Period poverty and mental health in a representative sample of young women in Barcelona, Spain.

BACKGROUND: The intersection between poverty and mental health is clear. Period poverty, understood as the lack of access to menstrual products, has been gaining attention especially among low and middle-income countries as an overlooked aspect of gendered poverty. Less is known about the incidence of period poverty in high-income countries and its association with mental health. The purpose of this study is to examine this association in a representative sample of young women living in an urban setting in southern Europe. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study. Data were obtained from a representative survey of individuals aged 15 to 34 in the city of Barcelona (Spain), with a sample group of 647 young women. Subjects were selected through a systematic stratified random sampling method. A proportional quota sampling was used. The information was registered using CAPI data collection method. Period poverty was measured by a combination of three questions about the lack of access or misuse of menstrual products for economic reasons. The GHQ-12 was used to measure the risk of poor mental health. The analysis was carried out using multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: From our sample, 15.3% of young women reported having experienced period poverty. Higher odds of poor mental health were estimated for women facing period poverty (AOR = 1.85 p < 0.05). This effect is statistically significant after controlling by their income status and level of deprivation. Young women living in poorer households have a higher probability of poor mental health than those living in high-income households (AOR = 0.47 p < 0.05). Finally, material deprivation was associated to an increased risk of poor mental health among young women reporting period poverty (AOR = 2.59 p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: We found that a considerable number of young women living in an urban setting in a high-income country cannot afford menstrual products, and this may have an impact on their mental wellbeing. The relationship between period poverty and respondents' mental health is significant when controlling for factors known to confer an increased risk of poor mental health. If confirmed by further research, the public health burden of poor mental health in young women could be reduced by policy-level interventions to improve access to menstrual products.

Non-standard family histories and wellbeing at older ages.

The life course approach emphasizes that health and wellbeing at older ages are influenced by experiences occurred in the previous stages of life. We contribute to the literature by focusing on the role of the non-standardness of family histories and argue that individuals who experienced non-standard trajectories have been exposed to social sanctions throughout their life course with negative long-term consequences on wellbeing. In our study, non-standardness of family histories is the extent an individual's family history differs from those of the others within reference groups, defined combining birth cohort, gender and country of residence. Family histories between age of 15 and 49 are analyzed using Sequence Analysis, thus accounting for events related to fertility and union formation (marriage and cohabitation) and dissolution, and their timing. Dissimilarities between family sequences are measured using optimal matching and are standardized within the reference groups. We use retrospective data from the seventh wave of the Survey of Health Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) and estimate linear regression models to assess the association between non-standardness of family histories and older people's life satisfaction. Quality of life and depressive symptoms are examined in additional analyses. A negative association is found between non-standardness of family histories and wellbeing, which is stronger for lower educated individuals and in Southern European countries. Results are consistent with the idea that uncommon family behaviors may have a long-term negative effect on wellbeing. Individual resources and a more tolerant societal context can reduce or eliminate the negative consequences of engaging in non-standard family behaviors.

Impact of Socioeconomic Environment on Home Social Care Service Demand and Dependent Users.

An aging population and rising life expectancy lead to an increased demand for social services to care for dependent users, among other factors. In Barcelona, home social care (HSC) services are a key agent in meeting this demand. However, demand is not evenly distributed among neighborhoods, and we hypothesized that this can be explained by the user's social environment. In this work, we describe the user's environment at a macroscopic level by the socioeconomic features of the neighborhood. This research aimed to gain a deeper understanding of the dependent user's socioeconomic environment and service needs. We applied descriptive analytics techniques to explore possible patterns linking HSC demand and other features. These methods include principal components analysis (PCA) and hierarchical clustering. The main analysis was made from the obtained boxplots, after these techniques were applied. We found that economic and disability factors, through users' mean net rent and degree of disability features, are related to the demand for home social care services. This relation is even clearer for the home-based social care services. These findings can be useful to distribute the services among areas by considering more features than the volume of users/population. Moreover, it can become helpful in future steps to develop a management tool to optimize HSC scheduling and staff assignment to improve the cost and quality of service. For future research, we believe that additional and more precise characteristics could provide deeper insights into HSC service demand.

Early-life conditions and health at older ages: The mediating role of educational attainment, family and employment trajectories.

