Fachbereich Soziale Arbeit und Gesundheit
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The aim of our study was to systematically review the literature on physical health and related consequences of internal and international parental migration on left-behind children (LBC). This review followed PRISMA guidelines. We searched the PubMed, Web of Science, Academic Search Complete, PsycINFO, and Cochrane databases and included studies reporting physical health-related outcomes of children affected by parental migration. The quality of the studies was assessed using the Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies. We selected 34 publications from a total of 6061 search results. The study found that LBC suffer from poor physical health as compared with non-LBC. Physical health-related risk factors such as underweight, lower weight, stunted growth, unhealthy food preferences, lower physical activity, smoking, alcohol consumption, injuries, and incomplete vaccination tend to be more prevalent among LBC in China. Studies focussing on international migration argue that having migrant parents might be preventive for undernutrition. Overall, our study showed that children affected by internal or international migration tend to have similar physical health outcomes. Moreover, we identified a lack of evidence on international parental migration that may have influenced the overall impacts. Further studies addressing international migration would contribute to better understand the impacts of migration for LBC.
Abstract
Objectives: Stressful life events, especially relationship events, are frequent in adult life. We investigated the impact of a variety of stressful life events on symptoms of depression, anxiety, and hostility. Methods: We analyzed data from a large prospective cohort study of men (n = 1,437) in the Boston area (assessed in 1985, 1988, and 1991). Main outcomes were measures of depression, anxiety and hostility symptoms. We used the Elders Life Stress Inventory (ELSI) to measure stressful life events in the past 12 months and examine their association with symptoms of depression, anxiety and hostility. First, we analyzed the association of stressful life events with symptom changes; second, we categorized stressful life events into finance/work, health, relationships, loss, living situations events; and third, we estimated the specific association between relationship events and depression, anxiety and hostility symptoms using multilevel models. Results: The most frequent stressful life events were health, relationship, and financial events. Depression, anxiety, and hostility symptoms were relatively stable among men who did not experience these life events. However, those who reported life events in the past 12 months had a greater increase in symptoms of depression (+0.05; 95% CI: 0.01 to 0.10) and of hostility (+0.05; 95% CI: 0.01 to 0.09) than those who did not. Additionally, we found a significant decrease in hostility (-0.05; 95% CI: -0.08 to -0.01) in those experiencing no life events. Conclusion: Relationship events were more important than any other type of events, and were significantly associated with increased depression and hostility in aging men. Although the effects were small, the results point to a need to understand better the impact of relationships on psychopathology in the aging population.
Contextual determinants of intimate partner violence: a multi-level analysis in six European cities
(2020)
Objectives: To assess whether city-level characteristics influence the risk of intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization across six European cities.
Methods: The DOVE study included 3496 participants from Athens-Greece, Budapest-Hungary, London-UK, Östersund-Sweden, Porto-Portugal and Stuttgart-Germany. IPV victimization was assessed using the Revised Conflict Tactics Scales, and several contextual variables were included: GINI coefficient, gender equality index, an index of social support, unemployment rate and proportion of residents with tertiary education. Multilevel models were fitted to estimate the associations (odds ratio, 95% confidence intervals) between each type of victimization and contextual and individual-level variables.
Results: 62.3% of the participants reported being a victim of IPV during the previous year, with large between-city differences (53.9%-72.4%). Contextual variables accounted for a substantial amount of this heterogeneity. Unemployment rates were associated with psychological (1.05, 1.01-1.08) and physical IPV (1.07, 1.01-1.13). GINI coefficient showed a positive association with any form of IPV (1.06, 1.01-1.11) and sexual coercion (1.13, 1.01-1.25).
Conclusions: We found significant associations between contextual determinants and IPV, which emphasizes the importance of considering contextual socioeconomic conditions when policy measures are designed to address IPV.
Background: Violence exposure (direct, indirect, individual, structural) affects youth mental health. Objective: We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions in addressing the sequelae of violence exposure on youth (15–24 years old) and evaluate whether moderating factors impact intervention effectiveness. Methods: We systematically searched eight databases and reference lists to retrieve any studies of psychosocial interventions addressing mental health among youth aged 15–25 exposed to violence. We assessed study risk of bias using an adapted version of the Downs and Black’s Risk of Bias Scale. Results: We identified n = 3077 studies. Sixteen articles representing 14 studies met were included. The studies assessed direct and indirect individual violence exposure at least once. We pooled the data from the 14 studies and evaluated the effects. We estimated an average effect of r+ = 0.57 (RCTs: 95 % CI 0.02–1.13; observational studies: 95 % CI 0.27–86) with some heterogeneity (RCTs: I² = 78.03, longitudinal studies: I² = 82.93). The most effective interventions are Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Exposure Therapy with an exposure focus. However, due to the small number of studies we are uncertain about benefits of interventions. Conclusions: No study assessed structural violence. Therefore, studies are needed to evaluate the effects of psychosocial interventions for youth exposed to direct, indirect, individual and structural violence.
