Experiences and perceptions of pregnant women regarding health education given during the antenatal period

Date
2013-12
Authors
Mahlangeni, Zukiswa Signoria
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The availability and provision of good antenatal care services ensure early detection and prompt management of any complication or disease that may adversely affect pregnancy outcome. To ensure high quality care, an ongoing health education and empowerment of pregnant women with pregnancy related information, need to be provided by midwives throughout pregnancy. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to explore the pregnant women`s experiences and perceptions regarding health education given during the antenatal period. The objectives set were to - explore the content of the health education given to pregnant women by midwives during the antenatal period - determine whether the health education offered by midwives is understood by pregnant women - determine whether information regarding Health Education during antenatal period is applicable and is used by pregnant women. A qualitative approach with an explorative descriptive design was applied for the purpose of this study. The population included pregnant women who attended an antenatal clinic for the second time in 2012. Ten pregnant women were selected purposively who consented to participate in the study. The trustworthiness of this study was assured by using Lincoln and Guba`s criteria of credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability. A pretest was done with one participant not included in the actual study. Ethics approval was obtained from the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at Stellenbosch University, reference: S12/05/136. Informed written consent was obtained from each participant which included a recording of the interview. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews using an interview guide and a tape recorder. The researcher approached two women per day for five days. A total of ten (10) pregnant women were interviewed until data saturation reached. The use of Tesch's eight steps of data analysis was used to analyse the transcribed data as described in De Vos et al. (2004:331). Findings revealed that health education was given to pregnant women at the institution under study but with minimum explanations. The midwives were perceived as supportive and regarded as a source of information and self-care agents. Antenatal attendance was regarded as important by participants. Participants indicated that their unborn babies were monitored by the midwives in order to detect abnormalities early. However, midwives emphasised non-pregnancy related complications specifically HIV/AIDS and neglected to give basic antenatal care, such as antenatal exercises, personal hygiene and diet. Language was found to be a barrier and contributed to a lack of information. Recommendations include basic antenatal aspects to be covered in the health education, such as emphasis on personal hygiene, exercises, diet and avoidance of harmful sociocultural practices. With the implementation of appropriate teaching principles language, age and involvement of influential people during health education should be considered. In conclusion, to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality rates and promoting self-care reliance, antenatal care services should be accessible to facilitate ongoing health education by midwives throughout pregnancy.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die beskikbaarheid en voorsiening van goeie voorgeboortesorgdienste verseker die vroeë en vinnige bestuur van enige komplikasie of siekte wat swangerskap-uitkomste nadelig mag beïnvloed. Om hoë gehalte sorg te verseker, moet gesondheidsvoorligting en bemagtiging van swangervroue rakende swangerskap inligting deurlopend deur vroedvroue verskaf word. Die doel van hierdie studie was om vervolgens die swangervrou se ervaringe en persepsies ten opsigte van gesondheidsopvoeding gedurende die voorgeboortelike stadium te ondersoek. .Die doelwitte soos gestel was om: - die inhoud van die gesondheidsvoorligting wat deur vroedvroue gedurende die voorgeboorte periode aan swangervroue verskaf word, te ondersoek - te bepaal of die gesondheidsvoorligting wat verskaf word deur vroedvroue deur swangervroue verstaan word - vas te stel of die ligting aan swangervroue gepas is en te bepaal of dit toegepas word deur swangervroue. ’n Kwalitatiewe benadering met ’n beskrywende ontwerp is vir die doel van hierdie studie toegepas. Die populasie het swangervroue ingesluit wat ’n voorgeboortekliniek vir die tweede keer gedurende 2012 besoek het. Tien vrouens is doelgerig geselekteer wat daartoe ingestem het om aan die navorsing deel te neem. Die betroubaarheid van hierdie studie was verseker deur van Lincoln en Guba se kriteria van geloofwaardigheid, oordraagbaarheid, betroubaarheid en bevestigbaarheid gebruik te maak. ’n Loodsondersoek was met een deelnemer wat nie in die werklike studie ingesluit was nie, gedoen. Etiese goedkeuring is verkry van die Etiese Komitee van die Fakulteit van Geneeskunde en Gesondheidswetenskappe aan die Universiteit van Stellenbosch, verwysing: S12/05/136. Ingeligte skriftelike toestemming is verkry van elke deelnemer wat ook ’n opname van die onderhoud ingesluit het. Data is ingesamel deur van semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude gebruik te maak met behulp van ’n onderhoudsgids en ’n bandopnemer. Die gebruik van Tesch se ag stappe van data-analise is gebruik om die getranskribeerde data te analiseer (De Vos et al., 2004:331). Bevindinge het getoon dat gesondheidsvoorligting wel aan swangervroue by die inrigting onder die soeklig met die minimum verduidelikings verskaf is. Die vroedvroue is as ondersteunend en as ’n bron van inligting, asook as selfsorgagente waargeneem. Voorgeboorte bywoning is as belangrik deur deelnemers gesien. Deelnemers het aangedui dat hulle ongebore babas gemonitor is deur vroedvroue om abnormaliteite vroeg op te spoor. Nietemin, vroedvroue het nie-verwante swangerskap komplikasies, spesifiek MIV/VIGS beklemtoon en het nagelaat om aandag te gee aan basiese voorgeboortesorg soos voorgeboorte oefeninge, persoonlike higiëne en dieet. Daar is bevind dat taal ’n hindernis is en dat dit bygedra het tot ’n gebrek aan inligting. Aanbevelings sluit in basiese voorgeboorte aspekte wat gedek moet word in gesondheidsvoorligting, soos die beklemtoning van persoonlike higiëne, oefeninge, dieet en die vermyding van nadelige sosio-kulturele praktyke. Met die implimentering van doeltreffende onderrigbeginsels moet taal, ouderdom en die betrokkenheid van invloedryke mense gedurende gesondheidsvoorligting in ag geneem word. Ten slotte, om moeder-morbiditeit en-mortaliteitsyfers te verminder en selfsorgvertroue te bevorder, behoort voorgeboortesorgdienste toeganklik te wees, sodat vroedvroue volgehoue gesondheidsvoorligting tydens swangerskap kan fasiliteer.
Description
Thesis (MCurr)--Stellenbosch University, 2013.
Keywords
Prenatal care, Pregnant women, Health education, Health education -- Public opinion, Pregnant women -- Health and hygiene, Pregnancy complications -- Prevention, Dissertations -- Nursing, Theses -- Nursing
Citation