The associations between social support and mental health among Chinese immigrant pregnant and parenting women.

BACKGROUND: While it is recognized that social support can alleviate mental health symptoms, this relationship is not well-understood among Chinese pregnant and parenting immigrants in the United States. This study aims to bridge this gap by exploring the relationships between different types of social support and women's anxiety and depression, and examining how these associations vary with pregnancy status. METHODS: Data were obtained from a cross-sectional survey conducted in Simplified Chinese or Mandarin between March-June 2021 among 526 women who were pregnant and/or parenting a child under five years. The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Anxiety, Depression, and Social Support scales were used to measure anxiety, depression, and social support levels. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, chi-square tests, and Pearson's correlations were employed for analysis. Hierarchical regression was conducted to investigate the main and interaction effects of social support types and pregnancy status on mental health outcomes. RESULTS: Compared to non-pregnant women, pregnant women reported higher mean scores for anxiety (non-pregnant: 55, pregnant: 59, p < 0.01) and depression (non-pregnant: 54, pregnant: 56, p = 0.02). Instrumental support displayed a significant main effect in relation to anxiety (ß=-0.13, p = 0.01) and depression (ß=-0.16, p < 0.01); emotional support exhibited a significant main effect solely on depression (ß=-0.13, p = 0.01). Notably, the interaction effects between pregnancy status and both instrumental (ß=-0.28, p = 0.01) and emotional support (ß=-0.42, p < 0.01) were significant for anxiety. In contrast, informational support did not exhibit a significant impact on either anxiety or depression. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that tailoring support to the cultural context is crucial, especially for pregnant women in this Chinese immigrant community, with instrumental and emotional support being particularly beneficial in mitigating maternal anxiety.

Cross-cultural adaptation of the empowerment scale of pregnant women in China context: An integrative method of translation and linguistic validation.

AIM: To translate the Empowerment Scale for Pregnant Women (ESPW) into Chinese and to assess its linguistic validity. METHODS: The integrative method of the translation process, the Delphi technique, and cognitive interviews were used to implement cross-cultural adaptation and enhance comprehensibility and linguistic validation. This study recruited 14 experts in the expert review and cognitively reviewed 15 pregnant women. RESULTS: The two-round Delphi method created agreement on cultural applicability. The results of content validity achieved good levels: The item-level content validity index (CVI) ranged from 0.78 to 1.00, and the scale-level content validity index, calculated using two different formulas, were 0.97 and 0.81, respectively. Kappa values ranged from 0.74 to 1.00. Pregnant women could understand most of the items and response options in the cognitive interview. The revisions to the wording were made based on suggestions from experts and pregnant women. CONCLUSION: The prefinal simplified Chinese ESPW was semantically and conceptually equivalent to the English version, which was well prepared for further psychometric tests in the next stage of cross-cultural adaptation. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: This comprehensive method successfully developed a Chinese tool to measure the empowerment of pregnant women, indicating the international applicability of this tool and the methodological scientific nature. The simplified Chinese ESPW has the potential to support the identification of empowerment levels of pregnant women and the evaluation of the effectiveness of health education and promotion programmes.

Oropouche: casos de transmissão de gestante para bebê em investigação no Brasil

A Organização Pan-Americana da Saúde (OPAS) emitiu um alerta epidemiológico informando seus Estados membros sobre a identificação de possíveis casos, atualmente em investigação no Brasil, de transmissão do vírus Oropouche (OROV) da mãe para o bebê durante a gestação. O alerta recomenda reforçar a vigilância ante a possível ocorrência de casos similares em outros países com a circulação do OROV e outros arbovírus.

