Frontiers in global women's health最新文献

{"title":"Health-related quality of life in women with normogonadotropic ovulatory dysfunction: a prospective cohort study.","authors":"Iwona Gawron, Justyna Brodowicz, Rafal Baran, Aleksandra Bromboszcz, Marzena Wielgus, Robert Jach","doi":"10.3389/fgwh.2026.1806970","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fgwh.2026.1806970","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>To compare health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in women with normogonadotropic ovulatory dysfunction, specifically polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis dysfunction (HPOD), to that of regularly menstruating women, and to evaluate the impact of selected clinical and biochemical parameters on HRQoL.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>HRQoL across nine domains was compared using the RAND 36-Item Health Survey among women with regular and irregular menstruation. Correlations between clinical parameters and HRQoL scores were examined, along with correlations between biochemical parameters and HRQoL scores in anovulatory women.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>HRQoL in the domains of Role Limitations Due to Physical Health (<i>p</i> = 0.024), Role Limitations Due to Emotional Problems (<i>p</i> < 0.001), Energy/Fatigue (<i>p</i> = 0.006), Emotional Wellbeing (<i>p</i> = 0.01), Social Functioning (<i>p</i> = 0.007), General Health (<i>p</i> < 0.001), and Health Change (<i>p</i> = 0.005) was significantly better in regularly menstruating women. No significant differences were observed in HRQoL between women with PCOS and those with HPOD (all <i>p</i> > 0.05). Women with PCOS phenotype D had a better Physical Functioning score compared to those with PCOS A and B (<i>p</i> = 0.017). Significant negative correlations were observed between Ferriman-Gallwey and Ludwig scale scores and HRQoL aspects in the entire cohort, and between dysmenorrhea, heavy menstrual bleeding, BMI, CRP concentrations, dyslipidemia, and insulin resistance and HRQoL in anovulatory women. Testosterone concentrations did not correlate with HRQoL.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>HRQoL in women with ovulatory dysfunction was worse than that of women with regular ovulation in most HRQoL domains, with no differences between PCOS and HPOD. Significant correlations were identified between clinical and biochemical health indicators and the assessed HRQoL domains.</p>","PeriodicalId":73087,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in global women's health","volume":"7 ","pages":"1806970"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13506369/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148835108","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Transperineal ultrasound-based outcomes of postpartum pelvic floor recovery after elective cesarean section versus vaginal delivery: a systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"Chunhua Zhan, Nina Tu, Haoyuan Huang, Xueli Lai","doi":"10.3389/fgwh.2026.1808222","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fgwh.2026.1808222","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>To synthesize evidence on transperineal ultrasound-based and clinically relevant postpartum pelvic floor outcomes following elective cesarean section delivery (CSD) compared with vaginal delivery (VD).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Observational studies (cohort, case-control, and cross-sectional studies) comparing elective CSD with VD were included. Outcomes were pelvic floor muscle strength (PFMS), posterior bladder angle (PBA), bladder neck descent (BND), postpartum SUI, and POP. Risk of bias was assessed using ROBINS-I, and certainty of evidence was evaluated using the GRADE framework.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Twelve studies contributed to at least one outcome-specific quantitative or narrative synthesis. Five studies were included in the PFMS analysis. Because the included studies used different PFMS measurement methods and scales, PFMS was analyzed using standardized mean difference (SMD) rather than mean difference. Reported elective CSD showed a non-significant trend toward higher PFMS compared with VD (SMD = 0.27, 95% CI -0.05 to 0.60, <i>p</i> = 0.10, <i>I</i> ² = 74.75%). PBA did not differ significantly between delivery modes (3 studies, MD = -3.26, 95% CI -7.09 to 0.56, <i>p</i> = 0.09, <i>I</i> ² = 71.85%). BND was reported in only two studies and was summarized narratively. Reported elective CSD was associated with a lower risk of postpartum SUI than VD (6 studies, RR = 0.47, 95% CI 0.38 to 0.59, <i>p</i> < 0.001, <i>I</i> ² = 46.6%). The POP estimate also favored reported elective CSD (4 studies, RR = 0.56, 95% CI 0.35 to 0.91, <i>p</i> = 0.018, <i>I</i> ² = 74.0%), but was less robust because it was based on four studies with substantial heterogeneity. Labor exposure before cesarean delivery was incompletely reported in most studies, and postpartum assessment timing varied across studies.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Current observational evidence suggests that reported elective CSD may be associated with a lower risk of postpartum SUI compared with VD. The evidence for POP also favored reported elective CSD, but was less robust. Evidence for PFMS and ultrasound-derived anatomical parameters remains uncertain. These findings should not be used as the sole basis for delivery-mode counseling. GRADE certainty was low for the SUI association and very low for PFMS, PBA, BND, and POP.