ŠTĚPANÍKOVÁ, Irena, Sanjeev ACHARYA, Alejandra COLON-LOPEZ, Safa ABDALLA, Jana KLÁNOVÁ and Gary L. DARMSTADT. Maternal gender discrimination and child emotional and behavioural problems: A population-based, longitudinal cohort study in the Czech Republic. EClinicalMedicine. Elsevier, 2022, vol. 53, November 2022, p. 1-13. ISSN 2589-5370. Available from: https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2022.101627.
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Basic information
Original name Maternal gender discrimination and child emotional and behavioural problems: A population-based, longitudinal cohort study in the Czech Republic
Authors ŠTĚPANÍKOVÁ, Irena (203 Czech Republic, belonging to the institution), Sanjeev ACHARYA, Alejandra COLON-LOPEZ, Safa ABDALLA, Jana KLÁNOVÁ (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution) and Gary L. DARMSTADT.
Edition EClinicalMedicine, Elsevier, 2022, 2589-5370.
Other information
Original language English
Type of outcome Article in a journal
Field of Study 30218 General and internal medicine
Country of publisher Netherlands
Confidentiality degree is not subject to a state or trade secret
WWW URL
Impact factor Impact factor: 15.100
RIV identification code RIV/00216224:14310/22:00127526
Organization unit Faculty of Science
Doi http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2022.101627
UT WoS 000860524000003
Keywords in English Gender discrimination; Mental health; Behavioural problems; Adverse childhood experiences; Child health; Adolescent health
Tags rivok
Tags International impact, Reviewed
Changed by Changed by: Mgr. Marie Šípková, DiS., učo 437722. Changed: 3/4/2023 11:10.
Abstract
Background Gender discrimination may be a novel mechanism through which gender inequality negatively affects the health of women and girls. We investigated whether children's mental health varied with maternal exposure to perceived gender discrimination. Methods Complete longitudinal data was available on 2,567 mother-child dyads who were enrolled between March 1, 1991 and June 30,1992 in the European Longitudinal Cohort Study of Pregnancy and Childhood-Czech cohort and were surveyed at multiple time points between pregnancy and child age up to 15 years. The Strengths and Difficulties Ques-tionnaire (SDQ) was administered at child age 7, 11, and 15 years to assess child emotional/behavioural difficulties. Per-ceived gender discrimination was self-reported in mid-pregnancy and child age 7 and 11 years. Multilevel mixed-effects linear regression of SDQ scores were estimated. Mediation was tested using structural equation models. Findings Perceived gender discrimination, reported by 11.2% of mothers in mid-pregnancy, was related to increased emotional/behavioural difficulties among children in bivariate analysis (slope = 0.24 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.15, 0.32], p < 0.0001) and in the fully adjusted model (slope = 0.18 [95% CI: 0.09, 0.27], p < 0.0001). Increased difficulties were evident among children of mothers with more depressive symptoms (slope = 0.04 [95% CI: 0.03, 0.05], p < 0.0001), boys (slope = 0.26 [95% CI: 0.19, 0.34], p < 0.0001), first children (slope = 0.16 [95% CI: 0.09, 0.23], p < 0.0001), and families under financial hardship (slope = 0.09 [95% CI: 0.04, 0.14], p < 0.0001). Effects were attenuated for married mothers (slope-0.12 [95% CI:-0.22,-0.01], p < 0.05]. Maternal depressive symptoms and financial hardship mediated about 37% and 13%, respectively, of the total effect of perceived gender discrimination on SDQ scores. Interpretation Perceived gender discrimination among child-bearing women in family contexts was associated with more mental health problems among their children and adolescents, extending prior research showing associations with maternal mental health problems. Maternal depressive symptoms and, to a lesser extent, financial hardship both partially mediated the positive relationship between perceived gender discrimination and child emotional/behavioural problems. This should be taken into consideration when measuring the societal burden of gender inequality and gender-based discrimination. Moreover, gender-based discrimination affects more than one gender and more than one generation, extending to boys in the household even moreso than girls, highlighting that gender discrimination is everyone's issue. Further research is required on the intergenerational mechanisms whereby gender discrimination may lead to maternal and child mental health consequences.
Links
EF15_003/0000469, research and development projectName: Cetocoen Plus
EF16_013/0001761, research and development projectName: RECETOX RI
LM2015051, research and development projectName: Centrum pro výzkum toxických látek v prostředí (Acronym: RECETOX RI)
Investor: Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the CR
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