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Parrish S, Vasan SK, Karpe F, Hardy-Johnson P, Jarjou O, Bittaye M, Prentice AM, Ulijaszek S, Jobe M. Concealed pregnancy as an act of care? A qualitative analysis of motivations for concealing and non-disclosure of early pregnancy in The Gambia. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2023; 23:374. [PMID: 37226126 PMCID: PMC10207755 DOI: 10.1186/s12884-023-05710-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A barrier to achieving first trimester antenatal care (ANC) attendance in many countries has been the widespread cultural practice of not discussing pregnancies in the early stages. Motivations for concealing pregnancy bear further study, as the interventions necessary to encourage early ANC attendance may be more complicated than targeting infrastructural barriers to ANC attendance such as transportation, time, and cost. METHODS Five focus groups with a total of 30 married, pregnant women were conducted to assess the feasibility of conducting a randomised controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of early initiation of physical activity and/or yoghurt consumption in reducing Gestational Diabetes Mellitus in pregnant women in The Gambia. Focus group transcripts were coded through a thematic analysis approach, assessing themes as they arose in relation to failure to attend early ANC. RESULTS Two reasons for the concealment of pregnancies in the first trimester or ahead of a pregnancy's obvious visibility to others were given by focus group participants. These were 'pregnancy outside of marriage' and 'evil spirits and miscarriage.' Concealment on both grounds was motivated through specific worries and fears. In the case of a pregnancy outside of marriage, this was worry over social stigma and shame. Evil spirits were widely considered to be a cause of early miscarriage, and as such, women may choose to conceal their pregnancies in the early stages as a form of protection. CONCLUSION Women's lived experiences of evil spirits have been under-explored in qualitative health research as they relate specifically to women's access to early antenatal care. Better understanding of how such sprits are experienced and why some women perceive themselves as vulnerable to related spiritual attacks may help healthcare workers or community health workers to identify in a timely manner the women most likely to fear such situations and spirits and subsequently conceal their pregnancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Parrish
- School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography, University of Oxford, 51/53 Banbury Road, Oxford, OX2 6PE, UK.
| | - Senthil K Vasan
- Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Fredrik Karpe
- Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, OUH Trust, Oxford, UK
| | | | | | - Mustapha Bittaye
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital, Banjul, The Gambia
- University of The Gambia, Banjul, The Gambia
| | | | - Stanley Ulijaszek
- School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography, University of Oxford, 51/53 Banbury Road, Oxford, OX2 6PE, UK
| | - Modou Jobe
- MRC Unit The Gambia at LSHTM, Banjul, The Gambia
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Mwakawanga DL, Mwilike B, Kaneko M, Shimpuku Y. Local knowledge and derived practices of safety during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum: a qualitative study among nurse-midwives in urban eastern Tanzania. BMJ Open 2022; 12:e068216. [PMID: 36521900 PMCID: PMC9756159 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-068216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternal and newborn mortality are still high in low-income and middle-income countries despite global efforts to improve the quality of care by prioritising evidence-based practices and increasing the number of births attended by skilled personnel. During childbirth, women are hesitant to use the health facility services. Concerns about safety and risks during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum period are deeply rooted in local health practices and beliefs. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to explore the perceptions of local health knowledge and derived practices among nurse-midwives in urban eastern Tanzania. METHODS An exploratory qualitative study design was carried out in a district hospital in eastern Tanzania. Twenty-one nurse-midwives participated in two focus group discussions. The data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. RESULTS Based on existing scientific data, local knowledge and derived practices were categorised as potentially beneficial, neither beneficial nor harmful and potentially harmful. Our study identified a wide range of local knowledge and derived practices used by women. These include to refrain from shouting or crying to prevent exhaustion during labour, drinks and foods restrictions during labour and after birth, and use of local herbs to stimulate labour. In addition, midwives reinforced the importance of integrating local knowledge and practices with potential benefits with evidence-based practices. Encouraging and listening to women would offer an opportunity to reduce harmful practices. CONCLUSIONS While non-harmful and beneficial practices for ensuring safety during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum period should be accepted and supported as a part of our cultural richness, harmful practices should be discouraged. This can be achieved through antenatal health education and afterbirth health messages on hospital discharge to promote positive childbirth health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorkasi L Mwakawanga
- Department of Community Health Nursing, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
- Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Department of Global Health Nursing, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Beatrice Mwilike
- Department of Community Health Nursing, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Morie Kaneko
- Graduate School of Asian and African Area Studies, Center for African Area Studies, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Yoko Shimpuku
- Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Department of Global Health Nursing, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
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Brotherton H, Daly M, Johm P, Jarju B, Schellenberg J, Penn-Kekana L, Lawn JE. "We All Join Hands": Perceptions of the Kangaroo Method Among Female Relatives of Newborns in The Gambia. QUALITATIVE HEALTH RESEARCH 2021; 31:665-676. [PMID: 33292063 PMCID: PMC7882999 DOI: 10.1177/1049732320976365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Family support is essential for kangaroo mother care (KMC), but there is limited research regarding perceptions of female relatives, and none published from West African contexts. In-depth interviews were conducted from July to August 2017 with a purposive sample of 11 female relatives of preterm neonates admitted to The Gambia's referral hospital. Data were coded in NVivo 11, and thematic analysis was conducted applying an inductive framework. Female relatives were willing to support mothers by providing KMC and assisting with domestic chores and agricultural labor. Three themes were identified: (a) collective family responsibility for newborn care, with elder relatives being key decision makers, (b) balance between maintaining traditional practices and acceptance of KMC as a medical innovation, and (c) gendered expectations of women's responsibilities postnatally. Female relatives are influential stakeholders and could play important roles in KMC programs, encourage community ownership, and contribute to improved outcomes for vulnerable newborns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen Brotherton
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Fajara, The Gambia
- Helen Brotherton, Maternal Adolescent Reproductive & Child Health (MARCH) Centre, Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK.
| | - Maura Daly
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Penda Johm
- Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Fajara, The Gambia
| | - Bintou Jarju
- Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Fajara, The Gambia
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Molla G, Miskir Y, Belachew A. Knowledge of neonatal danger signs among recently delivered mothers in Mekedella woreda, Northeast Ethiopia, in 2017: a cross-sectional study. Public Health 2020; 180:85-89. [DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2019.11.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2019] [Revised: 09/23/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Bell AJ, Arku Z, Bakari A, Oppong SA, Youngblood J, Adanu RM, Moyer CA. 'This sickness is not hospital sickness': a qualitative study of the evil eye as a source of neonatal illness in Ghana. J Biosoc Sci 2020; 52:159-167. [PMID: 31203826 PMCID: PMC6917980 DOI: 10.1017/s0021932019000312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Previous research has described the evil eye as a source of illness for pregnant women and their newborns. This study sought to explore the perceptions of the evil eye among mothers whose newborns had experienced a life-threatening complication across three regions of Ghana. As part of a larger, quantitative study, trained research assistants identified pregnant and newly delivered women (and their newborns) who had survived a life-threatening complication at three tertiary care hospitals in southern Ghana to participate in open-ended, qualitative interviews about their experiences in March-August 2015. All interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim into English and analysis using the constant comparative method of theme generation. A total of 37 mothers were interviewed, 20 about neonatal illnesses and 17 about maternal illnesses. Six of the 20 mothers interviewed about their newborn's illnesses spoke at length about the evil eye being a potential cause of newborn illness. The evil eye was described in a variety of terms, but commonalities included a person looking at a pregnant woman, her newborn baby, the baby's clothes and even the mother's food, causing harm, even unintentionally. Prevention required mothers covering themselves while pregnant and keeping the baby away from others until it was old enough to ward off the evil eye. Treatment required traditional medicine, yet some indicated that allopathic medicine could help. The evil eye appears to serve a social control mechanism, encouraging pregnant women to dress modestly, stay indoors as much as possible and behave appropriately. The evil eye is a pervasive, universally understood phenomenon across three regions of Ghana, even amongst a hospitalized population receiving allopathic health care for life-threatening complications of childbirth. Understanding the role of the evil eye in newborn illness attribution is important for clinicians, researchers and programmatic staff to effectively address barriers to care seeking.
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MESH Headings
- Adolescent
- Adult
- Cross-Sectional Studies
- Culture
- Female
- Ghana/epidemiology
- Hospitals, Teaching
- Humans
- Infant, Newborn
- Infant, Newborn, Diseases/epidemiology
- Infant, Newborn, Diseases/etiology
- Infant, Newborn, Diseases/mortality
- Infant, Newborn, Diseases/prevention & control
- Interpersonal Relations
- Medicine, African Traditional/methods
- Parturition
- Pregnancy
- Pregnancy Complications/epidemiology
- Pregnancy Complications/etiology
- Pregnancy Complications/mortality
- Pregnancy Complications/prevention & control
- Qualitative Research
- Tertiary Care Centers
- Young Adult
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Zelda Arku
- University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
| | - Ashura Bakari
- Suntreso Government Hospital, Ghana Health Service, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Samuel A. Oppong
- School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
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Women with infertility complying with and resisting polygyny: an explorative qualitative study in urban Gambia. Reprod Health 2019; 16:103. [PMID: 31307488 PMCID: PMC6633655 DOI: 10.1186/s12978-019-0762-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In many low-and middle-income countries women with infertility are often in polygynous marriages. From a human and women’s rights perspective, the practice of polygyny is commonly understood as harmful. Studies indicate that polygyny aggravates negative life circumstances of women with infertility with respect to their health and social well-being. The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore how women with infertility experience polygyny and to understand their decision-making regarding these marriages. Methods An explorative qualitative study was conducted among women with infertility in the urban communities of the West Coast region of The Gambia using in-depth interviews (30). Data analysis involved an emergent and partially inductive thematic framework and was carried out using NVivo 11. Results With the exception of some women with infertility who described positive experiences within polygynous marriages, most women emphasised conflicts that exist within polygynous households and reported financial and emotional difficulties. Thematic analysis identified several strategies of women with infertility to cope with and resist polygynous marriages, including overcoming childlessness, addressing conflict, spending time outside the compound, looking for social support, kanyaleng kafoolu, living separately and initiating divorce. Moreover, the experiences and decision-making power of women with infertility when it comes to polygynous marriages was found to be closely related to their socio-demographic background. Conclusion This work highlights how women with infertility in polygynous marriages are in a precarious situation in urban Gambia. Women utilize a mix of compliance, coping and resistance strategies to navigate the challenges of polygynous marriages in a structurally constraining context.
