Journal of Biosocial Science最新文献

{"title":"Understanding contraceptive use behaviours among women with disabilities in low-resource settings in Ghana: a qualitative study.","authors":"Christiana Asiedu, Gifty Akosua Adzigbey, Isaac Anane, Abigail Ohemaa Mensah, Emmanuella Florence Odi Asiedu","doi":"10.1017/S0021932026100650","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021932026100650","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This qualitative study explores the contraceptive use behaviours among women with disabilities in low-resource settings in Ghana, a group whose reproductive health needs are often overlooked in mainstream family planning programmes. Sixteen women with visual, physical, and hearing impairments in Apam, Central Region, were purposively selected to participate in semi-structured in-depth interviews conducted in their preferred languages, including Ghanaian Sign Language. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to identify key patterns in the data, revealing four main themes: (1) pathways for acquiring contraceptive knowledge, which included institutional outreach, maternal health visits, and informal peer networks; (2) determinants of non-utilisation, such as fear of side effects, religious stigma, and the desire to have children for future caregiving support; (3) drivers of modern contraceptive uptake, including the pursuit of educational and vocational goals, partner support, and the desire to prevent obstetric trauma; and (4) structural and systemic health inequalities, characterised by communication barriers, inaccessible physical infrastructure, and inconsistent provider attitudes. The findings advance scientific knowledge by moving beyond a simple narrative of unmet need to illustrate how women with disabilities exercise reproductive agency within a complex landscape of intersecting personal, social, and structural constraints. The novel findings highlight the dual role of informal networks in disseminating both accurate information and persistent myths, as well as the nuanced ways in which fertility is viewed as a long-term survival strategy in the absence of robust social support. These insights inform policy by underscoring the urgent need for disability-inclusive family planning services. This requires a multi-pronged approach that includes accessible communication through sign language interpretation, disability-sensitivity training for healthcare workers, retrofitting health facilities to improve physical access, and linking contraceptive services with broader social protection programmes to address the root causes of non-use.</p>","PeriodicalId":47742,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biosocial Science","volume":" ","pages":"1-15"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148563121","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring the factors behind single-child households in Iranian families: a qualitative study.","authors":"Javad Yoosefi Lebni, Ahmad Ahmadi, Mandana Saki, Rana Hosseini, Bahar Kkosravi, Murat Yildirim, Seyed Fahim Irandoost","doi":"10.1017/S0021932026100601","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021932026100601","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Single childhood is a growing social phenomenon in Iran that occurs under the influence of various factors that need to be identified. Therefore, the current research was conducted to explain the reasons behind only single children in Western Iran. This qualitative research was conducted using a conventional qualitative content analysis approach in Lorestan province, western Iran. The study participants were parents with one child who no longer wanted to have more children. Key informants were also involved in the study. To identify participants, purposive and snowball sampling were used. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 29 couples with one child and seven key informants until saturation was reached. Data analysis was conducted using the Graneheim and Lundman qualitative content analysis approach with the assistance of MAXQDA software (version 2020). Analysis of the interviews obtained four categories, 16 subcategories, and 205 initial codes. The main categories were (1) past negative experiences (concerns about the mother and child's health, negative experiences with the first child), (2) weak support systems (lack of a supportive environment, dissatisfaction with married life), (3) changing social discourses on childbearing and parenting (spread of individualism, normalization of single-childing in society, considering having a child as more of a limitation, formation of new gender attitudes among women, changes in parental expectations of children, fading of religious beliefs encouraging childbearing, idealism in child-rearing, increased knowledge and access to contraceptives), and (4) inability to overcome challenges (financial challenges, lack of a suitable living environment, social hopelessness, missing opportunities for re-parenthood). Single-child families represent a complex phenomenon driven by a multitude of factors, necessitating interventions at the individual, family, and societal levels to address it. Enhancing financial support, expanding social welfare programmes, emphasizing religious norms that encourage childbearing, strengthening family bonds, and providing appropriate parenting models can potentially increase fertility intentions and behaviours.