptom among the studied women was bone and muscle aches, followed by vaginal dryness. These results differ from other publications that report flushing as the most important symptom among perimenopausal women