Pattern of weight gain in pregnant women in slum areas of Hamadan using multilevel ordinal regression.

BACKGROUND: Adequate gestational weight gain (GWG) is an important factor for maternal and fetal health. This is especially important in low-income and slum areas due to limited access to health services and malnutrition. Thus, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the pattern of GWG changes in the slum areas of Hamadan in Iran. METHODS: In this longitudinal study, the study sample consisted of 509 pregnant women who referred to nine health care clinics in the slum areas of Hamadan. Women's weight gain based on the recommended GWG by U.S. Institute of Medicine (IOM) was divided into three categories: Inadequate weight gain, Adequate weight gain, and Excessive weight gain. In order to evaluate the trend of GWG, a multi-level ordinal model was used. RESULTS: According to pre-pregnancy BMI, a little more than half people (56.6%) were overweight or obese. 85.4% women in the first trimester and 49.1% in the second trimester did not have adequate GWG, but in the third trimester (38.9%) had adequate GWG. Based on multivariate analysis, pre- pregnancy BMI has a significant effect on the odds of inadequate GWG (P-value = 0.021); with one unit increase in pre-pregnancy BMI, the odds of inadequate GWG grows by 1.07 times compared to adequate and excessive GWG. CONCLUSIONS: In general, women did not have adequate weight gain in the first and second trimesters.Thus, designing appropriate interventions to achieve optimal GWG seems to be necessary in slums.

Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence Among Pregnant Women in the Poor Neighborhoods of Hamadan, Iran.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) occurs in all settings, especially in poor neighborhoods. It is considered to be a serious public health concern with serious consequences in the short and long term for abused women because of distinct barriers in obtaining support sources. Therefore this cross-sectional study focuses on the prevalence and the determinants of IPV among pregnant women residents in poor neighborhoods. Overall, 63.8% experienced at least one type of IPV. Also, educational status, family's monthly income, husband's employment status, and having a smoker husband were found to be important predictors of IPV against pregnant women. A better understanding of social determinants of violence can help decision-makers in developing effective policies. It is crucial to prioritize the poor neighborhoods for future interventions to reduce IPV imposed during pregnancy.

Utilizing the PEN-3 model to identify socio-cultural factors affecting intimate partner violence against pregnant women in Suburban Hamadan.

Intimate partner violence occurs in all settings. In this paper the authors describe socio-cultural factors affecting intimate partner violence against pregnant women in suburban Hamadan.The PEN-3 model was utilized by semi-structured interviews with 18 pregnant women. According to women, cultural perceptions (patience in case of facing violence, faith in fate and normalization of violence), enablers (communication skills, economic status, and availability of legal support), and nurturers (family support and social expectation of obedience to men) were found to be important factors that influence violence.A better understanding of the cultural perceptions can help decision-makers in identifying the cultural appropriateness of interventions.