ADAPTATION OF HEALTH CARE SEEKING BEHAVIOR DURING CHILDBIRTH: FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSIONS WITH WOMEN LIVING IN THE SUBURBAN AREAS OF LUANDA, ANGOLA

作者：Karen Odberg Pettersson, Kyllike Christensson, Engrácia da Glória Gomes de Freitas, Eva Johansson · 发表于：Health Care For Women International · 年份：2004 · DOI：10.1080/07399330490272750 · 被引用次数：40 · 研究领域：Global Maternal and Child Health、Maternal and Perinatal Health Interventions、Global Health Workforce Issues

The aim of this study was to explore how various factors influenced women's decisions regarding place of confinement in Luanda, Angola. Ten focus group discussions were conducted with pregnant and nonpregnant women residing in suburban areas of Luanda and the data were analyzed using the grounded theory technique. Four patterns of action of the main theme, "the molding of women's care-seeking behavior during childbirth," were identified: (I) the "labor process 'on-course' avoiding pattern"; (II) the "labor process 'off-course' avoiding pattern"; (III) the "labor process 'on-course' approaching pattern"; and (IV) the "labor process 'off-course' approaching pattern." Our findings indicate that personal "courage" and social support empowered women and impacted on their preference for home birth, whereas demand for informal user fees and perceived low quality of care influenced women to avoid institutional care during childbirth, sometimes even in spite of complications. Ability to meet demands for informal user fees and knowledge of childbirth influenced women to seek institutional care. The study highlights the need to improve the quality of available maternal health care addressing the implicit educational, attitudinal, and ethical issues.