</p>","PeriodicalId":73087,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in global women's health","volume":"7 ","pages":"1808222"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13506370/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148835120","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Examining women's experiences with medication abortion: a critical inquiry of women's online narratives post-Dobbs.","authors":"Katherine A Rafferty, Tessa Longbons Cox, Stuart W Grande","doi":"10.3389/fgwh.2026.1891942","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fgwh.2026.1891942","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Changes in the legal landscape surrounding abortion in the United States post-<i>Dobbs</i> have led to an increased reliance on medication abortion. Many women turn to the internet to process and share their experiences with medication abortion.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Our critical inquiry examines the experiences of women who have had a medication abortion and chose to publicly share their experiences online, anonymously post-<i>Dobbs</i>.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We found that all posts shared a similar structure, tone, and syntax regardless of platform. Most women described their medication abortion by using explicit details about their decisions and the process of the medication abortion. We identified three primary discourse types that characterize women's online narratives: (1) abandonment, (2) delusion of choice, and (3) \"good mothering.\"</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Our findings demonstrate how choices to share medication abortion stories represented private acts of defiance during a public controversy in a public online space. Women's intimate narratives showcase the complexity surrounding medication abortion, signaling women's individual challenges coupled with their feelings of societal abandonment against the larger backdrop of double-edged political and cultural discourses about motherhood and medication abortion.</p>","PeriodicalId":73087,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in global women's health","volume":"7 ","pages":"1891942"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13506762/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148835086","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"\"Someone could have told me\": a qualitative study on experiences with hysterectomy decision-making and regret in Mysore, India.","authors":"Sasha Herbst de Cortina, Raghavi Karanam, Rashmi Pramathesh, Fazila Begum, Poornima Jaykrishna, Vijaya Srinivas, Roopa Hariprasad, Purnima Madhivanan, Prajakta Adsul, Devanshi Somaiya","doi":"10.3389/fgwh.2026.1870806","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fgwh.2026.1870806","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Hysterectomy is a common surgery among women in India and has been normalized as a treatment for a range of conditions including those with alternative treatment options. There are concerns regarding its overuse, appropriateness, and potential contribution to poor health outcomes, especially among younger women. As with all surgical decision-making, it can be a challenge to balance patient autonomy with physician expertise in decision-making.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We performed in-depth interviews with 20 women who had undergone hysterectomy prior to age 35 in semi-urban areas of Mysore District, Karnataka, India to gain insights around their decision-making experiences. Transcripts were evaluated using thematic analysis, and we used the Ottawa Decision Support Framework to frame our findings around three key domains: decision impact, status and gaps in decisional support, and ongoing decisional needs.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Participants described positive outcomes when personal values were aligned with decision-making, and regret when they were not aligned. They often felt under-supported in decision-making. Key resources in decision-making were from community members and medical personnel. Finally, participants identified a gap in formal support in place for women considering hysterectomy and highlighted the need for better counseling by medical providers.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Recommendations for improving decisional support and minimizing decisional regret include expanding education by community health workers regarding gynecologic health, personalized and accurate discussion of health conditions and personal values by physicians, increased government oversight of hysterectomy, and expanded access to routine healthcare to increase treatment options.</p>","PeriodicalId":73087,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in global women's health","volume":"7 ","pages":"1870806"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13500569/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148815061","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Unit culture and respectful care in obstetric care settings: a qualitative concept elicitation study.","authors":"M Takenoshita, S L Perez, A J Jethwa, R Nath, E K Main, P Sultan","doi":"10.3389/fgwh.2026.1833740","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fgwh.2026.1833740","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Unit culture and respectful care in hospital obstetric care settings are associated with patient outcomes and satisfaction. However, the definition and determinants of these concepts from the perspective of staff remain underexplored. We aimed to define unit culture and respectful care, identify their determinants and derive a conceptual framework describing their relationship in obstetric care settings.