[Portrait of the Women's Mental Health who Consult Community Organization of a Quebec Region]. / Portrait de la santé mentale des femmes qui ont recours aux organismes communautaires d'une région québécoise.

In Québec, one in three people is at risk of being affected by a mental health problem during his lifetime. Women are twice as likely as men to suffer from mild mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. Poverty, violence and sexual abuse, difficulty to have access to adequate and affordable housing and poor working conditions are among the risk for women of being affected by a mental health problem. Objectives This study was conducted upon the request of a Réseau des groupes de femmes and provides a portrait of women's mental health who attend community organizations in a Quebec region. Method A quantitative descriptive research design was used to collect data guided by the theoretical model of Desjardins et al. (2008). A total of 171 volunteers from 16 different community organizations completed a self-administered questionnaire. Results The analysis of the data highlights the protective factors of mental health such as self-esteem and social support and risk factors such as low income and stressful life. It reveals that while the majority of the women have good mental health, some of them live with poorer mental health associated with several other factors, especially violence and poverty. Conclusion Results could lead to the development of actions meeting the specific needs of women living with poor mental health. This study also highlights the contribution of the community organizations for supporting the people living with mental health issues.

Overview and factors associated with pregnancies and abortions occurring in sex workers in Benin.

BACKGROUND: Behavioural and structural factors related to sex work, place female sex workers (FSWs) at high risk of maternal mortality and morbidity (MMM), with a large portion due to unintended pregnancies and abortions. In the African context where MMM is the highest in the world, understanding the frequency and determinants of pregnancy and abortion among FSWs is important in order to meet their sexual and reproductive health needs. METHODS: Data from two Beninese cross-sectional surveys among FSWs aged 18+ (2013, N = 450; 2016, N = 504) were merged. We first performed exploratory univariate analyses to identify factors associated with pregnancy and abortion (p < 0.20) using Generalized Estimating Equations with Poisson regression and robust variance. Multivariate analyses first included all variables identified in the univariate models and backward selection (p ≤ 0.05) was used to generate the final models. RESULTS: Median age was 39 years (N = 866). The proportion of FSWs reporting at least one pregnancy during sex work practice was 16.4%, of whom 42.3% had more than one. Most pregnancies ended with an abortion (67.6%). In multivariate analyses, younger age, longer duration in sex work, previous HIV testing, having a boyfriend and not using condoms with him were significantly (p < 0.05) associated with more pregnancies. CONCLUSION: One FSW out of five had at least one pregnancy during her sex work practice. Most of those pregnancies, regardless of their origin, ended with an abortion. Improving access to various forms of contraception and safe abortion is the key to reducing unintended pregnancies and consequently, MMM among FSWs in Benin.

Structural determinants of health: a qualitative study on female sex workers in Benin.

The objective of this paper is to expose those socio-structural contexts revealing the social injustice and human rights violations that sub-Saharan women face every day when forced into sex work by unemployment or sickness. Results of a qualitative study highlighting some key structural determinants of sex work and HIV infection among FSWs will be presented and examined through the lens of the WHO conceptual framework for action on the social determinants of health. The results showed that most FSWs had lacked the necessary financial support at some point in their lives. Also, both the socioeconomic and political context failed to provide proper support to prevent involvement in sex work and the consequent risks of HIV. The cultural and societal values placed on the health and well-being of FSWs in Benin appear to depend on the degree to which sexual violence and adultery are perceived as a collective social concern. This portrait of FSWs calls for both long-term interventions through a structural determinant approach to HIV prevention, targeting all the women who could face such a financial situation well before their entry into sex work, while maintaining short and medium-term interventions on the intermediary determinants.

Challenges in the delivery of public HIV testing and counselling (HTC) in Douala, Cameroon: providers perspectives and implications on quality of HTC services.

BACKGROUND: The Cameroon government has made HIV testing and counselling (HTC) a priority in its HIV/AIDS strategic plan. However, there is a dearth of literature on the perspectives of providers on the quality of HTC services. The aim of this study was to explore challenges in the provision of HTC services and their implications on quality of HTC services in Douala's district hospitals. METHODS: Two primary data collection methods supported by the Donabedian's model of healthcare were used to explain the challenges in the provision of HTC services and their implications on quality of HTC services. This consisted of semi-structured individual interviews with 6 nurses and 16 lay counsellors and a non-participant observation of the physical environment for HTC by site. The study sites were the prevention and voluntary testing and counselling centre (PVTCC) of the six district hospitals of the city of Douala. RESULTS: The study reveals concerns about confidentiality and privacy during the counselling sessions due to inadequate and limited space. An absence of consent, even verbal, was reported in one PVTCC. There is no specific accredited training curriculum that leads to a formal registration as a PVTCC staff, and some lay counsellors work without training. Lay counsellors carry the burden of HIV counselling, but the majority of them work for many years without remuneration and recognition. Another quality challenge is the high workload in the district hospitals' lab, which leads to long waiting times for HIV test results, thus contributing to failure to return for results. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study highlighted some issues such as lack of adequate space and equipment for HIV testing and counselling that hinder the quality of HTC services and should challenge the health authorities of Cameroon on the need to reorganize HTC services and create a national HIV quality assurance program.

