Role of women empowerment on mental health problems and care-seeking behavior among married women in Nepal: secondary analysis of nationally representative data.

PURPOSE: This study investigates the associations between women empowerment and the prevalence of mental health symptoms and care-seeking behavior among ever-married Nepalese women aged 15-49 years. METHODS: We utilized 2022 Nepal Demographic and Health Survey data to measure women empowerment, employing the Survey-Based Women's Empowerment (SWPER) index. The index focuses on the domains of social independence, decision-making, and attitudes towards violence. Symptoms of anxiety and depression were measured using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 scale (GAD-7) and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), respectively. Multiple logistic regression was performed to estimate adjusted odds ratio (aOR) for associations of women empowerment domains and mental health problems and care-seeking behavior. RESULTS: Among 5556 women, the prevalence of symptoms of anxiety and depression was 23.1% and 6.1%, respectively. Among those with any symptoms of anxiety or depression, 18.3% sought care. Compared to women with low level of empowerment in the "social independence" domain, those with high level of empowerment were less likely to suffer from symptoms of anxiety (aOR = 0.68; 95%CI, 0.57-0.82) and depression (aOR = 0.69; 95%CI, 0.50-0.94). However, high empowerment in "decision-making" domain was associated with higher likelihood of anxiety (aOR = 1.67; 95%CI, 1.33-2.10) and depression (aOR = 1.80; 95%CI, 1.26-2.58). There was evidence of positive association between high empowerment in "decision-making" and care-seeking (aOR = 1.28; 95%CI, 0.96-1.71). CONCLUSIONS: This study underscores important roles of women empowerment on mental health symptoms and care-seeking behavior, suggesting the need to integrate empowerment initiatives into strategies to promote mental health among women in Nepal and similar low- and middle-income settings.

Stem cell transplantation for the treatment of liver diseases: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The therapeutic efficacy of stem cell transplantation in liver diseases has not yet been determined. The objective of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis to evaluate changes in liver function and clinical outcome following stem cell transplantation in patients with liver disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A literature review of NCBI, Cochrane Library, and MEDLINE was performed. Eligible studies reported liver function indices and prothrombin time (PT) before and after transplantation. The weighted mean difference (WMD) was defined by the distinction before and after stem cell transplantation. Either a fixed-effects model or random-effects model was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: A total of 17 publications involving 21 original studies were included. We found that the levels of serum albumin significantly increased at 4, 8, 12, 24, and 48 weeks after stem cell transplantation compared with that at baseline. Serum alanine aminotransferase levels notably decreased at 1, 3, 4, 12, 24, and 48 weeks after stem cell transplantation. Aspartate aminotransferase levels significantly decreased at 4, 8, 12, and 48 weeks after transplantation. Total bilirubin levels significantly decreased at 4, 12, 24, and 48 weeks after transplantation. PT decreased at 4, 12, 24, and 48 weeks after transplantation. The MELD score significantly decreased at 24 weeks after transplantation. Stem cell infusion through the hepatic artery had better biochemical outcomes than an injection through the portal vein. CONCLUSION: Our meta-analysis verified that there are clinical and biochemical improvements in patients who suffered from liver diseases after stem cell transplantation, suggesting that stem cell transplantation may be a viable clinical solution for treating such patients.