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A multicenter exploratory qualitative study design was used. Following Institutional Review Board ethical approval, individual interviews were carried out with a volunteer sample of clinical and nonclinical staff working on labor and delivery, antepartum or postpartum units across California to capture comprehensive staff perspectives on obstetric care culture and respectful care. Participants were recruited between March to October 2025, selecting staff representing a range of maternal health providers and birth workers who served diverse regions, communities, and populations. The primary outcome was the definition and conceptual framework of unit staff culture and respectful care in obstetric settings.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of the 22 participants who agreed to be interviewed, 21 completed interviews were included in the qualitative analysis (Asian 2/21, Black or African American 7/21, White 9/21, not disclosed 3/21). Participants included 9 physicians, 4 nurses, 4 doulas, 1 midwife, and 3 nonclinical staff across 16 healthcare organizations with equal representation of private, public and academic institutions. The mean duration of interview was 50 min. No new themes or subthemes were identified for three consecutive interview transcripts after 18 interviews, indicating thematic saturation had been achieved. Nine themes and 33 subthemes were identified. Unit culture was defined by teamwork, communication, and respectful treatment between staff. Respectful care was characterized by bias-free individualized care, and kindness and equity. Both concepts were influenced by leadership, psychological safety, and strategies to improve culture of respectful care, such as communication and training and staff education, as well as barriers to respectful care, such as resource constraints and implicit biases.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Unit culture and respectful care in obstetric settings were distinct and interrelated concepts. We present a conceptual framework identifying the modifiable determinants that shape both unit culture and respectful care, which can be used to inform improvement strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":73087,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in global women's health","volume":"7 ","pages":"1833740"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13502073/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148815132","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Missing from the data, missing from the design: feminist co-design for equitable hormonal contraception symptom tracking.","authors":"Rachael Hughson-Gill, Chloe Curtis, Lisa Iversen, Catie Varley, Abigail Needham, Rebecca L Mawson","doi":"10.3389/fgwh.2026.1864517","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fgwh.2026.1864517","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Hormonal contraception is used by millions globally, yet side effects remain poorly understood and underrepresented in clinical research and digital health tools. The femtech sector has largely failed to serve marginalised communities, including ethnic minority groups, neurodivergent individuals, and those with lived experience of mental health challenges. This study explored these diverse perspectives through the co-design of T.H.E (The Hormone Effect) app, a digital tool for collecting data on hormonal contraception side effects, to ensure it serves these populations and enables the generation of more diverse and representative datasets.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Five co-design workshops were conducted in South Yorkshire, UK (May-June 2025), engaging 24 participants across five community groups: a Muslim women's group, a Muslim mums' group, a neurodiversity support group, women with lived experience of mental health challenges, and university students. Participants reviewed a low-fidelity prototype of T.H.E app alongside existing cycle-tracking apps, engaging in facilitated discussion and annotation. Data was analysed using deductive qualitative content analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Five themes emerged. Participants called for flexible, inclusive, and trauma-informed data collection, raising concerns about fixed identity categories, clinical language, and the potential harms of existing mental health questionnaires. Trust and transparency were central, with significant concern about data commercialisation and privacy, particularly regarding abortion and pregnancy loss. Language and visual design were identified as key barriers and enablers of engagement. Participants also advocated strongly for reciprocal value through meaningful data visualisation and culturally relevant health information.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Women's health data collection is an embodied, emotionally experienced, and culturally situated practice. Moving beyond extractive approaches toward transparent, trauma-informed, and user-centred design is essential for equitable digital health technology. Future work should prioritise iterative development of T.H.E app and its integration into clinical pathways to address persistent data gaps in hormonal contraception research.