Assessment of Women’s Experience of Care during Childbirth for Quality Improvement at Level 5 Health Facilities in Bungoma County, Kenya

High maternal and newborn mortality is a pressing problem in developing countries. Poor treatment during childbirth contributes directly and indirectly to this problem. Many women experience disrespectful and abusive treatment during childbirth worldwide which violates their rights. In Kenya, 20% of women report having experienced some form of disrespect and abuse (D&A). Bungoma County is among the 15 counties with the worst maternal and newborn health statistics in Kenya. The maternal mortality rate is 382 per 100,000 live births and newborn deaths 32 per 1,000 live births, while skilled birth attendance is 41.4%. This study was motivated by the poor maternal and newborn indicators, rising incidences of D&A, limited formal research on respectful maternity care. The study aimed at assessing women’s experience of care during childbirth at Level 5 health facilities in Bungoma County. The specific objectives were to determine the women’s experiences of care during childbirth, to determine factors contributing to disrespect and abuse during childbirth and to identify strategies for addressing issues affecting respectful maternity care for promoting quality of maternal and newborn care. A cross-sectional descriptive study design was used. It involved 360 mothers. Analysis of quantitative data was done using SPSS. Descriptive statistics were presented in graphs, tables, frequencies and percentages. Qualitative data was analysed thematically. The prevalence of D&A was 42.2%, younger age and lower education aggravated D&A. Autonomy, privacy and confidentiality, and absence of birth companionship were major aspects of D&A. Health workforce shortage, inadequate supervision, space and beds, poor provider-patient relationships were factors leading to D&A. It was concluded that there is a need for increased incorporation of Respectful Maternity Care (RMC) in routine care, deploy more staff, avail equipment and supplies, and enhance support supervision. The study information intends to assist stakeholders in prioritising policy actions for improving the quality of maternal and newborn health outcomes and indicators.

Health workers’ disrespectful and abusive behaviour towards women during labour and delivery: A qualitative study in Durban, South Africa

Background A high prevalence of disrespectful and abusive behaviour by health workers towards women during labour and delivery has been widely described in health facilities, particularly in Africa, and is a worldwide public health concern. Such behaviours are barriers to care-seeking, and are associated with adverse outcomes for mothers and newborns. This paper reports experiences of disrespectful care among informal working women in three public health facilities in Durban, South Africa. Methods A qualitative longitudinal study was conducted among a cohort of informal working women recruited during pregnancy in two clinics in Durban. The study comprised a series of in-depth interviews conducted at different time points from pregnancy until mothers had returned to work, followed by focus group discussions (FGDs) with cohort participants. We present data from participatory FGDs, known as ‘Journey with my Baby’, conducted at the end of the study, during which women’s experiences from pregnancy until returning to work were reviewed and explored. Thematic analysis was used with NVIVO v12.4. Results Three ‘Journey with my Baby’ FGDs were conducted with a total of 15 participants between March and October 2019. Many participants narrated experiences of disrespectful behavior from nurses during labour and childbirth, with several women becoming very distressed as a result. Women described experiencing rudeness and verbal abuse from nurses, lack of privacy and confidentiality, nurses refusing to provide care, being denied companionship and being left unattended for long periods during labour. Women described feeling anxious and unsafe while in the labour ward because of the behaviour they experienced directly and observed other patients experiencing. Such experiences created bad reputations for health facilities, so that women in the local community were reluctant to attend some facilities. Conclusion Disrespect and abuse continues to be a serious concern in public health facilities in South Africa. We challenge the health system to effectively address the underlying causes of disrespectful behavior among health workers, initiate robust monitoring to identify abusive behavior when it occurs, and take appropriate actions to ensure accountability so that women receive the high-quality maternity care they deserve.

Does disrespect and abuse during childbirth differ between public and private hospitals in Southeast Nigeria

Background Disrespect and Abuse (D&A) during childbirth represents an important barrier to skilled birth utilization, indicating a problem with quality of care and a violation of women‘s human rights. This study compared prevalence of D&A during childbirth in a public and a private hospital in Southeast Nigeria. Methods This study was a cross-sectional study among women who gave birth in two specialized health facilities: a public teaching and a private-for-profit faith-based hospital in Southeast Nigeria. In each facility, systematic random sampling was used to select 310 mothers who had given birth in the facility and were between 0-14 weeks after birth. Study participants were recruited through the immunization clinics. Semi-structured, interviewer-administered questionnaires using the Bowser and Hills classification of D&A during childbirth were used for data collection. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20 at 95% significance level. Results Mean age of the participants in the public hospital was 30.41 ± 4.4 and 29.31 ± 4.4 in the private hospital. Over three-fifths (191; 61.6%) in the public and 156 women (50.3%) in the private hospital had experienced at least one form of D&A during childbirth [cOR1.58; 95% CI 1.15, 2.18]. Abandonment and neglect [Public153 (49.4%) vs. Private: 91 (29.4%); cOR2.35; 95% CI. 1.69, 3.26] and non-consented care [Public 45 (14.5%) vs. Private 67(21.6%): cOR0.62; 95% CI. 0.41, 0.93] were the major types of D&A during childbirth. Denial of companionship was the most reported subtype of D&A during childbirth in both facilities [Public 135 (43.5%) vs. Private66 (21.3%); cOR2.85; 95% CI. 2.00, 4.06]. Rural residents were less likely to report at least one form of D&A during childbirth (aOR 0.53; CI 0.35-0.79). Conclusion Although prevalence was high in both facilities, overall prevalence of D&A during childbirth and most subtypes were higher in the public health facility. There is a need to identify contextual factors enabling D&A during childbirth in public and private health care settings.

