Social factors determining the experience of blindness among pregnant women in developing countries: the case of India.

Approximately 10 million pregnant women around the world develop night blindness annually. In India, one in 11 pregnant women suffers from night blindness. This study used a nationally representative sample of 35,248 women from India between the ages of 15 and 49 who had given birth in the past five years to understand the effect of women's empowerment on developing blindness during pregnancy. Findings from logistic regression showed that several empowerment-related factors, including women's increased age at the birth of their first child, high school education, and participation in their own health care decisions, significantly reduced the odds of developing blindness, whereas their experience of spousal control, humiliation, and physical abuse significantly increased the odds of developing blindness during pregnancy. Interestingly, antenatal care visits that included nutritional advice and iron supplements during pregnancy had no effect on blindness after controlling for other factors. To reduce blindness during pregnancy in India, more attention should be given to delaying age at marriage and first birth; improving women and girl's education and autonomy; and implementing strategies to reduce spousal control, humiliation, and abuse.

Linking male use of the sex industry to controlling behaviors in violent relationships: an exploratory analysis.

In an attempt to better understand the relationship between male use of the sex industry (i.e., pornography and strip clubs) and interpersonal violence (IPV), 2,135 female residents of an IPV shelter were surveyed regarding their batterer's use of both the sex industry and controlling behaviors in their relationship. Findings indicate that male domestic violence offenders who utilize the sex industry use more controlling behaviors than male domestic violence offenders who do not. Implications for policy, practice, and research are discussed.