Kathryn Yount | Emory University (original) (raw)

Papers by Kathryn Yount

Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, Dec 1, 2015

Frontiers in Public Health

BackgroundGender-based violence (GBV) and violence against children (VAC) are two prevalent and h... more BackgroundGender-based violence (GBV) and violence against children (VAC) are two prevalent and highly interconnected global health challenges, yet data and research capacities to study these forms of violence and to generate evidence-based policies and programs remain limited. To address critical shortages in research capacity in Vietnam and to establish a model for other Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs), we are establishing CONVERGE—the Consortium for Violence Prevention Research, Implementation, and Leadership Training for Excellence.MethodsBased on a needs assessment with partners in Vietnam, CONVERGE will provide a comprehensive research training program supporting 15 long-term, postdoctoral trainees with multi-disciplinary research training in GBV and VAC. We also will offer in-country trainings and short-courses to 40 short-term mid-career academic trainees and 60 short-term practitioner/stakeholder trainees over 5 years to build productive GBV and VAC academic, scie...

Assessment

In lower- and middle-income countries (LMICs), studies of interventions to reduce intimate partne... more In lower- and middle-income countries (LMICs), studies of interventions to reduce intimate partner violence (IPV) are expanding, yet measurement equivalence of the IPV construct—the primary outcome in these investigations—has not been established. We assessed the measurement equivalence of physical and sexual IPV item sets used in recent trials in LMICs and tested the impact of noninvariance on study inference. With data from four intervention trials ( N = 3,545) completed before 2020, we used multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis to assess invariance across arms, over time, and across studies. We also calculated average treatment effects adjusting for covariate imbalance to assess concordance with published results. Most items functioned equivalently within studies at baseline and end line. Some evidence of longitudinal noninvariance was observed in at least one study arm in three studies, but did not meaningfully affect latent means or effect-size estimates. Evidence of part...

LGBT Health

Purpose: Discrimination has detrimental effects on mental health, particularly among Black, Indig... more Purpose: Discrimination has detrimental effects on mental health, particularly among Black, Indigenous, and people of color who are also sexual minority women (BIPOC SMW); however, measurement of multiple intersecting forms of discrimination (e.g., race, gender, and sexual identity discrimination among BIPOC SMW) poses methodological challenges. This analysis uses latent class analysis (LCA) to examine the influences of discrimination on mental health in a convenience sample of BIPOC SMW. Methods: Online survey data from BIPOC SMW aged 18-29 years (n = 324) were used to estimate latent classes for discrimination type (race, gender, and sexual identity). Data for this study were collected from July to October 2018. Adjusted linear regressions examined the influences of discrimination profiles on perceived stress and depressive symptoms. Results: Utilizing LCA, the following four classes emerged: (1) low discrimination; (2) mid-level discrimination; (3) high racial, medium gender, and low sexual identity discrimination; (4) high discrimination. Classes 3 and 4 were positively associated with perceived stress and depressive symptoms relative to Class 1 in adjusted models. Conclusion: This analysis highlights the importance of intersectionality and the adverse impact of multiple forms of discrimination on mental health outcomes for BIPOC SMW. Respondents reporting higher levels of racial or multiple forms of discrimination had poorer mental health outcomes. LCA is a promising analytical tool for investigating intersectional stigma and discrimination. There is an urgent need to develop tailored, culturally appropriate intersectional mental health interventions to address the multiple identities and oppressions faced by BIPOC SMW.

Journal of Bisexuality

Abstract Objective: Bisexual and other non-monosexual (bi+) women are at higher risk than monosex... more Abstract Objective: Bisexual and other non-monosexual (bi+) women are at higher risk than monosexual women for mental health problems. While being in a relationship is typically associated with better health outcomes, research suggests an inverse association for bisexual women. Despite emerging evidence of differences in bisexual women’s experiences based on the gender of their partner, few studies have considered partner sexual identity. Method: To address this gap, the current study examined influences of partner gender and sexual identity on outness, discrimination, and depressive symptoms in a cross-sectional study of 608 bi + cisgender women. Results: Adjusting for other demographics, being in a relationship with a bisexual cisgender woman, a lesbian cisgender woman, or a bisexual cisgender man was positively associated with outness and discrimination compared to being in a relationship with a heterosexual cisgender man. Conclusion: Findings highlight the importance of accounting for partner gender and sexual identity in order to understand bi + women’s experiences.

