Key result
High-risk pregnant women in Nepal often had inadequate knowledge of pregnancy risks, perceived pregnancy as a normal event, and tended to deny their risk status, leading them to choose home births.
Why the study?
A woman's perception of risk influences her decisions regarding obstetric care seeking and adherence to prescribed care regimens.
High-risk pregnant women in Nepal often have inadequate knowledge of risk and tend to normalize or deny their risk status, leading to non-adherence to hospital birth referrals.
May warrant culturally tailored education in Nepal; leaves open whether interventions boost facility births.
BACKGROUND: A woman's perception of risk affects her decisions about seeking obstetric care and following prescribed regimens of care. This study explored the perceptions of high-risk pregnancy among women with high-risk factors. METHODS: A qualitative study was conducted in the Morang district, Nepal. A phenomenological approach was used. In-depth interviews were conducted with 14 participants. Postpartum women with one risk factor for high-risk pregnancy who non-adhere to referral hospital birth were selected purposively. Thematic analysis was done to generate themes and categories. FINDINGS: Two main themes emerged in this study: (i) knowledge and understanding of risk and (ii) normalizing and non-acceptance of risk. The participants had inadequate knowledge of risk in pregnancy and childbirth. Their information source was their personal experiences of risk, witnessing their close relatives, and community incidents. The participants perceived pregnancy as a normal event and did not consider themselves as at risk. They tended to deny risk and perceived that everything was fine with their pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study provide a glimpse into how women perceived risk and the reasons that lead them to deny the risks and gave home birth. In the presence of risk factors in pregnancy, some women were not convinced that they were at risk. An antenatal check-up should be utilized as a platform to educate women, explore their intentions, and encourage safer births.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Rajbanshi et al. (2021) studied High-risk pregnancy (n=14). High-risk pregnancy was evaluated on Risk perceptions (qualitative themes). High-risk pregnant women in Nepal often had inadequate knowledge of pregnancy risks, perceived pregnancy as a normal event, and tended to deny their risk status, leading them to choose home births.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: