scholarly journals Experiences of women with Zika virus (ZIKV) versus the provision of health services in two cities in Colombia: A qualitative study

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. e0260583
Author(s):  
Jovana Alexandra Ocampo Cañas ◽  
Maria Janeth Pinilla Alfonso ◽  
Clemencia del Pilar Navarro Plazas ◽  
Carlos Mauricio Mejia Arbelaez ◽  
Jhon Sebastián Patiño Rueda

Background In February 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the epidemic of the ZIKA virus (ZIKV) in Latin America to be a public health emergency. In Colombia, 11,944 pregnant women registered a ZIKV infection during the epidemic. So far, little is known about the experiences of women infected with ZIKV during their pregnancy, especially those relating to the provision of health services during the period of the epidemic. Objective To explore the experiences of pregnant women diagnosed with ZIKV infection about the provision of health services in two Colombian cities, considering the perspective of sexual and reproductive rights. Methods Qualitative study under the grounded theory approach, which uses semi-structured interviews as tools to explore the biographical experience of mothers during their gestation process and ZIKV infection, dividing the interview into two broad categories: before and during pregnancy. Results Twenty-two women were interviewed, 10 in Cali and 12 in Villavicencio. The average age at the time of pregnancy was 27.6 years. Most women were not planning at the time of pregnancy and the pregnancy was unwanted. Most campaigns focused on mosquito eradication rather than on sexual and reproductive health campaigns. The quality of health care was not sufficient, adequate, or appropriate. Also, the breakdown of the health system to deal with the pandemic was also noted. Some women were treated with disrespect by health professionals. Voluntary termination of pregnancy was inadequately advised, and women lost autonomy regarding decisions about their health. Conclusions In the health care of ZIKV epidemics, it is necessary to include the gender perspective, more specifically, sexual and reproductive rights. In addition, these epidemics must be addressed through a comprehensive, appropriate, and not fragmented health system, in which sexual and reproductive rights must be mainstreamed in all health promotion and prevention programs.

Author(s):  
Nazia Zahoor ◽  
Khalid Bashir ◽  
Zeenat Kausar ◽  
Syed Najmul Ain

Background: Maternal health is of paramount concern all over the world and has been a priority in India as well with the maternal health programs evolving over the time, addressing new arenas and overcoming challenges to reach the Maternal mortality ratio (MMR) target with quality. (1) In tribal areas various barriers in health seeking behavior are impediments towards maternal health.Methods: An explorative qualitative study was undertaken in a tribal area of Srinagar, Kashmir, which is a rural field practice area of the Department of Community Medicine Government Medical College, Srinagar. Focus group discussion (FGD) and in-depth interviews were conducted. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the FGD and in-depth interview data.Results: The data analysis generated following five themes: Theme 1: Perceptions and practices among tribal pregnant women in Faqir Gujree area. Theme 2: Socio-cultural influences, attitude and beliefs. Theme 3: Health system related barriers. Theme 4: Community related barriers. Theme 5: Cultural barriers among the pregnant women.Conclusions: There is a need of continuous behaviour change communication (BCC) with pregnant women and community members. In addition to addressing these issues, the health system related issues need to be addressed and improved in order to improve access to health care facilities by these pregnant women. Thus, a comprehensive tribal-sensitive health care system incorporating the above cultural issues is required to improve the health care access among these vulnerable ANC patients.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 215013272199689
Author(s):  
Shewangizaw Hailemariam ◽  
Wubetu Agegnehu ◽  
Misganaw Derese

