Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karol. inst., 2005. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Thesis (M.A. (Population and Reproductive Health Research))--Mahidol University, 2000.

Thesis (M.A. (Population and Reproductive Health Research))--Mahidol University, 2003.

Thesis (M.P.H.)--University of Michigan, 1944.

Thesis (M.P.H.)--University of Michigan, 1944.

Thesis (M.P.H.)--University of Michigan, 1944.

Thesis (M.P.H.)--University of Michigan, 1944.

This thesis adopts maternal well-being as a prism for studying the roles and identities of African women. It critically analyzes the dynamics in culture and religion that militate against women's quest for fullness of life. As its methodology, it adopts narratives of African women as a source and means of theological research based on the anthropological model. This method prioritizes the voices and humanity of previously silenced, excluded, and oppressed women and their conditions of maternal mortality, poverty, and oppression rooted in gender biases and patriarchal stereotypes. Theology has largely ignored the reality of maternal mortality evidenced by the paucity of theological materials. A consequence of the neglect and ignorance of this critical factor is the chasm between the rhetorical use of feminine and maternal symbolisms to represent and define the significance of women in church and society and the concrete realities that confront them as women. Bridging this gap necessitates identifying exemplary icons and models of maternal leadership and wisdom in scripture, traditions, and cultural practices to redefine the status, identity, and role of women. It also entails recognizing and harnessing the unique gifts, qualities, and spirituality of African women for the edification of church, transformation of society, and flourishing of humanity. Of salience is the practice of maternal leadership as a source of a new ethos for church and society through women's capacities and contributions, though a patriarchal mind-set imposes biological motherhood as the sole criterion for defining women's existence and relevance. Maternal leadership and wisdom liberated from a reductionist, biological understanding of motherhood and the highlighting of incarnated roles and identities inspired by maternal values represent innovative and original aspects of this thesis. Only by listening to voices of women can church and society develop a more just, liberating, and inclusive understanding of womanhood and motherhood. Nothing substitutes for the voices of women.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / Maternal mortality is one of the most important problems related to the reproductive health. This is why the reduction by three quarters of maternal mortality by 2015 has been fixed as target No. 5 of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Achieving this goal requires an annual decline of 5.5% of maternal mortality between 1990 and 2015. Unfortunately, the reduction as estimated in 1997 was less than 1% per year. Africa is the continent most affected by this problem. In 2010, the number of maternal mortality in the world was estimated to 287 000 and Africa was hosting more than 52 % (148 000) of the occurrence in the world In Burkina Faso, maternal mortality ratio decreased from 566 in 1991 to 484 in 1998 and 341 in 2010 according to the DHS data while the census estimate was 307 in 2006 and United Nation agencies provided the number of 300 maternal deaths per 100 000 live births in 2010. Statistics provided by the different sources vary considerably. This situation creates confusion among data users. In addition, researches made on the issue remain very insufficient because of the complexity of the issue, lack of data and poor quality of existing data on maternal mortality. This study has been initiated to fill the gap of knowledge about the determinants and estimates of maternal mortality at national and sub-national levels. Results of this research highlighted explanatory factors of maternal mortality at national and regional level with a focus on factors of regional disparities. Findings also provided estimate by adjusting the census 2006 data from missingness and incoherences, improving the census method and testing different other methods. Finally, projection of maternal mortality level is made from 2006 to 2050.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / Pregnancy-related poor maternal health and maternal death remain major problems in most Nigerian states including Cross River State. The acute impact of these problems is borne more heavily by rural communities where the majority of births take place at home unassisted or assisted by unskilled persons. These problems are due to a mixture of problem recognition and decision-making during obstetric emergencies leading to delayed actions. Every pregnancy faces risk, and prenatal screening cannot detect which pregnancy will develop complications. If the goal of reducing maternal morbidity/mortality is to be achieved, increasing the number of women receiving care from a skilled provider (doctor/nurse/midwife) during pregnancy, delivery, and post-delivery and prompt adequate care for obstetric complications has been identified as the single most important intervention. One of the strategies identified in many countries is engaging and working with individuals, families, and communities as partners to improve the quality of maternal healthcare. This strategy is thought to remove the barriers that dissuade women from using the services that are available, empowering the community members to increase their influence and control of maternal health, promote ownership and sustenance, as well as increase access to skilled care. The aim of the study: The overall aim of this PhD study was to develop a model of community engagement to facilitate the prevention of maternal health complications in the rural areas of Cross River State, Nigeria. To develop this model, the study specifically sought to: 1. Understand the current situation in Cross River State by exploring the knowledge gap of women of child-bearing age (pregnant and new mothers) regarding obstetric danger signs, birth preparedness and complication readiness, delivery practices of women, the action of family/community members, and the role of community-based maternal health initiatives, if any, in emergencies, as well as explore participants’ opinions on actions to be taken by the community to promote the utilisation of orthodox healthcare facilities by rural women of Cross River State (Phase 1). 