A convenience sample of 184 first-time childbearing women was recruited from two public hospitals with one hospital randomly selected as the experimental group. The experimental group (n = 92) received the childbirth psychoeducation programme and routine childbirth education. The comparison group (n = 92) received the routine childbirth education only. / Outcomes on learned resourcefulness, maternal role competence and perinatal depression were measured by C-SCS, C-PSOC (Efficacy Subscale) and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), respectively, at baseline, immediately post-intervention, six weeks and six months postpartum. Maternal role satisfaction was assessed at six weeks and six months postpartum using C-PSOC (Satisfaction Subscale). Doubly multivariate analysis of covariance was performed to compare the effects of childbirth psychoeducation programme between the experimental and comparison groups. In addition, 16 participants in the experimental group were interviewed at six weeks postpartum to explore their perceived impacts of childbirth psychoeducation programme in helping them cope with the experience of new motherhood. Content analysis was used to analyze the interview data. / Results of the phase I study indicated good psychometric properties of C-SCS and C-PSOC in Chinese childbearing women. Results in the phase II study revealed significant improvement in learned resourcefulness at six weeks postpartum (p = 0.004), and overall reduction in depressive symptoms (p = 0.01) for women receiving the childbirth psychoeducation programme compared with the routine childbirth education group after adjusting for baseline group differences on age and social support. No significant change was detected on maternal role competence. However, women receiving the childbirth psychoeducation programl1'l;e had significantly higher level of satisfaction in the maternal role at six weeks postpartum (p = 0.01). / The crisis nature of early motherhood, the frequent feeling of incompetence in the maternal role, the increasing evidence of postpartum depression in the Chinese population, coupled with the changing nature of socio-cultural environment challenge midwives to make continued refinement of childbirth education to enhance women's adjustment during the transition to motherhood. Learned resourcefulness has been identified as an important coping repertoire that promotes healthy adjustment in the perinatal period. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a childbirth psychoeducation programme based on the concept of learned resourcefulness. / The qualitative interviews revealed that the experimental group perceived the childbirth psychoeducation programme to be helpful in increasing their confidence in the maternal role, improving their emotional well-being and fostering the development of learned resourcefulness skills. The findings of this study support the effectiveness of childbirth psychoeducation programme based on the concept of learned resourcefulness for reducing depressive symptoms in first-time Chinese childbearing women, and highlight the contributions midwives can make to continue improving the quality of childbirth education in Chinese society. / The study had two phases. The first phase aimed at establishing the psychometric properties of the Chinese versions of Self-Control Schedule (C-SCS) and Parenting Sense of Competence Scale (C-PSOC), which were used as outcome measures in the second phase. The second phase adopted a pretest-posttest, control group quasi-experimental design to examine the effects of a childbirth psychoeducation programme on learned resourcefulness, maternal role competence and satisfaction, and perinatal depression. / Ngai Fei Wan. / Adviser: W. Y. Ip. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 72-11, Section: B, page: . / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 259-300). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [201-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract also in Chinese; some appendices in Chinese.

This descriptive quantitative survey attempted to identify reasons why pregnant women who have been screened as low-risk pregnancies failed to utilise MOUs for the delivery of their babies. The objective of the study was to investigate the factors determining the under-utilisation of Sharpville MOU in Emfuleni sub-district. The research population comprised all postnatal mothers residing in Sharpeville who delivered their babies at hospital and who were screened as low-risk pregnancies; the accessible convenience sample consisted of all postnatal mothers who attended Sharpeville Clinic for their six weeks follow-up postnatal care from 5 December 2005 till 6 January 2006 and who were willing to complete questionnaires. Data was collected by means of a structured questionnaire and analysed using the SPSS computer program. Major factors drawn from the study that influence their decision on place of delivery were nurses' attitudes, lack of doctors, transport, privacy and resources. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)

Health Studies / M. A. (Health Studies)

The study reports on the perceptions of the midwives and pregnant women of the PMTCT of HIV programme at the antenatal care and maternity ward at the Johan Heyns Community Health Centre. A qualitative approach was adopted to conduct the study. Purposive sampling was used to select participants and was informed by social behavioural theories. Data was collected using interviews and analysed using thematic categorisation. The findings show that at the first PMTCT encounter participants had little to no knowledge of the PMTCT programme, generally displayed a lack of interest, experienced emotional distress, and fear at the thought of having to disclosing their HIV-positive status to their partners/family and had certain trepidations about participating in the PMTCT programme. The participants’ perception on their roles was that their roles were interlinked, midwife needs the recipients (pregnant woman) and pregnant woman needs the provider (midwife) therefore one cannot do PMTCT without the other. The study recommends that the capacity building of pregnant women be optimised, that PMTCT awareness campaigns for women of childbearing age should be a priority and PMTCT skills to be prerequisite for midwives deployed to ANC clinics and maternity ward units. / Health Studies / M. A. (Social Behaviour Studies in HIV/AIDS)

