Perspective Of Women Research Articles

Advanced Research in Electronics: The Perspective of Women

In the past, electronic engineering has been considered a purely male research field and, although this situation has changed slightly, the male prevalence in both academic and professional fields is still marked [...]

Implementation of an mHealth intervention to increase adherence to triage among HPV positive women with HPV—self-collection (ATICA study): post-implementation evaluation from the women's perspective

BackgroundLow adherence to triage after positive screening is a widespread problem for cervical cancer screening programs in Low- and Middle-income Countries. Adherence to cytology-based triage can be challenging, especially among women with self-collected tests. SMS-based interventions are accepted by women and can increase screening uptake. The ATICA study was an effectiveness-implementation hybrid type I trial, combining a cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) with a mixed-methods implementation evaluation involving quantitative and qualitative methods. Although the RCT provided evidence regarding the effectiveness of the SMS-based intervention, less is known about its acceptability, relevance, and usefulness from the women´s perspective.MethodsWe carried out a cross-sectional study based on a structured questionnaire among HPV-positive women who were enrolled in ATICA's intervention group. We measured acceptability, appropriateness, and message content comprehension. Also, we evaluated if the SMS message was considered a cue to encourage women to pick up their HPV test results and promote the triage.ResultsWe interviewed 370 HPV-positive women. Acceptability of SMS messages among women who had received at least one message was high (97%). We found high levels of agreement in all appropriateness dimensions. More than 77% of women showed high comprehension of the content. Among women who received at least one SMS message, 76% went to the health center to pick up their results. Among those who got their results, 90% reported that the SMS message had influenced them to go. We found no significant differences in acceptability, appropriateness or message comprehension between women who adhered to triage and those who did not adhere after receiving the SMS messages.ConclusionThe intervention was highly acceptable, and women reported SMS was an appropriate channel to be informed about HPV test results availability. SMS was also a useful cue to go to the health center to pick up results. The implementation did not encounter barriers associated with the SMS message itself, suggesting the existence of other obstacles to triage adherence. Our results support the RCT findings that scaling up SMS is a highly acceptable intervention to promote cervical screening triage adherence.

COVID-19 Vaccine Decision-Making Among Black Pregnant and Postpartum Women.

The history of biomedical research is marred by racially discriminatory and abusive practices that impacted Black/African Americans. Medical racism impacts the trust and utilization of new medical interventions, such as the COVID-19 vaccine. This study aimed to understand Black pregnant and postpartum women's perspectives and decision-making about the COVID-19 vaccine. We used a qualitative descriptive design and recruited 23 pregnant and postpartum Black women aged 18 years and above. Data was collected using a semi-structured interview guide. Data were analyzed using content analysis. The participants described factors influencing their decision to receive or not receive the COVID-19 vaccines. These factors included individual, cultural, ethnicity, religious, and family-related factors (individual-personal beliefs influenced decisions about the vaccine; ethnicity, culture, and religion influenced vaccine decision-making; group-family and friends played a role in decision-making), vaccine or vaccination-related issues (concerns about vaccination and pregnancy outcomes and mistrust in the vaccine information), and contextual influence (sources of vaccine information influenced decision-making and healthcare providers influenced decision-making). Understanding the vaccine decision-making process of underserved populations likely to decline vaccination due to pregnancy, postpartum, and breastfeeding status will help design tailored interventions to improve vaccine acceptance in minority communities, especially for pregnant and postpartum women.

Adolescent women's perspective of pregnancy in Iran: a qualitative study

Background/Aims Adolescent pregnancy is a significant health problem that can lead to adverse effects for the health of both adolescent mothers and their babies. Little is known about adolescent pregnancy from the perspective of adolescents, especially in developing countries, including Iran. The present study's aim was to explore Iranian adolescent women's perspectives of pregnancy. Methods This study was a thematic analysis conducted from November 2018 to October 2019 in north Iran. Data were collected through 24 unstructured, face-to-face in depth interviews which were transcribed and analysed using coding, constant comparison and memo writing. Results The experiences were categorised into five themes: ‘skeptical confronting pregnancy’, ‘intelligent self-care’, ‘embracing the pregnancy’, ‘effective support from others’ and ‘mixed perceptions of pregnancy’. Conclusions This study could improve healthcare professionals' adaptation of care for pregnant adolescent women and inspire them to tailor their care specifically to adolescents' needs.