Introduction: Evidences suggest a significant decline in maternal health service uptake following the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Ethiopia. However, COVID-19 related factors impacting the service uptake are not sufficiently addressed. Hence, the current study was intended to explore COVID-19 related factors influencing antenatal care service uptake in rural Ethiopia. Methods: A community-based qualitative study was conducted from September 25/2020 to November 25/2020 among selected pregnant women residing in rural districts of Bench-Sheko Zone, and healthcare providers working in the local health care facilities. Six focus group discussions and 9 in-depth interviews were made between pregnant women, and health care providers, respectively. Data was collected by health education and behavioral science professionals who also have experience in qualitative data collection procedure. Data were transcribed, translated, and analyzed thematically using Open Code 4.0 software. Result: The study revealed several COVID-19 related factors influencing the uptake of antenatal care service during the pandemic. Health facility related barriers, perceived poor quality of care during the pandemic, government measures against COVID-19, anxiety related to the pandemic, and risk minimization were the identified factors possibly influencing the current antenatal care service uptake among women in rural Bench-Sheko Zone. Conclusion: COVID-19 preventive measures, and health facility related factors and individual factors were responsible for the current decline in antenatal care service uptake. Preserving essential health care service is critical to prevent avoidable losses of maternal and child lives during the pandemic period. Hence, programs and strategies designed to maintain maternal health services particularly, antenatal care service have better take the above determinants into consideration.


Author(s):  
Norlela Yacob ◽  
Wan Mohamad Nasir Wan Othman

The curriculum of the Bachelor of Dental Surgery in Faculty of Dentistry, USIM is based on the integration of naqli (revealed) and aqli (acquired) knowledge. It aspires its graduates to exhibit the values of balanced professionals in providing community oral health care by being technically competent, socially responsible, spiritually enlighted and professionally accountable. Their clinical supervisors are in an enviable position to assess them from these perspectives. The aim of this paper was to determine the supervisors’ perception on the performance of the graduates from the Faculty of Dentistry, USIM who were under their charge. It was a qualitative study on the performance of 100 graduates from the first three batches. A total of 21 supervisors spread across the country responded to an open-ended questionnaire on the qualities of USIM graduates under their supervision.  They may supervise more than one graduate. The perceptions of the supervisors were categorised into three major themes. They felt that the graduates were socially responsible in performing their functions with competence in the community oral health services They were seen to have good personal and leadership qualities. Their supervisors also perceived them to require further exposure, guidance and training as they were new to the service.  The results indicated that the Bachelor of Dental Surgery programme at USIM was able to instill the values of a balanced professional in dentistry among its graduates but these values need to be further enhanced in providing care in the community. These findings can provide the principles in curriculum development to enhanced the qualities of the graduates in the context of balanced professional.  


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
L Borges Costa ◽  
C Salles Gazeta Vieira Fernandes ◽  
T Custódio Mota ◽  
E Torquato Santos ◽  
M Moura de Almeida ◽  
...  

Abstract The Alma-Ata Conference promoted Primary Health Care (PHC) worldwide as a form of universal and continuous access to quality and effective health services. In Brazil, PHC, through the Family Health Strategy (FHS), aims to be the gateway to the health system and its structuring axis. For this, it is necessary to promote access, an essential condition for the quality of health care services, following the attributes systematized by Barbara Starfield. The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of the attribute “First Contact Access” on the perspective of adult users of public PHC services in the city of Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil. A transversal study was carried out, in 19 PHC Units, from June to December 2019, using the Primary Care Assessment Tool (PCATool) Brazil version for adult users. Kruskal-Wallis test was used for statistical analysis. 233 users participated, mostly women (69.5%), aged 30 to 59 years old (55.3%), mixed-race (69.5%), with complete high school (38.2%), without private health coverage (89.3%), homeowners (68.7%) and belonging to families of up to 4 members (87.9%). The “Accessibility” component had the lowest score, 2.83, and the “Utilization” had the highest score, 8.06. Older age was associated with higher “Accessibility” scores (p = 0,018), while lower values of “Utilization” were associated with higher education (p = 0,004). The main problems observed were: low access for acute demand consultations, lack of access at nighttime and weekends, little access through non-personal ways, bureaucratic barriers and a long time for scheduling appointments. We conclude that, although there was an improvement in PHC coverage in the city over the years, mainly due to FHS, there is still a lot to improve to ensure timely access to health services. Key messages Users consider PHC as the usual source of care, demonstrated by the high score of 'Utilization', however, they are unable to use it when necessary, demonstrated by the low score of 'Accessibility'. Expanding forms of access is essential to contribute to the strengthening of PHC in Fortaleza, Brazil, facilitating the entry to its national Universal Health System.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fahimeh Mehrabi ◽  
Najva Ahmaripour ◽  
Sara Jalali-Farahani ◽  
Parisa Amiri

