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Rural Women (rural + woman)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	81%
Humanities and Social Sciences	12%

Selected Abstracts

URBAN,RURAL DIFFERENCES IN THE MANAGEMENT OF SCREEN-DETECTED INVASIVE BREAST CANCER AND DUCTAL CARCINOMA IN SITU IN VICTORIA

ANZ JOURNAL OF SURGERY, Issue 11 2006
David L. Kok
Background: At least one-third of primary breast cancers in Australia are discovered by population-based mammographic screening. The aim of this study was to determine whether there were any differences in the surgical treatment of women diagnosed with breast cancer by BreastScreen Victoria between urban and rural populations and to investigate temporal changes in their pattern of care. Methods: An analysis of women diagnosed with breast cancer (invasive and non-invasive) by BreastScreen Victoria from 1993 to 2000 was conducted. Descriptive analyses of the proportion of women undergoing each surgical treatment type over time were carried out. Logistic regression was used to assess the effect of urban,rural residence on each treatment outcome while accounting for possible confounding factors. Results: Rural women with invasive breast cancer were less likely to undergo breast-conserving surgery (BCS) compared with urban women (odds ratio, 0.42; 95% confidence interval, 0.35,0.50). The same was also true for rural women with ductal carcinoma in situ (odds ratio, 0.53; 95% confidence interval, 0.29,0.96). This difference was independent of patient and tumour characteristics, including tumour size, surgeon caseload, patient's age and socioeconomic status. It also persisted over time despite a steady overall increase in use of BCS for both invasive and non-invasive cancers over the study period. Conclusions: Among Victorian women with screen-detected breast cancer, urban women consistently had higher rates of BCS compared with rural women despite increased overall adoption of BCS. Reasons for this disparity are still unclear and warrant further investigation. [source]

Regional variation in the survival and health of older Australian women: a prospective cohort study

AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, Issue 2 2009
Dimitrios Vagenas
Abstract Objective: Older people may act as sensitive indicators of the effectiveness of health systems. Our objective is to distinguish between the effects of socio-economic and behavioural factors and use of health services on urban-rural differences in mortality and health of elderly women. Methods: Baseline and longitudinal analysis of data from a prospective cohort study. Participants were a community-based random sample of women (n=12778) aged 70-75 years when recruited in 1996 to the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health. Measures used were: urban or rural residence in Australian States and Territories, socio-demographic characteristics, health related behaviour, survival up to 1 October 2006, physical and mental health scores and use of medical services. Results: Mortality was higher in rural than in urban women (hazard ratio, HR 1.14; 95% CI, 1.03,-1.26) but there were no differences between States and Territories. There were no consistent baseline or longitudinal differences between women for physical or mental health, with or without adjustment for socio-demographic and behavioural factors. Rural women had fewer visits to general practitioners (odds ratio, OR=0.54; 95% CI, 0.48-0.61) and medical specialists (OR=0.60; 95% CI, 0.55-0.65). Conclusions: Differences in use of health services are a more plausible explanation for higher mortality in rural than urban areas than differences in other factors. Implications: Older people may be the ,grey canaries' of the health system and may thus provide an ,early warning system' to policy makers and governments. [source]

HSBC brings a business model of banking to the doorsteps of the poor

GLOBAL BUSINESS AND ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE, Issue 2 2009
Pramod Marar
Tiny loans can make a huge difference, especially when coupled with financial literacy and capacity building. With a global commitment to sustainable business through financial inclusion, HSBC partners with microfinance institutions and other organizations to empower micro-entrepreneurs among India's rural poor, who in turn are changing lives, families, and entire communities. The authors provide an overview of HSBC Group's sustainability strategy, a brief history of microfinance in India, and HSBC in India's role in serving the microfinance industry. They also discuss the bank's multi-stakeholder initiatives for capacity building, which include two schools where rural women learn essential business and technical skills and financial literacy, and an environmental and social village-based initiative for water conservation and livelihood creation. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source]

Effect of multiple birth on infant mortality in Bangladesh

JOURNAL OF PAEDIATRICS AND CHILD HEALTH, Issue 10 2006
Rathavuth Hong
Aim: Levels of infant and child mortality in many developing countries remain unacceptably high, and they are disproportionably higher among high-risk groups such as newborn and infant of multiple births, particularly in countries where advanced medical cares are available only at regional referral levels with limited access by the poor rural women and children. This study examined the relationship between high-risk infant of multiple birth and infant mortality in Bangladesh. Methods: The analysis uses information on 7001 childbirths in 5 years preceding the 2004 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey to examine the relationship between multiple birth and infant mortality using multivariate analysis, controlling for child's sex, birth order, prenatal care, delivery assistance; mother's age at child birth, nutritional status, education level; household living conditions and several other risk factors. Results: Results indicate that children born multiple birth were more than six-times as likely to die during infancy as those born singletons (hazard ratio = 6.51; 95% confidence interval: 4.10, 10.36). Controlling for all other risk factors does not change the strength and direction of the relationship (hazard ratio = 6.18; 95% confidence interval: 3.65, 10.46). Receiving prenatal care and access to safe drinking water are associated with lower risk. Conclusion: Multiple births are strongly negatively associated with infant survival in Bangladesh independent of other risk factors. This evidence suggests that improving maternal and child health at the community level, screening for high-risk pregnancies and making referral services for these conditions more accessible to the rural women and children will be key to improving child survival in Bangladesh. [source]

