A Qualitative Study of Women’s Experience and Perceptions of Using Skilled Birth Attendants in Rural Nepal

Yuba Raj, Jo Skinner, Edwin van Teijlingen

Research output: Contribution to JournalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Background: Access of health services such as transportation, cost of the services, women’s autonomy, community
influences, socio-cultural and gender roles in decision-making are discussed repeatedly. However, women’s own
percepti ons and experiences are poorly explored during service use and health services development. This study aimed
to explore women’s experiences and percepti ons in the use of SBA during the pregnancy and childbirth in rural Nepal.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted. The data were analysed using the thematic analysis.The
fieldwork was conducted in a village of western Nepal. Interviews were conducted with 24 married women aged 18-49
who had given birth within the three years at the time of study.

Results: Health service providers’ attitude and behaviour towards women during service use appeared one of the
important factors in skilled birth attendants’ use. Positive behaviour from health service providers encouraged women
to service use while negative behaviour discouraged. Lack of privacy and confidentiality discouraged women to use
skilled delivery care. Women expected friendly and respective care but findings show that women were not happy of
the services they received during skilled care used.

Conclusion: This study contributes to understanding why women do or do not use Skilled Birth Attendants. Women
who had attended hospital in order to receive care by skilled birth attendants generally described this as a negative
experience, due to poor quality of services and rude behaviour of female service providers. Many of the participants
said that they would prefer to have their babies at home, if they had access to skilled care in their local area.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)40-46
Number of pages7
Journal Journal of Midwifery Association of Nepal
Volume1
Publication statusPublished - 2018
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Skilled birth attendants
  • women's experience
  • developing countries
  • Nepal

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