OBJECTIVES: We examine to what extent the effect of early-life conditions (health and socioeconomic status) on health in later life is mediated by educational attainment and life-course trajectories (fertility, partnership, employment). METHODS: Using data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (N = 12,034), we apply, separately by gender, multichannel sequence analysis and cluster analysis to obtain groups of similar family and employment histories. The KHB method is used to disentangle direct and indirect effects of early-life conditions on health. RESULTS: Early-life-conditions indirectly impact on health in later life as result of their influence on education and family and employment trajectories. For example, between 22% and 42% of the effect of low parental socio-economic status at childhood on the three considered health outcomes at older age is explained by educational attainment for women. Even higher percentages are found for men (35% - 57%). On the contrary, the positive effect of poor health at childhood on poor health at older ages is not significantly mediated by education and life-course trajectories. Education captures most of the mediating effect of parental socio-economic status. More specifically, between 66% and 75% of the indirect effect of low parental socio-economic status at childhood on the three considered health outcomes at older age is explained by educational attainment for women. Again, higher percentages are found for men (86% - 93%). Early-life conditions, especially socioeconomic status, influence family and employment trajectories indirectly through their impact on education. We also find a persistent direct impact of early-life conditions on health at older ages. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate that early-life experiences influence education and life-course trajectories and health in later life, suggesting that public investments in children are expected to produce long lasting effects on people's lives throughout the different phases of their life-course.

[Heavy episodic drinking among adolescents: the association with negative mood states and family factors]. / Consumo episódico excesivo de alcohol en adolescentes: su asociación con los estados de ánimo negativos y los factores familiares.

BACKGROUND: Heavy episodic drinking is widespread among adolescents, with serious health risks, including abuse / dependence in adulthood. The aim of this paper is to analyze the influence of negative mood states and some family variables on this type of drinking behavior among Catalan adolescents. METHODS: Cross sectional study of a representative sample of adolescents (age 14-18 years) from Catalonia (Second Wave, Panel of Families and Children) (2006-2010). Separate logistic regression models are run for women (n = 1,459) and men (n = 1,105) to assess whether negative mood states (self-perceived) are associated with heavy episodic drinking measured as binge drinking at least twice a month or more in the last year. It is estimated to what extent these effects are attributable to familial factors. RESULTS: Feelings of sadness are associated with binge drinking among male adolescents (OR 2.7). Feeling pressured by parents keeps also a positive association with binge drinking among both sexes (OR 1.8 for males and OR 2.1 for women). Women from low-middle and high income groups are more likely to engage in binge drinking (OR 1.6 and OR, 1.7 respectively). Migrant family background (OR 0.4) and parental control of arrival home on weekend (OR 0.6) are negatively related to binge drinking among female adolescents. CONCLUSIONS: Negative mood states are associated with heavy episodic drinking. Socio-economic and family factors have stronger effect on women than on men.

[Adolescent daily smoking, negative mood-states and the role of family communication]. / Consumo diario de tabaco en la adolescencia, estados de ánimo negativos y rol de la comunicación familiar.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether negative mood states constitute a risk factor for daily smoking during adolescence, and to specify the role of familial factors in the association between the two variables. METHODS: Cross-sectional study of a representative sample (second wave, Panel of Families and Childhood) of Catalan adolescents between 14 and 18 years of age. Six logistic regression models were used for girls (n = 1,442) and six for boys (n =1,100) in order to determine whether negative mood states constitute a risk factor for daily cigarette consumption, and to what extent this effect is attributable to familial factors. RESULTS: The prevalence of daily smoking at ages 17-18 is 3.8% for girls and 3.6 for boys. Feelings of sadness constitute a risk factor for daily cigarette consumption (odds ratio [OR] = 1.633), and communication with the father cancels out this effect. Parental pressure is a risk factor for daily smoking in both sexes (girls, OR = 2.064; boys, OR = 1.784). When parental communication is controlled for, this effect is reduced but not canceled out. Living in a reconstituted family is a risk factor for daily cigarette consumption among boys (OR = 2.988). CONCLUSIONS: Intergenerational communication decreases the risk of daily tobacco use among adolescents independently of their mood state. Anti-smoking interventions designed in accordance with these findings may be more effective.

Consumo episódico excesivo de alcohol en adolescentes: su asociación con los estados de ánimo negativos y los factores familiares / Heavy episodic drinking among adolescents: the association with negative mood states and family factors

Fundamentos: El consumo episódico excesivo de alcohol (CEEA) es una práctica extendida en la población adolescente con graves riesgos para la salud, incluyendo el abuso/dependencia en la edad adulta. El objetivo de este artículo es analizar su asociación con los estados de ánimo negativos y algunas variables familiares entre los adolescentes catalanes. Métodos: Estudio transversal de una muestra representativa de adolescentes (edad 14-18 años) de Cataluña (Segunda oleada del Panel de Familias e Infancia) (2006-2010). Se realizan modelos de regresión logística para mujeres (n = 1.459) y hombres (n= 1.105) para estimar si los estados de ánimo negativos auto-percibidos (tristeza, presión parental, etc.) están asociados con el CEEA, capturado como haberse emborrachado por lo menos dos veces al mes durante el último año. Se estima en qué medida esos efectos son atribuibles a algunos factores familiares. Resultados: El sentimiento crónico de tristeza está asociado con el CEEAentre los varones (OR 2,7), al igual que sentirse presionado/a por los progenitores en ambos sexos (OR 1,8 hombres y OR 2,1 mujeres). Las mujeres de rentas medio-bajas y altas son más proclives al CEEA (OR 1,6 y OR 1,7 respectivamente). La existencia de progenitores de origen inmigrante (OR 0,4) y la fijación parental de un horario de retorno a casa los fines de semana (OR 0,6) presentan una asociación negativa con el CEEA entre las mujeres. Conclusiones: Los estados de ánimo negativos (EAN) están asociados al CEEA. Los efectos de los factores socio-económicos y familiares sobre el CEEA son más relevantes en mujeres que en varones(AU)

