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Background There is limited evidence on the determinants of childhood stunting across urban India or specifically in slum settlements. This study aims to assess the extent of stunting among children under 2 years of age and examine its determinants in informal settlements of Mumbai. Methods Data were collected in 2014–2015 in a post intervention census of a cluster randomized controlled trial to improve the health of women and children. Census covered 40 slum settlements of around 600 households each. A total of 3578 children were included in the study. Mixed effects logistic regression models were used to identify factors associated with stunting. Results The prevalence of stunting among children aged 0–23 months was 38%. In the adjusted model, higher maternal education (AOR 0.59; 95% CI 0.42, 0.82), birth interval of at least 2 years (AOR 0.71; 95% CI 0.58, 0.87) and intended conception of the child (AOR 0.80; 95% CI 0.64, 0.99) were associated with lower odds of stunting. Maternal exposure to physical violence (AOR 1.83; 95% CI 1.21, 2.77) was associated with higher odds of being stunted. A child aged 18–23 months had 5.04 times greater odds (95% CI 3.91, 6.5) of being stunted than a child less than 6 months of age. Male child had higher odds of being stunted (AOR 1.33; 95% CI 1.14, 1.54). Conclusions Our findings support a multidimensional aetiology for stunting. The results of the study emphasize the importance of women’s status and decision-making power in urban India, along with access to and uptake of family planning and services to provide support for survivors of domestic violence. Ultimately, a multilateral effort is needed to ensure the success of nutrition-specific interventions by focusing on the underlying health and social status of women living in urban slums. Trial registration ISRCTN Register: ISRCTN56183183 , and Clinical Trials Registry of India: CTRI/2012/09/003004

We sought to investigate the relationship between social violence and adult overweight/obesity and the role of common mental disorders (CMD) in mediating this relationship. A cross-sectional study was conducted from January to June 2016 in Tunisia. Participants were selected from randomly selected Primary Health Care Centers. The Arabic version of the Adverse Childhood Experiences-International Questionnaire (ACE-IQ) was used. A total of 2120 participants were included. Women exposed to social ACEs had higher rates of overweight/obesity than men (13.5 versus 9.5%; P = 0.004). For women, statistically significant partial mediation effects of CMD were observed for exposure to community violence (% mediated = 17.7%). For men, partial mediation was found for the exposure to peer violence (% mediated = 12.5%). Our results provide evidence of the independent increase of overweight/obesity after exposure to social ACEs. Efforts to uncover and address underlying trauma in health care settings may increase the effectiveness of obesity interventions.

Pregnancy may increase the risk of depression among women who self-identify as refugees and have resettled in high-income countries. To our knowledge, no large systematic studies among women with refugee backgrounds in the antenatal period have been conducted. To compare the prevalence of major depressive disorder (MDD), trauma exposure, and other psychosocial risk factors among women who identify as refugees, women from the same conflict-affected countries, and women from the host nation and to test whether self-identification as a refugee indicates greater likelihood of prevalence and risk. This cross-sectional study was undertaken in 3 public antenatal clinics in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia, between January 2015 and December 2016. Overall, 1335 women (685 consecutively enrolled from conflict-affected backgrounds and 650 randomly selected from the host nation) participated. Data analysis was undertaken between June and September 2018. One-hour interviews covering mental health, intimate partner violence, and other social measures. World Health Organization measure for intimate partner violence and the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fourth Edition) for MDD. To make a diagnosis, 1 of 2 items relating to being consistently depressed for 2 weeks and 3 further symptoms that cause personal distress or psychosocial dysfunction were endorsed. Overall, 1335 women (84.8% overall response rate), comprising 685 (51.3%) from conflict-affected countries (women self-identifying as refugees: 289 [42.2%]) and 650 (48.7%) from the host nation, participated. The mean (SD) age was 29.7 (5.4) years among women from conflict-affected backgrounds and 29.0 (5.5) years among women born in the host nation. Conflict-affected countries included Iraq (260 [38.0%]), Lebanon (125 [18.2%]), Sri Lanka (71 [10.4%]), and Sudan (66 [9.6%]). Women who identified as refugees reported higher exposure to 2 to 3 (67 [23.2%]) and 4 or more (19 [6.6%]) general traumatic events compared with women from the host nation (103 [15.8%] and 21 [3.2%], respectively). Women who identified as refugees also reported higher exposure to 1 (147 [50.9%]) and 2 or more (97 [33.6%]) refugee-related traumatic events compared with women from the host nation (86 [13.2%] and 20 [3.1%], respectively). Women who identified as refugees reported higher rates of psychological intimate partner violence than women born in the host nation (124 [42.9%] vs 133 [20.5%]; P < .001). Women who identified as refugees were less likely to identify 5 or more supportive family or friends compared with women born in the host nation (36 [12.5%] vs 297 [45.7%]; P < .001). A greater proportion of women who identified as refugees reported experiencing 3 or more financial stressors compared with women born in the host nation (65 [22.5%] vs 41 [6.3%]; P < .001). Women who identified as refugees had the highest prevalence of MDD (94 [32.5%]), followed by women from other conflict-affected backgrounds (78 [19.7%]), and women born in the host nation (94 [14.5%]). Women identifying as refugees reported a higher prevalence of MDD and all the indicators of adversity related to that disorder. Even after risk factors were accounted for, refugee status was associated with risk of MDD. Assessing whether women attending an antenatal clinic self-identify as refugees may offer an important indicator of risk of MDD and a range of associated psychosocial adversities.

