BACKGROUND: Birth satisfaction is shaped by social context, yet its assessment faces methodological challenges, particularly in marginalized populations. This study examines birth satisfaction among incarcerated and non-incarcerated women, considering both experiential disparities and potential measurement biases. METHODS: A nested retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted with 55 incarcerated women who had given birth prior to incarceration and 79 women from the general population in the Czech Republic. Birth satisfaction was assessed using the Birth Satisfaction Scale-Revised. All participants completed a standardized pencil-and-paper survey. Responses between incarcerated and non-incarcerated participants were compared, and pencil-and-paper responses of non-incarcerated participants were compared with survey-only administration to validate the survey method. RESULTS: Incarcerated women reported significantly higher birth satisfaction scores than those in the general population. In the prison population, higher birth satisfaction correlated positively with self-esteem and negatively with PTSD symptoms. Comparison of pen-and-paper and online survey administration in the general population revealed no significant differences, supporting confidence in the equivalence of paper and pencil data capture method in the incarcerated population. CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the importance of context in birth satisfaction assessments, as incarcerated women's experiences may be shaped by institutional constraints and psychological dynamics. Ensuring methodological consistency is essential for valid cross-population comparisons and the accurate interpretation of birth satisfaction data.

• Keywords
• Birth satisfaction, Incarceration, PTSD, Perinatal care, Self-esteem, Survey methodology,
• MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Personal Satisfaction * MeSH
• Parturition * psychology   MeSH
• Cross-Sectional Studies MeSH
• Surveys and Questionnaires standards   MeSH
• Reproducibility of Results MeSH
• Retrospective Studies MeSH
• Self Concept MeSH
• Pregnancy MeSH
• Prisoners * psychology   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Pregnancy MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Geographicals
• Czech Republic MeSH

The study objectives were to (1) identify risk factors related to stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and postnatal depression (PD) after birth, and (2) investigate both possible directions of association between SUI and PD in population-based sample of Czech mothers. 3,701 nulliparous and multiparous women completed the self-reported questionnaires at 6 weeks and 6 months after birth and were included into the analyses of this prospective cohort study. Unadjusted and adjusted logistic regressions examined relationship between SUI a PD accounting for range of other risk factors. During the first 6 months after birth, 650 mothers (17.6%) developed SUI and 641 (17.3%) displayed signs of PD. The mode of delivery, parity and higher BMI were associated with SUI. The rate of PD symptoms was higher in mothers with positive history of prenatal depression, and in divorced or widowed mothers. Both conditions were associated with worse self-reported health, back pain and stop-smoker status. Initially, SUI at 6 weeks was slightly, but significantly associated with onset of PD at 6 months (OR 1.51, 95% CI 1.02-2.23) while PD at 6 weeks was not significantly related to new cases of SUI at 6 months (OR 1.48, 95% CI 0.91-2.39). After full adjustment these OR reduced to 1.41 and 1.38 (both non-significant), respectively. SUI and PD are common conditions in women postpartum that share some risk factors. Our study suggests that both directions of their relationship are possible although a larger study is needed to confirm our findings.

• MeSH
• Back Pain epidemiology   MeSH
• Ex-Smokers psychology   statistics & numerical data   MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Quality of Life * MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Depression, Postpartum complications   epidemiology   psychology   MeSH
• Prospective Studies MeSH
• Risk Factors MeSH
• Socioeconomic Factors MeSH
• Urinary Incontinence, Stress epidemiology   etiology   psychology   MeSH
• Pregnancy MeSH
• Widowhood psychology   statistics & numerical data   MeSH
• Maternal Age MeSH
• Health Status MeSH
• Self Report statistics & numerical data   MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Pregnancy MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Observational Study MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Geographicals
• Czech Republic epidemiology   MeSH

Sleep has been linked to adjustment difficulties in both children and adolescents; yet little is known about the long-term impact of childhood sleep on subsequent development. This study tested whether childhood sleep problems, sleep quantity, and chronotype predicted internalizing and externalizing problems during adolescence. Latent Growth Modeling using the Czech portion of the European Longitudinal Study of Pregnancy and Childhood (N = 4393) was utilized to test the developmental trajectories of sleep characteristics (from 1.5 to 7 years) as predictors of adjustment problems trajectories (from 11 to 18 years). Findings provided evidence that children with higher levels of sleep problems at 1.5 years (and throughout childhood) reported higher levels of internalizing and externalizing problems at age 11. Additionally, greater eveningness at age 1.5 predicted a greater increase in externalizing problems from ages 11 to 18 years. The results emphasize the importance of childhood sleep problems in evaluating the risk of future adjustment difficulties.

