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The study contributes to the understanding of the societal impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in the Global South by examining longer term implications of pandemic-induced disruptions and deprivations for social ties and psychosocial well-being. Using data from a survey of middle-aged women in rural Mozambique, the author finds a negative association between the pandemic-triggered household economic decline and perceived changes in the quality of relations with marital partners, non-coresident children, and relatives, but not with generally more distant actors, such as coreligionists and neighbors. In turn, multivariable analyses detect a positive association of changes in the quality of family and kin ties with participants' life satisfaction, regardless of other factors. Yet women's expectations for changes in their household living conditions in the near future show a significant association only with changes in the quality of relations with marital partners. The author situates these findings within the context of women's enduring vulnerabilities in low-income patriarchal settings.

The Russian Federation is a major immigrant-receiving nation and hosts large immigrant populations from post-Soviet countries including Central Asia. However, there is yet little research on their health needs, and especially on mental health of immigrant women. This study uses qualitative data from 72 interviews with women from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan conducted in two large cities in Central Russia, Kazan and Nizhny Novgorod, from April 2014 to February 2017. This study examines psychological distress among immigrant women and applies a gendered socioecological lens to understand its causes. We have identified intersecting factors that operate at different levels and cause distress in Central Asian immigrant women in Russia. Gendered vulnerabilities, persistent worry about their families well-being, separation from loved ones, and limited sources of social support are key individual and interpersonal level of distress factors. Poor working and housing conditions along with economic hardships and concerns over their ability to reach the goals that guided their decisions to move to Russia reinforce experienced distress among immigrant women. Discrimination against Central Asian nationals and structural racism amplify challenges for immigrants psychological well-being and mental health in Russia. By investigating underlying factors of psychological distress among an understudied immigrant population, this study defines configurations of Russias risk environment and contributes to an understanding of migration as an important determinant of mental health.

Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for two-thirds of all global maternal deaths; (1) in the region, the lifetime risk of maternal death is one in 36, compared with one in 4,900 in [...], CONTEXT: Research on institutional child delivery in Sub-Saharan Africa typically focuses on availability and accessibility of health facilities. Cultural factors, including religion, that may facilitate or hinder the use of such services have not been well examined and remain poorly understood. METHODS: The relationship between religious affiliation and delivery in a health facility was explored using data from a household survey of 1,297 women aged 18-50 and a census of 825 religious congregations, both conducted in a predominantly Christian district in Mozambique in 2008. Multilevel logistic regression analyses were conducted to predict the likelihood of recent institutional delivery according to both individual religious affiliation and the concentration of religious congregations of certain denominations in the community of residence. RESULTS: Approximately 63% of deliveries occurred in a health facility. The odds of such deliveries were lower among women who belonged to Apostolic churches or had no religious affiliation than among members of Catholic or mainline Protestant churches, net of other factors (odds ratios, 0.5 and 0.6, respectively). In addition, regardless of a woman's religion, the odds that she had an institutional delivery increased by 9% for each additional Catholic or mainline Protestant congregation in her community of residence (1.1). CONCLUSIONS: Organized religion is associated with critical health outcomes in Mozambique and, potentially, in other Sub-Saharan African contexts. Policymakers should consider designing programs and interventions that promote the use of institutional delivery services among members of religious groups characterized by low use of these services and in areas where such religious groups have a strong presence. International Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 2019,45:35-43, https://doi.org/10.1363/45e7719 Contexto: La investigacion sobre los servicios institucionales de parto en Africa Subsahariana se enfoca generalmente en la disponibilidad y accesibilidad de las instituciones de salud. Los factores culturales, incluida la religion, que pueden facilitar o dificultar el uso de dichos servicios no han sido examinados a fondo y siguen siendo deficientemente comprendidos. Metodos: Se exploro la relacion entre la afiliacion religiosa y el hecho de atender el parto en una institucion de salud mediante el uso de datos de una encuesta de hogares de 1,297 mujeres en edades de 18-50 anos y un censo de 825 congregaciones religiosas. Ambos estudios se llevaron a cabo en 2008, en un distrito predominantemente cristiano en Mozambique. Se realizaron analisis de regresion logistica multinivel para predecir la probabilidad de un parto institucional reciente con base tanto en la afiliacion religiosa individual como en la concentracidn de congregaciones religiosas de ciertas denominaciones en la comunidad de residencia. Resultados: Aproximadamente, el 63% de los partos tuvieron lugar en una institucion de salud. Las probabilidades de ese tipo de partos fueron menores en mujeres que pertenecian a las iglesias apostolicas (razon de probabilidades, 0.5) o que no tenian una afiliacion religiosa (0.6), que en miembros de las iglesias catolica o protestantes historicas, independientemente de otros factores. Ademds, sin importar la religion, las probabilidades de que una mujer hubiera tenido un parto institucional aumentaron en 9% por cada congregacion catolica o protestante historica adicional en su comunidad de residencia (1.1). Conclusiones: La religion organizada puede tener una influencia fundamental en los resultados de salud en Mozambique y, potencialmente, en otros contextos de Africa subsahariana. Los encargados de formular politicas deben considerar el diseno de programas e intervenciones que promuevan el uso de servicios de parto institucionales entre miembros de grupos religiosos caracterizados por un reducido uso de estos servicios y en areas en donde tales grupos religiosos tienen una presencia significativa. Contexte: La recherche sur l'accouchement medicalise en Afrique subsaharienne se concentre generalement sur la disponibilite et l'accessibilite de structures sanitaires. Les facteurs culturels, y compris la religion, qui peuvent faciliter ou entraver le recours a ces services ne sont guere examines et restent mal compris. Methodes: Le rapport entre l'affiliation religieuse et l'accouchement en etablissement de sante a ete etudie sur la base des donnees d'une enquete de menages concernant 1 297 femmes agees de 18 a 50 ans et d'un recensement de 825 congregations religieuses, menes tous deux dans un district principalement chretien du Mozambique en 2008. Des analyses de regression logistique multiniveaux ont ete effectuees pour predire la probabilite d'un accouchement recent en milieu medicalise en fonction de l'affiliation religieuse individuelle et de la concentration de congregations religieuses de certaines confessions dans la communaute de residence. Resultats: Environ 63% des accouchements avaient eu lieu en structure sanitaire. La probabilite de ces accouchements etait moindre parmi les femmes membres d'Eglises apostoliques (RC, 0,5) ou sans affiliation religieuse (0,6), par rapport aux membres de l'Eglise catholique ou des Eglises protestantes traditionnelles, apres correction d'autres facteurs. De plus, independamment de la religion de la femme, la probabilite qu'elle ait accouche en milieu medicalise augmentait de 9% par congregation catholique ou protestante traditionnelle denombree dans sa communaute de residence (1,1). Conclusions: La religion organisee peut affecter d'importants resultats de sante au Mozambique et, potentiellement, dans d'autres contextes d'Afrique subsaharienne. Les decideurs politiques doivent envisager la conception de programmes et d'interventions qui favorisent le recours aux services d'accouchement medicalise parmi les membres des groupes religieux caracterises par un faible recours a ces services et dans les zones ou ces groupes ont une forte presence.