</p>","PeriodicalId":47742,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biosocial Science","volume":" ","pages":"1-22"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148449842","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The role of social support in the decision to migrate for childbirth: qualitative evidence from India.","authors":"Rutuja Patil, Aanchal Narang, Alison El Ayadi, Kajal Tonde, Rachel Murro, Shivani Khadilkar, Dhiraj Agarwal, Sanjay Juvekar, Nadia Diamond-Smith","doi":"10.1017/S0021932026100613","DOIUrl":"10.1017/S0021932026100613","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Temporary Childbirth Migration (TCM),</b> where women return to their natal homes during or after pregnancy, is a common but understudied practice in India and South Asia. This study examines the influence of social support systems on TCM decisions among Indian women, focusing on the roles of husbands, in-laws, and parents. The study was conducted in the Vadu Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) in Western Maharashtra, India, and involved 41 in-depth interviews with triads comprising women, their husbands, and mothers-in-law. Participants varied in age, education, occupation, marriage, migration type, and delivery method and included women with infants up to two years old. Data were analysed using rapid and traditional coding approaches with predefined and emergent codes. Findings were categorised under four key domains of social support: emotional, financial, instrumental, and informational. Emotional support from mothers fosters a stress-free environment; financial support from family influences location; instrumental support for household tasks differs across settings; and informational guidance from experienced family members guides expectant mothers. Healthcare access, household status, and the husband's role also shape migration choices. Women prioritise proximity to medical facilities, comfort, and freedom in their natal homes. Decisions are typically inclusive, involving multiple family members. The study shows that social support, cultural norms, and practical needs influence TCM decisions, and further research is needed to support women's choices during the perinatal period. In conclusion, recognising emotional, financial, informational, and instrumental support can help providers and policymakers improve maternal and child health outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":47742,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biosocial Science","volume":" ","pages":"255-267"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148413382","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring the lived experience of economic insecurity and health among people accessing charity-run food provision services in Bristol, UK - CORRIGENDUM.","authors":"Geneviève Stone, Angeliki Papadaki","doi":"10.1017/S0021932026100637","DOIUrl":"10.1017/S0021932026100637","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":47742,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biosocial Science","volume":" ","pages":"316"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148392155","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Subjective biology: how perceived fecundity influences relationship satisfaction and stability.","authors":"Zafer Buyukkececi, Mine Kühn, Siri Eldevik Haberg, Cecilia Ramlau-Hansen, Mikko Myrskylä","doi":"10.1017/S0021932026100625","DOIUrl":"10.1017/S0021932026100625","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In high-income countries, fertility is increasingly postponed into ages when fecundity declines, elevating the risk of unmet reproductive goals. In this context, how individuals perceive their own and their partner's reproductive potential may carry important implications for well-being and relationship stability, long before clinical infertility is diagnosed. Drawing on 13 waves of longitudinal data from the German Family Panel (pairfam), this study uses individual fixed-effects models to examine how within-person changes in perceived fecundity - both one's own and one's partner's - are related to life satisfaction, relationship satisfaction, and union dissolution. By capturing both individual and partner assessments, this approach emphasizes the couple as the key unit of reproductive experience. Declines in both own and partner's perceived fecundity are associated with lower life and relationship satisfaction. However, perceptions of a partner's fecundity exert a stronger influence on relationship outcomes than self-perceptions. In particular, decreases in partner-perceived fecundity increase the risk of separation, a pattern not observed for changes in one's own fecundity. These associations do not vary significantly by gender but are moderated by parental status and age, with effects being weaker among parents and older individuals. By integrating both self- and partner assessments of fecundity, this study advances a dyadic, life course perspective on fertility. It shows that subjective reproductive potential functions as a relational stressor with meaningful consequences for emotional well-being and relationship trajectories.</p>","PeriodicalId":47742,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biosocial Science","volume":" ","pages":"268-292"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148413345","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Decision-making in contraceptive use among childfree couples: cultural and structural influences in India and Canada.","authors":"Chandni Bhambhani, Anand Inbanathan","doi":"10.1017/S0021932026100649","DOIUrl":"10.1017/S0021932026100649","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The term 'childfree' differs from 'childless' not only as a distinction between a deliberate choice and a condition caused by circumstances, but it also indicates the ongoing efforts of childfree couples to prevent conception through contraception. The choice to remain childfree develops gradually, and for many, it is not decided at the outset. Thus, questions arise