Health seeking practices amongst primigravidae in the Gauteng Province, South Africa
Date
2008-09-03T10:50:13Z
Authors
Mohale, Mosibudi Lucia
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Abstract
ABSTRACT
This abstract provides a brief summary of the research study (Nieswiadomy, 2002). The
South African report on confidential enquiries into maternal deaths identified delayed and/or
infrequent antenatal care as a significant avoidable factor contributing to maternal mortality
in South Africa (SA) (Department of Health (DOH), 2001). There are still women in South
Africa whose first antenatal care contact with the midwives obstetrical unit (MOU) is in the
third trimester of their pregnancy. The aim of this study was to determine the health seeking
practices amongst primigravidae at a level 1 MOU, based in a peri-urban area in Gauteng
province, SA. The health seeking practice of concern was antenatal clinic attendance.
The research design was qualitative, descriptive, exploratory and contextual. The research
method implemented was unstructured individual in-depth interviews. The population
consisted of primigravidae who were attending antenatal clinic at a level 1 MOU. The sample
consisted of primigravidae who booked at the level 1 MOU’s antenatal clinic in the third
trimester of their pregnancy. Maximum variety purposive sampling, with inclusion and
exclusion criteria, was used and sampling continued until data were saturated. The sample
size consisted of 10 participants whereby 2 of them were the pilot study and eight were the
interviews that followed the pilot study.
Data were collected by means of individual in-depth interviews. One question was asked:
‘What experiences influenced you to go for your first antenatal visit when you did?’
Interviews were audio taped, transcribed and analyzed by using Tesch’s eight steps of data
analysis (Creswell, 1994). Lincoln and Guba’s four strategies for trustworthiness were
applied and ethical considerations were implemented.
The results were discussed under two themes. Those themes were: needs, and delayed
booking. The recommendations were made regarding the recommendations that arose from
the study, recommendations for research, nursing practice and nursing education.
Description
Keywords
antenatal clinic attendance, primigravidae, Gauteng Province