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The international literature on women and work calls on scholars to consider geographical, sociocultural, and institutional contexts governing women's employment dynamics over their life course. In Indonesia (and other lower middle‐income regions in Southeast Asia), female labor force participation is lower in urban areas than rural areas. The largest drop‐off occurs after marriage and childbearing. In this article, we argue that class and spatial context matters in examining the relationship between gender norms, gendered mobilities, and employment outcomes in mega‐urban settings. Using qualitative research, we probe beyond conventional demographic studies to explore the dynamics of married women's (decisions to stay, leave, change, or return to) employment in Greater Jakarta, Indonesia's largest urban core. Our participants were discouraged from employment participation by norms that prioritize married women's role as primary caregivers, and spatial and workplace/regulatory constraints. Our analysis underscores how the participants' employment‐related decisions consistently revolve around the concept of opportunity costs, defined as conflicts and tensions arise from mother's time away from children due to gender norms, lack of childcare and flexible formal employment options, and the long working and commuting hours in Greater Jakarta. Economic pressures for women to participate in the labor market are not matched by work–family policies, which are still rooted in entrenched ideals of women as wives and mothers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Covid-19 pandemic that broke out in 2019 was one of the largest epidemics in human history after the Spanish flu of 1918-1919 (Trilla, Trilla and Daer, 2008). Its spread across Africa, and Zimbabwe in particular, shook economies and disrupted social structures, severely affecting the mental health of the populace. However, calamities like Covid-19 are hardly gender-neutral. While Covid-19 had negative psychosocial and economic impacts on all gender groups, women suffered disproportionately from the socio-economic and psychological toll of the epidemic. Using qualitative research methods based on interviews and observations in Harare Zimbabwe, this article explores the experiences of urban Zimbabwean women during the Covid-19 pandemic. The outbreak of covid-19 and the consequential lockdowns had a marked disruptive effect on urban formal and informal sources of livelihoods than it had on the largely subsistence rural economy. We, therefore, analyse the urban socio-cultural and economic contexts that shaped women's daily experiences in the context of Covid-19 and how this affected their economic and psychological situation. We aver that while Covid-19 made women 'beasts of burden' who had to provide for the household and family, it also served as a means of social reconstruction and provided opportunities for women's social and economic advancement and long-term psychological well-being. Covid-19 broke down and weakened the manipulative patriarchal socio-cultural norms that excluded women from economic and social advancement. Using the neo-dependency analytical framework, this article contends that while crises worsen conditions for vulnerable groups, there should also be space to celebrate the breaking of exploitative social structures that have kept women in subservient positions for centuries. By exposing the weaknesses of patriarchy, Covid-19 signalled the development of a new social order that recognises and celebrates women's courage, strengths, and resilience in times of crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the gendered division of paid, unpaid, and total work in contemporary India. We explore this division of work through an analysis of India's first large-scale time use survey, conducted in 2019. Our findings reveal that the distribution of paid, unpaid, and total work is highly gender-biased. We also found that rural women bear relatively more burden of total work than urban women; whereas, urban men bear relatively more burden of total work than rural men. We observed striking gender differences in the paid, unpaid, and total work burden across the key household and individual-level characteristics of age, marital status, presence of children, income status and employment status. Compared to all other categories, married employed women belonging to the working age cohort (15–59) bear the highest burden of total work in India, and hence are left with the least available free time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In sub-Saharan Africa, urban growth has posed significant housing challenges, particularly affecting women's participation in housing ownership and the broader sector. This study examined the motivations and obstacles for women's involvement in housing provision in Nigeria, using a cross-sectional descriptive approach. Ninety-eight questionnaires were purposively administered to urban women in Ile-Ife, Osun State. Results showed a diverse age distribution, with 33% of respondents aged 41-50, reflecting active participation in housing decisions due to family and career factors. Education played a crucial role, with 34% holding B.Sc. degrees and 18.4% M.Sc. degrees, highlighting its importance in empowering women. Property ownership was the top motivator (RII=0.54), followed by economic factors such as the national economy (RII=0.53), income (RII=0.51), and employment status (RII=0.49). Religion (RII=0.31) and cultural norms (RII=0.34) had minimal impact. The study concludes that while women actively participate in certain areas, there is a need for greater gender inclusivity in the housing sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The prevalence of overweight and obesity is rising worldwide, but it is more common among women in India. To put a stop to this epidemic, we need to pinpoint the causes of obesity in young women. Methods: A case-control study of this magnitude has been conducted at Tertiary Care Centre, from period of October 2021 to September 2022. Cases and controls were selected at random from the pool of people who participated in a cross-sectional study on cardiovascular disease risk factors. Results: There were 110 cases and 50 controls in the research. Women from the elite and upper middle classes had an odds ratio of 2.74 times greater of being obese or overweight than women from other lower socioeconomic classes, when comparing the two groups on an unadjusted basis. Several risk factors for being overweight were identified after controlling for age and socioeconomic status: having a history of hyperlipidemia; having a parity of =2 and consuming more protein than is recommended. Conclusions: Obesity is a public health crisis that can lead to a variety of avoidable metabolic complications, as highlighted by this study. Housewives are a vital part of many families and communities; as such, they need to be included in efforts to detect, educate about and treat obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The post-pandemic era witnessed an upsurge in digital wallet usage. The purpose of this cross-sectional study is to empirically examine the factors influencing the post-adoption intention of e-wallet users among Indian women and the digital divide across age groups. Validated questionnaires were used to collect data from female respondents across India. Path analysis using structural equation modelling was used to examine the driver of continuous intention for e-wallets, and the study demonstrates that user satisfaction and the perceived security and usefulness of e-wallets had a significant impact on post-adoption behaviour among women. Perceived confirmation, usefulness, and trust influence user satisfaction among women. However, contrary to expectations, the study found no significant difference in the continuous adoption behaviour of different age groups of urban women, indicating a lack of digital divide among urban women across age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To explore women's mental health in India's rapidly changing society. Participants and Methods: A convenience sample of low-income women (N = 286) in a medium-sized city in South-India participated in a mixed-methods, exploratory study in 2022. Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval was received from Loma Linda University in the US, and Christian Medical College-Vellore in India, in accordance with the declaration of Helsinki, prior to data collection. All study materials were forward and back translated for Tamil, the local language. Phase 1(n = 25) involved audio recorded key-informant interviews and focus groups. Verbatim transcripts were inductively coded, and emerging themes identified. Phase 2 (n = 261) entailed a quantitative survey including demographics, health history, and validated scales measuring mental health symptoms, coping strategies, social support, living situation, and life satisfaction. Data collectors were gender and language matched, research trained, community health nurses. Results: Qualitative themes included: 1) benefits of living in the city, 2) double duty for women doing household work and paid work, 3) challenges of living in the urban environment, 4) advantages of living in the village, 5) struggles associated with village life. Quantitative results: the average Hopkins Symptoms Checklist (HSCL) score of 1.82 (SD = 0.70) exceeded the 1.65 cut-off score for anxiety and depression symptomology. Among participants with elevated HSCL scores (n = 129) the average was markedly elevated (M = 2.39, SD = 0.56). These women were more likely to rely on wishful thinking, religious coping, and reported more post-migration living difficulties, less social support, and less satisfaction with life. Regression analysis further explored variables associated with participant HSCL scores. Conclusion: In this sample of low-income urban-dwelling women depression and anxiety symptomology was elevated. Given the limited mental health workforce and cultural stigmatization of mental health issues, further attention is required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of OHM: Obradoiro de Historia Moderna is the property of Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Servicio de Publicaciones and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Overweight /obesity is a global public health concern. It is higher among women than men in most continents of the world. This study aimed to determine the spatiotemporal distribution and determinants of changes in overweight/obesity over time among urban women in Ethiopia.Methods: We used data from three consecutive Demographic and Health Surveys in Ethiopia (2005, 2011, and 2016). The total weighted sample of 1112 in 2005, 3569 in 2011, and 3071 in 2016 urban women were included in the analysis. The primary outcome measure of this study was the spatiotemporal distribution and trends over time in overweight/obesity. Factors contributing to change in overweight/obesity were examined using a logit-based multivariate decomposition analysis.Results: Overweight/obesity increased from 14.2% in 2005 to 21% in 2016. Approximately 61.3% of the overall increase in overweight/obesity among urban women was due to the difference in coefficient (difference in the effect of characteristics) across the surveys. Changes in the composition of women aged 25-49 years (β = 0.012, 95% CI 0.008, 0.015), married women (β = 0.010, 95% CI 0.006, 0.014), women with formal education (primary: β = 0.007, 95% CI 0.003, 0.011, higher education: β = 0.014, 95% CI 0.006, 0.022), women with formal employment (β = 0.006, 95% CI 0.001, 0.011), and women with informal employment (β = - 0.002, 95% CI - 0.003, - 0.0004) were factors contributing to the change in overweight/obesity from 2005 to 2016. The risk difference (RD) in women's overweight/obesity significantly varied across regions in urban Ethiopia. Furthermore, a high proportion of overweight/obesity was found mainly in Tigray, Oromia, Amhara, and Addis Ababa.Conclusions: The rate of overweight/obesity among women in urban Ethiopia has shown a significant increase over the last 11 years. This rate change was due to changes in the composition of women's age, educational status, marital status, and employment status. Therefore, program interventions should be targeted at older (> 25 years), educated, married, Addis Ababa residents, and formally employed women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the acceleration of social transformation and “mediatization,” urban women’s parenting practices have become an important factor affecting the demographic structure and national development. The global COVID19 pandemic has further contributed to the networking of social life and the creation of “Internet moms” who rely on the Internet for parenting interactions. Using a mixed-methods design, this paper conducted participant observation and in-depth interviews with 90 mothers from various industries born after 1980/1990 across multiple geographies in China to examine the impact of urban women’s Internet practices on the psychology and practice of parenting during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as how they were empowered by media technologies to practice motherhood and complete their role socialization through the sharing of parenting information, experiences, and actions. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the changing impact of Internet-based parenting practices on Chinese urban women’s daily lives during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the analysis of these influences, it was found that the whole society, including urban parenting groups, paid attention to self-expression and selfworth and further hoped to arouse society’s recognition, face up to the identity of “mother” and “female,” and give more attention and support to women. The study also found that, as interpersonal communication channels were hindered during the COVID-19 pandemic, the power of the Internet, represented by social media, has created a new platform for information empowerment, action mutual, and ideation of motherhood for urban women formerly bound to family and parenting matters. From individual, family, and individual parenting experiences to group, social, and shared scenarios, urban women are engaged in emotional and memory interactions, including motherhood-related expression, experiences, and collaboration. This shift from virtual to physical has reshaped their parenting view, helping them break through the confines of family experience and traditional customs in addition to providing psychological motivation to express their gender concepts, shape their self-image, construct gender power, and interpret intimate relationships, pushing them to become more reflective of the times, as well as more capable and authoritative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the utmost active practices is to adopt an inclusive growth policy to achieve economic growth. An inclusive growth means include the excluded population into all benefits. Financial inclusion is a financial upliftment process, to help poor, slum, backward and women to come out from the poverty trap. Financial inclusion means inclusion of excluded population to access formal financial services like savings, borrowings, insurance and pension from formal financial institutions. For constructing strong financial system, it is very necessary to know first that whether sources of financial services are actually reaching to the unreached people; the awareness among people for the formal financial services i.e., financial literacy and inclusion of the excluded population by providing banking services. Among socio-economic problems in India, gender inequality is one of the major affecting problems. A noteworthy access gap has taken place between male and female regardless of significant development in broadening access to formal financial products in the country. The main objectives of this research are to examine nature and extent of accessing major financial inclusion services including Government financial inclusion programs by urban women and to analyze the determinants of financial inclusion for urban women of Ahmedabad district (having highest urban female population in Gujarat). Primary data collection method is used through semi-structured questionnaire. Probit model is constructed to analyze the financial inclusion determinants of urban women of Ahmedabad district. Considered major financial inclusion services are opening bank account, savings, borrowings and insurance. Major finding of this study is that poor urban women are being considered as less benefitted from financial inclusion services, where in-migration, financial literacy and borrowings were found to significantly influence the participation of urban women in financial inclusion programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that urban women grapple with spatial disequilibrium to claim their right over the city and experience its repercussions through dispossession and displacement. To develop this argument I have selected Mohsin Hamid's How to get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia (2013) to explore the relationship of gender with space under the aegis of cultural and economic marginalization of women. In the light of feminist scholarship, I have investigated how women strive to settle in urban space by challenging the resurrections of invisible oppression of gender inequalities. The paper also investigates how urban women develop critical spatial consciousness and resist the structures of exclusion and segregation. The paper concludes that the uneven socio-economic intrusions are making the developing Asian urban-space serendipitously violent and hostile for women, thus remaining disconnected in deconstructing the invisible inequalities of spatial exclusion and displacement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Postpartum family planning (PPFP) helps women space childbirths, increase exclusive breastfeeding and prevent unintended pregnancies, leading to reduction in maternal, infant and child morbidities and mortality. Unmet need of family planning is highest among women in the postpartum period due to lack of knowledge, cultural and religious barriers, access barriers and low antenatal care service utilization. However, in spite of low prevalence of postpartum family planning practices, birth-to-birth interval is reportedly high in Delhi, India. This study explores the postpartum contraception practices and the relationship between use of postpartum contraception and subsequent child linear growth.Methods: This is a mixed method cohort study on PPFP and is nested within an ongoing "Women and Infants Integrated Interventions for Growth Study" (WINGS). Married women aged 18-30 years who have delivered a live baby are recruited for quantitative interviews at 6 weeks, 6, 12, and 24 months postpartum. In-depth interviews are conducted with a randomly selected sub-sample of women at each of the four time points, 35 husbands and 20 local service providers to understand their perspectives on PPFP practices.Discussion: The findings from the study will provide useful insights into couples' contraception preferences and choice of contraception, modern and traditional, initiation time and the effect of birth spacing and contraception use on subsequent linear growth of the child. This knowledge will be of significant public health relevance and will help in designing appropriate interventions for appropriate postpartum contraception use and delivery strategies. The study aims to work address the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights goal of promoting reproductive health, voluntary and safe sexual and reproductive choices for women.Trial Registration: Trial registration number: CTRI/2020/03/023954 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A quarter of 400 million urban Indian residents are poor. Urban poor women are as undernourished as or worse than rural women but urban averages mask this disparity. We present the spectrum of malnutrition and their determinants for more than 26,000 urban women who gave birth within 5 years from the last two rounds of Demographic Health Survey 2006 and 2016. Among urban mothers in the lowest quartile by wealth index (urban poor), 12.8% (95% CI [11.3%, 14.5%]) were short or with height < 145 cm; 20.6% (95% CI [19%, 22.3%]) were thin or with body mass index < 18.5 kg/m2; 57.4% (95% CI [55.5%, 59.3%]) had any anaemia (haemoglobin < 12 g/dL), whereas 32.4% (95% CI [30.5%, 34.3%]) had moderate to severe anaemia; and 21.1% (95% CI [19.3%, 23%]) were obese (body mass index ≥ 25 kg/m2). Decadal gains were significant for thinness reduction (17p.p.) but obesity increased by 12 p.p. Belonging to a tribal household increased odds of thinness by 1.5 (95% CI [1.06, 2.18]) times among urban poor mothers compared with other socially vulnerable groups. Secondary education reduced odds of thinness (0.61; 