Pregnant Women's Perceptions Research Articles

Factors Associated With Pregnant Women's Perception of Aneuploidy Risk

Factors Associated With Pregnant Women's Perception of Aneuploidy Risk

Maternal Influenza Vaccination: Evaluation of a Patient-Centered Pamphlet Designed to Increase Uptake in Pregnancy

We developed and tested a theoretically-based pamphlet entitled 'Influenza in Pregnancy,' specifically designed to increase pregnant women's knowledge, reduce barriers to maternal vaccination, and subsequently improve vaccine uptake. A randomized control trial was conducted on pregnant women (n = 135) at three locations in Connecticut during the 2011-2012 season to evaluate the impact of the patient-centered pamphlet. The women were randomized to one of three groups: the pamphlet; pamphlet/benefit statement (vaccinating the pregnant woman also benefits the young infant); or control. A Chi square analysis compared the intervention with control using the primary outcome of vaccination. A secondary outcome of the perceptions of health beliefs of maternal vaccination were measured through General Linear Model/ANOVA model for repeated measures. Overall 66.9% (89/133) were vaccinated. Both the pamphlet group 72.9% (35/48) (χ² = 6.81, df = 1 p = .009), and the pamphlet/benefit statement group 86.1% (31/36) (χ² = 13.74, df = 1, p < .001), had significantly higher vaccine uptake than the control group 46.9% (23/49). The potential barrier, perception of vaccine safety (F = 4.973, df = 2, p < .01), and benefit of vaccination to mother and infant (F = 6.690, df = 2, p < .01) significantly improved for the intervention groups compared to control group. The pamphlet significantly increased the pregnant women's perceptions of the safety and benefit of the vaccine, and the overall uptake.

The Effect of Social Support on State Anxiety Levels During Pregnancy

In this study our aim was to determine the effect of pregnant women's perception of level of multidimensional social support during pregnancy on their state anxiety level. The sample comprised 160 pregnant women who were attending antenatal polyclinics at Çorum State Hospital between March 2011 and June 2011. The data were assessed using percentages, arithmetic means, standard deviations, t test, and 1-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). We found a correlation between anxiety levels and the score for social support of a significant person and total social support score. According to our results it may be said that high social support given during pregnancy has the effect of reducing the pregnant woman's anxiety.

(Re)Writing the body: a prosumption analysis of pregnancy

PurposeTheories of prosumption offer social marketers an opportunity to improve market segmentation strategies and health campaigns by improving understanding of audiences. The purpose of this paper is to provide a framework to understand how women produce and consume ideologies of pregnancy.Design/methodology/approachA total of 19 pregnant women ages 24‐38 years completed qualitative, in‐depth interviews. Data analysis included a grounded theory approach and constant‐comparative method using open and axial coding to reduce the data and identify themes across the data.FindingsThis study addressed prosumption in three meaning‐making sites: the physiological basis of pregnancy; perceptions of medicine and the biomedical model during pregnancy; and perceptions of media surrounding pregnancy.Research limitations/implicationsThis study applied prosumption theory in a new social context: pregnant women. Findings articulate the importance of gender and the necessity of incorporating women's lived experiences into theories of prosumption.Practical implicationsSocial marketers benefit from improved understandings of pregnant women's body identity, perceptions, and opportunities for empowerment and agency in reproductive health. The proposed “purist pregnant woman” myth impacts effective strategies in social marketing and health communication campaigns. Findings suggest that pregnant women may serve as a receptive audience for a range of health issues.Social implicationsThis study extends our understanding of prosumers, suggesting that prosumption of pregnancy reduces alienation, humanizes and demedicalizes health care and the birthing process.Originality/valueThis study offers theoretical and practical implications for social marketing and health communication campaigns to improve pregnancy health outcomes through an improved understanding of prosumers.

Pregnant women's perception on signs and symptoms during pregnancy and maternal health care in a rural low‐resource setting

Women's understanding of pregnancy and antenatal care is influenced by their cultural context. In low-income settings women may have limited influence over their reproductive health, including when to seek health care. Awareness of signs of pregnancy complications is essential for timely care. The use of antenatal care services in Vietnam has been studied with quantitative methods but there are few qualitative studies on the perceptions of pregnancy and maternal health care among Vietnamese women. Four focus group discussions with pregnant women were performed. The study was conducted in a rural district in northern Vietnam. Pregnant women in the last trimester. Manifest and latent content analysis. The latent theme that emerged was a need for "securing pregnancy during its normal course and at deviation", consisting of the main categories "ensuring a healthy pregnancy" and "separating the normal from the abnormal". This qualitative study of pregnant women in rural Vietnam indicates how women create a strategy to promote a healthy pregnancy through lifestyle adjustments, gathering of information, and seeking timely medical care. Insight into pregnancy-related conditions was sought from various sources and influenced both by local traditions and modern medical knowledge. Public knowledge about different symptoms during pregnancy and a high confidence in maternal health care are the most likely contributing factors to the relatively good maternal health status in Vietnam.

Perception of Pregnant Women About Antenatal Care in a Cottage Hospital in Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Antenatal care gives opportunity for care of women during pregnancy, prevention and treatment of diseases as well as behavioral change interventions. The perception of users about services influences service utilization. This study was performed to assess user satisfaction with antenatal care services at the centre and to identify constraints at service points. Women attending antenatal care at a cottage hospital In Nigeria were administered questionnaires to evaluate their satisfaction with services and their views about services at various points of care. Data analysis was made using Statistical Package for Social Science version 15.0. Statistical significance was set at P<0.5. Four hundred correctly completed questionnaires were analysed. The mean age of the respondents was 29years (SD of 4) and their parity ranged from 0 to 5 (mean 2.5±1.9). The overall satisfaction with care was 94% and it was highest (95.8%) with health talks and least with medical consultations (64%). Attributes valued at service points were educating nature of health talks, prompt attention, and friendly and polite staff. Reasons for dissatisfaction were unfriendly attitudes of staff and delay at service points. Additional care packages women would want were: more staff employed 61 (15.3%), better organized services 34 (8.5%) and routine ultrasound scans 25 (6.3%). Women valued antenatal care and were highly satisfied with services received at the centre. Health education forums should be used to address issues with service delivery. Constraints at service points should be addressed to enhance better service delivery.

Women's perception of antenatal care services in public and private clinics in the Gambia

The main objective of this study was to assess women's preferences and perception of antenatal healthcare services in public and private healthcare facilities. Descriptive cross-sectional study using a face-to-face interview based on the standardized World Health Organization questionnaire. Six public and six private health facilities in the Gambia. Five hundred and two pregnant women. Not applicable. Patient's perception of antenatal services received was main outcome variables and measured in three aspects: willingness to come back, willingness to recommend to others and level of satisfaction. The satisfaction rate with antenatal services was 79.9% for public facilities and 97.9% for private facilities. Pregnant women's poor perception with public facilities (after adjustment) included their unhappiness, with the following dimensions of antenatal care (ANC): inadequate privacy, inadequate space and neatness and inadequate communication with care providers. We found that although women tended to be highly satisfied with both private and public ANC facilities, those attending public clinics were significantly less satisfied than those attending private clinics. The main complaints were related to the physical environment, technical process and provision of information or reassurance. Because public facilities constitute the main care providers for the general population and particularly for disadvantaged women, better management of public clinics and better training in communication skills for public care providers may help to retain women patients and improve the quality of ANC in the public sector.

“Subutex is safe”: Perceptions of risk in using illicit drugs during pregnancy

BackgroundThe dominant biomedical discourse stresses the physiological risks to the foetus or newborn posed by the prenatal use of illicit drugs. There is also a strong moral incentive for pregnant women to abstain from drugs. Yet few researchers have explored how pregnant, drug-using women themselves perceive the risks involved. The present paper investigates the reasoning by women about risks involved in prenatal drug use. Theoretically, a socio-cultural approach to risk is taken. MethodsThe paper is based on fourteen ethnographic interviews with women who had used illicit drugs during pregnancy (mainly buprenorphine), had recently given birth and had regularly used prenatal services during pregnancy. The interviews were informal, semi-structured and focused on the women's experiences of pregnancy and service use. Each interview lasted about an hour. The interviews were transcribed and inductively analysed using thematic coding. Risk perceptions were identified in the interviewees’ expressions and understanding of fears, dangers, threats and worries. ResultsThe women were not primarily concerned about health risks: their greatest fears in connection with the prenatal use of illicit drugs were giving birth to a child with withdrawal symptoms, child protection interventions and child removal, encountering negative attitudes in seeking professional help as well as terminating drug use. The interviewees did not see abstaining from drugs as a risk-free option. On the contrary, the prospect of a drug-free life was filled with fears linked to physical and mental pain and disruptions in significant social bonds. The women made use of biomedical and nonprofessional understandings of risks. The women's friends and acquaintances played a central role as providers of knowledge about risks. ConclusionWhen providing health education to pregnant women with drug problems, professionals should take women's perceptions of risk seriously, treat the women respectfully and engage them in dialogue about the risks involved. Further studies on pregnant women's perceptions of risk in using illicit drugs would be highly valuable.

