Contextual Factors Associated With Women's Attitudes Toward Intimate Partner Violence in Tajikistan: Findings From the 2012 and 2017 Demographic and Health Surveys.

The study employed data from the 2012 and 2017 Tajikistan Demographic and Health Surveys to examine two time periods on media access, interview setting, and sociodemographic predictors of intimate partner violence (IPV) justification attitudes among representative samples of women aged 15-49 years old (9,656 and 10,718 women, respectively) in Tajikistan. The odds of justifying IPV were higher for women who had access to radio and lower for those who had access to newspaper and television. The presence of the husband and other women during the interview was associated with lower justification of IPV. The findings emphasize the importance of contextual factors in developing effective IPV intervention policies.

Trends and Determinants of Attitudes Towards People Living with HIV/AIDS Among Women of Reproductive Age in Tajikistan.

INTRODUCTION: Despite having one of lowest rates of newly diagnosed HIV infections among former Soviet countries, Tajikistan has a substantial level of discriminatory attitudes towards people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). While initial attempts were made to explore discriminatory attitudes of a wide range of professionals, women's general attitudes towards PLWHA received less scholarly attention. Employing a nationally representative sample from the 2000 and 2005 Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS), sociodemographic determinants of HIV-related discriminatory attitudes of women aged 15-49 in Tajikistan were identified and examined over time. METHODS: A representative sample included 5,453 women of reproductive age from the capital city and four regions of Tajikistan. Two dichotomized scenarios representing the agreement to let an HIV-infected teacher continue teaching in school and the willingness to buy food from an HIV-infected cashier were constructed. Univariate and multivariable analyses of HIV-related discriminatory attitudes were obtained using Stata 14. RESULTS: Insignificant but positive changes were observed in the women's attitudes between 2000 and 2005. Logistic regression models showed that negative attitudes were associated with the lack of knowledge of HIV/AIDS prevention methods, endorsement of HIV/AIDS transmission misconceptions, and never having been tested for HIV (p≤0.001). Women living in the rural areas, married, with lower education, and from low income households were less tolerant towards PLWHA. CONCLUSIONS: The data from Tajikistan underscore the persistence of HIV-related discriminatory attitudes among low socioeconomic status women. The study findings can be potentially used to target the disadvantaged groups and guide the design and implementation of programs that promote voluntary HIV-testing, raise awareness about HIV/AIDS prevention methods, and help dispel transmission misconceptions.

A Comparison of Comprehensive HIV/AIDS Knowledge Among Women Across Seven Post-Soviet Countries.

INTRODUCTION: Post-Soviet countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia have witnessed a recent growth of HIV infection through heterosexual transmission. Women's low levels of knowledge about HIV prevention and transmission methods have been found to account for the higher female-to-male ratio among cases infected through the heterosexual route. This cross national comparison study assessed comprehensive HIV/AIDS knowledge and its key determinants among women of seven post-Soviet countries and identified which countries face the highest levels of risk due to the low levels of HIV/AIDS awareness. METHODS: Study data were obtained from the third wave of the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS3) (conducted in 2005 and 2006), nationally representative samples of women aged 15-49 years. Data on HIV/AIDS knowledge were analyzed for women in Kazakhstan (N=14,310), Kyrgyzstan (N=6,493), Tajikistan (N=4,676), Uzbekistan (N=13,376), Belarus (N=5,884), Ukraine (N=6,066), and Georgia (N=7,727) using descriptive statistics and ordinary least squares (OLS) regressions. RESULTS: We found that the percentage of women who could correctly identify all five modes of HIV/AIDS transmission and prevention was highest in Eastern European countries of Belarus (34.98%) and Ukraine (31.67%). Across all countries, the strongest predictors of comprehensive HIV/AIDS knowledge were age, education, and region of residence. Marital status, area of residence (urban vs. rural), and household wealth were significant predictors for several countries. CONCLUSION: High rates of comprehensive HIV/AIDS knowledge were found among women of Belarus and Ukraine. To reduce the spread of HIV in the region, programs promoting comprehensive HIV/AIDS knowledge for women of younger ages and with lower education are recommended.

Do family planning messages improve antenatal care utilization? Evidence from Tajikistan.

OBJECTIVE: We assess the effects of TV family planning messages on the frequency and timing of antenatal care utilization in Tajikistan. Instrumental variable regressions are used with Tajikistan's 2012 nationally-representative Demographic and Health Survey to address confounding bias. METHODS: For the continuous outcome variable, number of antenatal visits, we use the instrumental variable linear two-stage least square (2SLS). For the binary outcome variable, the first antenatal visit made during the first trimester of pregnancy, we use instrumental variable biprobit. RESULTS: As suggested by 2SLS results, women who had been exposed to family planning messages on TV made additional 1.2 antenatal visits. As indicated by the biprobit results, exposure to TV family planning messages increases the likelihood of early initiation of ANC by 11 percentage points. CONCLUSION: Family planning messages on TV has strong direct positive impact on antenatal care utilization in Tajikistan.

Effect of TV and radio family planning messages on the probability of modern contraception utilization in post-Soviet Central Asia.

This study evaluates the effects of family planning message broadcast on radio and TV on the probability of modern contraception utilization in post-Soviet Central Asia. Viewing family planning messages on TV improves the chances of using modern contraception for a woman who actually saw the messages by about 11 and 8 per cent in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, respectively. If every woman in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan had an opportunity to watch a family planning message on TV, then the likelihood of using modern contraception would have improved by 10 and 7 per cent in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, respectively. By contrast, the effect of hearing family planning messages on radio is not significant in both countries. © 2015 The Authors. International Journal of Health Planning and Management published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. KEY MESSAGES: Viewing family planning messages on TV improves the chances of using modern contraception for a woman who actually saw the messages by about 11 and 8 per cent in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, respectively. If every woman in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan had an opportunity to watch a family planning message on TV, then the probability of using modern contraception would have improved by 10 and 7 per cent in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, respectively. Consequently, using TV family planning messages in both countries should be encouraged. In comparison, the effect of hearing family planning messages on radio is not significant in both countries.

Trends and predictors of knowledge about HIV/AIDS and its prevention and transmission methods among women in Tajikistan.

BACKGROUND: Prior research on HIV infections in Tajikistan and other Central Asian countries has focused primarily on injection drug users. Given the recent rise of heterosexual transmission, especially among women, there is a need to assess women's knowledge about HIV/AIDS and its methods of prevention and transmission across two time periods to examine cross-time changes and identify areas that need improvements. METHODS: Logistic regression and simulation of predicted probability analyses were based on data from Tajik women ranging in age from 15 to 49 who participated in the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) study in 2000 and 2005. RESULTS: We found that an over 2-fold increase in general knowledge about HIV/AIDS was accompanied by a substantial decrease in the ability to identify correct methods of prevention and to reject myths regarding its transmission. CONCLUSION: These alarming findings should prompt policy makers and program implementers to shift the focus of programs from raising general awareness to educating women about how HIV/AIDS is transmitted. Furthermore, rigorous efforts should be made to provide the most disadvantaged groups, including women of younger ages, with lower education, and from poor households with accurate information and adequate access to limited resources.