Myanmar immigrant women's perceptions, beliefs, and information-seeking behaviors with nutrition and food practices during pregnancy in Thailand: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Although nutrition is an essential contributor to the quality of pregnancy outcomes, little is known about the experiences and influences affecting dietary behaviors during pregnancy among migrant women, particularly those from Myanmar, the largest immigrant population in Thailand. To fill this gap, we conducted a descriptive qualitative study to explore Myanmar immigrant women's perceptions, beliefs, and information-seeking behaviors concerning nutrition and food practices during pregnancy. METHODS: We conducted focus group discussions (FGDs) with fifty Myanmar immigrant pregnant women aged 18-45 years across all trimesters, who were recruited using purposive sampling from a public tertiary hospital. The FGDs were conducted in Thai or Myanmar using semi-structured guides that probed women's pregnancy perceptions and experiences about nutrition and food patterns during pregnancy. The FGDs were audio-recorded, translated, and transcribed. Direct content analysis was used to guide the analysis through an ecological perspective framework. RESULTS: The seven FGDs with fifty women revealed four major themes involving perceptions, beliefs, and information-seeking behaviors. The qualitative results consisted of (1) a positive attitude toward better changes under difficult conditions (setting goals for infant health; uncertainty about changes); (2) beliefs about eating patterns and dietary practices during pregnancy (taboos aimed at protecting women's health and ensuring safe childbirth; taboos aimed at guaranteeing infant safety); (3) limited access to appropriate information about nutrition (unclear dietary information from healthcare providers; ease of learning from experiences in informal social networks); and (4) difficult living conditions in a non-native setting (work-related influences on dietary behaviors; lack of comprehensible language to gain food literacy). In addition, the results were highlighted across four levels of ecological perspectives. CONCLUSIONS: Immigrant pregnant women are a vulnerable population that should be treated with equity to ensure quality of life through optimal nutrition throughout pregnancy. Respectful care requires that healthcare providers develop culturally sensitive nutrition interventions to increase nutrition literacy, accessibility, and pregnancy outcomes.

An analytic cross-sectional study of Somali women on the sexual and psychosocial status during pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: Pregnancy is associated with physical, psychological, hormonal, and social alterations that may lead to detrimental effects on sexual function and psychological well-being. This study sought to examine sexual function and psychosocial well-being of pregnant women in Somalia in comparison with their non-pregnant counterparts. METHODS: We enrolled 487 consecutive women in monogamous marriages. Data included maternal age, gravida, parity, gestational week, education status of wives and husbands, and residence area. The participants completed the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) and the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (BSI-18). RESULTS: Of 487 women, 241 were pregnant, and 246 were non-pregnant. The overall incidence of sexual dysfunction was 57.7%, being 64.0% for pregnant and 51.6% for non-pregnant women (p = 0.010). Pregnant women exhibited significantly lower FSFI scores on desire, arousal, lubrication, and orgasm, and significantly higher total BSI, anxiety, depression and somatization scores. The frequencies of sexual dysfunction were 57.9%, 45.9%, and 78.9% during the first, second, and third trimesters, respectively (p = 0.0001). As compared with the first and second trimesters, and non-pregnancy, the third trimester of pregnancy was associated with a significantly lower total FSFI score and significantly decreased levels of desire, arousal, lubrication, and orgasm, as well as a significantly higher total BSI score and a significantly increased level of anxiety. In regression analysis, pregnancy was inversely associated with sexual function parameters of desire, arousal, lubrication, and orgasm, and with BSI parameters of depression, anxiety and somatization. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that pregnant women experience considerable sexual and psychosocial deterioration as compared with their non-pregnant counterparts.

A Mixed Methods Approach to Understand Mother-Father Relationship and Perceived Stress Among Black Pregnant Women.

BACKGROUND: Black women in the United States report moderate to high levels of perceived stress during pregnancy. Though lower levels of involvement and support from father of the baby (FOB) and higher levels of conflict have been associated with higher levels of maternal perceived stress, it is not clear how Black pregnant women experience the mother-father relationship and its influence on perceived stress. PURPOSE: To examine and describe the mother-father relationship and its role in experiences of perceived stress from the perspective of Black pregnant women. METHODS: Using a convergent, mixed methods approach with ideal-type analysis, we conducted a secondary analysis of data among 60 Black pregnant women enrolled in the Biosocial Impact on Black Births study. Women completed online self-report questionnaires and participated in a semi-structured interview by telephone. RESULTS: Participants who reported more conflict with FOB also reported higher levels of perceived stress (ρ(47) = .431, P= .002). Themes (importance, communication, support, conflict, satisfaction, and stress) emerged from the data. Five distinct mother-father relationship typologies were identified following an ideal-type analysis of the combined dataset: Cared For; Managing Expectations; Just Friends, For the Kids; It's Complicated; and Can't be Bothered. CONCLUSIONS: These findings are an innovative exemplar of ideal-type analysis and provide a deeper understanding of the nuance and dynamics within the mother-father relationship and how it influences perceived stress among Black pregnant women. IMPLICATIONS: Clinicians must recognize the significance of the mother-father relationship and, when appropriate, encourage paternal involvement or intervene if there is conflict during pregnancy.