</p>","PeriodicalId":73087,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in global women's health","volume":"7 ","pages":"1864517"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13500272/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148815096","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Trends, inequalities, and 2030 projections of women's tracheal, bronchial, and lung cancer attributable to air pollution, radon, and tobacco exposure.","authors":"Songsong Wang, Congcong Zhao, Hanpeng Lai","doi":"10.3389/fgwh.2026.1662451","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fgwh.2026.1662451","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Tracheal, bronchial, and lung (TBL) cancer attributable to environmental and behavioral exposures remains a major global health concern. However, evidence on long-term trends, inequalities, and future burden among women remains limited. This study used Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2023 data to address these gaps.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We analyzed female TBL cancer data from the GBD 2023 (1990-2023) to assess mortality and disability-adjusted life year (DALY) patterns associated with five rountine inhalation-related risk factors. We further evaluated associations with the socio-demographic index (SDI) using smoothing and deviation analyses, quantified SDI-related inequalities through concentration indices, decomposed burden changes by demographic and epidemiological factors, and projected the burden to 2030.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In 2023, smoking remained the leading contributor to female TBL cancer mortality, followed by ambient particulate matter and secondhand smoke. Between 1990 and 2023, mortality attributable to household solid fuel declined most markedly, whereas mortality related to particulate matter increased slightly. Comparable trends were observed for DALYs. Marked cross-country and regional heterogeneity was observed by risk factors, with China standing out for particulate matter-related burden. Along socio-demographic gradients, burdens from radon and tobacco-related hazards rose with SDI alongside elevated concentration indices, whereas solid fuel burdens declined with increasingly negative concentration indices, and particulate matter displayed a rising burden but diminishing inequality. Population growth and aging drove increases in burdens from particulate matter, radon, and tobacco, whereas epidemiological change reduced solid fuel-related burden. By 2030, burdens attributable to particulate matter, radon, and secondhand smoke are projected to continue increasing, whereas the burden related to solid fuel is expected to decline. Although the number of smoking-related cases is projected to increase, the corresponding rate is expected to decrease.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our findings underscore the need to prioritize surveillance of inhalation-related hazards for female TBL cancer, especially in resource-limited and rapidly developing regions beyond traditionally industrialized settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":73087,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in global women's health","volume":"7 ","pages":"1662451"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13493495/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148802101","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Self-efficacy and knowledge trial to improve sexual reproductive health and well-being for Syrian refugee women and girls in Lebanon: a study protocol for a randomized community-based trial.","authors":"Loulou Kobeissi, Sarah Ibrahim, Zahi Abdul Sater, Tania Bosqui, Gladys Honein-AbouHaidar, Theresa Farhat, Mohammad Fouad Mohammad Fouad, Hady Naal, Laura Hudroj, Dalia Sarieddine, Veloshnee Govender, Lale Say, Randa Hamadeh, Shadi Saleh","doi":"10.3389/fgwh.2026.1793696","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fgwh.2026.1793696","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Use and access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services are often inadequate and limited among adolescent girls and young refugee women in humanitarian settings. This is attributed to an array of factors including: limited health literacy, lack of knowledge on where and how to access services, limited availability of services, and gender norms. Further, the nature of humanitarian settings often poses additional mental health pressures because of limited safety, political instability, gender-based violence (GBV), and dire socio-economic and living conditions, among others. This is especially true for the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR), which hosts the largest number of humanitarian crises in the world, thus rendering the provision of SRH and psychosocial support (PSS) services in humanitarian settings highly compromised.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>The proposed research aims to evaluate the impact of a WHO-developed low-intensity/low-resource psychosocial support (PSS) SRH-integrated intervention package on the use of selected SRH services, primarily family planning as well as well-being among Syrian adolescent girls and young women refugees, aged 15-24 years, in Lebanon. The research will adopt a community-based randomized controlled trial (RCT) design to evaluate the effectiveness of the PSS-SRH integrated intervention package on the use of selected SRH services as well as mental well-being. The RCT will be accompanied by a rigorous process evaluation during intervention implementation to assess intervention fidelity, attrition, dose and satisfaction, as well as to capture key lessons based on intervention implementation to inform global scale-up in different humanitarian settings.