ObjectivesTo explore the prevalence, perpetrator characteristics and the correlates of child abuse in Kathmandu, Nepal.MethodsFor this cross-sectional study, we translated the internationally validated questionnaire developed by the International Society for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect, Child Abuse Screening Tool-Child Home into Nepali. We added questions on descriptive information about students and their family to the questionnaire. We recruited students from 20 schools selected randomly—2 from each of the 10 electoral constituencies of Kathmandu district. In each school, we administered the questionnaires to the students in a classroom selected randomly. To assess the correlates, we ran multilevel multivariable logistic regression models, stratified by schools.ResultsAmong the 962 students, 88.88% had experience of at least one form of abuse throughout their lifetime. Psychological abuse was the most prevalent form of abuse (previous year: 75.19%; lifetime: 76.15%) followed by physical abuse, exposure to violence, neglect and sexual abuse. Adults were the most common perpetrators of child abuse (37.55%). The correlates identified in this study mostly aligned with the global literature on correlates of abuse. Female students were more likely to report neglect (previous year: adjusted OR (AOR) 1.50, 95% CI 1.10 to 2.04; lifetime: AOR 1.49, 95% CI 1.10 to 2.02), but no gender difference was observed with other forms of abuse. Students living with a single parent had a greater likelihood of exposure to violence (previous year: AOR 2.55, 95% CI 1.31 to 4.94; lifetime: AOR 2.77, 95% CI 1.39 to 5.53), neglect (previous year: AOR 2.01, 95% CI 1.10 to 3.69; lifetime: AOR 2.08, 95% CI 1.14 to 3.81) and sexual abuse (previous year: AOR 3.03, 95% CI 1.45 to 6.37; lifetime: AOR 2.49, 95% CI 1.21 to 5.14).ConclusionsOver 88% of students reported experiencing child abuse in the home in one or more forms throughout their lifetime. Delineating the reasons for the high burden and its implications are important topics for future research.

In rural South Africa, pregnant HIV-infected women report high rates of psychological (55%) and physical (20%) intimate partner violence (IPV). IPV increases the risk of infant developmental delays. Such delays may have negative socioemotional and cognitive outcomes throughout the lifespan. This paper assesses the relationship between IPV and infant development in rural South Africa. The present investigation was a cross-sectional add-on follow-up designed retrospectively. A randomly selected sub-sample of mothers from the main randomized controlled trial (n = 72) were asked to participate with their infants at 12 months of age; all women invited agreed to participate. Women were 18.35 ± 5.47 weeks pregnant; demographics, HIV disclosure status, and pre- and postnatal IPV measured via the Conflict Tactics Scale during pregnancy at baseline and 12 months post-partum were assessed. Infant HIV serostatus and developmental functioning at 12 months of age were assessed. Women were a mean age of 29 ± 2 years. One third had completed at least 12 years of education and had a monthly income of ~ US$76. At 12 months post-partum, 6% of infants tested HIV seropositive. Postnatal physical IPV was associated with delays in cognitive and receptive language development p < 0.05, but only in unadjusted analyses. This study identified an association between early IPV exposure and infant cognitive and receptive communication delays. Given the small sample size, findings support replication. Longitudinal studies are needed to confirm temporal order and identify appropriate timing for interventions in HIV-exposed infants.