95% CI [0.48, 0.77]) and higher education of short stature (0.41; 95% CI [0.18, 0.940]). Consuming milk/milk products, pulses/beans/eggs/meats, and dark green leafy vegetables daily reduced the odds of short stature (0.52; 95% CI [0.35, 0.78]) and thinness (0.72; 95% CI [0.54, 0.98]). Urban poor mothers should be screened for nutritional risks due to the high prevalence of all forms of malnutrition and counselled or treated as per risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study attempts to understand and anlayse the skill and capacity of women through social mobilisation. It is proved that the Self Help Groups (SHGs) played a key role in mobilizing the poor towards developing the habit of saving and avail credit from financial institutions. Social Mobilisation has been adopted as an appropriate approach to mobilise the local communities which is essential to carry out any intervention. The main objective of the study is envisioned to identify the enhancement of skill and capacity of the women through social mobilization. The methodology for the study is Survey research and describes the skills and capacities of the women of Urban SHGs. Multi stage sampling was employed to collect data from 14 SHGs comprising of 156 SHG members. The results revealed that participation of group members in SHGs increase their literacy skills, communication skills, banking skills and vocational skills. Also it is evident that a vast majority of the women (77.6%) do not have any vocational skills which indicates there is huge need of training women in vocational as well as entrepreneurship skills to generate income. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study attempts to understand and anlayse the skill and capacity of women through social mobilisation. It is proved that the Self Help Groups (SHGs) played a key role in mobilizing the poor towards developing the habit of saving and avail credit from financial institutions. Social Mobilisation has been adopted as an appropriate approach to mobilise the local communities which is essential to carry out any intervention. The main objective of the study is envisioned to identify the enhancement of skill and capacity of the women through social mobilization. The methodology for the study is Survey research and describes the skills and capacities of the women of Urban SHGs. Multi stage sampling was employed to collect data from 14 SHGs comprising of 156 SHG members. The results revealed that participation of group members in SHGs increase their literacy skills, communication skills, banking skills and vocational skills. Also it is evident that a vast majority of the women (77.6%) do not have any vocational skills which indicates there is huge need of training women in vocational as well as entrepreneurship skills to generate income. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orientalist and liberal-modernist underpinnings of postconflict gender programming in Afghanistan narrowly construct Afghan women's rights and freedoms, moving them away from the traditional domestic sphere (reliance on religious and cultural worldviews, local institutions, and informal markets) and toward a distinct path of Western liberal (colonial) modernity, focusing on women's public roles, formal political participation, state-centric legal rights, and neoliberal market participation. This liberal-modernist bias has meant that the women's rights agenda is bound to the few contested, hypermilitarized, and politically fragile pockets of liberal publics that are unevenly dispersed across the country and that have limited accessibility for most women. The pull to the masculine-militarized liberal publics is juxtaposed against an Orientalist framing of a stiflingly traditional society from which Afghan women are expected to flee simply because emancipatory possibilities are deemed impossible within it. This article argues that countless rural and urban women are, for many reasons, unable to or lack the desire to enter the liberal public and may not even have the choice or desire to retreat from the interpenetrating spaces of customs, values, traditions, culture, and religion. In failing to account for the complexities of women's lives, gender programming has failed to offer a broad-based, inclusive, or flexible approach to women's rights and gender relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Common mental disorders (CMDs) such as somatization and anxiety are prevalent in general practice. These are twice more common in women. Objectives: The objective of this study is to estimate the prevalence and determinants of somatization and anxiety among adult women in an urban population of Kochi. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1210 adult women of Kochi in 2016–2017. The Patient Health Questionnaire-15; the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 questionnaire; the Hurt, Insult, Threaten, and Scream tool; and a semi-structured questionnaire were used to estimate the prevalence of somatization and anxiety. Descriptive statistics and univariate and multivariate analysis were done for factors associated with CMDs. Results: Most of the respondents were married (77.7%), with a mean age of 45.24 ± 15.59. In the current study, 40.8% (95% confidence interval [CI] =38.09–43.62) had somatization and 23.9% (95% CI = 21.57–26.37) had anxiety disorders. In the final logistic regression model, hypertension, perception of illness, positive family history of mental illness, and arthritis were the four determinants common to somatization and anxiety. Menstrual problems (odds ratio [OR] =3.19; 95% CI = 1.12–5.9), cardiac illness (OR = 2.31; 95% CI = 1.08–4.9), and history of major surgeries (OR = 1.62; 95% CI = 1.14–2.41) were independent determinants of somatization. The status of being single (OR = 1.71; 95% CI = 1.25–2.32), adverse life circumstances (OR = 5.85; 95% CI = 3.98–8.6), diabetes (OR = 2.04; 95% CI = 1.25–3.34), sleep problems (OR = 1.64; 95% CI = 1.77–2.91), and history of drug use (OR = 4.89; 95% CI = 1.92–12.46) were independent determinants of anxiety. Conclusion: Mental health services for urban women deserve immediate attention as the prevalence of somatization and anxiety is high. Hence, it is important to screen for somatization and anxiety among women with noncommunicable diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study explores within-gender differences in domestic labor by studying housework variations across five different groups of women in contemporary China. We defined five groups of women according to their urbanization status in general and hukou (i.e., household registration) in particular. (a) Rural natives are women with rural hukou who have stayed in rural areas, (b) rural migrants are women with rural hukou who have migrated to an urban area but have not obtained an urban hukou, (c) policy-based converters are women with rural origins who have converted to being urban residents due to policy privileges, (d) merit-based converters are women with rural