Pregnant and Recently Pregnant Women’s Perceptions about Influenza A Pandemic (H1N1) 2009: Implications for Public Health and Provider Communication

The objective of this study was to explore pregnant and recently pregnant women's perceptions of influenza vaccine and antivirals during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic. We conducted 18 focus groups with pregnant and recently pregnant women in three US cities in September 2009. Participants were segmented into groups by insurance status (no or public insurance vs. private insurance), vaccine attitudes (higher vs. lower likelihood of acceptance of any vaccines, not only influenza vaccines), and parity (first child vs. other children in the home) based on information they provided on the screening questionnaire at the time of recruitment. We found that women are not well informed about influenza vaccinations and antiviral medicine and have significant concerns about taking them during pregnancy. An interest in their infant's well-being, however, can be strong motivation to adopt preventive recommendations, including vaccination. A woman's health care provider is a highly trusted source of information about the 2009 H1N1. Pregnant women have unique communication needs for influenza. Messages directing pregnant women to adopt public health recommendations, particularly for vaccination or prophylactic medication should include a detailed description of the benefits or lack of risk to the fetus and the safety of breastfeeding. Additionally, messages should recognize that pregnant women are taught to be selective about taking medication and provide a clear rationale for why the medicine or vaccine is necessary.

Pregnant Women’s Perception of Risk With Use of the H1N1 Vaccine

During the H1N1 influenza pandemic in 2009, The Motherisk Program, a counselling service providing teratology information, received many calls from pregnant women inquiring about the safety of the H1N1 vaccine. We wished to explore pregnant women's perception of risk and the factors associated with deciding whether or not to receive the vaccine. Pregnant women who called Motherisk between October 1 and November 30, 2009, requesting counselling regarding the safety of the H1N1 vaccine, and who had not yet received the vaccine, were contacted for follow-up using a structured questionnaire. One hundred thirty women completed the questionnaire; 104 (80%) had received the H1N1 vaccination following their call to Motherisk, and 26 (20%) had not. More than 70% of the women cited confusing and frightening information in the media as a trigger for their concern, prompting them to call Motherisk. Sixty percent stated that information from their primary health care providers or Motherisk contributed to their decision making. The H1N1 vaccination rate in pregnant women who contacted Motherisk was higher than the rate in the general population, as many followed Motherisk's recommendation to receive the vaccine. During this period, the media appeared to provide pregnant women with confusing information. In any future pandemic scare, accessibility to primary health care providers or specialized information services such as Motherisk will be key to providing guidance for pregnant women.

Psychometric testing of the Perception of Pregnancy Risk Questionnaire

Pregnant women's perception of risk may influence their health behaviors during pregnancy; however, no validated instrument exists to measure those perceptions. The purpose of this study was to refine a new instrument, the Perception of Pregnancy Risk Questionnaire (PPRQ), and conduct psychometric assessment of the final 9-item version. Reliability and validity were assessed using a sample of 199 women in the third trimester of pregnancy. Exploratory factor analysis resulted in a two-factor solution. Evidence of construct validity was demonstrated using the known-groups technique and through convergent validity. Ratings of pregnancy risk correlated with state anxiety level, providing evidence of concurrent validity. The PPRQ had high internal consistency reliability and excellent test-retest reliability.

Prevalence of Violence During Pregnancy: Findings from a Jordanian Survey

Violence during pregnancy is a significant health and social problem. In the last few years several factors have contributed to the emergence of family violence as a high priority social and health issue in Jordan, and the acknowledgement that abuse during pregnancy is a harmful act to the mother and the fetus. The purposes of this study were to investigate the prevalence of physical, emotional, verbal, and sexual violence on pregnant women, and to describe the relationships between violence and selected study variables. A descriptive study was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire. A convenience sample of 316 pregnant women was recruited from five Maternal and Child Health Centers, located in Irbid City in the North of Jordan. The prevalence of physical, emotional, verbal and sexual violence by husbands during pregnancy was 10.4%, 23.4%, 23.7%, and 5.7%, respectively. Prevalence of physical, emotional and verbal violence by a family member other than the husband was 1.9%, 11.1% and 13.9%, respectively, and most perpetrators were the mother in-law. Data also showed that there was a significant association between prevalence of violence and unplanned pregnancy, the pregnant women's perception of their husband's violent attributes and the women's low self-esteem. Pre- and post-natal visits should include assessment for family violence and intervention when violence or abuse is identified. The findings support continued public awareness of family violence to bring about social and political changes that increase reporting and reduce incidence of violence in Jordan.