While over 240,000 American students experienced a school shooting in the last two decades, little is known about the impacts of these events on the mental health of surviving youth. Using large-scale prescription data from 2006 to 2015, we examine the effects of 44 school shootings on youth antidepressant use. Our empirical strategy compares the number of antidepressant prescriptions written by providers practicing 0 to 5 miles from a school that experienced a shooting (treatment areas) to the number of prescriptions written by providers practicing 10 to 15 miles away (reference areas), both before and after the shooting. We include month-by-year and school-by-area fixed effects in all specifications, thereby controlling for overall trends in antidepressant use and all time-invariant differences across locations. We find that local exposure to fatal school shootings increases youth antidepressant use by 21.4% in the following 2 y. These effects are smaller in areas with a higher density of mental health providers who focus on behavioral, rather than pharmacological, interventions.

Dating violence (DV) is a widespread social issue that has numerous deleterious repercussions on youths’ health. Family and peer risk factors for DV have been widely studied, but with inconsistent methodologies, which complicates global comprehension of the phenomenon. Protective factors, although understudied, constitutes a promising line of research for prevention. To date, there is no comprehensive quantitative review attempting to summarize knowledge on both family and peer factors that increase or decrease the risk for adolescents and emerging adults DV victimization. The current meta-analysis draws on 87 studies with a total sample of 278,712 adolescents and young adults to examine effect sizes of the association between various family and peer correlates of DV victimization. Results suggest small, significant effect sizes for all the family (various forms of child maltreatment, parental support, and parental monitoring) and peer factors (peer victimization, sexual harassment, affiliation with deviant peers, and supportive/prosocial peers) in the prediction of DV. With few exceptions, forms of DV (psychological, physical, and sexual), gender, and age did not moderate the strength of these associations. In addition, no difference was found between the magnitude of family and peer factors’ effect sizes, suggesting that these determinants are equally important in predicting DV. The current results provide future directions for examining relations between risk and protective factors for DV and indicate that both peers and family should be part of the development of efficient prevention options.

ABSTRACT Objective: to analyze the scientific production on obstetric violence by identifying and discussing its main characteristics in the routine care for the pregnant-puerperal cycle. Method: integrative literature review of 24 publications indexed in the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online, SciVerse Scopus, Web of Science and the Scientific Electronic Library Online and Virtual Health Library. Results: the publications are intensified from 2015 onwards and present methodological designs of quantitative and qualitative nature. In the discussion, we first address the concept of obstetric violence and its different forms of occurrence in care. Then, interfaces of the phenomenon are presented with reflections related to the conception of gender, the different actors involved, the institutionalization, and the invisibility and trivialization of the event. Finally, strategies to combat the problem are presented through academic training, women’s awareness, proposals of social mobilization, and creation of public policies and laws. Conclusion: obstetric violence portrays a violation of human rights and a serious public health problem and is revealed in the form of negligent, reckless, omissive, discriminatory and disrespectful acts practiced by health professionals and legitimized by the symbolic relations of power that naturalize and trivialize their occurrence. RESUMEN Objetivo: analizar la producción científica sobre la violencia obstétrica identificando y discutiendo sus principales características en el cotidiano de la asistencia al ciclo gravídico y puerperal. Método: revisión integradora de la literatura de 24 publicaciones indexadas en las bases de datos Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online, SciVerse Scopus, Web of Science y en las bibliotecas Scientific Electronic Library Online y Biblioteca Virtual en Salud. Resultados: las publicaciones se concentran a partir de 2015 con diseños metodológicos de naturaleza cuantitativa y cualitativa. En la discusión, primeramente, se enfoca el concepto de violencia obstétrica, sus diferentes formas de ocurrencia en la asistencia. En secuencia, son presentadas las interfaces del fenómeno con reflexiones relacionadas a la concepción de género, a los diferentes actores envueltos, a la institucionalización, la invisibilidad y la banalización del evento. Finalmente, son presentadas las estrategias de enfrentamiento pasando por la formación académica, por la consciencia de las mujeres, por las propuestas de movilización social, por la construcción de políticas públicas y leyes. Conclusión: la violencia obstétrica retrata una violación de los derechos humanos y un grave problema de salud pública, revelada en los actos negligentes, imprudentes, omisos, discriminatorios e irrespetuosos practicados por profesionales de salud y legitimados por las relaciones simbólicas de poder que naturalizan y banalizan su ocurrencia. RESUMO Objetivo: analisar a produção científica sobre a violência obstétrica identificando e discutindo suas principais características no cotidiano da assistência ao ciclo gravídico e puerperal. Método: revisão integrativa da literatura de 24 publicações indexadas nas bases de dados Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online, SciVerse Scopus, Web of Science e nas bibliotecas Scientific Electronic Library Online e Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde. Resultados: as publicações concentram-se a partir de 2015 com desenhos metodológicos de natureza quantitativa e qualitativa. Na discussão, primeiramente, aborda-se o conceito de violência obstétrica e suas diferentes formas de ocorrência na assistência. Em sequência, são apresentadas as interfaces do fenômeno com reflexões relacionadas à concepção de gênero, aos diferentes atores envolvidos, à institucionalização, à invisibilidade e à banalização do evento. Por fim, são apresentadas as estratégias de enfrentamento perpassando pela formação acadêmica, pela conscientização das mulheres, pelas propostas de mobilização social, pela construção de políticas públicas e leis. Conclusão: a violência obstétrica retrata uma violação dos direitos humanos e um grave problema de saúde pública, revelada nos atos negligentes, imprudentes, omissos, discriminatórios e desrespeitosos praticados por profissionais de saúde e legitimados pelas relações simbólicas de poder que naturalizam e banalizam sua ocorrência.