Strengthening Recruitment and Retention: Mitigation Strategies in Two Longitudinal Studies of Pregnant Women in Pakistan.

PURPOSE: Global health researchers have a responsibility to conduct ethical research in a manner that is culturally respectful and safe. The purpose of this work is to describe our experiences with recruitment and retention in Pakistan, a low-middle-income country. DESCRIPTION: We draw on two studies with a combined sample of 2161 low-risk pregnant women who participated in a pilot (n = 300) and a larger (n = 1861) prospective study of psychological distress and preterm birth at one of four centers (Garden, Hyderabad, Kharadar, Karimabad) of the Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. ASSESSMENT: Challenges we encountered include economic hardship and access to healthcare; women's position in the family; safety concerns and time commitment; misconceptions and mistrust in the research process; and concerns related to blood draws. To mitigate these challenges, we developed culturally acceptable study incentives, involved family members in the decision-making process about study participation, partnered with participants' obstetrician-gynecologists, accommodated off site study visits, combined research visits with regular prenatal care visits, and modified research participation related to blood draws for some women. CONCLUSION: Implementation of these mitigation strategies improved recruitment and retention success, and we are confident that the solutions presented will support future scientists in addressing sociocultural challenges while embarking on collaborative research projects in Pakistan and other low-middle-income countries.

Investigating cultural conflicts in everyday self-care among Chinese first-time pregnant migrants in Australia.

BACKGROUND: Given the fast-growing migration and globalisation trends in the last decades, women increasingly experienced pregnancy as migrants and often faced complex and unique challenges related to both migration and pregnancy in a foreign land, affecting their psychological wellbeing during pregnancy. Cultural conflicts between pregnant migrants' home and host cultures could play a critical role affecting their pregnancy experiences and psychological wellbeing. AIMS: This study aimed to explore cultural conflicts that challenge Chinese first-time expectant mothers living in Australia regarding their pregnancy self-care and their psychological wellbeing. METHOD: A qualitative methodology was adopted utilising interpretative phenomenological analysis. Participants were 18 Chinese-born first-time pregnant migrants in Australia. A semi-structured interview schedule focused on their pregnancy self-care and psychological wellbeing and any effects of Chinese-Western/Australian cultural conflicts. FINDINGS: Two psychosocial approaches were identified to explain how all the participants were psychologically challenged by self-care cultural conflicts to some extent: 1) challenging decision-making processes about self-care cultural conflicts and 2) interpersonal tension if the decisions conflicted with someone's advice/beliefs/opinions. CONCLUSION: Emotional, cognitive, and social factors were relevant in shaping the participants' engagement with and their experiences of various pregnancy self-care activities.

US black women's pregnancy communication networks: A qualitative network analysis.

The ongoing Black maternal health crisis necessitates a closer examination of how Black women in the United States utilize communication to mitigate the dangers racism poses for pregnancy, delivery and the postpartum period. Previous studies have highlighted the importance of supportive networks to Black women's wellbeing during pregnancy. However, few studies utilize a qualitative network approach to explore communication about pregnancy and related risks within a social network. Twenty-eight Black women from 12 US states who self-identified as previously, currently or recently pregnant, were recruited to participate in this study. Following data collection, participants' networks and related commentary from the interview were qualitatively analyzed for composition and context of networks (who is in the network and why?) and the content of communication (what is discussed and how?). This study found that Black women's perceptions of pregnancy risk and enactment of agency in response to risk was influenced by communication with individuals within their communication networks. The findings of this study also demonstrate that emotional support and guidance for navigating the dangers of the healthcare system constituted an important component of communication with strong ties, including partners, family members and close friends. Additionally, Black women enacted agency in response to pregnancy risk by leaning on trusted experts (healthcare providers) within their networks. However, this study also found limitations to the role of pregnancy communication networks. First, negative ties (relations) with alters (individuals with whom Black women have communication ties) and unwanted advice or guidance was found to be a source of stress. Furthermore, although mothers were an essential source of support for many women, differences related to generation, culture and the circumstances of pregnancy limited the relevance of the advice Black women receive from their mothers. Finally, immigrant women faced an additional challenge, as their support networks were sometimes geographically distant from them.

Barriers and facilitators to healthy gestational weight gain amongst pregnant women from ethnic minority groups: A systematic search and narrative synthesis.