Pregnant women's perception of cesarean section on demand

To assess pregnant women's awareness of and attitudes towards cesarean section (CS) on demand, as well as to identify specific target groups by focusing on differences dependant on the participants' background, parity and intended mode of delivery. The study was conducted at two centers during three months. German-speaking pregnant women were invited to answer an anonymous, structured questionnaire. We compared urban vs. rural, nulliparous vs. parous and women opting for a CS vs. denying this wish, with regard to awareness and attitudes towards CS on demand. Ninety-two percent of the 201 participants were aware of the possibility to deliver by CS on demand. Their sources of information were mostly print media reports, television, or friends. Pain avoidance and missing the birth experience were the main reasons for and against CS on demand, respectively. For women opting for CS on demand, traumatically-experienced previous birth and the child's well-being were other important reasons for a CS. Because negative birth experience appears to be decisive for pregnant women's attitude towards CS on demand and their perception of CS seems to be partly based on misconceptions, antenatal counseling should focus on these aspects.

Satisfação e composição da rede de apoio social a gestantes adolescentes

Young pregnant women's perception on their satisfacti on and on the composition of their social support network is provided. Research involved a sample of 1 00 young females, between the 3 rd and 9 th month of pregnancy, who underwent prenatal examination in public hospitals o f Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. An interview comprising bi o-demographics data and the Social Support Questionnaire were employed. Results show that participants were hi ghly satisfied with the received social support and indicate that the main support protagonists were the mother, the partner, f riends and the father, in this order. Adolescents who counted on the social sup port of parental figures were those who were most sati sfied. Above results indicate that the parents' social support d uring pregnancy is crucial for the feeling of well-b eing and satisfaction with the received social support.

Cognitive changes in pregnancy: mild decline or societal stereotype?

AbstractThis research compared pregnant and non‐pregnant women's perceptions of cognitive change and their performance on 13 sensitive memory and attention tasks (Study 1) and two complex driving simulation tasks (Study 2). The pregnant, but not the non‐pregnant, women rated their cognitive abilities as worse than before, but only two performance measures from Study 1 differentiated the two groups (speed of language processing and attentional switching). Study 3 examined beliefs about pregnancy‐related cognitive decline. Women and men with and without immediate experience of pregnancy rated pregnant women's cognitive abilities as slightly worse than before pregnancy. Memory ratings were worse from women and from those with immediate experience of pregnancy. It is concluded that there may be some mild effects of pregnancy on performance of some specific cognitive functions but that cultural expectations based on a stereotype of cognitive decline also contribute to pregnant women's perception of cognitive change. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

The Chinese Childbirth Self‐Efficacy Inventory: the development of a short form

To examine the validity and reliability of the short form of the Childbirth Self-Efficacy Inventory in a clinical Chinese pregnant population. Childbirth self-efficacy has become an important psychological construct for both childbirth educators and researchers because pregnant women's perception may influence the meaning and consequences of childbirth. Assessment done by the original Childbirth Self-Efficacy Inventory limits the scientific rigor for generating additional research into the construct, as its items were repetitive and its structure is lengthy. This prospective study investigated 293 Chinese pregnant women in their third trimester of pregnancy. The women completed the short form of the Childbirth Self-Efficacy Inventory, the Chinese Self-efficacy Scale and the socio-demographic questionnaire in an interview room of the study hospital. The re-testing of the scale on the participants was carried out two weeks later in the same clinic. Factor analysis and item-subscale correlations supported the conceptual dimensions of the short form of the Chinese Childbirth Self-Efficacy Inventory. The Cronbach's alpha coefficients for both subscales were over 0.9. The convergent validity with the Chinese Self-Efficacy Scale was reflected by a moderate correlation for the two subscales. The efficacy expectancy subscale differentiated primigravid from multigravid women (t = 2.83, P < 0.01, CI = -2.33 to 2.34). The reliability and validity information presented in this paper supports the use of the short form of the Childbirth Self-Efficacy Inventory as a research instrument in measuring the childbirth self-efficacy among the Chinese population. Further validation of the measure is warranted. The reliable short form of the Childbirth Self-Efficacy Inventory could be used in routine clinical practice in maternity care services to provide a point of reference for future research and development in both childbirth education and clinical practice.

