To investigate the association between the ambient air pollution levels during the prenatal and postnatal stages and early childhood neurobehavioral development, our study recruited 533 mother-infant pairs from 11 towns in Taiwan. All study subjects were asked to complete childhood neurobehavioral development scales and questionnaires at 6 and 18 months. Air pollution, including particulate matter ≤10 μm (PM₁₀), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), ozone (O₃), and hydrocarbons, was measured at air quality monitoring stations in the towns where the subjects lived. Multilevel analyses were applied to assess the association between air pollution and childhood neurobehavioral development during pregnancy and when the children were 0 to 6 months, 7 to 12 months, and 13 to 18 months old. At 18 months, poor subclinical neurodevelopment in early childhood is associated with the average SO₂ exposure of prenatal, during all trimesters of pregnancy and at postnatal ages up to 12 months (first trimester β = −0.083, se = 0.030; second and third trimester β = −0.114, se = 0.045; from birth to 12 months of age β = −0.091, se = 0.034). Furthermore, adverse gross motor below average scores at six months of age were associated with increased average non-methane hydrocarbon, (NMHC) levels during the second and third trimesters (β = −8.742, se = 3.512). Low-level SO₂ exposure prenatally and up to twelve months postnatal could cause adverse neurobehavioral effects at 18 months of age. Maternal NMHC exposure during the 2nd and 3rd trimesters of pregnancy would be also associated with poor gross motor development in their children at 6 months of age.

The literature comparing the effects of breast reconstructive surgery, breast-conserving surgery, and mastectomy on body image and mental health yields conflicting results. Objectified body consciousness may be a factor that influences the psychological well-being of breast cancer survivors. Women with average time of 19 months from breast cancer surgery were approached in outpatient clinics to participate in our study. Using structural equation modeling, we tested and verified a model that included self-reported objectified body consciousness, cancer-related body image discomfort, and depression among 193 breast cancer survivors in Taiwan. Our results provided support for the hypothesized indirect relation of objectified body consciousness with depression through the mediating role of cancer-related body image discomfort. Specifically, women with higher objectified body consciousness levels reported more cancer-related body image discomfort, which in turn was related to greater depression. Additionally, the degree of this mediation relationship across surgery types was different. These findings are significant to clinicians who should be cognizant of the potential role of objectified body consciousness in promoting cancer-related body image discomfort and depression in breast cancer survivors. Encouraging women to clarify their perceptions of their new bodies and providing care combined with psychological counseling after breast cancer surgery are critical.

Background: Understanding the role of sociocultural factors on women's experiences of breast reconstruction is needed to provide better care and avoid erroneous assumptions of these women's needs. Objective: The purpose of this study was to understand the lived experiences of Taiwanese women with breast cancer who receive breast reconstruction following mastectomy in Taiwan. Methods: A qualitative research design, guided by the philosophy of hermeneutic phenomenology, was selected to guide the study. In-depth interviews were conducted 1 to 2 times with each participant and explored the women's experiences related to making decisions about, undergoing, and recovering from breast reconstruction. Results: Seven women who received either autologous breast reconstruction or saline implants were recruited in southern Taiwan. Five themes were identified, including "dream of a wonderful future," "unexpected reality," "struggling to accept," "balancing vanity with life priorities," and "coming to terms: no regret." Conclusion: Taiwanese women felt ambivalent about their new breasts, which failed to meet their expectations. This ambivalence, combined with a culture that values selflessness and the placement of family first, resulted in many women feeling guilty, vain, and superficial for requesting breast reconstruction. Implications for Practice: Clinical implications include the importance of regular and authentic patient-health care provider communication throughout the process of breast reconstruction, including recovery, and better acknowledgement of Taiwanese women's body image concerns associated with breast reconstruction.

This article describes the recovery experiences of women who had suffered intimate partner violence in Taiwan. A phenomenological study design using semi-structured interviews was used to obtain data from a purposive sample of eight women. Colaizzi’s approach to narrative analysis was applied. Findings indicate that “reconstructing the self” emerged as the essence of the women’s recovery experiences. Four themes were identified: Feeling shame, creating mastery, recognizing the imperfect self, and embodying the self by helping others. Understanding the recovery experience is an important step in effectively assisting women to recover from abusive relationships and to reconstruct their lives.