Association between history of interparental violence and alcohol abuse among reproductive-age women: Evidence from the Peruvian Demographic and Health Survey.

BACKGROUND: Exposure to domestic violence by triggering repetitive distress and fear can affect neurodevelopmental and mental health in the short and long term. This, in turn, has been linked to an increased risk of substance abuse, such as alcohol abuse in adulthood. OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to evaluate the association between exposure to violence from the father toward the mother and alcohol abuse in Peruvian women. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHODS: We conducted a secondary analysis of data from the Peruvian Demographic and Family Health Survey (ENDES) of 2019. A total of 19,980 reproductive-aged women (15-49 years old) were surveyed using the Health Questionnaire during 2019. The dependent variable of the study was alcohol abuse, collected through self-report, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) criteria. Intimate partner violence (IPV; violence perpetrated by the father against the mother) was considered as the exposure variable. To assess the association of interest, we only considered observations with complete data and used binary logistic regression models, calculating crude odds ratios and adjusted odds ratios (aOR). For the multivariable model, we adjusted for confounding variables (age, marital status, education level, wealth index, ethnicity, residence, current smoker, depression, and IPV). RESULTS: We analyzed a final sample of 9953 women. The prevalence of interparental violence and alcohol abuse was 41.3% and 1.5%, respectively. We found that interparental violence was associated with higher odds of alcohol abuse (aOR: 2.10; 95% CI: 1.03-4.28) after adjusting for age, marital status, education level, wealth level, ethnicity, area of residence, current smoking, depression, and IPV. CONCLUSION: We identified that women of reproductive age who have been exposed to interparental violence were at higher odds of experiencing alcohol abuse issues.

Understanding the link between witnessing parental violence and alcohol abuse in Peruvian womenWitnessing violence between parents during childhood can leave deep emotional scars. This study explores whether such experiences are related to alcohol abuse among Peruvian women in their adult years. Using data from a national health survey in Peru, the experiences of nearly 20,000 women were analyzed to determine if witnessing violence between their parents during childhood was linked to alcohol problems later in life. Responses from the 2019 Peruvian Demographic and Family Health Survey were examined, focusing on women's reports of childhood exposure to violence between parents and current alcohol abuse, controlling for factors like age, education, and mental health. The study found that women who witnessed their parents engaging in violence were more likely to abuse alcohol as adults. About 41% of the women reported seeing such violence, and of these, a higher proportion struggled with alcohol compared to those who did not witness violence. Understanding the link between childhood experiences and adult behaviors can help develop targeted interventions to prevent alcohol abuse. This research highlights the need for support systems that help women cope with the emotional impacts of childhood trauma, potentially reducing alcohol-related problems in the future.

Tuberculosis in pregnancy and adverse neonatal outcomes in two peruvian hospitals.

Background: According to the World Health Organization, tuberculosis (TB) ranks among the top 10 causes of death worldwide. The significance of TB during pregnancy lies in its symptoms, which can be mistaken for physiological changes associated with pregnancy. This confusion can lead to maternal-perinatal complications. Objective: To evaluate the association between pulmonary TB in pregnancy and adverse neonatal outcomes in two Peruvian hospitals. Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study. The target population consisted of pregnant women with and without pulmonary TB whose deliveries were attended at two public hospitals, located in Lima, Peru. The adverse neonatal outcomes were prematurity, low birth weight (LBW), and being small for gestational age (SGA). Crude and adjusted relative risks (RRa) were calculated with their respective 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). Results: Information from 212 patients was analyzed; 48.1% had TB during pregnancy, and 23.1% had adverse neonatal outcomes (8%, 11.3%, and 12.3% for LBW, prematurity, and SGA, respectively). In the adjusted model, pregnant women with pulmonary TB had a 3.52 times higher risk of having a newborn with at least one of the adverse outcomes than those who were not exposed (aRR, 3.52; 95%CI: 1.93-6.68). Conclusion: Pulmonary TB in pregnancy was jointly and independently associated with adverse neonatal outcomes, including LBW, prematurity, and being SGA.

Association between early sexual initiation and sexually transmitted infections among Peruvian reproductive-age women.

Background: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are a serious public health problem worldwide, especially among reproductive-age women. The early sexual onset of sexual intercourse (EOSI) has been suggested as a risk factor, although there is no data at the national level. Objective: To evaluate the association between EOSI and STIs in Peruvian women of childbearing age. Methods: Analytical cross-sectional study with secondary data analyzes of the Peruvian Demographic and Family Health Survey 2018. The outcome was the presence of STIs in the last 12 months and the exposure variable was EOSI (age < 15 years at the time of their first sexual experience). To evaluate the association of interest, crude and adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs) were calculated using generalized linear models with Poisson family and logarithmic link function. Results: We analyzed data from 31,028 women of childbearing age. The 11.3% reported having STIs in the last 12 months and 20.2% of the participants had an EOSI. After adjusting for potential confounders, we found that EOSI was associated with STIs (aPR: 1.27; 95% CI: 1.08-1.50; p = 0.005). When conducting stratified analysis by area of residence and number of sexual partners, this association was maintained in women living in urban areas (aPR: 1.36; 95% CI: 1.11-1.66; p = 0.003) those who did not report having a history of multiple sexual partners (aPR: 1.27; 95% CI: 1.08-1.51; p = 0.005), and those in the middle (aPR: 1.42; 95% CI: 1.03-1.97; p = 0.034) and highest (aPR: 2.12; 95% CI: 1.33-3.39; p = 0.002) wealth quintiles. Conclusion: Among reproductive-age women from Peru, EOSI was associated with STIs, especially in women living in urban areas, with no history of multiple sexual partners, and belonging to the middle to higher wealth index. The implementation of measures to prevent EOSI and fostering appropriate sexual health counseling for women with EOSI is advised.