origins who have converted to urban residents because of their merit (i.e., education), and (e) urban natives are those who are born urban hukou holders. Multivariate results on a national dataset with 2186 partnered women (aged 18–60) revealed that among women with rural origins, converters spent the least time on housework, rural natives the most, and rural migrants fell in between. Successful converters, particularly merit-based converters, expressed the strongest desire to pursue gender equality and deliberately devoted less time to domestic work. Additional Propensity Score Matching (PSM) analysis that compared women who have migrated to cities with women who have stayed in rural areas provides evidence that moving to urban areas has a negative association with women's housework time, irrespective of their official household registration status, no matter whether they are migrant women who are not officially recognized or are successfully converted urban women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the role of grandparental childcare in China's extraordinarily high female labor-market participation rate. Indeed, the high female labor-market participation and low laborincome penalty for childbirth is all the more remarkable given the lack of public subsidies for childcare. Using a novel and high-quality dataset, we find that childcare provided by retired grandparents significantly reduces the duration of career breaks for young women and helps women remain in the labor force. We further show that well-educated urban women benefit most from grandparental childcare, especially in the first three years of the child's life before there is a possibility to enter kindergarten. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Menopause is a part of every woman's life. It is a transition from reproductive to non- reproductive stage. Many women experience menopausal symptoms during menopausal transition and postmenopausal years. A study was conducted on 50 menopausal women belonging to urban community from Chandigarh to determine the age at menopause and prevalence of menopausal problems. Information was collected through predesigned and pretested questionnaire cum interview schedule. Menopausal symptoms were assessed by menopause rating scale (MRS) which included vasomotor, psychosomatic, psychological, urinary complaints and others. Anthropometric measurements were also taken to assess the nutritional status. In the present study, the mean age at menopause was 48.0 years ± 3.44. The present study revealed that physical exhaustion (96%) was the most common menopausal symptom experienced by the respondents. Psychological symptoms like depressive mood (92%), irritability (86%) and anxiety (80%) were also prevalent among majority of the respondents. Three- fourth of the respondents experienced hot flushes (76%) and joint and muscular discomfort (72%). More than half of the respondents experienced heart discomfort (56%) and bladder problems (52%). About 44 per cent were having sexual problems while 32 per cent complained of vaginal dryness. So as the menopausal symptoms were quite common, there is a need to educate and generate awareness among menopausal women about the menopause phase and its associated symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The escalating prevalence of overweight and obesity globally is reflected amongst urban women in many low-to-middle income countries. Evidence also shows that overweight and obesity is an increasing trend in Bangladesh. The present study assessed the prevalence and socioeconomic determinants of overweight and obesity among urban women in Bangladesh.Methods: Data were extracted from Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) 2014. A two-stage stratified sampling technique has been used for data collection in this cross-sectional survey. A sample of 1701 ever-married non-pregnant urban women aged 15-49 years was selected for statistical analysis. Descriptive analysis, multiple binomial logistic regression analysis were executed in this study.Results: The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 34% (95% CI, 0.30-0.38) among urban Bangladeshi women. The probability of being overweight and obese increased with increasing age and wealth index. The likelihood of being overweight and obese among the oldest women surveyed (40-49 years) was 4.3 times (OR = 4.3, 95% CI: 2.1-8.8) higher relative to the youngest women (15-19 years). The wealthiest women had 4.1 times (OR = 4.1, 95% CI: 2.5-6.7) higher likelihood of being overweight and obese compared to the reference group of poorest women. Women having higher education (OR = 1.7, 95% CI: 1.0-2.6) were more likely to be overweight and obese. However, women who were no longer living with their husband or separated from their husband were (OR = 0.4, 95% CI: 0.2-0.8) less likely to be overweight and obese.Conclusion: This study provides evidence that a large number of urban women were overweight and obese in Bangladesh. Women having higher levels of education, being older and belonging in both poorer and richest wealth quintile were at risk of being overweight and obese. Appropriate health promoting interventions based on these factors should be envisaged to reduce this problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Solomon Islands (SI) mandated wheat flour fortification in 2010. Rice is a key staple food in SI, and its fortification may provide an opportunity to deliver additional micronutrients to the population.Objective: To determine whether fortified rice (proposed) and fortified wheat flour potentially benefit women of reproductive age (WRA).Methods: We analyzed data from the 2012-2013 Household Income and Expenditure Survey to quantify food purchases, which served as a proxy for food consumption. We accounted for varied household composition by using adult male equivalent (AME) adjustments.Results: Among 4478 households, 95.6% purchased rice and 86.6% purchased at least 1 food containing fortified wheat flour in the previous 14 days. Median apparent intake of rice among WRA was 205 g/d/AME. If fortified according to proposed standards, this apparent intake could result in the consumption of 12.3 mg iron/d, fulfilling 44% of the estimated average requirement (EAR), and 226 µg folic acid/d, satisfying 57% of World Health Organization's recommended intake of 400 µg/d. Overall, apparent rice consumption could fulfill 113%, 114%, and 131% of the EAR for WRA for zinc, thiamin, and niacin, respectively. Fortified wheat flour was consumed in much lower quantities, with an estimated apparent median intake of 22 g/d/AME among WRA and 78 g/d/AME among women in urban populations.Conclusions: The potential benefit of fortified wheat flour in SI is likely limited to urban populations. Apparent consumption of fortified rice in SI could contribute considerably to daily intake of iron, B vitamins including folic acid, and zinc among WRA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of research study was to examine the participation