[Return for HIV test results after voluntary screening in Cameroon]. / Prendre connaissance de son résultat après un dépistage volontaire du VIH au Cameroun.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to identify beliefs, perceptions and attitudes that may influence the return for test results after voluntary HIV testing in six district hospitals of the city of Douala in Cameroon.Methods: A qualitative study based on theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and using semi-structured interviews (N = 33) was conducted among individuals who underwent a voluntary HIV test in the prevention and voluntary testing and counselling centres (PVTCCs) located in six district hospitals of the city of Douala in Cameroon.Results: Participants identified a) seven advantages to return for their results (e.g., "knowing about my health condition," "take the medication in the case of a positive result "and four disadvantages (e.g., fear of positive result); b) four groups of people that may influence their decision to return for HIV test results (e.g., family, friends/colleagues; c) one barrier (lack of time) and four factors that can facilitate return for the results after an HIV testing (e.g., the career project).Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that individuals who voluntarily undergo an HIV test in PVTCCs of the Douala district hospitals in Cameroon perceived real advantages and very few disadvantages and barriers to know their HIV status. Particular attention should be given to organizational factors that may be responsible for failure to return for HIV test results and post-test counselling.

Failure to Return for Posttest Counseling and HIV Test Results at the Prevention and Voluntary Testing and Counseling Centers of Douala, Cameroon: An Evaluation of a Routine Five-Year Program.

This study examined the magnitude and time trends in failure to return (FTR) rates and the relation between FTR and individual characteristics, tests procedures, waiting period for the results, and HIV test results among people who were screened for HIV in the prevention and voluntary testing and counseling centers (PVTCCs) of six district hospitals of the city of Douala in Cameroon, between January 2009 and December 2013. It was a retrospective analysis of medical records. Among the 32,020 analyzed records, the failure to return (FTR) rate was 14.3%. Overall, people aged 50 years and over, those tested between 2011 and 2012, and those tested in the PVTCC of Bonassama were less likely to return for their results. Significant factors associated with FTR included being a housewife, having a positive/undetermined/requiring confirmation result, and provider-initiated testing and counseling (PITC). There was an increasing trend for FTR in the PVTCCs of Bonassama, New-Bell, Nylon, and Cité des Palmiers. HIV testing and counseling services in Douala district hospitals must be reorganized such that individuals tested for HIV receive their results on the same day of the test. Also counselors need to better alert clients concerning the importance of returning for their test results.

Returning for HIV Test Results: A Systematic Review of Barriers and Facilitators.

This systematic review aims to identify factors that facilitate or hinder the return for HIV test results. Four electronic databases were searched. Two independent reviewers selected eligible publications based on inclusion/exclusion criteria. Quantitative studies published since 1985 were included. Thirty-six studies were included in the final review. Individual level barriers included sociodemographic characteristics, such as being a male, of young age and low education level, risk behaviours such as injecting drugs, having multiple sexual partners, and psychosocial factors. Older age, higher education level, being a woman, having high self-esteem, having coping skills, and holding insurance coverage were identified as facilitators. Interpersonal barriers and facilitators were linked to risk behaviours of sexual partners. Contextual barriers included essentially the HIV testing center and its characteristics. This review identified the most important factors that need to be addressed to ensure that people return for their HIV test results.

[The non-uptake of prenatal care in Burkina Faso]. / Le non-recours aux soins prénatals au Burkina Faso.

INTRODUCTION: Despite the importance of prenatal care to decrease maternal and neonatal mortality, uptake remains suboptimal in Burkina Faso. This article documents the reasons for non-uptake of prenatal care, by focusing on women who either completely renounce or delay their access to prenatal care. METHODS: Qualitative data collection was performed in the rural town of Kokologho from October 2013 to january 2014. Different collection methods were used: participant observation, twenty-two individual semi-structured interviews with women who accessed prenatal care as a late option and eight informal interviews with key informants identified in the community. RESULTS: Thematic analysis revealed four barriers against the effective use of prenatal care by women: (1) lack of knowledge about the prenatal care schedule and purpose (2) perception of pregnancy and prenatal care (3) socioeconomic barriers: direct payment for prenatal care and the limited autonomy of women, and (4) perception of the quality of prenatal care. DISCUSSION: Based on these observations, non-uptake of prenatal care is discussed using different types of explanatory typologies adopted for this study: non-knowledge, non-claiming by choice or constraints and non-reception of care. This theoretical approach reveals that failures in healthcare services as well as the dichotomy between social representations and medical standards of pregnancy and prenatal care contribute to exclude some women from the prenatal care system.

Systematic review of vision-related quality of life questionnaires for older institutionalised seniors with dementia.