Client, provider, and visit factors associated with quality in contraceptive counseling in Mexico: an exploratory cross-sectional analysis

Background Monitoring clients’ experiences with contraceptive care is vital to inform quality improvement efforts and ensure fulfillment of individuals’ human rights. The Quality of Contraceptive Counseling (QCC) Scale is a previously validated scale that comprehensively measures individuals’ experiences receiving counseling in three subscales: Information Exchange, Interpersonal Relationship, and Disrespect and Abuse. We sought to better understand the correlation of client, provider, and visit factors with client-reported quality of contraceptive counseling in the public sector in two Mexican states using the QCC Scale. Methods This cross-sectional survey study used the QCC Scale total score and subscale scores as outcome variables. Explanatory variables included clients’ age, LGBTTTIQ status, relationship status, number of children, education, and occupation; providers’ gender and type of provider; and the reason for visit. Linear and logistic regression models assessed bivariate associations. Multivariable, multilevel mixed-effects models with clinic as a random effect were fit. All models used complete cases (n = 470). Results In the multilevel mixed-effects analyses, patients aged 35+ years reported worse Information Exchange (coefficient − 0.29, p = 0.01). Clients receiving care post-partum reported worse Information Exchange (coefficient − 0.25, p = 0.02) and worse total scores (coefficient − 0.15, p = 0.04) compared to clients seeking contraceptive information or methods. Clients who had 1+ children reported better Information Exchange (coefficient 0.21, p = 0.01) than those with no children. Though Disrespect and Abuse subscale scores were overall high (indicating high quality of care), we found a significant association between age and report of such negative experiences: clients in increasing age categories had increasingly higher adjusted odds of reporting no disrespect and abuse (aORs compared to the youngest group were 2.50 for those aged 19–24 years, p = 0.04; 4.53 for those 25–34 years, p = 0.01; and 6.11 for those 35+ years, p = 0.01.) Conclusions Our findings align with previous results that younger clients have lower adjusted odds of reporting high-quality services in Mexico. There is a need for continued work supporting youth-friendly services in Mexico, and efforts should aim to ensure zero tolerance for disrespectful or coercive provider behaviors, such as pressuring or scolding clients. Improvements are also needed to ensure quality in counseling for post-partum clients, those aged 35+ years, and those without children.

TOXIC RELATIONSHIP IN ANNA TODD’S WATTPAD STORY AFTER

This study is conducted to analyze the context of toxic relationships and find out the characteristics and negative impacts of toxic relationships in a story, After, written by Anna Todd, published in 2013. This study uses a descriptive qualitative method because the process of the results and discussion are accomplished descriptively. One of the significant theories used in this research is proposed by Glass (1995) who claims that toxic relationship is any relationship between people who do not support each other, there is conflict and one seeks to undermine the other, a competition, and disrespect and a lack of cohesiveness. The characteristics of toxic relationships which are analyzed are excessive romantic jealousy, egoism (selfishness) of the partner, and lack of honesty. The negative impacts which are analyzed are disrespect and abuse. The results of this study are that toxic relationships are dangerous and should be avoided by a couple to get a harmony.

Magnitude and associated factors of disrespect and abusive care among laboring mothers at public health facilities in Borena District, South Wollo, Ethiopia

Background Recent studies have indicated that disrespectful/abusive/coercive service by skilled care providers in health facilities that results in actual or perceived poor quality of care is directly and indirectly associated with adverse maternal and newborn outcomes. According to the 2016 Ethiopian Demography and Health Survey, only 26% of births were attended by qualified clinicians, with a maternal mortality rate of 412 per 100,000 live-births. Using seven categories developed by Bowser and Hill (2010), this study looked at disrespect and abuse experienced by women in labor and delivery rooms in health facilities of Borena Ddistrict, South Wollo, Ethiopia. Methods A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 374 immediate postpartum women in Borena District from January 12 to March 12, 2020. Systematic sampling was used to access respondents to participate in a structured, pre-tested face-to-face exit interview. Data were entered into EpiData version 4.6 and exported to SPSS version 25 for analysis. Finally, bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis were performed to declare statistically significant factors related to maternal disrespect and abusive care in Borena District at a p-value of < 0.05 and at 95% CI. Result Almost four out of five (79.4%) women experienced at least one type of disrespect and abuse during facility-based childbirth. The most frequently reported type of disrespect and abuse was non-consented care 63.7%. Wealth index [AOR = 3.27; 95% CI: (1.47, 7.25)], type of health facility [AOR = 1.96; 95% CI: (1.01, 3.78)], presence of companion(s) [AOR = 0.05; 95% CI: (0.02, 0.12)], and presence of complications [AOR = 2.65; 95% CI: (1.17, 5.99)] were factors found to be significantly related to women experiencing disrespect and abuse. Conclusion The results showed that wealth index, type of health facility, presence of companion(s), and birth complications were found to be significant factors. Therefore, health personnel need to develop interventions that integrate provider’s behavior on companionship and prevention of complications across facilities to reduce the impact of disrespectful and abusive care for laboring women.