Queer Mapping as Decolonial Praxis

Queer Mapping as Decolonial Praxis

Aotearoa New Zealand Deaf women's perspectives on breast and cervical cancer screening.

Since the introduction of both cervical and breast screening programmes in Aotearoa New Zealand, mortality rates have dropped. Both screening programmes track women's engagement, but neither capture the level of engagement of Deaf women who are New Zealand Sign Language users or their experiences in these screening programmes. Our paper addresses this knowledge deficit and provides insights that will benefit health practitioners when providing screening services to Deaf women. We used qualitative interpretive descriptive methodology to investigate the experiences of Deaf women who are New Zealand Sign Language users. A total of 18 self-identified Deaf women were recruited to the study through advertisements in key Auckland Deaf organisations. The focus group interviews were audiotaped and transcribed. The data was then analysed using thematic analysis. Our analysis indicated that a woman's first screening experience may be made more comfortable when staff are Deaf aware and a New Zealand Sign Language interpreter is used. Our findings also showed that when an interpreter is present, extra time is required for effective communication, and that the woman's privacy needs to be ensured. This paper provides insights, as well as some communication guidelines and strategies, which may be useful to health providers when engaging with Deaf women who use New Zealand Sign Language to communicate. The use of New Zealand Sign Language interpreters in health settings is regarded as best practice, however their presence needs to be negotiated with each woman.

Women's perspectives on human milk banking in Ghana: results from a cross-sectional study.

Although political and academic interest exists in Ghana to include human milk banks (HMB) into current maternal and child health programs, efforts to establish a HMB have not yet been subjected to any real empirical inspection with the view toward implementation. Furthermore, views toward the establishment of a HMB in Ghana have not been assessed among Ghanaian women. The aims of the current study were to examine Ghanaian women's views about HMB, and to investigate women's willingness to donate to a HMB. Quantitative and qualitative responses were received from Ghanaian females (n = 1,270) aged 18+ years. Excluding outliers and missing data (n = 321), a final sample of 949 was retained for final analysis. Chi-square tests and logistic regression analysis were computed on quantitative data; Thematic analysis was performed on the qualitative responses. In our sample, 64.7% of respondents indicated that Ghana is ready for a HMB. The majority (77.2%) were willing to donate milk, and 69.4% believed that donating to the HMB would favor their child. The main concerns for the unwillingness to donate excess milk included: (i) the idea of HMBs as strange/bizarre (n = 47), (ii) fear of infections (n = 15), (iii) religious beliefs (n = 9), and (iv) insufficient information (n = 24). This study serves as the first step toward the development of a HMB in Ghana. Overall, Ghanaian women support the building of a HMB to enhance infant nutrition and reduce childhood morbidity and mortality.

What's Your Pension Story? Women's Perspectives during the COVID-19 Pandemic on Their Old-Age Pension Status, Past and Present.

This study examines the present and retrospective views of mothers who are nearing or are at retirement age regarding their economic status, pension planning, and perceptions of state pension policy. The paper addresses gaps in the literature on the cross-intersections of employment history, vulnerable economic retirement status, and marital and parental status, thereby adopting a life course perspective. Based on in-depth interviews of thirty-one mothers (ages 59-72) during the COVID-19 pandemic, the findings revealed five themes-economic abuse: an unequal distribution of pension funds following divorce; regrets over past choices; COVID-19 and pensions; the state's responsibility for old-age economic security; and knowledge is important, and I can help others. The study concludes that the majority of women at these ages perceive their current economic situation as a product of insufficient familiarity with pension plans, while voicing opinions about the state's irresponsibility regarding people of retirement age.

Gender gap in perspectives of the impacts of degradation and restoration on ecosystem services in Ethiopia

AbstractThe importance of land restoration has garnered increasing attention on the global stage through large‐scale initiatives such as the Bonn Challenge. However, policies and strategies are often gender‐blind and designed in compliance with entrenched social hierarchies, exacerbating pre‐existing social inequalities that affect restoration initiatives. The challenge of developing gender‐responsive policies and initiatives is accentuated by a persistent lack of sex‐disaggregated data concerning men's and women's differing perceptions and experiences. This study aims to help fill this gap by capturing the differences in men and women's perceptions of ecosystem services before and after restoration interventions in Ethiopia. Towards that end, in October 2021, we collected data from fifty‐nine (59) paired husband‐wife households and six gender‐segregated focus group discussions in two regions of Ethiopia: Amhara and Southern Nations, and Nationalities and Peoples (SNNP). Kendall's concordance analysis established a strong degree of disagreement between men's and women's ratings of restoration outcomes for most indicators. Men attributed degradation to landscape conditions and natural forces, while women considered the lack of appropriate restoration strategies as a precursor for accelerated degradation. The study also reveals that men tended to benefit more than women from enhanced ecosystem services post‐restoration, with increased labour and land management burdens often falling on the shoulders of women. Based on these findings, we argue that including men's and women's perspectives from the earliest planning phases of restoration initiatives is essential to ensure greater equity in benefit‐sharing, mitigate trade‐offs for women, and build more nuanced, just and successful approaches to restoration.