BACKGROUND: Excessive weight gain can be detrimental to the health and wellbeing of both mother and child. There is evidence that women from ethnic minority groups are more likely to gain excessive weight during pregnancy. For the purpose of this review, ethnic minority women are defined as those with different national or cultural traditions from the main population. AIM: Our aim was to identify barriers and facilitators to healthy gestational weight gain in pregnant women in ethnic minority groups. METHODS: Databases searched were MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycInfo and PsycArticles between 2011 and 2022. Inclusion criteria were empirical studies of any method considering gestational weight gain in ethnic minority women published in English. Data were extracted according to aim, participants, methods, and findings in relation to barriers and facilitators. Included papers were assessed for quality according to relevant Joanna Briggs Institute checklists. FINDINGS: Twenty-six studies were identified. Five themes were revealed: (1) knowledge and beliefs, (2) cultural and social influences, (3) confidence, (4) physical experiences, and (5) personal and environmental factors. DISCUSSION: Some barriers and facilitators were relevant to all groups and others were more specific to ethnic minority groups. The latter included social and cultural influences, which were reported extensively. Our search was comprehensive, although it is possible we may not have captured all relevant papers. CONCLUSION: We recommend that the barriers and facilitators identified here are considered in designing future, or adjusting current, health care practitioner mediated interventions to support healthy gestational weight gain in ethnic minority women.

Navigating pregnancy in detention: lived experiences in a Philippine women's prison.

PURPOSE: Imprisonment impacts women's childbearing and mothering experiences. Using sociological concepts of total institutions, pains of imprisonment and gendered pains of imprisonment, this study aims to explore the childbearing experiences of 18 Filipino incarcerated women. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: A qualitative, inductive approach was undertaken to explore imprisoned women's pregnancy experiences. This research project used reflexive thematic analysis to examine the data from semi-structured interviews with 18 Filipino pregnant prisoners. FINDINGS: The participants' experiences of childbearing in prison were reflected in three overarching themes: lack of autonomy over pregnancy; reduced capacity to manage discomforts and needs; and coping with prison deprivations. These themes embody women's experiences of how imprisonment disrupts Filipino women's childbearing and mothering experiences. Furthermore, the results illustrated how the women navigated the prison regime to address their needs and cope with the pains of imprisonment. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: Although there is a small but growing body of research specifically focusing on mothering and imprisonment, little consideration has been given to analyzing Filipino women's pregnancy experiences in custody. This paper highlights an urgent need to reform correctional policies and practices to address incarcerated women's distinct needs.

Intimate Partner Violence and Antenatal Depression Among Underserved Pregnant Women.

Introduction: Few studies have examined the associations of intimate partner violence (IPV) exposure during pregnancy and types of IPV with antenatal depression among underserved pregnant women. Methods: Data came from participants from a Healthy Start program in South Carolina between 2015 and 2019 (n = 1,629). The first two questions in the Woman Abuse Screening Tool (WAST) were used to measure IPV exposure, that is, having a problematic relationship with their partner. Those who had IPV exposure were assessed with six additional questions of the WAST. Principal component analysis was conducted on the 8-item WAST data to identify underlying types of IPV exposure. Antenatal depression was defined as the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scores ≥16. Results: Participants were racially diverse (71% black, 21% white) with 85% Medicaid recipients. Nearly 12% of participants reported IPV exposure and 30% reported antenatal depression. The odds of having IPV exposure were higher among unmarried women, those with less than a high school education, and those who lacked family support. The odds of having antenatal depression were 2.5 times higher (95% CI: 1.9-3.5) among women with IPV exposure. After controlling for covariates, a one-point increase in the scores for psychological IPV (Factor 1) or a problematic relationship (Factor 3) was associated with increased odds of antenatal depression. Conclusion: This is one of the first studies to estimate the prevalence of IPV exposure using a proxy measure (a problematic relationship) among underserved U.S. pregnant women. Its positive association with antenatal depression suggests the utility of screening for a problematic relationship using a two-item WAST and providing assistance to those with IPV exposure.

