Female Sterilization and Poor Mental Health: Rates and Relatedness among American Indian and Alaska Native Women

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• 作者：Christina J.J. Cackler ; MPH ; MSW^a ; ^b ; ^{christinacackler@gmail.com" class="auth_mail" title="E-mail the corresponding author}Author Vitae ; Valerie B. Shapiro ; PhD^aAuthor Vitae ; Maureen Lahiff ; PhD^bAuthor Vitae
• 刊名：Women's Health Issues
• 出版年：2016
• 出版时间：March-April 2016
• 年：2016
• 卷：26
• 期：2
• 页码：168-175
• 全文大小：421 K

文摘

To describe the reproductive and mental health of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) women, an understudied population.

Methods

Data from the 2004 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey were analyzed to determine the 1) prevalence of female sterilization among a nationally representative sample of reproductive age AI/AN women and 2) the association of female sterilization and poor mental health among AI/AN women compared with non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, and Hispanic women.

Results

Nearly 25% of AI/AN women reported female sterilization, a prevalence higher than the comparison racial/ethnic groups (p < .005). Adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, AI/AN women reporting female sterilization had nearly 2.5 times the odds of poor mental health compared with AI/AN women not reporting female sterilization (p = .001). The same magnitude of relationship between female sterilization and poor mental health was not found for non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, and Hispanic women.

Conclusions

The prevalence of female sterilization is greater among AI/AN women compared with non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, and Hispanic women, and AI/AN women reporting female sterilization have higher odds of reporting poor mental health. Common cultural experiences, such as a shared ancestral history of forced sterilizations, may be relevant, and could be considered when providing reproductive and mental health services to AI/AN women.