Background: Heavy episodic drinking is widespread among adolescents, with serious health risks, including abuse / dependence in adulthood. The aimof this paper is to analyze the influence of negativemood states and some family variables on this type of drinking behavior among Catalan adolescents. Methods: Cross sectional study of a representative sample of adolescents (age 14-18 years) fromCatalonia (SecondWave, Panel of Families and Children) (2006-2010). Separate logistic regression models are run for women (n = 1,459) and men (n = 1,105) to assess whether negative mood states (self-perceived) are associated with heavy episodic drinking measured as binge drinking at least twice a month or more in the last year. It is estimated to what extent these effects are attributable to familial factors. Results: Feelings of sadness are associated with binge drinking among male adolescents (OR 2.7). Feeling pressured by parents keeps also a positive association with binge drinking among both sexes (OR 1.8 for males and OR 2.1 for women). Women from low-middle and high income groups are more likely to engage in binge drinking (OR 1.6 and OR, 1.7 respectively). Migrant family background (OR 0.4) and parental control of arrival home on weekend (OR 0.6) are negatively related to binge drinking among female adolescents. Conclusions: Negative mood states are associated with heavy episodic drinking. Socio-economic and family factors have stronger effect on women than on men(AU)

Consumo diario de tabaco en la adolescencia, estados de ánimo negativos y rol de la comunicación familiar / Adolescent daily smoking, negative mood-states and the role of family communication

Objetivo Determinar si los estados de ánimo negativos son un factor de riesgo de consumo diario de tabaco en la adolescencia y el papel de los factores familiares en esta asociación. Método Estudio transversal de una muestra representativa de adolescentes (edad 14-18 años) de Cataluña (Segunda Oleada del Panel de Familias e Infancia). Se realizan seis modelos de regresión logística para mujeres (n = 1442) y hombres (n = 1100), con el fin de estimar si los estados de ánimo negativos son un factor de riesgo de consumo diario de cigarrillos. Se estima en qué medida esos efectos son atribuibles a factores familiares. Resultados La prevalencia de fumadores diarios a los 17/18 años es del 3,8% para las mujeres y del 3,6% para los hombres. El sentimiento de tristeza entre las adolescentes es un factor de riesgo de consumo diario de cigarrillos (odds ratio [OR] = 1,663) y la comunicación con el padre anula este efecto. Sentirse presionados por los progenitores es un factor de riesgo de consumo diario para ambos sexos (mujeres, OR = 2,064; hombres, OR = 1,784), pero al controlar por la variable «comunicación parental» comprobamos que el efecto se reduce, aunque no se anula. Vivir en una familia reconstituida es un factor de riesgo de consumo diario entre los chicos (OR = 2,988).Conclusiones A igualdad de estados de ánimo, la comunicación intergeneracional atenúa el riesgo de consumo diario de tabaco entre los/las adolescentes. Las intervenciones de prevención y deshabituación tabáquica que incluyan este tipo de factores pueden ser más efectivas (AU)

Objective To determine whether negative mood states constitute a risk factor for daily smoking during adolescence, and to specify the role of familial factors in the association between the two variables. Methods Cross-sectional study of a representative sample (second wave, Panel of Families and Childhood) of Catalan adolescents between 14 and 18 years of age. Six logistic regression models were used for girls (n = 1,442) and six for boys (n =1,100) in order to determine whether negative mood states constitute a risk factor for daily cigarette consumption, and to what extent this effect is attributable to familial factors. Results The prevalence of daily smoking at ages 17-18 is 3.8% for girls and 3.6 for boys. Feelings of sadness constitute a risk factor for daily cigarette consumption (odds ratio [OR] = 1.633), and communication with the father cancels out this effect. Parental pressure is a risk factor for daily smoking in both sexes (girls, OR = 2.064; boys, OR = 1.784). When parental communication is controlled for, this effect is reduced but not canceled out. Living in a reconstituted family is a risk factor for daily cigarette consumption among boys (OR = 2.988).Conclusions Intergenerational communication decreases the risk of daily tobacco use among adolescents independently of their mood state. Anti-smoking interventions designed in accordance with these findings may be more effective (AU)