A qualitative approach to social support and breast-feeding decisions

Objective to explore pregnant women's perceptions and personal experiences of the influence of formal and informal social support on breast-feeding decision-making, in relation to breast-feeding initiation and duration. Design qualitative focus groups and interviews. Setting four primary-care centres in Valencia, Spain. Participants 19 primiparous women in their first trimester of pregnancy participated in focus groups and 12 primiparous and multiparous women in their third trimester of pregnancy participated in interviews. Women had different socio-demographic backgrounds and socio-economic status. Findings and conclusions women's perceptions and personal experiences of formal and informal social support of breast feeding may be linked to age and socio-cultural status. Women from higher socio-cultural backgrounds took their partner's opinion and support more into account when choosing breast feeding. They also conceded great importance to formal health support, and employed mothers wished to have more institutional support. Among women from lower socio-cultural backgrounds, friends were the closest social network and had the greatest influence on feeding decisions. They perceived some contradictions in health-promotion messages on breast feeding, and most of them preferred to leave work after birth to exclusively care for their baby. Younger women, without previous experience of breast feeding or possibility of receiving tangible support from their mothers, wanted more practical health-care support (e.g. providing skills in breast-feeding technique). Implications for practice breast-feeding promotion strategies should take into account women's different characteristics. Health professionals should consider offering postnatal support as a follow-up to practical support (e.g. breast-feeding workshops).

What Constitutes a Good Childbirth? A Qualitative Study of Pregnant Finnish Women

The aim of this study was to describe pregnant Finnish women's perceptions of a good childbirth. Data were collected through semistructured interviews in maternity health care clinics and maternity hospitals. Data interpretation was based on content analysis. A purposive sample of 24 pregnant women aged 19 to 45, half of them expecting their first child, were interviewed. Five main issues were seen by informants as important in the course of childbirth: 1) unhurried atmosphere, 2) normality, 3) reasonable duration of labor, 4) security, and 5) control. Participants did not expect much from their birth companions, although some mentioned various tasks for them. The three main issues considered important for the role of staff were the professionals'1) personal characteristics, 2) attitudes toward the childbearing woman, and 3) way they acted. The question about the physical environment was found quite irrelevant by some women, and only a few had special wishes related to the birthing environment. None of the participants voiced opposition to obstetric interventions, but some were willing to avoid them if possible. Informed consent for interventions was seen as very important. These results suggest that health care providers are challenged to provide individualized care for every woman.

Likely stakeholders in the prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV/AIDS in Blantyre, Malawi.

To determine potential partners for pregnant women in the prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV and to determine pregnant women's perceptions towards selected potential HIV prevention efforts. Cross sectional, questionnaire-administered study. Ante-natal clinics of eleven public health centers and the major referral and university teaching hospital of Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH) in Blantyre, Malawi. A total of 321 pregnant women attending ante-natal clinics. Antenatal women in Blantyre, Malawi obtain health information on HIV/AIDS from the radio (96.3%), health workers (82.2%), religious gatherings (66.7%), friends (54.8%) and newspapers (39.3%). The majority intend to be accompanied by own mother and sister for delivery (52.4% and 15.4% respectively). Almost all (99%) planned to breast feed with 91.8% reporting an intended breastfeeding period of at least 6 months. About 97% of married women reported desire to tell spouse in case of HIV sero-positive results while only 65.1% had ever discussed about HIV with spouse, and only 5.2% had ever attended antenatal clinic with spouse. Whether woman had ever discussed about HIV/AIDS with spouse or not did not influence desire to disclose HIV status to spouse. Close relatives, spouse and the media are important stakeholders in the health of pregnant women. Programs aimed at prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV should give serious consideration to these partners.

Well‐being and sense of coherence during pregnancy

Our knowledge of how a woman as an individual experiences, evaluates and copes with pregnancy is limited. The concept of 'sense of coherence' as described by Antonovsky may be an important factor in how people deal with stressful situations in life. The aim of this study is to describe pregnant women's perception of well-being during pregnancy and after delivery and to explore its relationship to their sense of coherence. Participants (n = 177) were recruited from four Maternal Health Care Centers (MHCCs) in the Stockholm area. Three standard instruments were used in the study: the Sense of Coherence (SOC) scale, the Health Index (HI) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) scale. These instruments were filled in at pregnancy weeks 10-12 and 34-36 and also 8 weeks after delivery. One hundred and twenty women completed the study. At weeks 34-36 the pregnant women scored significantly worse for well-being than at weeks 10-12 and after delivery. A strong predictor for well-being is the women's degree of SOC. With regard to anxiety and depression no differences were found between the measurements. Neither demographic data such as age or financial status nor degree of complications influenced the results. Our study shows that the SOC scale measures the capacity to cope with the unforeseeable process that child-bearing still implies today. The SOC scale questionnaire and the HI can complement the midwife's subjective evaluation of the pregnant woman's need for psychosocial support during pregnancy. If this is correct, the SOC scale and the HI could be of great value in clinical work within maternal health care.