The Role of Culture in the Justification and Perpetuation of Domestic Violence: The Perspectives of Service Providers in Kyrgyzstan.

The study explores the perspectives of service providers on cultural and social reasons used to justify domestic violence in Kyrgyzstan. Results indicate that cultural norms, notably patriarchal customs, immense pressure put on women to save the marriage, stigma of divorce, low status assigned to women, wide acceptance of violence as natural, and fear of retaliation were major reasons that perpetuated domestic violence. Scholars, policymakers, and service providers must collaborate to actively dispel widely accepted beliefs about gender, marriage, and women's status, and to break the cycle of abuse providing help at the individual and community levels.

Anxiety and depression among women living with HIV in Kazakhstan.

An increase in new HIV infections among women in Kazakhstan has motivated efforts to improve access to comprehensive health services. This study estimates anxiety and depression frequency among women seeking HIV services. A cross-sectional survey was administered to women seen at the Almaty AIDS Center. Bivariable analyses (e.g., Chi-square, means with 95% confidence intervals) were performed to assess the relationship between anxiety (score of 10 or more on the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 Scale (GAD-7)), major depression (Patient Health Questionnaire 8 (PHQ-8)), and comorbid anxiety and major depression with sociodemographic characteristics, health functioning, and medication history. Of the 410 participants, 62 (15.1%) had a GAD-7 ≥ 10; 52 (12.7%) met major depression criteria; 35 (8.5%) met both criteria, and 79 (19.3%) met GAD-7, major depression, or both criteria. Women reporting depression or anxiety were more likely to lack food security (p < 0.01), not finish secondary school (p < 0.01), speak Russian at home (p < 0.01), perceive their health to be poor (p < 0.01), and report poorer physical and mental health functioning (p < 0.05). No medications approved for the treatment of anxiety or depression were reported. The considerable number of women reporting major depression and anxiety symptoms suggests a need for improving access to mental health care.

Opportunity, Social Mobility, and Women's Views on Gender Roles in Central Asia.

Central Asian countries represent an important context for understanding intersections between Islam, patriarchy, and women's well-being. In recent decades, challenges and opportunities resulting from transitions to a market economy exacerbated gender imbalances in labor markets and opportunity structures of the region. Women of the region are highly educated and make significant economic contributions to support their families through employment. However, their views about gender roles remain unclear, and it is also uncertain whether opportunity structures and social mobility have influenced these views. The current study addresses these gaps using probability-based survey data (N = 3,405) from four Central Asian countries: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Latent class analysis reveals three latent profiles of women's views on gender roles: traditional views, egalitarian views, and dual views. Religious identity, education, opportunity structure, and social mobility intersect with women's ideas about gender roles.

A Woman'S Status and Prenatal Care Utilization in Patrilocal Households of Post-Soviet Countries.

Women's household autonomy is associated with maternal healthcare utilization in developing countries, but its effects are not consistently positive. In the current study, the researchers test prenatal care utilization in Armenia and Azerbaijan (N = 2,159). After controlling for socioeconomic factors, we find that women's autonomy seems to be a mixed blessing. For instance, participating in daily purchases delays the start of prenatal care, but results in more prenatal care visits. Additionally, a woman's household position as a daughter-in-law has significant negative associations with accessing prenatal care during the first trimester of pregnancy.

Is Informal Financial Aid Good for Health? Evidence from Kyrgyzstan, a Low-Income Post-Socialist Nation in Eurasia.

The importance of social capital and economic advantage for health is well established in literature. The relationship between health and social capital through informal financial aid is less understood. Using representative data (N = 7,474), authors explored an association between informal financial aid and health satisfaction in Kyrgyzstan, a post-socialist low-income country in Eurasia. Multilevel modeling revealed significant associations between informal aid and health. Cross-level interactions between individual and neighborhood financial aid were also significantly associated with health satisfaction. The results suggest that (a) social capital is influenced by socioeconomic status of the person, and (b) paths between informal aid and health vary among individuals at different levels of socioeconomic structure. Authors conclude the article with a discussion of the implications for social work practice and policy to improve health outcomes for disadvantaged individuals.