Compassionate and Respectful Care From Clients’ Perspectives in Wollega Zones Hospitals, Wollega, West Ethiopia

Introduction : Compassion is a deep awareness of the suffering of another coupled with the wish and action to relieve it. Respecting the patient’s right to self-determination—that is, supporting decisions that reflect the patient’s personal beliefs, values, and interest’s problems. compassionate, respectful and caring (CRC) health workforce initiative in this plan intends to address the concern of Disrespect and Abuse for clients, including laboring mothers. Objective Aim of the study is to assess the provision of compassionate, respectful and caring health care services among health care providers based on client’s perspective. Methods and materials: Hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted from December 1-25, 2020. A semi-structured interview administered questionnaire was used to collect data from 351 participants. Epi-Data version and Stata version 14.0 were used for data entry and data analysis, respectively. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression model was fitted to identify the factors associated with compassionate and respectful care from clinical and non-clinical staff of the selected Hospitals. The Adjusted odds ratio with 95% confidence interval and p-value less than 0.06 were used to declare the strength and association of the factors. Results of health care providers were reflected by their being patient while providing care. Clients who were from the poor socio status category were 3.70 times to report getting non compassionate and respectful care from the health care professionals than the clients who are at a better position of wealth status [AOR=3.70(95%CI; 1.27,10.81)]. Similarly, clients with lower grade educational status did not receive compassionate and respectful care when compared to patients with higher educational status [AOR=0.32(95%CI;0.10, 0.99)]. Conclusion Compassionate and respectful care provided to the patients from health care providers in the selected Hospitals of Western Oromia, Ethiopia was high. However, compassionate and respectful care or services rendered from non-clinician staff was low which suggests that immediate actions are necessary to address compassionate and respectful care at hospitals, and hospital management should adopt mitigation measures and should include non-clinician staff during training on CRC or related topics.

Midwives' perceptions of disrespect and abuse of women during labour and childbirth in Lusaka, Zambia

Background/Aims Disrespect and abuse is a frequent occurrence in labour wards around the world. Disrespect and abuse during care by health workers can prevent pregnant women from seeking care during labour and childbirth, which can lead to increased maternal and neonatal mortality rates. This study aimed to explore midwives' perceptions of disrespect and abuse of women during labour and childbirth in Lusaka. Methods A concurrent convergent mixed-method approach was used for this study. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire given to 217 midwives actively practicing in maternal health services across Lusaka randomly sampled for the quantitative arm of the study. The data were analysed using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression, with P<0.05 used to indicate significance. For the qualitative component of the study, 13 purposively selected key informants were interviewed with an interview guide. Results Most of the respondents (88.5%) perceived disrespect and abuse of women during labour and childbirth as a negative phenomenon. However, almost half (40.1%) had provided care which was disrespectful and abusive during their practice and the majority (68.7%) had observed disrespect and abuse by other midwives. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis found an association between midwives' perception of disrespect and abuse and witnessing or participating in disrespectful and abusive behaviour during practice. In the qualitative arm of the study, midwives reported that disrespect and abuse occurred in labour wards across Lusaka, demonstrating an urgent need to prevent such practices. Midwives suggested actions such as increased sensitisation and training of midwives on respectful maternity care and improved staffing levels as ways to prevent this practice Conclusions Disrespect and abuse of women during labour and childbirth should be prevented. Increasing health education and training for both the public and midwives on respectful maternity care can help to achieve this goal. Midwives need to be motivated through good working environments, increased wages and increased time to rest while working, as the heavy workload was found to contribute to disrespect and abuse in labour wards.

Women’s Experience of Disrespect and Abuse during Institutional Delivery in Biratnagar, Nepal

Worldwide, a large number of women experience disrespectful and abusive behavior from care providers during childbirth. This violates the rights of women to attain respectful care. This study aimed to find out the women’s experience of disrespect and abuse during institutional delivery. A cross-sectional study was conducted in two hospitals of Morang district situated in eastern Nepal. Two hundred eighteen women from a public hospital and 109 women from a private hospital (N = 327) with normal vaginal delivery were selected purposively for this study. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire based on the Disrespectful and Abusive Scale by Bowser and Hill. All women had experienced at least one type of disrespect and/or abuse during labor and delivery, most common being non-consented care (100%), non-dignified care (72%), and non-confidential care (66.6%), respectively. Discriminatory care and physical abuse were experienced by 32.33% and 13.23%, respectively. Ethnicity, religion, place of delivery, and numbers of living children were the main predictors of reporting disrespect and abuse. Overall, the occurrence of disrespect and abuse during institutional delivery was found to be very high.