Interparental conflict trajectories across various child residence arrangements when parents live apart.

In Norway, as in most Western countries, a growing proportion of parents living apart choose shared residence for their children. The aim of this study was to investigate trajectories of five interparental conflict dimensions across four child residence arrangement groups (and three combination groups) to improve understanding of different conflict trajectories when parents live apart. We used data from the Dynamics of Family Conflict study. Families (N = 1136) were recruited from 37 family counseling centers across Norway. Parents answered questionnaires in three waves: Wave 1 (December 2017 through August 2019); Wave 2 (November 2019 through January 2021); and Wave 3 (April through May 2021). Mixed effects analyses indicated that (a) for all conflict dimensions, there was less conflict and more cooperation over time across all residence arrangements; (b) except for children's involvement in conflict, the conflict dimensions did not develop differently over time between residence arrangements; (c) families with arrangements in which one parent had minority time (1%-14% and 15%-34%) were more likely to report children being involved in their parents' arguments over time than the 35%-49% and 50/50 residence groups; (d) for families with high relational risk pattern, children's involvement in conflict did not decline in either a high (1-34%) or a low degree (35%-49%) of sharing; and (e) families with a violent risk pattern and low degree of sharing (1%-34%) had the steepest decrease in conflict frequency/intensity over time. Even with an average decrease in destructive conflict dimensions over time, the findings point to the need for providing support for parents with complex needs, particularly for parents with a high relational risk pattern.

Gender inequities in women's access to maternal health care utilisation in Zambia: a qualitative analysis.

BACKGROUND: The role of gender inequities in women's ability to access maternal health care has mainly been analysed from either women's or men's perspective only. In this article, we explore the role of gender inequities in maternal health care utilisation from both men's and women's perspectives. METHODS: Thirty-six interviews were conducted with reproductive age women (n = 24), and men whose wives/partners gave birth within the last three years prior to our study in Zambia (n = 12). Our study sought to improve understanding of the normative environment in which women and men make decisions on maternal health care utilisation in Zambia. RESULTS: We found that men and women had different expectations regarding their gender roles in maternal health care utilisation, which created inequities reinforced by societal norms and traditions. Men make most household decisions including those related to reproductive health and they often have the major say in access to maternal health services despite not having holistic maternal health information which creates challenges in maternal health care utilisation. CONCLUSION: The study highlights the need for maternal health care utilisation decisions to be made by both men and women and that men should be fully involved in maternal health care from pregnancy until after child birth. Further, there is urgent need for concerted and sustained efforts to change traditional norms that reinforce these inequities and affect maternal health care utilisation if Zambia is to meet Sustainable Development Goal-3.1.

COVID-19 in Australia: Impacts on Separated Families, Family Law Professionals, and Family Courts.

Around the globe, many families are experiencing significant anxieties linked to COVID-19. These include health concerns and economic pressures, both of which are frequently taking place against a backdrop of various levels of social isolation. In addition, many parents have been juggling home schooling requirements in the face of radically different work arrangements including the loss of employment altogether. Unsurprisingly, additional challenges and stresses are emerging for separated families, family law professionals, and family courts. In this article - written at a point-in-time in a rapidly evolving COVID-19 context - we reflect on key challenges for separated families in Australia, and some of the emerging professional responses.