Use of Electronic Patient Messaging by Pregnant Patients Receiving Prenatal Care at an Academic Health System: Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated telemedicine and mobile app use, potentially changing our historic model of maternity care. MyChart is a widely adopted mobile app used in health care settings specifically for its role in facilitating communication between health care providers and patients with its messaging function in a secure patient portal. However, previous studies analyzing portal use in obstetric populations have demonstrated significant sociodemographic disparities in portal enrollment and messaging, specifically showing that patients who have a low income and are non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, and uninsured are less likely to use patient portals. Objective: The study aimed to estimate changes in patient portal use and intensity in prenatal care before and during the pandemic period and to identify sociodemographic and clinical disparities that continued during the pandemic. Methods: This retrospective cohort study used electronic medical record (EMR) and administrative data from our health system's Enterprise Data Warehouse. Records were obtained for the first pregnancy episode of all patients who received antenatal care at 8 academically affiliated practices and delivered at a large urban academic medical center from January 1, 2018, to July 22, 2021, in Chicago, Illinois. All patients were aged 18 years or older and attended ≥3 clinical encounters during pregnancy at the practices that used the EMR portal. Patients were categorized by the number of secure messages sent during pregnancy as nonusers or as infrequent (≤5 messages), moderate (6-14 messages), or frequent (≥15 messages) users. Monthly portal use and intensity rates were computed over 43 months from 2018 to 2021 before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown. A logistic regression model was estimated to identify patient sociodemographic and clinical subgroups with the highest portal nonuse. Results: Among 12,380 patients, 2681 (21.7%) never used the portal, and 2680 (21.6%), 3754 (30.3%), and 3265 (26.4%) were infrequent, moderate, and frequent users, respectively. Portal use and intensity increased significantly over the study period, particularly after the pandemic. The number of nonusing patients decreased between 2018 and 2021, from 996 of 3522 (28.3%) in 2018 to only 227 of 1743 (13%) in the first 7 months of 2021. Conversely, the number of patients with 15 or more messages doubled, from 642 of 3522 (18.2%) in 2018 to 654 of 1743 (37.5%) in 2021. The youngest patients, non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic patients, and, particularly, non-English-speaking patients had significantly higher odds of continued nonuse. Patients with preexisting comorbidities, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, diabetes, and a history of mental health conditions were all significantly associated with higher portal use and intensity. Conclusions: Reducing disparities in messaging use will require outreach and assistance to low-use patient groups, including education addressing health literacy and encouraging appropriate and effective use of messaging.

Self-objectification in Chinese pregnant women: The mixed role of functionality appreciation.

Extensions of objectification theory to pregnant women are few and continued research is needed to better understand the psychological consequences of significant changes to physical appearance during pregnancy. Specific interests in this area include functionality appreciation which may be particularly relevant to pregnancy. Research in this area is also lacking representation of non-Western cultural contexts. To this end, we employed an online survey to assess objectification theory and functionality appreciation in Chinese pregnant women (N = 345). Correlations showed that higher body surveillance and body shame were associated with higher disordered eating and psychological distress, and higher functionality appreciation was associated with lower body surveillance, body shame, and disordered eating. Mediation analyses suggested that higher body surveillance was associated with higher body shame which, in turn, was associated with higher disordered eating and psychological distress. Main effects suggested a negative association between functionality appreciation and body shame, but moderation analyses suggested that higher functionality appreciation strengthened the positive association between body surveillance and body shame. Findings underscore objectification theory as a useful framework to understand eating and body image disturbances and psychological distress in Chinese pregnant women and outline future directions to clarify the temporal nature of these associations and the precise role of functionality appreciation.

Body understanding measure for pregnancy scale (BUMPs): Cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric properties among Brazilian pregnant women.

The Body Understanding Measure for Pregnancy Scale (BUMPs) is a scale developed and validated for British pregnant women to assess body satisfaction during pregnancy. The aim of this study was to perform a cross-cultural adaptation and verify the psychometric properties of BUMPs for Brazilian adult pregnant women. The cross-cultural adaptation was performed using translation, back-translation, expert committee, expert analysis, and pre-testing, which showed easy comprehension by pregnant women. Psychometric analyses were evaluated in a sample of 618 pregnant women (31.08 ± 4.94 years old). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses resulted in 19 items and three factors, with satisfactory fit indices. BUMPs presented an invariant measurement across white vs. nonwhite women and across the three gestational trimesters. BUMPs showed good indicators of convergent, internal consistency, and test-retest reproducibility validity. It was concluded that the Brazilian version of BUMPs has adequate psychometric properties for Brazilian pregnant women, being an excellent instrument for analyzing body satisfaction in this population, facilitating additional investigations into these constructs.