The purpose of the study was to describe the knowledge, attitudes and practices of nurse-midwives related to obstetric care at Thaba-Tseka, Lesotho. A quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional research design was used. Data were collected using structured questionnaire from 45 nurse-midwives. The findings revealed that nurse-midwives had mean knowledge score of 10.5(80.7%) out of a possible 13(Standard Deviation (SD) 1.31) on obstetric care issues. However, the majority of nurse-midwives (n=28, 62.2%) did not have knowledge on the steps of the active management of third stage of labour according to the WHO. The mean scores on practice were 34.5(86.2%) against a possible 40(SD 5.43) for antenatal care, 39.2(89%) against a possible of 44(SD 4.66) and 22.4(93.3%) against a possible of 24(SD 2.18) for postnatal care. The study revealed that nurse-midwives had positive attitudes towards obstetric care practices with mean score for attitudes was 23.4(86.7%) against a possible score of 27(SD 3.02) / Health Studies / M.A. (Public Health)

The study reports on the perceptions of the midwives and pregnant women of the PMTCT of HIV programme at the antenatal care and maternity ward at the Johan Heyns Community Health Centre. A qualitative approach was adopted to conduct the study. Purposive sampling was used to select participants and was informed by social behavioural theories. Data was collected using interviews and analysed using thematic categorisation. The findings show that at the first PMTCT encounter participants had little to no knowledge of the PMTCT programme, generally displayed a lack of interest, experienced emotional distress, and fear at the thought of having to disclosing their HIV-positive status to their partners/family and had certain trepidations about participating in the PMTCT programme. The participants’ perception on their roles was that their roles were interlinked, midwife needs the recipients (pregnant woman) and pregnant woman needs the provider (midwife) therefore one cannot do PMTCT without the other. The study recommends that the capacity building of pregnant women be optimised, that PMTCT awareness campaigns for women of childbearing age should be a priority and PMTCT skills to be prerequisite for midwives deployed to ANC clinics and maternity ward units. / Health Studies / M.A. (Social Behaviour Studies in HIV/AIDS)

This descriptive quantitative survey attempted to identify reasons why pregnant women who have been screened as low-risk pregnancies failed to utilise MOUs for the delivery of their babies. The objective of the study was to investigate the factors determining the under-utilisation of Sharpville MOU in Emfuleni sub-district. The research population comprised all postnatal mothers residing in Sharpeville who delivered their babies at hospital and who were screened as low-risk pregnancies; the accessible convenience sample consisted of all postnatal mothers who attended Sharpeville Clinic for their six weeks follow-up postnatal care from 5 December 2005 till 6 January 2006 and who were willing to complete questionnaires. Data was collected by means of a structured questionnaire and analysed using the SPSS computer program. Major factors drawn from the study that influence their decision on place of delivery were nurses' attitudes, lack of doctors, transport, privacy and resources. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)

Health Studies / M. A. (Health Studies)

The purpose of the study was to describe the knowledge, attitudes and practices of nurse-midwives related to obstetric care at Thaba-Tseka, Lesotho. A quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional research design was used. Data were collected using structured questionnaire from 45 nurse-midwives. The findings revealed that nurse-midwives had mean knowledge score of 10.5(80.7%) out of a possible 13(Standard Deviation (SD) 1.31) on obstetric care issues. However, the majority of nurse-midwives (n=28, 62.2%) did not have knowledge on the steps of the active management of third stage of labour according to the WHO. The mean scores on practice were 34.5(86.2%) against a possible 40(SD 5.43) for antenatal care, 39.2(89%) against a possible of 44(SD 4.66) and 22.4(93.3%) against a possible of 24(SD 2.18) for postnatal care. The study revealed that nurse-midwives had positive attitudes towards obstetric care practices with mean score for attitudes was 23.4(86.7%) against a possible score of 27(SD 3.02) / Health Studies / M.A. (Public Health)

M.Cur. / In this study a qualitative design which is explorative, descriptive and contextual in nature is followed. The objective of the study is three-fold: firstly, to explore and describe the opinions of members of the community about the reasons for the under-utilization of the Midwifery Obstetrical Unit ; secondly, to explore and describe the suggestions of the community for improving the utilization of the Midwifery Obstetrical Unit and, thirdly, to formulate intervention strategies for community nurses to improve the utilization of the MOU. Data was collected by means of focus group interviews, and was analysed using Tesch's method of data analysis. Trustworthiness was ensured by using the method of Guba and Lincoln. The participants in research were mothers who delivered their babies at the hospital, mothers who delivered their babies at the MOU, members of the Community Health Committee and MOU nurses.