Abstract Background Maternal obesity is a public health issue that could affect both women’s and children’s health. This qualitative study aimed to identify barriers to weight management of pregnant women with obesity and low socioeconomic backgrounds. Methods The current qualitative study has been conducted using a grounded theory approach by analyzing data collected from in-depth interviews with clients of Tehran’s public health care centers for prenatal care. The criteria for selecting participants were excessive weight gain during the first two trimesters of pregnancy, low socioeconomic status, and willingness to share their experiences. A semi-structured guide consisting of open-ended questions was asked in a private room. Open, axial, and selective coding were applied to the data. Findings Four main themes emerged from data, each of which has some subcategories: 1) personal factors (unpleasant emotions and feelings, personal tastes/hobbies, workload and responsibilities, and history of diseases), 2) pregnancy status (unintended and high-risk pregnancy), 3) interpersonal relationships and support (lack of a spouse’s support and unhealthy role modeling of relatives), 4) socio-cultural factors/influences (social norms and values, lack of access to health services, and unreliable information channels). Conclusions This study provides an overview of the barriers to the weight management of pregnant women from low socioeconomic backgrounds. The results could help develop appropriate health strategies for low socioeconomic women with obesity. Also, health care providers for this group of women could use these findings as a guide to consider their conditions and background.


Author(s):  
Antony Vincent ◽  
K. Keerthana ◽  
Damotharan K. ◽  
Ariarathinam Newtonraj ◽  
Joy Bazroy ◽  
...  

Background: Antenatal care is an important indicator in any health system. Through our study we intended to assess the perception of pregnant women regarding health seeking behaviour and awareness about complications during pregnancy. Methods: A qualitative study was carried out in August 2016, among the 41 pregnant women over 27 weeks of gestation in a rural area of south India. Women were selected randomly from the routine surveillance system maintained by Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences – Rural Health Training Centre, Chunampet, Kancheepuram District. Interviews audio recorded. After verbatim, manual coding and analysis was done based on pre decided eight themes. Results: In general all the antenatal women aware of the importance of regular antenatal check up. Knowledge regarding complications and danger sign was not adequate. Most of the women in rural area seek care in government facility due to its availability, accessibility and affordability. Decision making in health care is mostly taken by their husbands. Transportation has been identified as a barrier in seeking health care. Conclusions: Although few of the antenatal mothers in the study population were aware about some complications of pregnancy, but in general knowledge among most of the women was inadequate. There is a need for creating awareness among the antenatal mothers about common complications in pregnancy. On the other hand, the notion of routine care seeking during the antenatal period seems to be well rooted among the study population which is a very good sign. It is a good opportunity and is foundational to all other interventions relating to betterment of antenatal care in the community. 


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
N Gasteiger ◽  
Theresa Fleming ◽  
K Day

© 2020 The Authors Background: Patient portals have the potential to increase access to mental health services. However, a lack of research is available to guide practices on extending patient portals into mental health services. This study explored stakeholder (student service users' and health providers') expectations and perceptions of extending patient portals into a New Zealand university-based mental health service. Materials and methods: This qualitative study explored the perspectives of 17 students and staff members at a university-based health and counselling service on an Internet-based patient portal through a software demonstration, two focus groups and 13 interviews. Data were analyzed thematically. Results: Staff and students perceived the patient portal as useful, easy to use and expected it to help make mental health care more accessible. Staff were most concerned with the portal's ability to support their triage processes and that it might enable students to ‘counselor hop’ (see multiple counselors). Staff recommended extension into services that do not require triage. Most students expected the portal to enhance patient-counselor contact and rapport, through continuity of care. Students were concerned with appointment waiting times, the stigmatization of poor mental health and their capacity to seek help. They considered the portal might assist with this. Students recommended extension into all services, including urgent appointments. After viewing findings from initial student and staff groups, staff concluded that extending a patient portal into their counseling services should be prioritized. Conclusion: This research suggests that there is value in extending patient portals into mental health care, especially into low-risk services. Future research should explore opportunities to support triage and appointment-making processes for mental health services, via patient portals.