2. Engage community members through a participatory approach (Photovoice) to highlight problems regarding pregnancy and birth practices, identify possible solutions, and make recommendations on communities’ roles in the prevention of maternal health complications (Phase 2). The older women of the study communities were also engaged to verify and validate the findings from phases 1 & 2 analyses. 3. Develop a model of community engagement to improve maternal health literacy by increasing knowledge on early detection of obstetric complications, birth preparedness, complication readiness, and improved access to skilled birth attendance (Phase 3). Methods: The study was conducted using a qualitative descriptive research approach that combined qualitative semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions within the Photovoice participatory approach. Purposive sampling was employed to select 20 participants, 10 each from the Idundu (Community A) and Anyanganse (Community B) rural communities of Akpabuyo Local Government Area of Cross River State, Nigeria. The participants comprised pregnant women and new mothers (babies aged 12 months and younger) who met the eligibility criteria. Data collection was by means of semi-structured interviews (Phase1), focused group discussions and Photovoice (Phase 2). Trustworthiness of the data was ensured by means of applying Guba’s model of credibility, transferability, and authenticity. The ethical principles of respect for human dignity, beneficence, confidentiality, and justice were applied throughout the study. The Citizenship Healthcare and Socio-Ecological Logic models were used to direct the study. Permission was obtained from participants for all the phases of the study while approval for the study was obtained from the Senate Higher Degrees Committee of the University of the Western Cape and the Cross River State Ministry of Health Ethical Committee. Data was analysed using Tesch’s method of content analysis. Based on the findings of Phases 1 & 2 of the study, themes emerged that were then validated by the older women in the study communities. The model was then developed by means of the four steps of the theory generation process. Step one was concept development that consisted of the identification, definition, validation, classification, and verification of the main and related concepts. Step two was model development consisting of the sub-steps, namely model guidelines and definitions. The communities’ stakeholders were engaged at this phase to verify and validate the concepts, as well as contribute to the drafting of the model guidelines and the definitions. Step three was a model description whereby the structure, definition, relation statements, and the process of the model were described. A visual application of the model that depicts the main concepts, the process, and the context was shown. Step four dealt with the development of guidelines for the operation of the model. A critical reflection of the model was done using Chinn and Kramer’s five criteria for model evaluation. Results: The study revealed that Idundu and Anyanganse’s rural women have limited knowledge of obstetric danger signs and very few of them acknowledged the importance of hospital delivery. They also exhibited poor understanding of what birth preparedness and complication readiness entailed. There was a high preference for traditional birth attendant care during pregnancy and delivery with their reasons being belief and trust in traditional birth attendants, a long standing tradition to deliver with them, assumptions that orthodox healthcare is expensive, poor attitude of healthcare providers towards women, unavailability of 24-hour services in healthcare facilities, fear of hospital procedures and operations, communal living in traditional birth attendant’s homes, spirituality in traditional birth attendant services, and the consideration of proximity to service points. These factors exacerbated the delays in seeking care and in referrals for skilled care in phases of emergency. The study also revealed that in the study communities, heavy household chores carried out by pregnant women is culturally accepted and seen as exercise to ease labour, there is lack of proper information regarding maternal and child health issues, men are sole decision-makers, they are ignorant of availability of free treatment in health centres, there is an ignorance regarding care of the new-born, and a lack of community structures to support women’s health. Based on the above findings, the women made the following suggestions towards finding a solution: improving maternal health literacy, increasing spirituality in service delivery, involving of husbands in antenatal care for proper information on maternal health issues, accessing community support through the use of community structures (town announcers, women groups, churches, etc.) with the purpose of emphasising facility delivery, constitution of influential groups to monitor the activities of pregnant women to ensure utilisation of skilled attendants, access to healthcare through free services and availability of providers, trust of health services, and traditional birth attendant training/traditional birth attendant facility collaboration. A total of eight concepts were identified from the concluding statements of steps 1 & 2, and used to develop the Maternal Health-Community Engagement Model (MH-CEM). These were: maternal health literacy, spirituality in healthcare, integrated traditional birth attendants’ role (value, training, and traditional birth attendants/hospital collaboration), trust in health services (by addressing previous experiences, attitude, and fear), improving access to healthcare, culturally acceptable care, husbands’ involvement in women’s health issues, and community support. These concepts formed the core components for the Maternal Health-Community Engagement Model which was developed as the main recommendation to address the core concepts. Central to this Model was the Community Engagement Group (CEG) which was established during the process of engaging the community stakeholders in validating the concepts and drawing up of the guidelines for the Model development. Conclusions and Recommendations: It is believed that the activities of the Community Engagement Group may bring about improved maternal health literacy, a process for working with traditional birth attendants through training and re-orienting them to be promoters of facility delivery when appropriate, and a model for involving husbands, and indeed the entire community, in maternal health issues. Limitations were identified and recommendations for nursing practice, education, and research concluded the study.