of women in community development programs in urban area in Balochistan. This research study tried to know the influencing motives women to participate in community development programs. From a past viewpoint, women have experienced and survived many hard conditions. These have included deprivation, poverty and injustice, all of which have led to their poor socio-economic status. The study used quantitative methods. The purposive sampling method was used. Data were collected using the interview schedule for quantitative data. The total number of respondents were 100 from various Non- Governmental Organizations (BRSP, IDO, Mercy Corps). According to the study findings the participation of women in community development programs had a very positive and result oriented effect because though these various programs they ensure livelihood for their families and women resources were also developed. The study recommended that women participation should be ensured towards sustainable development in Balochistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines imprisonment data from Victoria between 1860 and 1920 to gather insights into the variations in incidence of women being convicted by rural versus urban courts, including close focus on the difference in types of offences being committed in urban and rural locations. This paper also details women's mobility between both communities as well as change in their offending profiles based on their geographic locations. Our findings suggest that while the authorities were broadly most concerned with removing disorderly and vagrant women from both urban and rural streets, rural offending had its own characteristics that differentiate it from urban offending. Therefore, this demonstrates that when examining female offending, geographic location of an offender and offence must be taken into consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Babylon Center for Humanities Studies is the property of Republic of Iraq Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MOHESR) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper deals with the portrayal of contemporary Chinese middle-class urban women in fictional works by the writer Pan Xiangli. Most of the stories are set in present-day Shanghai and describe the female universe against the backdrop of the metropolis. By focusing on the psychology of her characters, on the feelings that arise from their personal experiences while they work hard in their pursuit of brilliant careers, and by illustrating their particular perspective on romance and marriage, Pan Xiangli provides the reader with a unique insight into the collective imagination of Chinese women in an urban environment and reflects upon the issue of gender consciousness in time of globalisation. Her fiction suggests that a latent sense of discontent and malaise is connected to modernity; even though materialism and consumerism drive the actions of her characters, they are also closely related to feelings of disappointment and failure. Through the analysis of some short stories by Pan Xiangli, which not only mirror the new values and ambitions of China's emerging metropolitan middle-class after the turn of the century, but also illustrate the challenges women are confronted with in the context of the city, this paper will show that female characters go through a process of reinvention and renegotiation of their individual sphere, whilst dealing with unprecedented competition in the job market, loneliness, and misunderstandings caused by their own emancipation. They are therefore compelled to find new ways of establishing personal and social relationships. Pan Xiangli's works are examined in the context of 21st century Chinese literature written by women and new urban fiction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: National Family Health Survey (NFHS) reported that percentage of women who were obese at age group 15 - 49 years increased from 11% to 15% from NFHS - 2 to NFHS - 3. In rural parts, under nutrition is more predominant, but in urban areas, obesity and overweight are more than three times higher, which may be owing to less physical activity levels in urban. The prevalence of obesity is greater for urban women and it is largely preventable through changes in lifestyle. It is important to assess the individual's knowledge about the link between food, physical work, and obesity in planning any intervention strategies. So it is necessary to explore the knowledge, attitude, and practices on obesity before planning any intervention programs. Objective: To assess Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices (KAP) on obesity among obese homemakers in urban Udupi Method: A cross-sectional study was carried out among obese homemakers residing in urban Udupi. A total of 180 obese homemakers were recruited from 30 wards in urban Udupi community based on BMI criteria within the age group of 30 to 45 years. An investigator developed KAP questionnaire on obesity was administered to the participants. Results: The mean age of study population was 36.77 years. In knowledge section, 45% respondents had a low level of knowledge regarding obesity. 51.7% had a negative attitude towards obesity and 76% had a poor practice related to obesity. Conclusion: Women who are obese and homemakers by occupation residing in the urban community had a limited knowledge, negative attitude and worst in practices related to obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Household and ambient air pollution are jointly responsible for about 7 million premature deaths annually. Women living in slums, with unhealthy environment, both indoors and outdoors, particularly those living close to industrial and/or vehicular pollution zones due to multiple sources of air pollution, are at the higher risk of having impaired lung function tests. Objective: The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of abnormal lung functions and to identify the environmental risk factors associated with them among adult women of 18--59 years. Materials and Methods: A total of 550 women aged 18--59 years were approached in a representative urban slum. Five hundred consented to participate and 299 had prebronchodilator spirometry satisfying ATS standards. House visits to assess environmental conditions were conducted to determine their association with forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC). Chi-square test was used to test the association of risk factors with lung functions. ANOVA was used to test the association of mean values of FEV1 and FVC with age. Results: Out of 299 participants with acceptable spirometric curves, 5% had reduced FEV1/FVC ratio than the normal and 26.8% and 17.4% had lower values than predicted for FVC and FEV1, respectively. Altered lung function was related to age, tobacco smoking, and history of respiratory disease. Conclusions: Both ambient and household air pollution have a deleterious pulmonary effect on long-term women residents of a representative urban