2021 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cleise Cristine Ribeiro Borges Oliveira ◽  
Elaine Andrade Leal Silva ◽  
Mariluce Karla Bomfim de Souza

Abstract The objective was to analyze the functioning of the referral and counter-referral system for integral care in the Healthcare Network. Qualitative study performed through interviews with 66 participants - managers, workers and users of a town of the state of Bahia, Brazil, and upon approval by the Ethics Committee, opinion number nº 334.737. The material was analyzed using the Content Analysis proposed by Bardin, finished in 2014. Various conceptions of referral and counter-referral were identified, as follows: referral of users, user’s broader view; non-fragmented care; and integral care. For the users, the difficulties and facilities in the flows are concentrated in the Regulation and Scheduling Center and Family Health Units. It is concluded that, to enable the establishment of the network in an integral way, it is necessary to identify important strategies provided by the Unified Health System (SUS) and strengthen these strategies, as well as to identify any drawbacks to remedy them.


2021 ◽  
pp. 026010602110388
Author(s):  
Kelly Daigle Millan ◽  
Samantha Poccia ◽  
Teresa T. Fung

Background: Maternal behavior during pregnancy is crucial to her own and her infant's health, and as such, it is important to understand the nutrition and supplement habits of women during pregnancy and what informs those behaviors. Aim: We aimed to assess the information seeking habits, attitudes, and beliefs about pregnancy-related nutrition and supplementation among pregnant women in the United States. Methods: Qualitative study using key informant interviews with pregnant and recently pregnant ( n = 21) US women. Themes related to concerns, attitudes, behaviors, and information seeking habits were extracted. Results: The mean age was 31.9 years and all had at least a university degree. Two major themes that emerged: (1) nutrition information-related attitudes and beliefs and (2) food and supplement-related attitudes and beliefs. Pregnant women in the US were underwhelmed with their health care provider experience when receiving information about pregnancy-related nutrition and supplementation. Nutrition was most often addressed in a reactive manner while women desired a more proactive approach. As a result, they conducted their own research using the internet as their primary tool, and ultimately made nutrition and supplement decisions based largely on their own instincts. Conclusion: Women interviewed for this study encountered barriers to pregnancy related nutrition information from a lack of clear communication from their health care provider and ambiguity and inconsistencies in information within and between sources. Women relied on themselves for information seeking and nutrition related decision making throughout their pregnancy.


2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Saidi Mgata ◽  
Stephen Oswald Maluka

Abstract Background Antenatal care (ANC) provided by a trained health care provider is important for monitoring pregnancy thereby reducing potential risks for the mother and child during pregnancy and delivery. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends at least four ANC visits to all pregnant women. While the proportion of women who attend at least one ANC in low-income countries is high, most pregnant women start their first ANC attendance very late. In Tanzania only 24% of pregnant women start their first ANC attendance before the fourth month of pregnancy. While factors for the utilization of antenatal care in general have been widely studied, there is paucity of studies on the factors affecting timing of the first ANC attendance. This study aimed to understand individual, community, and health system factors that lead to the delay in seeking ANC services among pregnant women in Ilala Municipal in Dar es Salaam region, Tanzania. Methods A qualitative exploratory study, using in-depth interviews with 20 pregnant women and five health care workers was conducted in three different health facilities in Dar es Salaam Tanzania. Thematic analysis approach was used to analyse the data. Results Individual perceptions of antenatal care, past experience with pregnancy, fear of pregnancy disclosure, and socio-cultural beliefs were the key individual and social factors for late ANC attendance. Shortage of trained health care workers, lack of spouse’s escort and health providers’ disrespect to pregnant women were the main health system barriers to early ANC attendance. Conclusions This study concludes that community members should be sensitized about the importance of early ANC attendance. Additionally, while spouse’s escort policy is important for promoting PMTCT, the interpretation of the policy should not solely be left to the health providers. District and regional health officials should provide correct interpretation of this policy.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document