Type, Content, and Source of Social Support Perceived by Women during Pregnancy: Evidence from Matlab, Bangladesh

Joyce K Edmonds,Moni Paul,Lynn M Sibley

doi:10.3329/jhpn.v29i2.7859

Abstract

Specific and contextualized data on social support during distinct health events are needed to improve social support interventions. This study identified the type, content, and source of social support perceived by women during pregnancy. In-depth interviews with 25 women, aged 18-49 years, living in Matlab, Bangladesh, were conducted. The findings demonstrated that women perceived, the receipt of eight distinct types of support. The four most frequently-mentioned types included: practical help with routine activities, information/advice, emotional support and assurance, as well as the provision of resources and material goods. Sources varied by type of support and most frequently included-mothers, mothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, and husbands. Examples depicting the content of each type of support revealed culturally-specific issues that can inform community-based social support interventions.

Highlights

Social support is broadly defined as the resources provided by other persons [1] and can be conceptualized as the function of one’s network [2,3]
This paper presents findings of a qualitative study designed to explore the specific dyadic characteristics of women’s perceived social support during pregnancy in Matlab, Bangladesh
The study provided current examples of the type, content, and source of social support during pregnancy grounded in a specific context of rural Bangladesh

Summary

Introduction

Social support is broadly defined as the resources provided by other persons [1] and can be conceptualized as the function of one’s network [2,3]. Social support is not a uni-dimensional, fixed set of resources, rather it is situation-, issue- and context-specific [5,6]. Qualitative work that explores social support in distinct cultural settings during specific life-events is an important first step in elucidating the influence of social support networks on health behaviours and subsequent outcomes [7]. Little is known about the precise nature of social support in SouthEast Asian contexts during pregnancy. This paper presents findings of a qualitative study designed to explore the specific dyadic characteristics (type, content, and source) of women’s perceived social support during pregnancy in Matlab, Bangladesh

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion