Stress and Stressor of Women: A Cross-sectional Study from Rural Population in Central India

A meta-analysis of gender differences in depression using nationally representative samples in the USA found that twice as many women as men are depressed. Mental distress is a leading cause of health-related burden for the Indian population, which is aggravated by a high prevalence of socioeconomic adversity such as physical and sexual abuse, poverty, low education, and gender inequality. The index study was conducted to assess the prevalence and determinants of psychological distress among women in central rural India.

The data presented in the index article are a baseline assessment done as part of the community-based pragmatic cluster trial. The study was conducted in the catchment area of three primary health centers, Bela, Borkhedi, and Panchgaon, in the district of Nagpur, Maharashtra. Furthermore, 1050 women members of self-help groups in the district of Nagpur comprised the study population.

The mean age of the women was 38.2 years (standard deviation [SD]: 9.8). Around 987 (94%) women have attained primary education, and 52% of the participants were engaged in some occupation. Around half of the men and 10% of the women had the habit of daily tobacco chewing. Around 58.6% of participants' husbands had the habit of drinking alcohol. 62.5% of the female participants were experiencing very high psychological distress. Lower socioeconomic status (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.1 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.1-4.0]), comorbid condition (AOR = 2.0 [95% CI: 1.2-3.3]), marital status of women (single, widowed, divorced) (AOR = 3.4 [95% CI: 1.2-9.4]), and experiencing domestic violence (AOR = 4.7 [95% CI: 1.9-11.2]) were significantly associated with high psychological distress in multivariable logistic regression analysis.

The high prevalence of psychological distress among women and its significant association with comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and thyroid disorder hints us to incorporate the mechanism to screen for stress routinely at the health and wellness center under Ayushman Bharat, along with other risk factors for non-communicable disease.