No abstract
Canada is a modern yet aging society. As of July 1, 2014, the population in the country reached 35.5 million or about a 1.1 percent change from 2013 (Statistics Canada 2014). The annual population growth rate from the period 2000 to 2010 also 1.1 percent, and this is still expected to decrease to 0.9 percent between 2010 and 2060 (Employment and Social Development Canada 2014a). According to Employment and Social Development Canada (2014a), the median age in 2011 was 39.9 compared to 26.2 in 1971; and the numbers of those who are 65 years or older are expected to double in the next two decades from 5.0 million to 10.4 million in 2036. The greying of the population looks dimmer by 2015 when 1 in 4 Canadians will be 65 years and older (ibid.). Since confederation in 1867, and up to the 21st century and beyond, immigration has been and will be a source of population growth in Canada. It is a key driver of economic development, both long term and short term (Green and Green 2014), along with the lack of a domestic labor supply to support its manufacturing and service industries, among others. Immigration policies, with an earlier racial bias (Taylor 1991; Knowles 1996; Dua, Razack and Nyasha Warner 2005), have shifted to an "open door" system that includes not only the desirable white Anglo-Saxons and Europeans but also non-whites from countries around the world, with their entry seen as "crucial for growth" (Chipello and Millman 2005). By and large, Canadian immigration policy is based on the business model of cost and benefit to the country, foregrounded by practices of inclusion and exclusion, but focused on getting the 'best and the brightest of human talent' from source countries using a points system , for example, federal skilled workers based on language, education, experience, age, arranged employment, and adaptability (Citizenship and Immigration 8
Background Mental health disorders are the most common perinatal conditions. They affect mothers, babies, partners, and support networks. However, <15% of pregnant and postpartum women seek timely help for their mental health care. Low perinatal mental health knowledge and universal screening unacceptability are cited as important deterrents to obtaining timely mental health care. Objective The purpose of this quantitative cross-sectional study was 2-fold: (1) to determine African immigrant mothers’ views of perinatal mental health and to identify predictors of those views and (2) to identify African immigrant mothers’ views regarding perinatal mental health screening and to determine factors associated with those views. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a convenience sample of African immigrant women from the province of Alberta, Canada. Respondents were eligible to participate if they were aged ≥18 years, had a live birth, and the infant was aged ≤2 years. Questions were drawn from the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 scale, and additional questions were developed using the Alberta Maternal Mental Health 2012 survey as a guide and tested to reflect the immigrant context. Descriptive and multivariable regression analyses were conducted. Results Among the 120 respondents, 46.5% (53/114) were aged 31-35 years, 76.1% (89/117) were employed or on maternity leave, 92.5% (111/120) were married, and 55.6% (65/117) had younger infants aged 0 to 12 months. Significantly more respondents had higher levels of knowledge of postnatal (109/115, 94.8%) than prenatal (57/110, 51.2%) mental health (P<.001). Only 25.4% (28/110) of the respondents accurately identified that prenatal anxiety or depression could negatively impact child development. Personal knowledge of postpartum anxiety and depression was a significant predictor of prenatal and postnatal mental health knowledge. Most respondents strongly agreed or agreed that all women should be screened in the prenatal (82/109, 75.2%) and postnatal (91/110, 82.7%) periods. Respondents reported that their partner would be their first choice when seeking help and support. The acceptability of postnatal screening was a significant predictor of prenatal mental health knowledge (P<.001), whereas the acceptability of prenatal screening was a significant predictor of postnatal mental health knowledge (P=.03). Prenatal mental health knowledge was a significant predictor of both prenatal (P<.001) and postnatal (P=.001) screening acceptability. Conclusions Although African mothers’ knowledge of postnatal mental health is high, their prenatal mental health knowledge and its influence on child development are limited. Perinatal mental health interventions for African immigrant mothers in Alberta should target these knowledge gaps. The high acceptability of universal perinatal mental health screening among African mothers provides a promising strategy for perinatal mental health literacy initiatives to achieve optimal perinatal mental health.
This chapter focuses on Catholic religious discourses and practices of gender equality in the contemporary Philippines. It looks at particular practices among Filipino Catholic women and examines the role of religion in the movement towards gender equality. Through ethnographic data in small communities in Eastern Visayas, participant observation, and a case study of two women from Leyte, the chapter provides insight into how religiosity is enmeshed with the aims of local women to improve their status in society. It also shows that even if the Catholic Church retains its prominent presence in the social fabric, and is very much a part of the rituals of life, the symbolism of its moral power, particularly in the lives of women, has been contested by lived experiences quite different from what is prescribed.
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