• Keywords
• Adolescent adjustment, Externalizing problems, Internalizing problems, Sleep,
• MeSH
• Child MeSH
• Infant MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Longitudinal Studies MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Adjustment Disorders diagnosis   psychology   MeSH
• Child, Preschool MeSH
• Risk Factors MeSH
• Sleep physiology   MeSH
• Pregnancy MeSH
• Check Tag
• Child MeSH
• Infant MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Child, Preschool MeSH
• Pregnancy MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH

BACKGROUND: Depression is approximately two-fold more prevalent among women than men. Social theories suggest that discrimination is a pathway through which gender inequalities affect women's lives, but data are lacking. This cohort study evaluates whether perceived gender discrimination is linked to depressive symptoms among child-bearing women. METHODS: Data were obtained from 4,688 participants enrolled in pregnancy in 1991-92 in the European Longitudinal Cohort Study of Pregnancy and Childhood, Czech Republic. Perceived gender discrimination was assessed in mid-pregnancy, year seven, and year eleven. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale at eight time-points between mid-pregnancy and year eleven post-delivery. Linear mixed error-component models of depressive symptoms were estimated. FINDINGS: Perceived gender discrimination, reported by 10.7% of women, was related to higher depressive symptoms, both in the unadjusted analysis (b = 0.15 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.12, 0.19], p < 0.001) and in the fully adjusted model (b = 0.12 [95% CI: 0.09, 0.16], p < 0.001). Covariates linked to higher depressive symptoms included financial hardship (b = 0.12 [95% CI: 0.10, 0.14], p < 0.001), childhood emotional/physical neglect (b = 0.18 [95% CI: 0.14, 0.22], p < 0.001), and childhood sexual abuse (b = 0.04 [95% CI: 0.03, 0.06], p < 0.001); an inverse relationship was evident for social support (-0.05 [95% CI: -0.07, -0.04], p < 0.001) and having a partner who performs female-stereotypical household tasks (b=-0.03 [95% CI: -0.05, -0.01], p = 0.001). INTERPRETATION: The findings provide the first evidence that perceived gender discrimination is associated with depressive symptoms among child-bearing women. Social intervention programs aimed at reducing gender discrimination can potentially contribute to better mental health of women. FUNDING: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

• Keywords
• Depressive symptoms, Gender, Mental health,
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

BACKGROUND: Previous studies of relations between parenting self-concepts, parental adjustment and child temperament have been ambiguous regarding the direction of influence; and have rarely followed families from pregnancy through the first year of life. The current study examines change and stability in maternal depressive symptoms, parenting competences and child temperament through the perinatal period until nine months postpartum. METHODS: Czech mothers (N = 282) participated at three time points: the third trimester of pregnancy (Time 1), six weeks (Time 2) and nine months postpartum (Time 3). Questionnaire data concerned depressive symptoms (T1, T2, T3), maternal parenting self-esteem (T1, T2) and sense of competence (T3), and child temperament (T2, T3). A path model was used to examine concurrent and longitudinal relations between these variables. RESULTS: The analyses indicated longitudinal stability of all constructs, as well as concurrent relations between them. Longitudinal relations supported child-to-parent, rather than parent-to-child, effects: child difficult temperament predicted decreases in perceived maternal parenting competences, but maternal variables did not predict change in infant temperament. In addition, we observed weak mutual relations between maternal depression levels and parenting competences, such that maternal depression diminished perceived parenting competences that in turn contributed to higher levels of depression. CONCLUSION: Mothers' confidence in their ability to parent is influenced by their experience with a difficult infant and by their depressive symptoms during the child's first year of life. Depressive symptoms are, in turn, aggravated by mothers' low perceived competences in the parenting role.

• MeSH
• Depression * psychology   MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Infant MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Mothers MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Depression, Postpartum * psychology   MeSH
• Parenting * MeSH
• Self Concept MeSH
• Pregnancy MeSH
• Temperament * MeSH
• Mother-Child Relations * MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Infant MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Pregnancy MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH