Women's reproductive health in the aftermath of natural disasters in Bangladesh: Prospects for empowerment.

In this study, the authors examine the effect of Cyclone Sidr in 2007 on selected aspects of women's reproductive decision-making in Bangladesh. We used Person in Environment theories to model the effect of cyclone Sidr on the reasons for non-contraception among women who did not want a child. The difference-in-difference approach was used as a research design using Bangladesh Demographic and Health Surveys of 2004 and 2011 to test a model of reasons for non-contraception among a subsample of women who did not want a child. Our results indicated that women experienced fewer social controls on contraceptive use decision-making in the aftermath of a natural disaster.

Transgender theory revisited: Current applications to transgender issues.

In addition to social determinants and cognitive constructions of social identities emphasized by earlier theoretical frameworks, transgender theory emphasizes the importance of physical embodiment in gender and sexual identity, as well as the integration of embodied experiences with the self and socially constructed aspects of identity through the lived experiences of those with fluid, often intersecting identities. The present paper considers important recent topics in research on transgender identities through the lens of this theory, including embodiment in understanding fluid gender and sexual identities, the intersectionality of multiple oppressed social identities, barriers to healthcare for transgender individuals, and ethical issues with regard to social policies impacting transgender individuals and with regard to media portrayals of and research on such individuals.

Antenatal Care in Nepal: A Socioecological Perspective.

Globally, millions of women die during pregnancy and childbirth due to preventable causes. In Nepal, although significant improvements have been made in the availability of routine antenatal care (ANC), the need for effective initiatives still persists. Using the 2011 Nepal Demographic and Health Survey data, we examine the relationship between ecological and socioeconomic variations on the effect of ANC services between three distinct ecological zones in Nepal. We make a case for the consideration of socioecological niches in designing effective policies and programs to achieve positive maternal health outcomes. Most importantly, we demonstrate how sociocultural perspective can be one alternative for examining the cultural and contextual effects on women's health, contributing to the methodological literature on women's health. Since geography and culture are components of human ecology and form the larger socioecological system, we highlight the importance of these contextual effects on women's health in general, and the conditions under which women from diverse backgrounds may experience similar health issues.

Women's Education and World Peace: A Feminist Dream Comes True: Comment on "The Pill Is Mightier Than the Sword".

This commentary on Potts et al provides a critical view on their thesis that increasing the level of education among women is likely to reduce terrorism. Presence of a strong family planning program enables women to control family size resulting in women's public participation more likely and facilitating the emergence of small birth cohorts who are less likely to become unemployed. In spite of the several theoretical insights their paper offers, they have not adequately described the multiple social and economic linkages that may exist between fertility rates and lowering frequency of wars, terrorism, etc.

The validation of the Checklist of Controlling Behaviors (CCB): assessing coercive control in abusive relationships.

The current study addresses the validation of the Checklist of Controlling Behaviors (CCB), an 84-item domestic violence assessment instrument that can be used to address multiple levels of violence and coercive control in violent relationships. Derived from clinical observation and current theories, the CCB makes use of intimate partner violence survivor reports to identify the intensity and frequency of relationship violence. The instrument is divided into 10 subscales including (1) physical abuse, (2) sexual abuse, (3) male privilege, (4) isolation, (5) minimizing and denying, (6) blaming, (7) intimidation, (8) threats, (9) emotional abuse, and (10) economic abuse. To assess validity and reliability of the CCB, 2,135 female volunteers taking refuge at a domestic violence shelter were administered the instrument. Results of principal component analysis of the individual subscales revealed 10 factors having goodness-of-fit values above the desired normative level of .90.

Reproductive rights approach to reproductive health in developing countries.

BACKGROUND: Research on reproductive health in developing countries focuses mostly on the role of economic development on various components of reproductive health. Cross-sectional and empirical research studies in particular on the effects of non-economic factors such as reproductive rights remain few and far between. OBJECTIVE: This study investigates the influence of two components of an empowerment strategy, gender equality, and reproductive rights on women's reproductive health in developing countries. The empowerment strategy for improving reproductive health is theoretically situated on a number of background factors such as economic and social development. DESIGN: Cross-national socioeconomic and demographic data from a number of international organizations on 142 developing countries are used to test a model of reproductive rights and reproductive health. RESULTS: The findings suggest that both economic and democratic development have significant positive effects on levels of gender equality. The level of social development plays a prominent role in promoting reproductive rights. It is found that reproductive rights channel the influences of social structural factors and gender equality on reproductive health.

Improving addictions treatment outcomes by empowering self and others.

The present research tested the effectiveness of adding an interpersonal, interactive, experiential training programme to addictions treatment that enhances motivation, cognitive-behavioural coping skills, social support, and group cohesiveness. The research was conducted in a co-educational, long-term residential treatment facility for addictive disorders (alcohol and other substances, sexual addiction, eating disorders, compulsive shopping, and gambling) and concomitant psychiatric diagnoses. The added training is co-created by participants. They choose challenging situations important in their lives that are played out as 'movies' in which they play and experience all the parts. Motivation for change, skills to implement positive changes, self-efficacy, empathy, positive support, and group cohesiveness are rooted in their own experiences and the feedback they receive from others, as they behave in empowering and disempowering ways. The training resulted in significant increases in empowering communication, self-esteem and quality of group life in the treatment group and in the family. Many of these results have large effect sizes and are consistent with the findings from prior studies. The results obtained in this study suggest that Say It Straight training can be an effective addition to the treatment of addictions in residential treatment. Future research is needed to determine the long-term effects of this training on relapse.

Contraceptive use in Yemen: a component analysis.

The objective of this paper is to examine the role of modernization on current use of modern contraception in the Republic of Yemen. We used modernization theory as well as Ryder's cohort-historical model to investigate the change in fertility variables across cohorts. Data from Demographic and Health Surveys conducted in 1991 and 1997 in Yemen are used. It has been argued that in Islamic societies such as Yemen, the extent of contraceptive use is more likely to be determined by religious values than by external forces of change. However, our findings suggest that the social context of contraceptive use in Yemen is similar to the preconditions attained in societies that have experienced improvements in contraceptive use during the stage of fertility decline. We have discussed in detail the policy implications of our findings.