Objectives. To identify if violence is associated with adolescent depression by leveraging data from a longitudinal, repeated measures study among adolescent boys from an underrepresented context. Methods. South African adolescent boys (n = 498) enrolled between 2020 and 2023. Participants reported lifetime violence exposure and depression symptoms at baseline and 1-year follow-up. Over the study year, participants reported past-week violence exposure and past-24-hour psychological distress in weekly mobile surveys. We used 4 sets of longitudinal analyses to test associations between violence and depression symptoms, examining the influence of violence type and timing. Results. Participants reported high levels of violence and distress. Lifetime violence exposure was associated with increased distress over the study year. Ongoing, cumulative exposure to violence was associated with distress over time and depression at follow-up. Past-week victimization was associated with immediate increases in distress. Emotional victimization demonstrated particularly strong associations with mental health. Conclusions. We found evidence of a relationship between violence exposure and depression in adolescent boys. Multilayered interventions to reduce violence in the lives of boys and young men are necessary to address the mental health crisis. ( Am J Public Health. 2025;115(9):1445–1453. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2025.308164 )

Background: Little is known about the impact of urbanicity, adverse neighborhood conditions and violent crime victimization on the emergence of adolescent psychotic experiences. Methods: Participants were from the Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study, a nationally-representative cohort of 2232 British twins who were interviewed about adolescent psychotic experiences at age 18. Urbanicity, neighborhood characteristics, and personal victimization by violent crime were measured during childhood and adolescence via geocoded census data, surveys of over 5000 immediate neighbors of the E-Risk participants, and interviews with participants themselves. Results: Adolescents raised in urban vs rural neighborhoods were significantly more likely to have psychotic experiences (OR = 1.67, 95% CI = 1.21–2.30, P = .002). This association remained significant after considering potential confounders including family socioeconomic status, family psychiatric history, and adolescent substance problems (OR = 1.43, 95% CI = 1.01–2.03, P = .042), but became nonsignificant after considering adverse social conditions in urban neighborhoods such as low social cohesion and high neighborhood disorder (OR = 1.35, 95% CI = 0.94–1.92, P = .102). The combined association of adverse neighborhood social conditions and personal crime victimization with adolescent psychotic experiences (adjusted OR = 4.86, 95% CI = 3.28–7.20, P < .001) was substantially greater than for either exposure alone, highlighting a potential interaction between neighborhood conditions and crime victimization (interaction contrast ratio = 1.81, 95% CI = −0.03 to 3.65) that was significant at the P = .054 level. Conclusions: Cumulative effects of adverse neighborhood social conditions and personal victimization by violent crime during upbringing partly explain why adolescents in urban settings are more likely to report psychotic experiences. Early intervention efforts for psychosis could be targeted towards victimized youth living in urban and socially adverse neighborhoods.