Comadronas ixiles: el eslabón entre las embarazadas, la familia y la comunidad / Ixil midwives: the link between pregnant women, the family and the community

Este documento presenta una recopilación de buenas prácticas adoptadas por las comadronas y los servicios de salud, tras haber participado en los cinco diálogos interculturales realizados durante el año 2023 en la región Ixil, de los cuales tres estuvieron enfocados en salud reproductiva y dos en nutrición. Estos diálogos se realizaron como parte de la implementación de la Guía de Diálogos Interculturales en Salud, elaborada y oficializada por el Ministerio de Salud Pública y Asistencia Social, con la cooperación técnica de OPS/OMS y el apoyo financiero de la Unión Europea. A partir de la experiencia, se recogieron buenas prácticas y lecciones aprendidas que dan cuenta de mujeres y niños que son acompañadas por comadronas y personal de salud durante la ventana de los primeros mil días de vida, lo que deriva en niños más sanos, mejor nutridos y la prevención de la mortalidad materna. La metodología de diálogos interculturales en salud se basa en el Plan de Acción 2021-2025 de la Política de Comadronas de los Cuatro Pueblos de Guatemala 2015-2025 y consta de seis capítulos que fueron elaborados por la Unidad de Atención en Salud de los Pueblos Indígenas y la Dirección de Promoción y Educación en Salud.

COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance in Pregnant Women in the United States: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Purpose: Pregnant women are vulnerable to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) complications, yet may hesitate to get vaccinated. It is important to identify racial/ethnic and other individual characteristics associated with COVID-19 vaccine acceptance in the United States during pregnancy. Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science for articles published through January 2023 for keywords/terms related to immunization, COVID-19, and pregnancy, and performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine characteristics associated with vaccine acceptance. Results: Of 1,592 articles, 23 met inclusion criteria (focused on pregnant women in the United States, and their willingness or hesitation to vaccinate). Twenty-two of the studies examined receipt of ≥1 COVID-19 vaccine dose and/or intention to vaccinate, while one examined vaccine hesitancy. Vaccine acceptance rates ranged from 7% to 78.3%. Meta-analyses demonstrated that compared with Whites, Hispanics (odds ratios [OR] 0.72; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.58-0.91) and Blacks (OR 0.44; 95% CI 0.30-0.63) had less COVID-19 vaccine acceptance, while Asians (OR 1.78; 95% CI 1.10-2.88) had greater vaccine acceptance. College graduation or more (OR 3.25; 95% CI 2.53-4.17), receipt or intention to receive the influenza vaccine (OR 3.46; 95% CI 2.22-5.41), and at least part-time employment (OR 2.12; 95% CI 1.66-2.72) were significantly associated with vaccine acceptance. Conclusions: COVID-19 vaccine nonacceptance in pregnant women is associated with Hispanic ethnicity and Black race, while acceptance is associated with Asian race, college education or more, at least part-time employment, and acceptance of the influenza vaccine. Future COVID-19 vaccination campaigns can target identified subgroups of pregnant women who are less likely to accept vaccination.

Contextualizing the experiences of Black pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic: 'It's been a lonely ride'.

The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic significantly changed the prenatal care experience, specifically regarding medical appointments and social opportunities. It is critical to capture this change through the narratives of pregnant people, particularly those of marginalized populations, whose voices may often be underrepresented in the literature. This mixed-methods paper summarizes the experiences of 40 pregnant Black/African American (AA) women during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional, online survey was administered between 2020 and 2021 to assess prenatal health and the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients' pregnancy experience. Coping behaviors during the pandemic were self-reported using the COPE-IS. Univariate analyses were conducted. An additional analysis of participants (n = 4) was explored through a week-long qualitative exercise using a photo documentation procedure. Photo-Elicitation Interviews (PEI) were conducted to capture and center their pandemic pregnancy experiences. Sources of stress during the pandemic varied, with the most common being financial concerns (n = 19, 47.5%). Over half of the sample (n = 18, 54.5%) self-reported increases in their positive coping behaviors during the pandemic, such as communicating with friends and family, talking to healthcare providers, listening to music, and engaging in spiritual practices-such as prayer. The four PEI study participants reflected on the impacts of social distancing on their prenatal experience and mentioned hospital and provider-related weariness due to their race. The findings of this study suggest that during the COVID-19 pandemic, Black/AA pregnant women in Charlotte, NC used social support, mindfulness practices, self-advocacy, and health literacy to navigate challenges present during their prenatal health experience. This paper highlights the personal, social, and structural experiences of pregnant women during a public health crisis so that responsive and effective programs or policies can be planned in the future.

