The study presented here explores the influences of selected social and social psychological factors that are associated with perceived caregiver burden in a sample of 263 primary caregivers of the elderly in Allahabad City in northern India. The results indicate that although male caregivers' perceived burden depends only on the size of the role overload, female caregivers' perceived burden depends on the interrelationship between the size of the role overload and adherence to Asian cultural norms. Implications of the findings for social work are discussed.

The objective of this study is to examine the effect of cultural beliefs about elder care giving on the amount of burden experienced by those who provide primary care to an elderly person within a family setting. These care givers belong to first generation South Asian immigrant households in the Dallas - Fort Worth Metropolitan area. The sample consists of 118 respondents who are primary care givers. The independent effects of cultural beliefs with respect to care giving on the amount of perceived care giver burden is examined. It is found that care givers who have high levels of belief in South Asian cultural norms about elder care giving report low levels of perceived care giver burden. The implications of this finding for provision of services to South Asian elder care givers is presented.

The objective of this study is to empirically test the effects of disasters which include natural as well as human made disasters such as armed conflict on women’s reproductive health in developing countries. Data from 128 developing countries are used. It was found that average number of deaths from natural disasters and armed conflict in the East Asia and Pacific region was not significantly different from the rest of the developing world. The data are examined using structural equation analysis. This study finds that ‘armed conflict’ in developing countries presents significant reproductive health risks. The implications are discussed.

Frameworks and improving gaps in our understanding of the factors that affect women's ability to access and use family planning services.

Relationship quality and elder caregiver burden in India The purpose of this study was to examine the psychosocial factors that contribute to burden among Asian Indian caregivers of the elderly in Allahabad, India. Within this context of caregiving, the importance of relationship quality as a determinant of burden was examined in 259 Asian Indian families. A stress process model was utilized to explain the quality of relationship between the caregiver and the elderly persons. Another factor predicting burden was role overload. In addition, it was found that there were several indirect effects through relationship quality that predicted burden. The findings suggest that psycho educational interventions may be gainfully used to reduce burden among caregivers of elderly in India. Mantelzorg in India: de kwaliteit van de relatie tussen mantelzorger en zorgbehoevende oudere en de ervaren zorg last In deze studie staat de relatie tussen diverse psychosociale factoren en de ervaren zorg last van mantelzorgers (van ouderen) in Allahabad (India) centraal. Als belangrijke voorspeller van de ervaren zorg last wordt “de kwaliteit van de relatie” tussen mantelzorger en zorgbehoevende gezien. Deze wordt in de theoretische verkenning van het artikel verder uitgewerkt aan de hand van een zogenaamd “stress-proces-model”. Op basis van vragenlijstonderzoek, uitgevoerd onder 259 families, wordt geconcludeerd dat “overbelasting” een belangrijke voorspeller van zorg last is. Ook blijken er verscheidene indirecte effecten van de kwaliteit van de relatie te zijn. De uitkomsten suggereren dat er een mogelijke rol voor psychosociale interventies in het reduceren van de ervaren zorg last onder mantelzorgers in India is weggelegd.

Aim: In spite of India's healthy economic growth during the last two decades, about 40 percent of all children in India today are stunted. Though the problem has received widespread attention in the public health literature on stunting in India, very few studies have attempted to explicitly account for the progressive stages of stunting among children. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects women’s education on various levels of stunting among Indian children. The study attempted to assess the effects of women’s characteristics such as age at motherhood on four levels of stunting, no stunting, and mild, moderate and severe. Methods: Data from the National Family Health Survey (2005-2006) was used to test three separate models of stunting with selected determinants of women’s capabilities and variables controlling for several environmental factors related to stunting. Generalized ordinal regression method was employed to analyze the data. Results: Factors such as availability of diverse sources of water, increases in mother’s level of education, age at first birth, wealth status and urban residence significantly reduced the odds of being stunted.