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Parenting significantly influences youth development, yet there's a dearth of research on measuring parenting among LGBTQIA+ caregivers, or caregivers of LGBTQIA+ children (hereafter LGBTQIA+ families). In this systematic review we identified and evaluated the psychometrics of parenting scales validated for this population. The inclusion criteria encompassed studies with LGBTQIA+ families in major databases and secondary sources, psychometric assessment, and English language. Eight studies validating ten scales measuring parenting practices, parental attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions were identified. Generally, studies reported promising psychometrics, showing evidence of construct validity in all and reliability in seven. However, the review also unveiled crucial gaps: a paucity of scales validated among LGBTQIA+ fathers, and predominantly featured non-Hispanic White participants. Findings underscore the necessity for more inclusive samples that reflect the diversity of LGBTQIA+ families. The validation of parenting scales is crucial for understanding parenting in LGBTQIA+ families and developing parenting interventions to promote their well-being., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Intravaginal practices (IVPs) refer to placing items (e.g., water, soap, commercial douches, fingers, rags) inside the vagina. IVPs have been shown to contribute to the development of bacterial vaginosis (BV) and may increase sexually transmitted infections and HIV risk. We developed the Intravaginal Practices Questionnaire (IVQ). The purpose of this study was to validate the IVQ, with the goal of establishing a consistent method of assessing IVP across studies. Women enrolled in this study (n = 180) were on average 30 years of age (SD = 8.32). Half (54%) identified as non-Hispanic, and 45% identified as Black; 41% reported lifetime IVP. Past month IVP use included commercial douches (9%), water (35%), fingers (41%), soap (21%), cloths/rags/wipes (10%), and vinegar (3%), which were placed in the vagina. No women used yogurt or herbs. An exploratory factor analysis indicated that a single-factor structure best explained the underlying constructs in participant responses in six endorsed items assessing commercial douches, water, fingers, soap, clothes/rags/ wipes, and vinegar use, suggesting that a common factor underlies these behaviors. All factor loadings were > 0.496. Cronbach's α was 0.99, suggesting that the reliability of the scale was excellent. Lastly, a total IVQ score was related to BV diagnosis (p = .007) as well as self-reported symptoms of BV (p = .034). Results illustrate that the IVQ has adequate psychometric properties. This tool may be used by public health experts and clinicians to identify IVPs that may potentially increase HIV risk., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Purpose: Measuring perinatal depression in women with HIV poses a challenge to accurate assessment. South Africa has particularly high rates of perinatal depression, with antenatal depression rates ranging from 21 to 47% and postnatal depression rates ranging from 17 to 50%. With the goal of providing an examination of the psychometric properties of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) in a population at greater risk for depression, the current manuscript examined the factor structures and reliability of the English and Zulu versions of the EPDS among pre- and postnatal women with HIV in South Africa., Methods: This study included n = 1179 women who completed the EPDS in Zulu (n = 709) and English (n = 470) antenatally, and n = 866 women were analyzed at 12-months after birth (n = 494 in Zulu and n = 372 in English)., Results: Using factor analytic and item response theory approaches, the English and Zulu versions of the EPDS were compared. Although a few items performed poorly, particularly item 4, the construct validity of the English and Zulu versions of the pre- and postnatally administered EPDS was supported; the reliability of the scale was also supported, with adequate reliability in Zulu and English ante-natally (α = .78), and postnatally (α = .82 and α = .77 respectively)., Discussion: This study contributes to improved measurement of depressive symptoms among vulnerable women in a resource constrained setting. The early and accurate detection of depressive symptoms ante- and postnatally among perinatal women living with HIV can facilitate increased treatment which may in turn help prevent the negative maternal and neonatal outcomes associated with depression., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Introduction: This study aimed to investigate the association between Male Partner Involvement (MPI) and maternal health outcomes among women attending Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT) services in rural South Africa. The association between Male Partner Participation in the main study (MPP) and maternal health outcomes among these women was also investigated., Methods: The study utilized data collected from 535 HIV infected women in a randomized controlled trial between 2015 and 2016. Maternal health outcome data (delivery mode, pregnancy systolic and diastolic blood pressure, pregnancy body mass index, pregnancy CD4 count, and pregnancy viral load) were collected from the women's antenatal record forms accessed from the primary healthcare facilities. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate the association between socio-demographic characteristics of the women, MPI, and MPP with maternal health outcomes., Results: The mean age of the women was 29.03 years (SD = 5.89). No significant associations were found between MPI and any of the maternal health outcomes contrary to what was hypothesized. Both the bivariate and multivariate analysis indicated a significant association between MPP and higher pregnancy viral load, contrary to the study hypothesis. Insignificant associations were found between MPP and both pregnancy CD4 count and pregnancy blood pressure. The only significant association between maternal health outcomes and socio-demographic characteristics, was between educational attainment and higher pregnancy CD4 count in both the bivariate and multivariate analysis., Conclusion for Practice: The study showed no significant support for MPI in improving maternal health outcomes of women in PMTCT in rural South Africa. Future studies should include additional maternal health outcomes for investigation.

Purpose: Women in South Africa also have high rates of depression and intimate partner violence, and they often co-occur. Women living with HIV who experience IPV are particularly likely to experience elevated levels of depressive symptoms and such symptoms are more likely to persist. Although the association between IPV and depression has been examined extensively, the role of depression on IPV has not. Therefore, this study examined the bidirectional association between intimate partner violence (IPV) and depression in South Africa (SA)., Method: Participants were N= 699 pregnant women with HIV in rural SA who completed measures of depressive symptoms and IPV at baseline ( M= 17.52±5.77 weeks of pregnancy), 32 weeks antenatally, and 6- and 12-months postnatally., Results: Depressive symptoms were linked to increased psychological IPV from baseline to 32-weeks, and from 32-weeks to 6-months. However, from 6-months to 12-months, depressive symptoms were associated with decreased psychological IPV. Psychological IPV was linked to depressive symptoms from baseline to 32-weeks. Depressive symptoms were associated with physical IPV from 32-weeks to 6-months, and 6-months to 12-months. Physical IPV was associated with increased depressive symptoms from baseline to 32-weeks, and from 32-weeks to 6-months., Conclusions: Findings merit replication, as there may be measurement differences of psychological IPV in SA. However, targeting depressive symptoms and IPV concurrently in prevention and intervention programs may help optimize maternal and child outcomes in the context of prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest. The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.