PURPOSE: In view of our interest in helping older institutionalised adults with co-existing visual and cognitive deficits, our objective was to review vision-related quality of life (VRQoL) questionnaires developed for people with dementia. METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed in seven relevant databases, limited to peer-reviewed journals published in English, French, Spanish, Italian or German languages, between 1982 and 2012. The retained VRQoL questionnaires were described. Only relevant articles that fully meet our target population and interest criteria were eligible for psychometric properties rating. RESULTS: The literature search identified 461 potentially relevant articles, from which 69 were isolated and reviewed. Eight articles presented questionnaires that were administered to older institutionalised individuals with dementia. Three VRQoL questionnaires were identified, from which only one was designed and validated for those with mild to moderate dementia and none for individuals with more advanced dementia. CONCLUSIONS: There is a pressing need to build and validate a questionnaire for assessing VRQoL in older institutionalised individuals with dementia, to provide a research tool capable of evaluating how changes in vision impact their QoL.

Outreach strategies for the promotion of HIV testing and care: closing the gap between health services and female sex workers in Benin.

BACKGROUND: Regular voluntary counseling and testing is a key component of the fight against HIV/AIDS. In Benin, the project SIDA-1/2/3 established to decrease HIV/sexually transmitted infection (STIs) among female sex workers (FSWs), implemented a multifaceted intervention, including outreach activities. The objective of this article was to present potential advantages and limitations of 3 categories of outreach interventions designed to increase the use of testing services among FSWs in Benin. METHODS: This analysis is based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Benin from June to December 2012. RESULTS: Sixty-six FSWs and 24 health care workers were interviewed. Their narratives revealed 3 main factors impeding the development of appropriate HIV testing behavior. These negative elements can be positioned along a continuum of health care behaviors, with each stage of this continuum presenting its own challenges: fear or lack of motivation to use testing services, inaccessibility of care when the decision to go has been made, and a perceived lack of quality in the care offered at the health care center. Many of these needs seem to be addressed in the outreach strategies tested. However, the study also exposed some potential barriers or limitations to the success of these strategies when applied in this specific context, due to social disruption, mobility, access to care, and hard to reach population. CONCLUSIONS: To increase the use of testing services, an outreach strategy based on community workers or peer educators, along with improved access to testing services, would be well adapted to this context and appreciated by both FSWs and health care workers.

Violence, condom breakage, and HIV infection among female sex workers in Benin, West Africa.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship between violence, condom breakage, and HIV prevalence among female sex workers (FSWs). METHODS: Data were obtained from the 2012 cross-sectional integrated biological and behavioral survey conducted in Benin. Multivariable log-binomial regression was used to estimate the adjusted prevalence ratios of HIV infection and condom breakage in relation to violence toward FSWs. A score was created to examine the relationship between the number of violence types reported and HIV infection. RESULTS: Among the 981 women who provided a blood sample, HIV prevalence was 20.4%. During the last month, 17.2%, 13.5%, and 33.5% of them had experienced physical, sexual, and psychological violence, respectively. In addition, 15.9% reported at least 1 condom breakage during the previous week. There was a significant association between all types of violence and HIV prevalence. The adjusted prevalence ratios of HIV were 1.45 (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.05-2.00), 1.42 (95% CI, 1.02-1.98), and 1.41 (95% CI, 1.08-1.41) among those who had ever experienced physical, sexual, and psychological violence, respectively. HIV prevalence increased with the violence score (P = 0.002, test for trend), and physical and sexual violence were independently associated with condom breakage (P = 0.010 and P = 0.003, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The results show that violence is associated with a higher HIV prevalence among FSWs and that condom breakage is a potential mediator for this association. Longitudinal studies designed to analyze this relationship and specific interventions integrated to current HIV prevention strategies are needed to reduce the burden of violence among FSWs.

Depression in the elderly with visual impairment and its association with quality of life.

BACKGROUND: Visual impairment is more prevalent in the elderly and depression is common in this population. Although many studies have investigated depression or quality of life (QOL) in older adults with visual impairment, few have looked at the association between these two concepts for this population. The aim of this systematized review was to describe the association between depression and QOL in older adults with visual impairment. METHODS: A search was done using multiple electronic databases for studies addressing the relationship between QOL and depression in elders with visual impairment. The concept of QOL was divided into two different approaches, ie, QOL as achievement and QOL as subjective well-being. Comparison of QOL scores between participants with and without depression (Cohen's d) and correlations between depression and QOL (Pearson's r) were examined. RESULTS: Thirteen studies reported in 18 articles were included in the review. Nearly all of the studies revealed that better QOL was moderately to strongly correlated with less severe depressive symptoms (r = 0.22-0.68 for QOL as achievement; r = 0.68 and 0.72 for QOL as subjective well-being). Effect sizes for the QOL differences between the groups with and without depression ranged from small to large (d = 0.17 to 0.95 for QOL as achievement; no data for QOL as subjective well-being). CONCLUSION: Additional studies are necessary to pinpoint further the determinants and mediators of this relationship. Considering the high prevalence rate of depression in this community and its disabling effects on QOL, interventions to prevent and treat depression are essential. More efforts are needed in clinical settings to train health care practitioners to identify depressed elders with visual impairment and provide appropriate treatment.