Changing patterns of diet, physical activity and obesity among urban, rural and slum populations in north India

OBESITY REVIEWS, Issue 5 2008
K. Yadav
Summary Rapid urbanization and accompanying lifestyle changes in India lead to transition in non-communicable disease risk factors. A survey was done in urban, urban slum and rural population of Haryana, India, in a sample of 4129 men and 3852 women using WHO STEPS questionnaire. A very high proportion of all the three populations reported inadequate intake of fruits and vegetables. Rural men reported five times physical activity as compared with urban and urban slum men and rural women reported seven times physical activity as compared with women in the other two settings. Mean body mass index (BMI) was highest among urban men (22.8 kg m,2) followed by urban slum (21.0 kg m,2) and rural men (20.6 kg m,2) (P -value < 0.01). Similar trend was seen for women but at a higher level than men. Prevalence of obesity (BMI , 30 kg m,2) was highest for urban population (male = 5.5%, female = 12.6%) followed by urban slum (male = 1.9%, female = 7.2%) and rural populations (male = 1.6%, female = 3.8%). Urbanization increases the prevalence of the studied non-communicable disease risk factors, with women showing a greater increase as compared with men. Non-communicable disease control strategy needs to address urbanization and warrants gender sensitive strategies specifically targeting women. [source]

Prenatal Sex Determination and Sex-Selective Abortion in Rural Central China

POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT REVIEW, Issue 2 2001
Chu Junhong
This study analyzes the practice of prenatal sex selection in rural central China. It examines the prevalence and determinants of prenatal sex determination by ultrasound scanning and subsequent sex-selective abortion. The data are derived from a survey of 820 married women aged 20,44 and from in-depth interviews with rural women and men, village leaders, family planning managers, and health providers, conducted by the author in one county in central China in 2000. Prenatal sex determination was a widespread practice, especially for second and higher-order pregnancies. Sex-selective abortion was prevalent and order of pregnancy, sex of fetus, and sex of previous children were major determinants of the practice. A female fetus representing a high-order pregnancy in a family with one or more daughters was the most likely to be aborted. Awareness among rural families that in the population at large a future marriage squeeze was likely did not diminish the demand for sex-selective abortion. [source]

The breast cancer experience of rural women: a literature review

PSYCHO-ONCOLOGY, Issue 10 2007
B. Ann Bettencourt
Abstract This report is a review of studies that focus on rural breast cancer survivorship. It includes a total of 14 studies using large databases and 27 other studies using qualitative and quantitative methods. In our review of this literature, we identified four broad themes, including access to treatment and treatment type, medical providers and health information, psychosocial adjustment and coping, and social support and psychological support services. We review the findings of the rural breast cancer survivorship studies within each of these broad themes. A few of the findings of the review include that rural and urban women receive different primary treatments for breast cancer, that rural women may have greater difficulty negotiating their traditional gender roles during and after treatment, that rural women desire greater health-related information about their breast cancer, and that rural women have less access to mental health therapy. The review discusses the implications of these findings as well as the weakness in the literature. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]

A randomized trial of behavioral management for continence with older rural women,

RESEARCH IN NURSING & HEALTH, Issue 1 2002
Molly C. Dougherty
Abstract Urinary incontinence (UI) is a commonly underreported and underdiagnosed condition. The purpose of this trial was to implement and evaluate behavioral management for continence (BMC), an intervention to manage symptoms of UI with older rural women in their homes. Participants were randomized into BMC or a control group, and 178 were followed for between 6 and 24 months. The intervention involved self-monitoring, bladder training, and pelvic muscle exercise with biofeedback. The primary outcome variable,severity of urine loss,was evaluated by pad test. Secondary variables were episodes of urine loss, micturition frequency, voiding interval, quality of life, and subjective report of severity. Urine loss severity at baseline evaluation was not significantly different in the two groups. But using the generalized linear mixed model analysis, at the four follow-ups, severity of urine loss, episodes of urine loss, quality of life, and subjective report of severity were significantly different. At 2 years the BMC group UI severity decreased by 61%; the control group severity increased by 184%. Self-monitoring and bladder training accounted for most of the improvement. The results support the use of simple strategies based on bladder diaries before implementing more complex treatments. © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Res Nurs Health 25:3,13, 2002. [source]

URBAN,RURAL DIFFERENCES IN THE MANAGEMENT OF SCREEN-DETECTED INVASIVE BREAST CANCER AND DUCTAL CARCINOMA IN SITU IN VICTORIA

Cross-border ,Traffic': Stories of dangerous victims, pure whores and HIV/AIDS in the experiences of mainland female sex workers in Hong Kong