Anemia in pregnant women residing at different geographical altitudes in Arequipa, Peru / Anemia en gestantes residentes en diferentes altitudes geográficas de Arequipa, Perú

Purpose: To identify the frequency of anemia in pregnant women at different geographical altitudes in the Arequipa region of Peru. Methods: A quantitative, descriptive, and retrospective study was carried out. The study population consisted of 35,725 pregnant women living in the Arequipa Region at different altitudes. Data on age, gestational age, weight, height, province of residence, altitude, hemoglobin were collected. Results: Using World Health Organization altitude adjusted hemoglobin values, anemia prevalence in pregnant women between 2018-2019 was 13.7 percent in the Arequipa Region, while using unadjusted hemoglobin, the overall prevalence was 4.1 percent. When analyzed by altitudes, the frequency of anemia was 9.77 percent below 1 000 m 13.1 percent between 1 000-1 999 m, 13.1 percent between 2.000-2.999 m, 31.5 percent between 3.000-3.999 and 47.1 percent between 4.000-4.999. Nevertheless, when using unadjusted hemoglobin values rates were 6.67 percent for the 1.000-1.999 range, 2.39 percent for ranges between 2.000-2.999 m and 3.000-3.999 m, and 5.19 percent for altitudes above 4.000 m. Conclusions: There is a directly proportional correlation in the prevalence of anemia in pregnant women and higher altitude (p<0.01) as well as levels of anemia during the last trimester of pregnancy. Adjusting the hemoglobin values by altitude results in triple the prevalence of anemia. A throughout revision of the suitability of current guidelines to diagnose and prevent anemia at high altitude is recommended (AU)

Objetivo: Identificar la frecuencia de anemia en gestantes de diferentes altitudes geográficas en la región Arequipa, Perú. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio cuantitativo, descriptivo y retrospectivo. La población de estudio estuvo constituida por 35 725 gestantes residentes en la Región Arequipa a diferentes altitudes. Se recogieron datos de edad, edad gestacional, peso, talla, provincia de residencia, altitud, hemoglobina. Resultados: Utilizando los valores de hemoglobina ajustados por altitud de la Organización Mundial de la Salud, la prevalencia de anemia en gestantes entre 2018-2019 fue de 13,7 por ciento en la Región Arequipa, mientras que utilizando la hemoglobina no ajustada, la prevalencia global fue de 4,1 por ciento. Al analizar por altitudes, la frecuencia de anemia fue de 9,77 por ciento por debajo de 1 000 m 13,1 por ciento entre 1 000-1 999 m, 13,1 por ciento entre 2 000-2 999 m, 31,5 por ciento entre 3 000-3 999 y 47,1 por ciento entre 4 000-4 999. Sin embargo, cuando se utilizaron valores de hemoglobina no ajustados, las tasas fueron del 6,67 por ciento para el intervalo de 1 000-1 999, del 2,39 por ciento para los intervalos entre 2 000-2 999 m y 3 000-3 999 m, y del 5,19 por ciento para altitudes superiores a 4 000 m. Conclusiones: Existe una correlación directamente proporcional en la prevalencia de anemia en embarazadas y mayor altitud (p<0,01), así como niveles de anemia durante el último trimestre del embarazo. Ajustando los valores de hemoglobina por la altitud se triplica la prevalencia de anemia. Se recomienda una revisión en profundidad de la idoneidad de las directrices actuales para diagnosticar y prevenir la anemia a gran altitud(AU)

Sífilis congênita em regiões de fronteira internacional brasileira: uma realidade preocupante / Congenital syphilis in brazilian international border regions: a worrisome reality / La sífilis congénita en las regiones fronterizas internacionales de brasil: una realidad preocupante