Abstract
Objective: To explore whether the climate has played a role in the COVID-19 outbreak, we compared virus lethality in countries closer to the Equator with others. Lethality in European territories and in territories of some nations with a non-temperate climate was also compared.
Materials and methods: Lethality was calculated as the rate of deaths in a determinate moment from the outbreak of the pandemic out of the total of identified positives for COVID-19 in a given area/nation, based on the COVID-John Hopkins University website. Lethality of countries located within the 5th parallels North/South on 6 April and 6 May 2020, was compared with that of all the other countries. Lethality in the European areas of The Netherlands, France and the United Kingdom was also compared to the territories of the same nations in areas with a non-temperate climate.
Results: A lower lethality rate of COVID-19 was found in Equatorial countries both on April 6 (OR=0.72 CI 95% 0.66-0.80) and on May 6 (OR=0.48, CI 95% 0.47-0.51), with a strengthening over time of the protective effect. A trend of higher risk in European vs. non-temperate areas was found on April 6, but a clear difference was evident one month later: France (OR=0.13, CI 95% 0.10-0.18), The Netherlands (OR=0.5, CI 95% 0.3-0.9) and the UK (OR=0.2, CI 95% 0.01-0.51). This result does not seem to be totally related to the differences in age distribution of different sites.
Conclusions: The study does not seem to exclude that the lethality of COVID-19 may be climate sensitive. Future studies will have to confirm these clues, due to potential confounding factors, such as pollution, population age, and exposure to malaria.
Intimate partner violence and use of primary and emergency care: the role of informal social support
(2020)
Social support may encourage victims to disclose their experiences of intimate partner violence (IPV), but also to seek the appropriate help and care in the social and health services. Using data from a multicenter European project, DOVE (Domestic Violence Against women/men in Europe-prevalence, determinants, effects, and policies/practices), the present study aimed at measuring the frequency of primary care and emergency use according to IPV types of victimization, and to investigate whether victims receiving different levels of informal social support are using health care differently. Results suggested a significant association between IPV types and use of emergency services, and no association was found regarding primary care services. Victims of physical abuse and sexual coercion went to the emergency department (ED) more frequently (more than once a year). Also, victims of physical abuse receiving low social support visited an ED more frequently than those with high social support, whereas victims of sexual coercion with high informal social support went more often to the ED compared with victims of sexual coercion with low social support, even after controlling for other covariates. These results seem to suggest that social support has a significant role in the decision to use health care among victims of IPV.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a set of goals that aspire to ‘leave no one behind’, adopted by all members of the United Nations and to be achieved by 2030. Now, four years after the SDGs entered into force, we examine the progress towards the health-related SDGs in the European region. In this region, least progress is made towards the targets set for alcohol consumption, smoking prevalence, child overweight, and suicide mortality. For each of these challenges we take stock of current policies, continuing challenges, and ways forward. Written from the perspective of European Public Health Association (EUPHA) we emphasize the potential contribution of civil society organizations in attaining the health-related SDGs.
Background
To examine the relationship between forgone healthcare and involvement in intimate partner violence (IPV) as victims, perpetrators or both.
Methods
This cross-sectional multicentre study assessed community non-institutionalized residents (n = 3496, aged 18–64) randomly selected from six European cities: Athens, Budapest, London, Östersund, Porto, Stuttgart. A common questionnaire was used, including self-reports of IPV and forgone healthcare (‘Have you been in need of a certain care service in the past year, but did not seek any help?’). Odds ratios (ORs), 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed fitting logistic regression models adjusted for city, chronic disease, self-assessed health status and financial strain.
Results
Participants experiencing past year IPV (vs. no violence) reported more often to forgone healthcare (n = 3279, 18.6% vs. 15.3%, P = 0.016). IPV experienced as both a victim and perpetrator was associated with forgone healthcare (adjusted OR, 95%CI: 1.32, 1.02–1.70).
Conclusion
IPV was associated with forgone healthcare, particularly for those experiencing violence as both victims and perpetrators. Results suggest that preventing IPV among adults may improve timely healthcare uptake.