about the contraceptives that couples prefer and whether these preferences change as their decision to stay childfree becomes more certain. To explore this, a thematic analysis was conducted following joint interviews with thirty-six heterosexual childfree couples, eighteen each from India and Canada, to identify patterns in their experiences with choosing diverse modes of contraception. Distinctive birth control strategies emerged in the accounts of childfree couples from Canada and India. Among Canadian participants, it was discovered that they utilised a variety of contraceptives at different stages of their relationship, whereas most Indian participants preferred and relied on the male barrier method. The differences in the preferred methods of contraception, as well as the actually used contraception, highlighted the significance of how individual characteristics such as education, occupation, and income interact with cultural and institutional influence.</p>","PeriodicalId":47742,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biosocial Science","volume":" ","pages":"293-315"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148406331","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Advancing urban exposome research through the integration of qualitative and quantitative approaches in epidemiological research.","authors":"Ana Isabel Ribeiro, José Pedro Silva","doi":"10.1017/S0021932026100595","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021932026100595","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The notion of 'urban exposome' brings promise to the public health and epidemiology fields of inquiry, particularly within research projects conducted within birth cohorts. However, it is also challenging. The present paper addresses how combining qualitative methods with numerical data on exposures and health outcomes may help to fulfil that promise while posing important challenges to researchers. Quantitative methods based on Geographic Information System and other geo-technologies establish the linkage between participants' residential locations and geospatial datasets, generating many quantitative measurements of environmental exposures throughout participants' life course since birth. Yet, abstracted quantitative measurements alone do not capture lived experiences and do not allow for a rich inquiry about the complex and situated webs of social, physical, and biological phenomena that shape their bodies. Qualitative approaches may enhance quantitative data collected from sensors, blood samples, and physical examinations. These methods help to uncover, with depth and nuance, how individuals build meaning, navigate their surroundings, and how their complex contexts shape their lives and health, strengthening epidemiological evidence. In other words, they may help produce more data points and provide context, thus improving the interpretation of quantitative measurements. Besides, some of these methods promote reflection, collective discussion, and community empowerment. By integrating quantitative and qualitative approaches, researchers can obtain a more holistic and contextualised understanding of the external urban exposome. Multi-methods and mixed-methods approaches may strengthen the validity of findings, improve the interpretability of results, generate new hypotheses, and support the development of place-based interventions. Nevertheless, integrating quantitative and qualitative approaches may raise several challenges related to epistemological and ontological tensions, different scientific practices, ethical compliance, and the training of research teams. Concluding, the combined use of quantitative and qualitative methods in measuring the external urban exposome within cohort studies offers a powerful approach to understanding the complex interplay between urban environments and health outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":47742,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biosocial Science","volume":" ","pages":"1-10"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2026-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148158609","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Lived experiences of food insecurity in the UK: users and volunteers in community-based food aid.","authors":"Sienna Miller, Nick Townsend","doi":"10.1017/S0021932026100583","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021932026100583","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Food insecurity (FI), defined as unreliable access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food, affects nearly 10 million people in the UK. However, official statistics often exclude individuals relying on informal or non-referral-based food support, rendering their experiences largely invisible. This study explores how users and volunteers experience and interpret FI in charity-run, community-based food aid settings across England, an area under-represented in UK studies which are dominated by formal, referral-based food bank models. This qualitative study employed a hermeneutic phenomenological approach to understand the lived experiences of FI. Nineteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of food bank users (<i>n</i> = 10) and volunteers (<i>n</i> = 9). Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis (TA). The socio-ecological model (SEM) was used to structure analysis across five levels: individual, interpersonal, institutional, community, and policy levels. Five interconnected themes emerged across the socio-ecological model: (1) Individual: Mental Health, Stigma and Shame; (2) Interpersonal: Caregiving Responsibilities and Sacrifice; (3) Institutional: Chronic Food Aid Reliance and Nutritional Constraints; (4) Community: Informal Networks and Support; and (5) Public Policy: Welfare Inadequacy and Political Neglect. Volunteers also played a mediating role between systems and individuals, navigating logistical burdens and emotional labour. The findings highlight the multidimensional and structured nature of FI in the UK and offer new insights into how dignity, autonomy, and nutritional adequacy are negotiated within informal food support systems. The study calls for more sustainable, community-responsive food aid models and structural policy reforms addressing poverty, inequality, and the legal right to food.</p>","PeriodicalId":47742,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biosocial Science","volume":" ","pages":"1-16"},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2026-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147983815","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Correlates of pregnancies ending in induced abortions: a population-based analysis from the age perspective.","authors":"Aidée Baranda Ortiz, Mikolaj Stanek","doi":"10.1017/S002193202610056X","DOIUrl":"10.1017/S002193202610056X","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Induced abortions (IAs) constitute a fundamental right contributing to women's reproductive sexual health allowing them to decide whether they wish to avoid, postpone, space, or conclude their motherhood. In this study, fertility control through IA is analysed according to the age combined with the individual and contextual characteristics of the women. Data from the Voluntary Termination of Pregnancy Statistics (Ministry of Health) and the Vital Statistics (Movimiento Natural de la Población, National Statistics Institute) were combined to capture all pregnancy outcomes, including IAs, live births, stillbirths, and late foetal deaths. Binary logistic regression models were applied to each age group (15-19, 20-29, 30-39, and 40-44 years) to calculate the likelihood of opting for an abortion based on whether individuals have a partner, the number of children, and adjusted for other sociodemographic variables. In the early reproductive stages, the probability of opting for an IA was higher in women without a partner than in those with one. In contrast, in the later years of the reproductive cycle, women with two or more children were more likely to opt for an IA, indicating their desire to stop childbearing. The likelihood of opting for an IA varies according to the woman's age. Furthermore, sociodemographic characteristics within each group of age undergo significant changes. A more detailed analysis of the reasons leading to the choice of abortion is necessary. Additionally, this study serves as valuable input for family planning public policies.</p>","PeriodicalId":47742,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biosocial Science","volume":" ","pages":"232-244"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147730435","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Persistent effects of China's one-child policy on childbearing attitudes of the Chinese diaspora in the United States: a qualitative study.","authors":"Nina Nguyen, Jessica Atrio, Nerys Benfield, June Hoi Ka Ng","doi":"10.1017/S0021932026100510","DOIUrl":"10.1017/S0021932026100510","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study examines how China's former one-child policy has shaped fertility attitudes among the Chinese diaspora in the United States. Through semi-structured qualitative interviews with thirty reproductive-age women of Chinese descent, either born in China or first-generation immigrants to the United States, this study explored opinions towards the policy, self-reported impact on reproductive decision-making, and attitudes towards family size. Participants were recruited from an internet-based survey distributed through cultural groups on social media, paper flyers, and email listservs. Interviews were analysed using the principle of thematic analysis by three authors, who met after coding to resolve disagreements. The mean age of participants was 33. Six participants (20%) used an interpreter. Eighteen participants (60%) were born in China. The range of pregnancies was 0-5, and the range of births was 0-2. Authors found that while participants were no longer directly constrained by the one-child policy, many continued to demonstrate preferences for fewer children. Financial strains, resource allocation, societal shame, and internalised social norms emerged as key themes. These themes echo messages promoted during the one-child policy era through propaganda and enforcement measures, such as audits of family registrations, rewards for compliant families, fines, mandatory IUDs, or sterilisations for noncompliant ones, and even forced abortions for 'unauthorized' pregnancies. These messages reinforced that small families were more appropriate. These findings suggest a lasting cultural shift towards fewer children as a result of the policy, even after emigration. They also carry theoretical implications towards understanding the long-term social and psychological consequences of reproductive mandates and the generational transmission of policy-shaped fertility norms. This study offers a perspective for nations currently implementing pronatalist fertility regulations. These findings highlight the role of historical policies in shaping contemporary reproductive perspectives, family dynamics, and potentially, engagement with medicine beyond geographic, political, and temporal boundaries.</p>","PeriodicalId":47742,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biosocial Science","volume":" ","pages":"245-254"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147785603","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}