Female Gaze From the View of A Female Director Analysis of The Bold, The Corrupt, and The Beautiful and The Old Town Girls as Examples

Since Laura Mulvey innovated the gaze theory, European and American societies have experienced two waves of feminist revolutions, and women's social status has gradually increased. Thus in recent years, many filmmakers have begun to create films from women's perspectives, and critics have also created the term "Female Gaze" as an opposite to the term "Male Gaze". However, there has not been any clear definition so far of what the "Female Gaze" is. The film and television analysis nowadays pays more attention to the female-to-female gaze and female-to-male gaze in romantic relationships and ignores the role of female directors play in shaping the relationship of film characters, especially the non-romantic relationships between female characters. Influenced by the feminist current, China's feminist films have also made great progress. Male and female directors have created new female roles through the lens. However, the different portrayals of female characters in the female-led films reflect the differences between Male Gaze and "Female Gaze". This paper will take The Bold, the Corrupt, and the Beautiful and The Old Town Girls as examples, by analyzing these two female-led films directed by a male and a female respectively, this paper will explore the main features of "Female Gaze" in female directing films.

Exploring Women’s Well-being in Haryana: Quantitative and Qualitative Perspectives

The term female well-being was first used by Noble Laureate Amartya Sen in 1992. Women's well-being in Haryana tackles the complexities of social change and illustrate the most critical challenges (gender discrimination, violence, and honor killings) that women are facing in the present scenario despite globalization, modernization, and development in all spheres of life. Women's well-being is studied by analyzing infant mortality rate, maternal mortality rate and life expectancy, literacy and level of education, work status and income level, family structure, and political power. The trends in women's well-being are contextualized in light of the legislative provisions, women's social welfare policies, and movements that enhance, empower, sustain, or detract the women's condition in the state. The present study is an attempt to explore women's well-being based on social institutions, gender concerns, socio-demographic profile, and educational, economic, and political dynamics and interpret significant transformation in women's lives over the years in Haryana. In this descriptive study, quantitative and qualitative techniques were used to explore women's well-being in the state. The present investigation is based on primary and secondary sources as well. However, the present research sketches social institutions, gender concerns, and the status of women in Haryana, but it is mainly concerned with the women's well-being concepts, issues, and future perspectives. The present research has implications for center and state governments, policy-makers and non-governmental organizations, academicians, and social thinkers.

Women's Perspectives on Smoking During Pregnancy and Factors Influencing Their Willingness to Quit Smoking in Pregnancy: A Study From the United Kingdom.

Objective This was a prospective questionnaire-based survey conducted in the Barnsley District of the United Kingdom amongantenatal women smoking during pregnancy. The aim of the study was to assess the awareness of women regarding the risks with smoking during pregnancy, study their smoking behavior, their willingness to quit smoking during pregnancy, and the factors that could influence their intention to quit smoking. Methods A cohort of antenatal women smoking during pregnancy was surveyedprior to their contact with the maternity Stop Smoking Services. A well-structured, pre-tested, and validated questionnaire was usedto assess their awareness regarding risks with smoking during pregnancy and their willingness to quit smoking during pregnancy. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the results. Binomial logistic regression (univariate and multivariate) was used to identify the factors influencing the women's willingness to quit smoking during pregnancy. Results Among 66 women surveyed, 52 (79%) were multigravida and 14 (21%) were primigravida, with a mean age of 27.4 ± 5.7 years. Most women (68%) were in the first trimester of their pregnancy. Nearly two-thirds of women (64%) had low educational attainment, 53% were unemployed, 68% lived with family members who smoked, and 35% had mental health problems. One-third (33%) of women had an unsuccessful attempt at quitting smoking in the past. Around 44% of women had a low level of nicotine dependence, while 56% had a moderate level of nicotine dependence. More than three-fourths of women (77%) were aware that smoking during pregnancy is harmful for their baby, though most could not report the specific adverse effects. Nearly half of the women (51.5%) were willing to quit smoking during pregnancy with the rationality of having a healthy baby. On multivariate logistic regression analysis,awarenessof the women that smoking during pregnancy has ill effects on the baby (adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 46.459, confidence interval (CI): 5.356-402.961, p value <0.001) was found to be the strongest predictor of willingness to quit smoking during pregnancy. Other determinants found to be significantly associated with willingness to quit smoking during pregnancy were unsuccessful quit attempts in the past (aOR: 0.048, CI: 0.007-0.309, p value 0.001) and the absence of any mental health concerns (aOR: 6.097, CI: 1.105-33.647, p value 0.038). Conclusion There is considerable room for raising awareness about the risks of smoking during pregnancy and providing effective smoking cessation and relapse prevention interventions in pregnancy. Obstetricians and midwives should actively participate in providing risk-focused information to pregnant women on smoking during pregnancy and support them in smoking cessation. Various factors such as employment status, nicotine dependence, previous failed attempts at quitting smoking, mental health issues, and awareness levels significantly influence the willingness to quit smoking during pregnancy. Hence, there is an imperative need to identify and address the barriers that could affect a woman's intention to quit smoking during pregnancy.