slum in Delhi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The pre-pubertal socioeconomic environment may be an important determinant of age at menarche, adult height, body proportions and adiposity: traits closely linked to adolescent and adult health. Aims: This study explored differences in age at menarche, adult height, relative leg-length and waist circumference between rural and urban black South African young adult women, who are at different stages of the nutrition and epidemiologic transitions. Subjects and methods: We compared 18-23 year-old black South African women, 482 urban-dwelling from Soweto and 509 from the rural Mpumalanga province. Age at menarche, obstetric history and household socio-demographic and economic information were recorded using interview-administered questionnaires. Height, sitting-height, hip and waist circumference were measured using standardised techniques. Results: Urban and rural black South African women differed in their age at menarche (at ages 12.7 and 14.5 years, respectively). In urban women, a one-year increase in age at menarche was associated with a 0.65 cm and 0.16% increase in height and relative leg-length ratio, respectively. In both settings, earlier age at menarche and shorter relative leg-length were independently associated with an increase in waist circumference. Conclusions: In black South African women, the earlier onset of puberty, and consequently an earlier growth cessation process, may lead to central fat mass accumulation in adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanization has caused rapid changes in dietary pattern and physical activity. Due to urbanization, consumption of processed and street foods is increasing in India. Cardiovascular risk factors like obesity and hypertension are on rise. The objective of present study was to analyse the daily salt, fat intake, frequency of consumption of street foods and fried salted snacks in women (n=1500) belonging to low and lower middle income group in the city of Mumbai and to examine its effects on obesity and blood pressure. Our study reported positive correlation of salt, namkeens (fried salted snacks) and street food intake, with body mass index (BMI), body fat percentage (BF%), systolic (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP). Also, fat intake was positively associated with BMI and BF%. Mean SBP (F=8.638, P=0.000) and DBP (F=7.134, P=0.000) were significantly different across the street food intake quartiles. Thus there is need to make healthier options available to consumers with combined efforts of food vendors and manufacturers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modest increases in women's labor force participation rates could boost world GDP by at least six trillion dollars; full equality for women could increase world GDP by $28 trillion. One factor limiting women's labor force participation may be religion. We test the effect of religion on women's labor force participation rates in Indonesia. Using data from Indonesia's 2010 Census, we run a logit model for married rural women, married urban women, single rural women, and single urban women. We find that holding other factors equal, married Hindu women in urban areas are as much as 31 percentage points more likely to work than married Muslim urban women, while married Confucian women in rural areas are as much as 31 percentage points less likely to work than married Muslim rural women. These and other results are robust across different specifications and are both economically and statistically significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Maternal mortality ratio in Nigeria is among the highest in the world with an estimated 160 women dying every day of complications related to pregnancy and childbirth. In addition to appropriate management of complications related to pregnancy and childbirth, preventing unwanted pregnancies is an effective way to reduce maternal deaths. Identifying potentially modifiable factors associated with the achievement of fertility intentions is critical for developing behavior change interventions that will contribute to reducing maternal mortality.Methods: The data analyzed came from a longitudinal design with data collected in 2010/2011 and 2014 from the same group of women of reproductive age in six Nigerian cities. The data were collected as part of efforts to evaluate the effects of the Nigerian Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (NURHI). A total of 10,672 women were interviewed at the two points in time but the analyses in this manuscript were limited to 1921 in-union women who reported that they desired no more children at baseline in 2010/2011. The principal analytic method was multivariable regression adjusted for clustering at the enumeration area level. The analysis controlled for socio-demographic and household variables, ideational characteristics, and contraceptive use at baseline.Results: About two thirds of the women who desired no more children at baseline have neither had any children nor were pregnant at endline. The strongest predictors of the achievement of fertility intentions include parity, age, religion, residence, spousal communication about family size, perceived severity of another pregnancy, and spousal agreement about family size.Conclusion: A comprehensive strategy to help women avoid unwanted pregnancies should include efforts to increase women's understanding about effective ways to prevent unplanned pregnancies and strengthen self-efficacy for contraceptive use. Promoting spousal communication about reproductive issues, engaging men, promoting smaller family sizes and changing pronatalist attitudes should also be part of such a strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: We identified perceived barriers and facilitators to purchasing fruits and vegetables (FV) at farmers' markets, FV shopping practices, and reactions to a planned online lesson to promote farmers' market use among urban, inner-city WIC-enrolled women. Methods: Thirteen focus groups were conducted with 3-5 participants each (N = 54). Results: Common barriers were structural (transportation issues) and informational (not knowing the locations of markets). Improving access (by increasing the number of area markets, expanding market hours and locations, and increasing transportation options to markets) and raising awareness of the importance of eating healthfully were common facilitators. Information was sought on the locations of farmers who accept FV vouchers provided by WIC, FV sold at farmers' markets, reasons to eat locally grown FV, and FV food safety and preparation skills. Questions were raised about the accessibility of an online lesson; providing information via inperson seminars and handouts also was recommended. Although purchasing FV at supermarkets and corner stores and bodegas was common, concerns were expressed about the freshness, cost, quality, and variety of produce sold at these venues. Conclusions: Findings aid understanding of factors