Social Science & Medicine

Psychology of Violence, 2022

Social Science & Medicine, 2021

Sexual stigma has deleterious effects on the health and wellbeing of sexual minority women. In lo... more Sexual stigma has deleterious effects on the health and wellbeing of sexual minority women. In low- and middle-income countries, theories and research on stigma against sexual minority women largely focus on sexuality-related stigma processes, such as internalized homophobia or perceived or enacted stigma due to sexual identity, attraction or practice. Yet, there is considerable gender diversity among sexual minority women. Further, sexuality and gender identity may intersect with broader gender inequalities to influence the experience of stigma among some groups. In this study, we conducted 21 qualitative life-history interviews with self-identified toms in Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand, to evaluate whether and how gender identity, independent of and together with same-sex sexuality, influences experiences of stigma among gender non-conforming sexual minority women. We find that the pervasive experiences of stigma against toms derive as much from their assumed masculinity in Thai society, as from their same-sex sexuality. Notably, coercive feminization (attempts by others to orient toms toward sexual and gendered expectations of Thai femininity) and boundary policing (expressed hostility toward tom gender performance and sexual intimacy with feminine Thai women) were manifestations of concurrent gender non-conformity and sexual stigma, shaped in turn by the unique location of toms within the Thai gender/sex system. We propose that research and theories on stigma and health among sexual minorities systematically integrate a gender perspective, to elucidate the effects of gender identity and location within the gender structure on sexual minority experiences of stigma.

Sex Roles, 2021

Economic coercion is a form of intimate partner violence (IPV) that is distinct from but often co... more Economic coercion is a form of intimate partner violence (IPV) that is distinct from but often co-occurs with physical, psychological, and sexual IPV. Women’s experiences of economic coercion are understudied in low- and middle-income countries, despite increases in women’s economic opportunities in these settings. Bangladesh is a salient site to understand how women experience, interpret and give meaning to economic coercion because historical gender inequalities in access to economic opportunities and resources are changing in favor of greater participation of women in economic activities. We conducted in-depth qualitative interviews with 24 married women aged 19–47 years to understand their experiences of economic coercion with respect to their involvement in income-generating activities in rural Bangladesh. Overall, we found that women’s experiences of economic coercion were multi-dimensional, and influenced by women’s participation in income-generating activities. In this setting, three major domains of economic coercion by husbands emerged from women’s narratives: denial of access to income-generating activities, coercive control over resources, and economic neglect. Furthermore, participant narratives reflected the continued influence of the patriarchal family system, and the gendered power relations therein, on women’s experiences of economic coercion, despite increases in women’s involvement in income-generating activities. Our results suggest that women’s experiences of economic coercion influence their participation in income-generating activities in Matlab, Bangladesh. Interventions to increase women’s economic opportunities should consider the barriers and potential repercussions of women’s involvement.

Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 2019

In the Asia-Pacific region, individual sexual stigma contributes to elevated rates of depression ... more In the Asia-Pacific region, individual sexual stigma contributes to elevated rates of depression among sexual minority men. Less well understood is the role of socio-structural sexual stigma despite evidence that social context influences the experience of stigma. We use data from the United Nations Multi-country Study on Men and Violence to conduct a multilevel test of associations between individual- and cluster unit–level indicators of sexual stigma and depressive symptoms among sexual minority men ( n = 562). In the full model, individual-level sexual stigma is not associated with depressive symptoms, although there is significant variation in the association between individual stigma and depressive symptoms across clusters. Contrary to expectation, at the community level, homophobic injunctive norms are negatively associated with depressive symptoms. We discuss the implications for policies, programs, and future research to improve mental health among sexual minority men in the...

Gender, Work & Organization, 2019

As the institutions of classic patriarchy erode in Qatar, women are entering the labour force in ... more As the institutions of classic patriarchy erode in Qatar, women are entering the labour force in growing numbers. It is argued that women's need to work in societies historically characterized by classic patriarchy causes them to enact strategic accommodations that signal their feminine respectability and conformity to male domination. We find the Qatari context to be characterized by structural rather than individual accommodations of patriarchy. State institutions and several employers have made available gender‐segregated workplaces that facilitate women's employment while maintaining many elements of patriarchy. Using semi‐structured interview data with university‐aged Qatari women, we examine attitudes towards employment, specifically those related to gender mixing in the workplace. Young women's narratives reveal complex schemas regarding the acceptability of gender mixing, which depends on characteristics of the working woman, characteristics of the men with whom ...