Separate souls under one roof: Jordanian women's perspectives of emotional divorce

Emotional Divorce (ED) is a relatively new concept that has garnered global attention as an unrecognized form of separation and a precursor to formal divorce. To gain a deeper understanding of Jordanian women's experience with ED, a descriptive qualitative approach was used. A purposive sample and snowballing were used to collect data from 17 married Muslim women over the age of 20 years from the north of Jordan between March and May 2021. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews, face-to-face or video calls. Women were asked about the nature of their current relationship with their husbands, experiences of ED and its impacts on their health and sexual well-being. The analysis revealed several themes and sub-themes. Based on the findings, it can be inferred that the women are experiencing ED, characterized by a sense of disconnection and separation from their husbands, as evidenced by physical distance, emotional silence, and lack of intimacy. The impact of this emotional distance extends beyond the emotional realm, affecting their physical, psychological, social, and sexual well-being. Despite the pain and the difficulties they endure, women carefully weighed their options, including the risks of legal divorce, and chose to stay in their marriages for the sake of their children and of avoiding the social stigma attached to divorce.

Knowledge and Attitudes Toward Inpatient Postpartum HPV Vaccination Among Pregnant Women [ID: 1376898

INTRODUCTION: Inpatient postpartum human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination is a novel strategy to increase HPV vaccine uptake; however, data on pregnant women's perspectives are lacking. We sought to assess knowledge and attitudes toward inpatient postpartum HPV vaccination among pregnant women. METHODS: An electronic survey assessing HPV vaccination knowledge, status, and attitudes toward postpartum HPV vaccination was distributed among pregnant women aged 15–45 years engaged in prenatal care at a large health system in Baltimore, Maryland. Reasons for their attitudes toward postpartum HPV vaccination were measured on a 5-point Likert scale. Responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics and χ2 tests. RESULTS: Mean age was 31.3+6.2 years among 309 pregnant participants. Self-identified race and ethnicity included 47.5% White, 29% Black/African American, 11.2% Asian, and 16.2% Hispanic/Latina. 88.7% had heard of the HPV vaccine, 50.5% had received at least one dose, and 35.0% had completed the series. HPV vaccination status did not differ by socioeconomic characteristics (P&gt;.05). Of the 153 HPV vaccine-naive women, 40.0% desired to receive it after delivery, with the top reasons being “I think it is safe” and “I think the protection can benefit me.” 24.2% were not interested (“I don't think it will benefit me” and “I'm worried about the side effects”), and 36.0% were unsure (“No healthcare provider has recommended it to me so far” or “I usually don't say yes to all vaccines”). CONCLUSION: The majority of pregnant HPV vaccine-naive women were willing to receive an HPV vaccine dose postpartum. HPV vaccine education during prenatal care may further increase uptake.

