"It's different here" Afghan refugee maternal health experiences in the United States.

BACKGROUND: The number of Afghan families in the US has grown over the past two decades, yet there is a paucity of research focused on their maternal healthcare experiences. Afghan families have one of the highest fertility rates in the world and typically have large families. As the US faces rising maternal mortality rates, it is crucial to understand factors that affect health outcomes for culturally distinct groups. We aimed to better understand Afghan women's maternal health experiences in South Texas as a step toward designing culturally sensitive care. METHODS: Using a qualitative descriptive design, twenty Afghan women who gave birth in the US within the past 2 years participated in audio-recorded interviews. The first and second authors conducted each interview using a semi-structured interview guide. The authors used an in vivo coding method and qualitative content analysis of the transcribed narrative data. RESULTS: We identified three broad categories with corresponding sub-categories: 1) Maternal Healthcare Experiences: pregnancy, birthing, and postpartum, 2) Communication: language barrier, relationship with husband, and health information seeking, 3) Access to Care: transportation and financing healthcare. The participants expressed perspectives of gratefulness and positive experiences, yet some described stories of poor birth outcomes that led to attitudes of mistrust and disappointment. Distinct cultural preferences were shared, providing invaluable insights for healthcare providers. CONCLUSIONS: The fact that the Afghan culture is strikingly different than the US mainstream culture can lead to stereotypical assumptions, poor communication, and poor health outcomes. The voices of Afghan women should guide healthcare providers in delivering patient-centered, culturally sensitive maternity care that promotes healthy families and communities.

Developing a profile of activities of daily living for bipolar disorder: a systematic review protocol and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Bipolar disorder (BD) is a severe mental health disorder that affects 2% of the adult population. Individuals with this disorder are at a higher risk for morbidity and functional difficulties. They may also experience significant challenges in their activities of daily living (ADLs). This systematic review will identify all available studies that examine subsets of ADLs that impact individuals with BD. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL and APA PsycINFO will be searched to identify observational studies that examined functioning, independence or performance across a variety of ADLs. Title and abstract, full-text screening and a risk of bias assessment will be conducted in duplicate. An overarching table that summarises the level of functioning across different ADLs or an 'ADL profile' will be developed, and if there are sufficient data, these will be separated based on the phases of BD, such as manic/hypomanic, depressed and euthymic. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: As this systematic review uses information from previous literature, this review does not require ethics approval. This review will help identify the trends in daily activities that individuals struggle with and can help healthcare practitioners identify specific areas of need for support. We plan to disseminate the results in a peer-reviewed journal and conferences targeting occupational therapists and mental health clinicians. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42021255089.

Impact of eating disorders on paid or unpaid work participation and performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol.

BACKGROUND: Eating disorders (ED) can reduce quality of life by limiting participation and performance in social and occupational roles, including paid or unpaid work. The association between ED pathologies and work participation and performance must be well understood to strengthen vocational rehabilitation programmes and prevent occupational disruptions in the ED population. The aims of this study are: (1) to examine the degree of association between ED pathologies and work participation and performance in 15-year-olds and older; (2) to highlight the specific ED symptoms that are most correlated with changes in work performance and participation; (3) to compile the most common metrics and assessments used to measure work participation and performance with ED. METHODS: Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Library will be searched for observational and experimental studies that meet the following criteria: (1) a clinical sample of typical or atypical ED; (2) paid or unpaid employment or training; (3) an association between ED pathologies and work participation or performance. Unpublished data will also be examined. Title and abstract, and full-text screening will be conducted in duplicate. Risk of bias and quality of evidence assessments will be completed. A random-effect meta-analysis will be performed. DISCUSSION: This synthesis can clarify knowledge and gaps around the impact of ED on work functioning, thereby allowing better evaluation, improvements and development of current workplace assessments, interventions, and policies. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The registration number for this systematic review on PROSPERO is CRD42021255055.