Este estudo objetivou verificar o número de casos de sífilis congênita (SC) diagnosticada em crianças até um ano de idade no Brasil, com ênfase no estado e na cidade gêmea com maior número de casos e investigar os aspectos sócio-demográficos e clínicos. Estudo descritivo, retrospectivo e com abordagem quantitativa, desenvolvido a partir de dados secundários do período de 2011 a 2020 no Brasil e em regiões de fronteira internacional do país. Os dados foram obtidos através do Sistema de Informação de Agravos de Notificação. As taxas de incidência de SC foram calculadas pela constante 1.000. Foram notificados no Brasil 190.034 casos de SC, 43.016 casos foram em estados com fronteira internacional. O estado fronteiriço que apresentou o maior número de casos foi o Rio Grande do Sul (14.617) e a sua cidade gêmea, Uruguaiana (167), com taxa média de incidência anual de 13,2 e 12,3 casos/1.000 nascidos vivos (p<0,05). Observou-se predominância de gestantes com 20 a 29 anos 53,2%, baixo nível escolar 28,1% (p<0,05), cor da pele, branca 58,1%, realizou pré-natal 92,8% (p>0,05), diagnosticadas com sífilis durante o pré-natal 69,4% e com tratamento inadequado 39,5% (p<0,05). A faixa etária das crianças com SC foi em menores de sete dias de vida 95,2% e diagnosticadas como SC recente 95,2% (p>0,05). O número de casos notificados de SC no Brasil e em regiões de fronteira e os fatores contribuintes evidenciados, indicam a necessidade de melhoria do acompanhamento pré-natal e criação de políticas públicas direcionadas à redução e/ou erradicação de casos.

This study aimed to verify the number of cases of congenital syphilis (CS) diagnosed in children up to one year of age in Brazil, with emphasis on the state and the twin city with the highest number of cases and to investigate the socio-demographic and clinical aspects. Descriptive study, retrospective study with a quantitative approach, developed from secondary data from 2011 to 2020 in Brazil and in international border regions of the country. Data were obtained through the Notifiable Diseases Information System. The CS incidence rates were calculated by the constant 1000. Were notified in Brazil 190,034 cases of CS, 43,016 cases were in international border states. The state with the highest number of cases was Rio Grande do Sul (14,617) and its twin city, Uruguaiana (167), with an average annual incidence rate of 13.2 and 12.3 cases/1,000 live births (p<0.05). There was a predominance of pregnant women aged 20 to 29 years 53.2%, low schooling 28.1% (p<0.05) and skin color, white 58.1%, attended prenatal 92.8% (p>0.05), diagnosed with syphilis during prenatal care 69.4% and with inadequate treatment 39,5% (p<0.05). The age range of children with CS was under seven days of life 95.2% and diagnosed as recent CS 95.2% (p>0.05). The number of reported cases of CS in Brazil and in international border regions and the contributing factors evidenced indicate the need to improve prenatal care and create public policies aimed at reducing and/or erradicating cases.

Este estudio tuvo como objetivo verificar el número de casos de sífilis congénita (SC) diagnosticados en niños de hasta un año de edad en Brasil, con énfasis en el estado y la ciudad gemela con mayor número de casos e investigar los aspectos sociodemográficos y clínicos. Estudio descriptivo, retrospectivo y con enfoque cuantitativo, desarrollado a partir de datos secundarios del período 2011 a 2020 en Brasil y en regiones fronterizas internacionales del país. Los datos se obtuvieron a través del Sistema de Información de Agravios de Notificación. Las tasas de incidencia del SC se calcularon mediante la constante 1.000. En Brasil se notificaron 190.034 casos de SC, 43.016 de ellos en estados con frontera internacional. El estado fronterizo con mayor número de casos fue Rio Grande do Sul (14.617) y su ciudad gemela, Uruguaiana (167), con una tasa de incidencia media anual de 13,2 y 12,3 casos/1.000 nacidos vivos (p<0,05). Se observó predominio de embarazadas de 20 a 29 años 53,2%, nivel de escolaridad bajo 28,1% (p<0,05), color de piel, blanca 58,1%, realizado prenatal 92,8% (p>0,05), diagnosticada de sífilis durante el prenatal 69,4% y con tratamiento inadecuado 39,5% (p<0,05). El rango de edad de los niños con CS fue de menos de siete días de vida 95,2% y diagnosticado como CS reciente 95,2% (p>0,05). El número de casos reportados de SC en Brasil y en las regiones fronterizas y los factores contribuyentes evidenciados, indican la necesidad de mejorar la atención prenatal y la creación de políticas públicas dirigidas a la reducción y/o erradicación de los casos.