Assessing Focused Antenatal Care Awareness and Utilization Among Pregnant Women in Enugu State, Nigeria: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

Focused antenatal care (FANC) is a newer and better approach to antenatal care for pregnant women than the traditional model. FANC emphasizes individual assessment and decision-making by both the provider and the pregnant woman, resulting in better health outcomes for both mother and baby. Despite the adoption of FANC care in Nigeria, maternal mortality indices have not significantly decreased. This study aimed to assess the level of awareness and utilization of FANC among pregnant women in Nigeria, as well as the factors that influence its utilization. This study was conducted in Enugu, Nigeria, using the antenatal clinics of three major tertiary hospitals. A cross-sectional design was used, and a sample size of 300 pregnant women was selected using systematic random sampling. Data were collected using a structured, self-administered questionnaire and analyzed using IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26. The findings were presented using frequencies, tables, charts, and figures, and Fisher's exact test was used to determine the relationship between respondents' knowledge of focused antenatal care and their demographic factors. A study involving 300 pregnant women in Nigeria found that only 15% of them had heard of focused antenatal care (FANC) and just 7.3% had good knowledge of its components, which was attributed to the low level of education among the respondents (X2=16.68, p=0.001). Health talks during antenatal visits were the most common source of information on FANC. The study also revealed that late initiation of antenatal care (n=144, 48%) in current pregnancy and (n=106, 54.6%) among those previously pregnant, as well as insufficient attendance, were identified as risk factors for maternal mortality. Long waiting times (n=196, 65.3%) and overcrowded healthcare facilities (n=110, 36.7%) were the major causes of dissatisfaction with antenatal care services among the respondents. Pregnant women preferred delivering at tertiary hospitals or private hospitals due to the perceived better quality of care and personal preference. These findings could inform targeted interventions to improve knowledge and awareness of FANC among pregnant women, particularly those with lower levels of education. This study provides important insights into the low awareness and utilization of FANC among pregnant women in Enugu, Nigeria, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to improve knowledge and awareness of FANC. The study's findings have important implications for the development of maternal and child health policies and interventions aimed at improving the utilization of healthcare services during pregnancy and childbirth in Nigeria. Further research that includes qualitative methods could provide more nuanced information on pregnant women's experiences and perspectives on FANC.

Effect of Women’s View Toward Their Rights on Receiving Better Antenatal Care in Bangladesh

Background: In a country, the view prospective mothers carry throughout their lifetime can be resembled in their children’s lives too and can proclaim plenty of the country’s problems, especially in receiving improved antenatal care (ANC). A woman’s view of her husband beating her and her preferred marriage age tells a lot about a country’s view. However, limited research has focused on understanding women's perspectives on their rights and it’s relation with ANC quality in Bangladesh. The findings of this study will contribute to a deeper understanding of women's perspectives on their rights and the barriers they face in accessing quality ANC.&#x0D; Objective: This study aims to investigate the view of Bangladeshi women toward their own rights and the impact on their access to improved ANC.&#x0D; Method: To address this gap, a binary logistic regression model was employed by analyzing in IBM SPSS Statistics 25 using Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) 2017-18 data.&#x0D; Result: It was spotted that a small percentage (6.6%) of women in Bangladesh were under proper ANC coverage. The women who didn’t justify domestic violence were 1.231 times more likely to be under ANC coverage in Bangladesh than those who justified domestic violence in the adjusted model. Moreover, women with no education were .048 times less likely to be under ANC coverage than women with higher education. Women who were not exposed to media were .099 times less likely to be under ANC coverage than those who were exposed to media. Unfortunately, almost one-fifth of all Bangladeshi women (19.6%) justified being beaten by their husbands. &#x0D; Conclusion: Women’s entitlements enable them to actively engage in their own healthcare programs, leading to improved health outcomes for both mother and child. Through targeted awareness, Bangladesh can create an environment where women are aware of their rights and have access to quality ANC services. By ensuring their rights are respected, a society that values reproductive health and the well-being of women and children can strive.

‘Joy, not sorrow’: Men's perspectives on gender, violence, and cash transfers targeted to women in northern Ghana

Evidence indicates that cash transfers can decrease intimate partner violence (IPV) against women, although most research has focused on women's perspectives and experiences, with less attention to men. We analyzed data from four focus group discussions with male partners of women who participated in the Ghana Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) 1000 cash transfer program. We elicited men's perceptions of poverty, relationship dynamics, IPV and cash transfers targeted to their wives using thematic analysis. Men largely viewed the effects of the cash transfer as positive – they felt decreased provider role strain when women used the cash to cover household expenses such as food and school fees. Men also indicated that they felt respected when women used the cash to cover sudden expenses, such as funeral costs, thus preventing the need to borrow from community members and exposing their inability to fulfill provider roles. These feelings of relief and respect helped improve men's overall wellbeing, their marital relationships and reduced the potential for IPV. Despite these positive results, men revealed that they still expected to be informed and consulted about the transfer and its expenditure, and felt disrespected when women did not do so, thus heightening the potential for household conflict. Further research and innovation in programming is needed to integrate gender transformative strategies into cash transfer programs, explicitly aimed at changing gender norms to enhance and sustain beneficial impacts on gender relations and IPV.