Social Indicators Research, 2017

Social Science Research, 2016

Early - or child - marriage (before age 18) may diminish women&amp;amp;amp;#39;s ability ... more Early - or child - marriage (before age 18) may diminish women&amp;amp;amp;#39;s ability to exercise agency, or their capacity to act upon their goals. Using a propensity score adjustment approach, we analyzed data from 2394 married women ages 35-49 years who participated in the 2006 Egypt Labor Market Panel Survey (ELMPS). We examined whether women&amp;amp;amp;#39;s first marriage at age 18 or older was associated with their post-marital agency, measured in terms of their influence in family decisions, freedom of movement in public spaces, and unfavorable views about intimate partner violence against wives. In bivariate analyses, women&amp;amp;amp;#39;s age at first marriage was positively associated with their decision-making and more equitable gender attitudes. However, once we controlled for selection into age-at-first-marriage groups, there were no significant differences between the two age-at-first-marriage groups in any dimension of women&amp;amp;amp;#39;s agency. We examined the sensitivity of the non-significant age-at-first-marriage effects to possible violations of the strong ignorability assumption and the results did not alter our conclusions. The assumption that women&amp;amp;amp;#39;s age at first marriage is a proxy for their post-marital agency, as defined here, warrants further study.

Psychology of Violence, 2018

Psychology of Violence, 2017

Objective-To provide the first study in Vietnam of how gendered social learning about violence an... more Objective-To provide the first study in Vietnam of how gendered social learning about violence and exposure to non-family institutions influence women's attitudes about a wife's recourse after physical IPV. Method-A probability sample of 532 married women, ages 18-50 years, was surveyed in July-August, 2012 in Mỹ Hào district. We fit a multivariate linear regression model to estimate correlates of favoring recourse in six situations using a validated attitudinal scale. We split attitudes towards recourse into three subscales (disfavor silence, favor informal recourse, favor formal recourse) and fit one multivariate ordinal logistic regression model for each behavior to estimate correlates of favoring recourse. Results-On average, women favored recourse in 2.8 situations. Women who were older and had witnessed physical IPV in childhood had less favorable attitudes about recourse. Women who were hit as children, had completed more schooling, worked outside agriculture, and had sought recourse after IPV had more favorable attitudes about recourse. Conclusions-Normative change among women may require efforts to curb family violence, counsel those exposed to violence in childhood, and enhance women's opportunities for higher schooling and non-agricultural wage work. The state and organizations working on IPV might overcome pockets of unfavorable public opinion by enforcing accountability for IPV rather than seeking to alter ideas about recourse among women.

BMJ Open

IntroductionGirl child, early and forced marriage (CEFM) persists in South Asia, with long-term c... more IntroductionGirl child, early and forced marriage (CEFM) persists in South Asia, with long-term consequences for girls. CARE’s Tipping Point Initiative (TPI) addresses the causes of CEFM by challenging repressive gender norms and inequalities. The TPI engages different participant groups on programmatic topics and supports community dialogue to build girls’ agency, shift inequitable power relations, and change community norms sustaining CEFM.Methods/analysisThe Nepal TPI impact evaluation has an integrated, mixed-methods design. The quantitative evaluation is a three-arm, cluster randomised controlled trial (control; Tipping Point Programme (TPP); TPP+ with emphasised social norms change). Fifty-four clusters of ~200 households were selected from two districts (27:27) with probability proportional to size and randomised. A household census ascertained eligible study participants, including unmarried girls and boys 12–16 years (1242:1242) and women and men 25+ years (270:270). Baseli...

JMIR Public Health and Surveillance

Background Sexual violence against women is prevalent worldwide. Prevention programs that treat m... more Background Sexual violence against women is prevalent worldwide. Prevention programs that treat men as allies and integrate a bystander framework are emerging in lower income settings, but evidence of their effectiveness is conflicting. Objective This study aimed to test the impact of GlobalConsent on sexually violent behavior and prosocial bystander behavior among university men in Vietnam. Methods We used a double-blind, parallel intervention versus control group design with 1:1 randomization at 2 universities. A total of 793 consenting heterosexual or bisexual men aged 18-24 years who matriculated in September 2019 were enrolled and assigned randomly to GlobalConsent or an attention-control adolescent health education (AHEAD) program. GlobalConsent is an adapted, theory-based, 6-module web-based intervention with diverse behavior change techniques and a locally produced serial drama. AHEAD is a customized, 6-module attention-control program on adolescent health. Both the programs...