to consider in designing interventions to promote farmers' market use in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gaps remain in understanding whether family planning (FP) programs can change urban women's FP behaviors. Even less is known about what works among poor urban women. This article presents results of the impact evaluation of the Nigerian Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (NURHI). Findings are based on recently collected longitudinal data from women and facilities in six cities in Nigeria. Over the four-year follow-up period, there was an increase of about ten percentage points in modern method use. Impact evaluation analyses using fixed-effects regression methods indicate that both demand- and supply-side program activities increased modern method use. Radio, television, community events, and living near program-enrolled health facilities all significantly increased modern method use or were related to a desire for no more children among all women and among poor women. Results are discussed with an eye toward the design and scale-up of future family planning programs in urban Nigeria and elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Estudios Demográficos y Urbanos is the property of El Colegio de Mexico AC and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Key difference between rural and urban household is the adaptation of new cooking technologies and fuels. Rural areas use traditional cooking utensils such as deep cooking pot, clay water pot, and earthenware while utensils generally used in urban areas are stainless steel, Teflon and microwave compatible plastics and glass for cooking. Nutritional deficiency not only lead to severe illness but also physical development, psychic behavior and susceptibility to infection. Much of the urban population and all rural population still use traditional cooking utensils such as clay and aluminum pots. Unlike modern utensils, traditional one do not have a protective layer of inert material to prevent contamination of food. Objectives: To study physical fitness in rural population using traditional methods. To study physical fitness in urban population using modern methods To find out difference of physical fitness in rural and urban population Method: Ethical clearance was obtained from the Institutional Ethical Committee. 190 subjects were selected between the age group 25 to 50 years, all female. They were selected according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. They were made to perform physical fitness tests based on strength, power and endurance. According to which conclusion was made. Result: a statistical analysis for rural women was significant depending on physical fitness tests while it was not significant for urban women. Conclusion: the majority of participants who were more physically fit were from rural population. The study concluded that there is a difference between the physical fitness in rural and urban women. As there are different methods of cooking, there is a difference in the fitness levels as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proverbs 1–9 is often said to have a city background that contrasts with the agricultural imagery dominant in the maxims sections. However, this is an oversimplification. There are also maxims in the main Proverbs collection that concern the city, and the city background revealed within Proverbs 1–9 links up with the portrayal of the ‘capable wife’ in Proverbs 31:10–33. Having established the presence of city references throughout Proverbs, this article explores how the portrayal of Woman Wisdom and Woman Folly in particular gives fascinating insight into the heart of happenings in the Israelite city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper concerns women's life chances by investigating the relationship between women's employment status and their subjective well-being. Based on the segmented labor market structure in urban China, we divide urban women into three groups, i.e., women working in the public sector, women working in the private sector, and women who are not in the labor market. Analyzing data from the 2013 Chinese General Social Survey, we find that (1) married women in better family economic situations are more likely to opt out of the labor force; (2) compared to women working in the public sector, women working in the private sector spend more hours in paid work per week; and (3) among the three groups, women working in the private sector have the lowest level of subjective well-being. Adopting the new institutionalist perspective, we propose three mechanisms, i.e., family patronage, institutional patronage, and work-family conflict, to interpret the empirical findings. Our research highlights how women's employment and subjective well-being are shaped both by institutional context and normative environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay argues that UN projected population growth will not only lead to more Muslims in Asia’s cities in a purely numerical sense, but also to more Muslim cities in a proportional and cultural sense through the continuation of existing trajectories of ‘de-cosmopolitanization’. Urban life will be deeply affected by this increasing shift from cities that are not merely majority Muslim, but are also increasingly Muslim in moral, social or political terms. Inevitably such changes will affect the lives of urban citizens, none more so than women. The essay then asks whether population growth will allow these cities to maintain their ‘globalizing’ trajectory of increasing interconnection. Having framed its analysis around the ‘hard’ outcomes of demographic change, the analysis then turns to ‘soft’ outcomes by tackling the question of the likely contours of the increasingly divergent versions of Islam produced by the competitive religious economies of the modern Asian city. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The multiple responsibilities faced by married women in Thailand have made work-life balance an important issue for policymakers, as long work hours and lack of time for socializing and leisure can lead to a deterioration of health and well-being. Using the merged 2009 Thailand Labour Force Survey and National Time Use Survey data, the paper examines work-life balance situations by analyzing the determinants of unpaid work, market work and leisure time among 12,437 married individuals aged 25 to 60 years old. Rural women cope with tensions between their market work and household tasks by reducing their leisure time. Urban women manage their care responsibilities by reducing their time spent on market work. Although both women and men confront tensions between household and market work and between work and leisure, the tensions are likely to be more intense for women, affecting their participation in the labour market as well as their ability to achieve a healthy work-life balance. Some policy options to address this issue conclude this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]