Extending the sociology of candidacy: Bourdieu's relational social class and mid-life women's perceptions of alcohol-related breast cancer risk.

Alcohol is a modifiable breast cancer risk, increasing risk in a dose-dependent manner. Mid-life women (aged 45-64years) consume alcohol at higher rates than younger women and this, combined with age, make them a high-risk group for breast cancer. This critical public health problem has a seemingly obvious solution (reduce drinking); however, women do not necessarily know alcohol causes breast cancer, and if they do, reducing consumption is not always possible, or desirable. To innovate public health responses, we employ an interpretative sociological framework 'candidacy' to understand women's perspectives on breast cancer risk relative to alcohol consumption and their social class. Drawing on 50 interviews with Australian mid-life women, our findings reveal the socio-structural determinants of 'candidacy', that mean modifying alcohol consumption for breast cancer prevention is impacted by social class. Utilising Bourdieu's relational capitals, our interpretations show how social class shapes women's ascriptions and enactments of breast cancer candidacy. We offer an important theoretical extension to 'candidacy' by demonstrating more or less fluidity in women's assessment of breast cancer risk according to their agency to adopt breast cancer prevention messages. Understanding the social class possibilities and limitations in women's perceptions of breast cancer risk provides a new opportunity to reduce inequities in breast cancer incidence.

Women's perspectives on resilience and research on resilience in motherhood: A qualitative study.

Definitional perspectives and operational approaches to the concept of resilience vary within the literature; however, little is known of women's opinions on current resilience research, or the philosophical and methodological directions women believe such research should take. This research explored women's perspectives on resilience research in the perinatal period and early motherhood and sought their opinions on the ways in which they believe research should be advanced. Following ethical approval, online interviews were conducted with 14 ethnically and socioeconomically diverse women who were mothers. Findings from a concept analysis on resilience in pregnancy and early motherhood, conducted by the authors, were shared with women before and during the interview. Interviews were organised in sections corresponding to the findings within the concept analysis' four philosophical (Epistemology, Linguistic, Logic, Pragmatic) principles and thematically analysed. Epistemology-Women endorsed a dynamic process definition, and viewed resilience as influenced by multilevel, multisystemic processes. Linguistic-Women viewed words such as 'adaptation' and 'adjustment' as being more active and empowering than the term 'coping' in relation to motherhood. Logic-Women were resistant to the predominant operational conceptualisation of resilience as illness absence. Pragmatic-Women were wary of resilience research being used to reduce mental health support for other mothers and families. Women provided constructive criticisms on the current state of resilience literature. Women suggested actionable ways in which research may be developed to better align with the epistemological and ethical approaches women want to see in resilience and maternal mental health research. Women who are mothers and participants in health research were consulted on their views of trends in mental health and resilience research in motherhood.

Elevating Women's Voices: The Illinois Maternal Health Digital Storytelling Project.

Numerous initiatives at the national, state, and local levels are focused on addressing the U.S. maternal health crisis. However, most efforts fail to center women's voices and personal perspectives about pregnancy experiences and complications. This article describes the Illinois Maternal Health Digital Storytelling Project conducted by the University of Illinois at Chicago, in partnership with StoryCenter, a storytelling nonprofit organization based in Berkeley, California. The project aimed to elevate voices (stories) to complement other sources of data on maternal outcomes. We relied on partners to help recruit storytellers with a self-identified perinatal-related challenge. We screened interested individuals using a trauma-informed approach and a social worker provided storytellers with support during the project. Two groups participated in this project, one in 2021 and another in 2022, culminating with 10 digital stories. Both instances were conducted virtually and included group and individual skills-based sessions where storytellers learned to create and edit their digital stories. The storytellers own their digital stories and provided consent to include them in ongoing dissemination efforts. In September 2021, a webpage was launched to house the stories, and this resource is being shared widely. Evaluation efforts of the webpage are ongoing to understand how these digital stories are being used to inform maternal health efforts. Digital stories add richness to ongoing maternal health prevention work and may serve as a powerful tool to elicit understanding among providers, practitioners, and constituents.