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Dierickx S, Balen J, Longman C, Rahbari L, Clarke E, Jarju B, Coene G. 'We are always desperate and will try anything to conceive': The convoluted and dynamic process of health seeking among women with infertility in the West Coast Region of The Gambia. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0211634. [PMID: 30703136 PMCID: PMC6355002 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0211634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2018] [Accepted: 01/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION In many Sub-Saharan African countries, women with infertility search relentlessly for treatment. Guided by the Partners for Applied Social Sciences model for health seeking behaviour and access to care research, this study aims to understand the health seeking behaviour of women with infertility in the West Coast region of The Gambia and the influence of aetiological beliefs on health seeking paths. METHODOLOGY A qualitative approach was used to generate both primary and secondary data for thematic analysis. The data collection methods included in-depth interviews (36), observations (18), informal conversations (42), group discussion (7) and made use of pile-sorting exercises. Sources of secondary data included government and non-governmental reports and media outputs. RESULTS The health seeking approaches of women living in both rural and urban areas were extremely complex and dynamic, with women reporting that they looked for biomedical treatment as well as seeking indigenous treatment provided by local healers, sacred places and kanyaleng groups. While treatment choice was related to the perceived aetiology of infertility, it was also strongly influenced by the perceived effectiveness of the treatment available and the duration of the fertility problems. Other relevant factors were the affordability, accessibility and availability of treatment and respondents' family and social networks, whereby access to the biomedical health sector was strongly influenced by people's socio-economic background. CONCLUSION On the basis of this analysis and our wider research in the area, we see a need for health authorities to further invest in providing information and counselling on issues related to infertility prevention and treatment. The availability of locally applicable guidelines for the management of infertility for both men and women at all levels of the health system would facilitate such work. In addition, the public sphere should provide more space for alternative forms of social identity for both men and women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan Dierickx
- Centre of Expertise on Gender, Diversity and Intersectionality (RHEA), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussel, Belgium
- Centre for Research on Culture and Gender, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Julie Balen
- School of Health and Related Research, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Chia Longman
- Centre for Research on Culture and Gender, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Ladan Rahbari
- Centre of Expertise on Gender, Diversity and Intersectionality (RHEA), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussel, Belgium
- Centre for Research on Culture and Gender, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Ed Clarke
- Vaccines and Immunity Theme, Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Fajara, The Gambia
| | - Bintou Jarju
- Vaccines and Immunity Theme, Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Fajara, The Gambia
| | - Gily Coene
- Centre of Expertise on Gender, Diversity and Intersectionality (RHEA), Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussel, Belgium
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'I am always crying on the inside': a qualitative study on the implications of infertility on women's lives in urban Gambia. Reprod Health 2018; 15:151. [PMID: 30208896 PMCID: PMC6134751 DOI: 10.1186/s12978-018-0596-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2018] [Accepted: 08/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background There is an increasing awareness that infertility in Sub-Saharan Africa constitutes a severe social and public health problem. Few of the existing studies on infertility explicitly take into account the differences between women. However, how women experience infertility is formed by their various social positions. This research explores the implications of infertility on women’s lives in urban Gambia and aims to provide an in-depth understanding of how this relates to gender and cultural norms as well as different social positions. Methods Qualitative data were collected through interviews (33), group discussions (13), participatory observations (14) and informal conversations (31). Purposive and snowball sampling techniques were used to identify participants. The data was analysed thematically using NVivo 11. Results Results showed that there was strong social pressure on urban women in The Gambia to procreate. Unable to conform to their gender role, women with infertility were confronted with financial problems, social stigma, as well as emotional and physical violence in their marriage. All women expressed feelings of trauma, stress and sadness. The intersectional approach used in this study highlighted how different positions influenced women’s experiences of infertility. Urban women with a high socio-economic status had a more powerful position within their marriages and the broader community, due to their financial position, professional career and, sometimes, their educational background. In contrast, women from a lower socio-economic background were more likely to be harshly confronted with the social stigma of infertility. Conclusion The lives of most women with infertility in The Gambia are characterized by social suffering resulting from gender and pro-natal norms, cultural beliefs and moral concerns, cultural practices and limited access to health care. An intersectional approach is an effective tool to inform public health and social policy since it highlights how, in specific situations, certain groups are more vulnerable than others.
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