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>This intervention is expected to be easily integrated into existing primary healthcare settings and specifically to improve selected SRH service use, leading to improved SRH outcomes and reduced SRH-related risks, and ultimately better wellbeing among refugee women and girls. Findings of this RCT are also expected to inform key stakeholders and better guide decision making for such interventions in humanitarian settings.<b>Clinical Trial Registration</b>: https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07008950?term=self%20efficacy%20and%20knowledge&viewType=Card&rank=2, identifier: NCT07008950.</p>","PeriodicalId":73087,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in global women's health","volume":"7 ","pages":"1793696"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13490056/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148802047","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Perinatal mental health among women in Somalia a silent emergency demanding urgent health system action.","authors":"Sharmake Gaiye Bashir, Hiba Abdi Salad, Yakub Burhan Abdullahi, Yusuf Hared Abdi, Mohamed Sharif Abdi, Naima Ibrahim Ahmed","doi":"10.3389/fgwh.2026.1859985","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fgwh.2026.1859985","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Perinatal mental health among women in Somalia represents a critical yet neglected public health emergency shaped by three decades of protracted conflict, gender-based violence, internal displacement, and one of the world's weakest health systems. With a maternal mortality ratio of 621 per 100,000 live births and fewer than 21% of births occurring in health facilities, depression and anxiety affect approximately one in four perinatal women-yet remain entirely absent from routine maternal care. This Perspective examines the structural, policy, and systemic barriers that perpetuate this neglect and proposes evidence-informed pathways for urgent action: integration of screening and brief interventions into primary healthcare, task-shifting to community health workers, culturally adapted psychosocial interventions, and strengthened governance frameworks. We emphasize that addressing perinatal mental health is foundational to Somalia's health system recovery, critical for reducing maternal and neonatal mortality, and essential for safeguarding the development and wellbeing of a generation of Somali children.</p>","PeriodicalId":73087,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in global women's health","volume":"7 ","pages":"1859985"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13490142/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148801794","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Socioeconomic deprivation and maternal mental health in developing countries: a multicenter study of postpartum depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.","authors":"Saad Zbiri, Carine Milcent","doi":"10.3389/fgwh.2026.1803491","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fgwh.2026.1803491","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Despite growing research on maternal mental health, evidence from low- and middle-income countries, particularly in Africa, remains limited and fragmented. We provide context-specific evidence in the post-COVID era and address an important gap in the literature on socioeconomic vulnerability and maternal mental health. This study investigates the effect of socioeconomic deprivation on postpartum depression and post-traumatic stress disorder among postpartum women using validated assessment tools. Maternal mental health outcomes are assessed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and the Peritraumatic Distress Inventory (PDI), while socioeconomic deprivation is measured using the multidimensional EPICES score. Our study is a multicenter cross-sectional observational study conducted in three hospitals in Casablanca and Rabat, Morocco. A total of 527 women who consent to participate are consecutively recruited at the end of their maternity stay between June 2024 and June 2025. Descriptive analyses show that 26.9% (95% CI: 23.3-30.9%) of women screen positive for postpartum depression and 34.2% (95% CI: 30.2-38.3%) for post-traumatic stress disorder, with 73.2% (95% CI: 69.3-76.9%) classified as socioeconomically deprived. Multivariate logit models reveal that socioeconomic deprivation, measured using both the continuous EPICES score and the dichotomized EPICES indicator, independently increases the risk of postpartum depression (<i>β</i> = 0.028, <i>p</i> < 0.01; <i>β</i> = 0.631, <i>p</i> < 0.05) and post-traumatic stress disorder (<i>β</i> = 0.030, <i>p</i> < 0.01; <i>β</i> = 1.018, <i>p</i> < 0.05). Sensitivity analyses using detailed socioeconomic characteristics confirm the robustness of these effects. The findings underscore the significant impact of socioeconomic disadvantage on maternal mental health and highlight the need for integrated interventions addressing both social and medical determinants of postpartum psychological well-being in developing-country settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":73087,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in global women's health","volume":"7 ","pages":"1803491"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13469008/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148761546","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}