ASIA PACIFIC VIEWPOINT, Issue 1 2005
Kevin D. Ming
Abstract:,In recent years, dramatically increasing numbers of mainland Chinese women have entered Hong Kong to engage in sexual labour. Public discourses on the threat of HIV/AIDS increasingly locate these women's bodies as sites of danger, colluding with pre-existing imaginations of mainland rural women as ignorant, desperate and deceptive in representing these women's penetration of Hong Kong's border as a primary means of infection of the Hong Kong body. Drawing on state, media and popular representations, and the narratives of female sex workers themselves, this paper examines the interwoven bio-medical, gendered, sexual and cross-border relationships that intersect in the experiences of mainland Chinese sex workers in Hong Kong. I argue that while images of disease and danger have been used to regulate these women's bodies, mainland female sex workers challenge these images by drawing on other popular stereotypes of mainland women as pure, feminine and traditional. Although images of the related but still ,other' figure of the mainland Chinese woman are powerful mechanisms for the regulation of these women's bodies, mainland female sex workers skilfully use inherent tensions in those images in resisting that control and in struggling to achieve their own personal and economic goals. [source]

The urban and rural divide for women giving birth in NSW, 1990,1997

AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, Issue 3 2000
Christine L. Roberts
ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE: To examine trends in the pregnancy profile and outcomes of urban and rural women. METHODS: Data were obtained from the NSW Midwives Data Collection on births in NSW, 1990,1997. Associations between place of residence (urban/rural) and maternal factors and pregnancy outcomes were examined, including changes over time. RESULTS: From 1990 to 1997 there were 685,631 confinements in NSW and these mothers resided as follows: 76% metropolitan, 5% large rural centres, 8% small rural centres, 11% other rural areas and 1% remote areas. Rural mothers were more likely to be teenagers, multiparous, without a married or de facto partner, public patients and smokers. Births in rural areas declined, particularly among women aged 20,34 years. Infants born to mothers in remote communities were at increased odds of stillbirth and tow Apgar scores (all women) and small,for,gestational,age (SGA) (Indigenous women only). CONCLUSIONS: The profile of pregnant women in rural NSW is different from their urban counterparts and is consistent with relative socioeconomic disadvantage and possibly suboptimal maternity services in some areas. While increased risk of SGA is associated with environmental factors such as smoking and nutrition, the reasons for increased risk of stillbirth are unclear. Although there does not appear to be an increased risk of preterm birth for rural women this may be masked by transfer of high,risk pregnancies interstate. IMPLICATIONS: Maternity services need to be available and accessible to all rural women with targeting of interventions known to reduce low birthweight and perinatal death. [source]

Health status differentials across rural and remote Australia

AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF RURAL HEALTH, Issue 1 2009
Andrew Phillips
Abstract This paper describes mortality and disease patterns across five broad remoteness categories of Australia, with reference to the context in which those outcomes develop and are treated. Health and its outcomes become worse as remoteness increases. Some of this phenomenon reflects proportionally greater numbers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in remote areas coupled with their poorer overall health outcomes; however, mortality for non-indigenous people is clearly higher outside compared with inside major cities. Migration of people seeking services likely reduces the size of interregional health disparity. Poorer health outcomes stem from worse risk factor profiles and average lower levels of income and of education, poorer physical and financial access to services, higher occupational and environmental risk, as well as factors unique to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health. Little is known about the health benefits of living outside major cities. Diseases of the circulatory system and injuries account, respectively, for 40% and 18% of the excess mortality outside major cities. Death rates are declining over time in all (particularly remote) areas, but rates of death due to certain lung diseases in rural women are not, and rates of suicide have increased in remote areas. Ostensibly, prevalence of mental ill-health appears roughly similar in all remoteness areas. Dental health is poorer and disability is more prevalent outside major cities, as are a range of infectious diseases. Although pertinent, the effects on rural health of climate change and resource degradation generally have not been addressed in this paper. [source]

HEALTH ISSUES AMONG FILIPINO WOMEN IN REMOTE QUEENSLAND

AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF RURAL HEALTH, Issue 4 2001
Margaret Kelaher
ABSTRACT: This paper discusses health issues among Filipinas (women born in the Philippines) living in remote and rural environments in Queensland. The sample was recruited as part of the University of Queensland component of the Australian Longitudinal Study of Women's Health (ALSWH). Most of the women lived in an urban or semi-urban area (391), whereas 90 lived in rural or remote areas. Community perceptions had a much greater impact on health service utilisation in rural and remote areas than in urban areas. The transition between newcomer and old-timer is more difficult for Filipinas than for other rural women because they are visibly different from other members of the community and suffer from stigmatisation associated with perceptions of Filipinas as mail order brides. For these women, concerns about confidentiality and a reluctance to ask for support are major barriers to health service utilisation. The area of greatest concern is mental health, particularly in relation to parenting issues. Improving access may involve providing a greater awareness of what services are available and allowing women to access services in a way that does not require them to label themselves or be labelled by others. [source]