Dominique Damant

Factors influencing the initiation and duration of breastfeeding among low-income women followed by the Canada prenatal nutrition program in 4 regions of quebec.

The factors that influence the actual initiation and duration of breastfeeding were studied among low-income women followed by the Canada Prenatal Nutrition Program (CPNP). A group of 196 pregnant women were selected at random from a sample of 6223 pregnant women who registered with the CPNP. Two 24-hour recalls and information regarding lifestyle habits, peer support, and infant-feeding practices were obtained between 26 and 34 weeks of gestation and 21 days and 6 months after birth. Women who received a university education (completed or not completed) versus women with [.lessequal] high school education (odds ratio [OR], 8.40; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02-69.50), women born outside Canada (OR,8.81; 95% CI, 3.34-23.19), and women of low birth weight infants (OR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.16-0.96) were more likely to initiate breastfeeding. Late introduction of solid foods (P = .004), nonsmoking (P = .005), multiparity (P = .012), and a higher level of education (P = .049) were positively associated with the duration of breastfeeding among initiators. Understanding factors associated with initiation and duration of breastfeeding among low-income women is critical to better target breastfeeding promotion.

Taking Child Abuse and Mothering Into Account Intersectional Feminism as an Alternative for the Study of Domestic Violence

Feminist scholars have been engaged in an ongoing debate to determine which theoretical perspective offers the best framework for understanding domestic violence, and this debate has been crystallized around two pole positions: radical and postmodern feminism. This article presents a journey throughout the development of a theoretical perspective for the study of domestic violence, child abuse, and mothering. It argues that the intersectional feminist perspective has much to offer these debates and that it constitutes a promising theoretical framework for understanding domestic violence that takes into account issues of child abuse and mothering.

Children's Appraisals as Mediators of the Relationship between Domestic Violence and Child Adjustment

This study examines the relationships among variables that were likely to mediate the effects of exposure to domestic violence on children’s internalizing problems (i.e., children’s appraisals of domestic violence and their perceptions of family relationships). The study was conducted with 79 children exposed to domestic violence, including 41 boys and 38 girls, aged between 9 and 12 years old. Indicators used for children’s appraisals of violence were attribution of blame and perceived threat. Children’s perceptions of family relationships were based on their levels of parentification and the degree of their loyalty conflicts. A path analysis was used to verify the predictive model’s pathways and to test the multiple mediator effects. Findings confirm the contribution of mediating variables and also reflect the association between self-blame and children’s parentification. The results stress the relevance of evaluating the combined role of different potential mediators to provide a better understanding of the impact of domestic violence on children.

A Mutual Aid Group Program for Women Who Use Violence

This article presents the development of a group program for women who use violence. A review of the North American literature and research into Quebec practices led the authors to adopt an intersectional feminist analysis of women’s violence and to choose the mutual aid group model. The program’s main objective is to help women find alternatives to the use of violence by working on three main themes: (1) violence, (2) socialization, and (3) life conditions. The program also aims to increase women’s empowerment through concrete experiences of group solidarity, such as by helping one another. Challenges that were encountered in its development and that are anticipated in its evaluation are discussed.

Review of the Literature on the Psychoemotional Reality of Women with Vulvodynia: Difficulties Met and Strategies Developed

BACKGROUND Within the past three decades, increased attention has been placed on the study of vulvodynia -- an unexplained chronic vulvular discomfort felt without any related pathology. In addition to its physical implications, vulvodynia has a psychosocial dimension. OBJECTIVE The purpose of the current article is to present a review of the literature on the psychoemotional reality of women with vulvodynia. METHOD A systematic literature review was conducted in the main social sciences databases, such as Dissertation Abstracts, Current Contents and PsycINFO. RESULTS Although some discrepancies were found in study results, the review of the literature revealed that women with vulvodynia are often confronted with identity and psychological difficulties, which are, in turn, influenced by social standards regarding sexuality and femininity. To cope with these difficulties, women develop different strategies to decrease the stress related to pain and enhance their psychological well-being. CONCLUSION The psychological and relational difficulties experienced by women with vulvodynia are not only due to the physical pain but also to the meaning they attribute to it, often influenced by social expectations related to heterosexuality and femininity. Hence, it is important to assist these women by increasing their knowledge on the psychosocial aspects of their experience while taking into account influences from the social context.

Difficult but Close Relationships: Children’s Perspectives on Relationships With Their Mothers in the Context of Domestic Violence:

This article reports findings from a participative and qualitative study conducted with children who had experienced domestic violence, focusing on their perspectives on their relationships with their mothers. Three focus groups and 46 individual interviews were conducted with children to gather their experiences. The research findings demonstrate that women’s and children’s victimizations are inextricably linked, and that domestic violence affects mother–child relationships. They also show that, despite the challenges and difficulties, children generally consider their mothers as very significant individuals in their lives, and have close relationships with them. The findings also reveal a dynamic of mutual protectiveness.

Enfants et adolescents venus d'ailleurs : la violence vécue dans leur société d'accueil et les effets sur leur santé, une recension des écrits

RésuméOBJECTIF: Cette recension des écrits integrative vise à dresser un portrait global de la violence sociale vécue par les enfants et adolescents immigrants de première génération ainsi que ses effets sur leur santé et leur bien-être.MÉTHODE: Une recherche bibliographique francophone et anglophone a été réalisée dans huit bases de données, sans restrictions de dates de publication. Trente études ont été retenues. Les résultats ont été synthétisés selon trois aspects: 1) formes de violences vécues par les jeunes immigrants; 2) conditions dans lesquelles cette violence survient; 3) effets de cette violence sur leur santé et leur bien-être.RÉSULTATS: Les jeunes immigrants peuvent subir différentes formes de violence physique, verbale ou relationnelle. Elle semble être instiguée surtout par leurs pairs et a été principalement étudiée sous l’angle de la discrimination. La victimisation varierait en fonction de certains facteurs comme la composition ethnique des écoles ou le temps de résidence dans la société d’accueil. La violence serait associée à la fois à une plus grande Symptomatologie psychopathologique et à une santé mentale plus fragile. Enfin, elle serait reliée à une attitude plus négative des jeunes immigrants envers leur société d’accueil ainsi qu’une attitude plus positive envers leur propre communauté d’origine.CONCLUSION: En plus d’avoir de nombreux effets indésirables sur leur santé et leur bien-être mental et social, la violence peut s’avérer être un facteur clé dans l’expérience de marginalisation des jeunes immigrants. Nous proposons quelques pistes de recherche à explorer.AbstractOBJECTIVE: This integrative literature review aims to present a comprehensive portrayal of social violence experienced by first-generation immigrant children and adolescents, and its effects on their health and well-being.METHOD: A French and English languages literature search was conducted in eight databases, without restrictions on dates of publication. Thirty studies were selected. Results were summarized according to three aspects: 1) types of violence experienced by young immigrants; 2) conditions under which this violence occurs; 3) effects of such violence on the health and well-being of young immigrants.SYNTHESIS: Immigrant children and adolescents can experience various forms of physical, verbal, and relational violence. This violence seems to be mostly instigated by their peers and it has mainly been studied in terms of discrimination. Victimization may vary depending on factors such as ethnic composition of schools or time of residence in the host society. Violence may have many effects on mental health of immigrant youth: it is associated with both increased psychopathological symptoms and poorer mental health. Finally, the experience of violence is related to a more negative attitude of young immigrants toward their host society and a more positive attitude toward their own cultural community.CONCLUSION: In addition to its having numerous adverse effects on their mental and social health and well-being, violence may prove to be a key factor in the experience of marginalization of immigrant youth. We propose certain research avenues to explore.