A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MASTERS DEGREE IN (COMMUNITY WORK) IN THE SOCIAL WORK DEPARTMENT (FACULTY OF ARTS) AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ZULULAND, 2008. / The study investigated the effects of unplanned pregnancy on female students at the University of Zululand. The sample consisted of 22 female students whose ages range from 15-26+. Female students who are sexually active were more likely to use no contraceptives, which puts them at a high risk of unplanned pregnancy. Some are influenced by their partners regarding birth control or they forget to use contraceptives altogether. University students engage in sexual intercourse, generally with multiple partners. The University of Zululand female students are faced with the problem of unplanned pregnancies, which is very high. It has become imperative, therefore, to get some answers to the questions as to why some fall pregnant and say it was unplanned and some do not know who impregnated them. The researcher wanted to examine perceptions of the effects of unplanned pregnancy on female students; to examine long term or on-going effects that female students might experience after termination of pregnancy or miscarriage, and to investigate the level of knowledge related to contraceptives and other means of preventing unplanned pregnancy. The findings show that it is the young adults (15-19) years of age that are mostly affected by unplanned pregnancies. Racial group are the blacks, those who are not married, are mostly experiencing unplanned pregnancy. There are a few people who are using contraceptives; this also indicates that there is lot that needs to be done in educating people about the use of contraceptives.

MSc (Med), Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand / Background: The knowledge of contraceptive use is high among men and women in South Africa. However, contraceptive prevalence rate is moderate and unplanned pregnancies are common. Understanding the determinants of contraceptive use and unplanned pregnancy will inform future interventions that aim to maintain consistent contraceptive use and reduce unplanned pregnancies. Aim: The study aims to describe factors associated with contraceptive use and unplanned pregnancy in the South African population. Methods: A secondary data analysis was carried out on data collected in a cross–sectional survey conducted in Potchefstroom, South Africa between August 2007 and March 2008.Results: Contraceptive prevalence was 69.5% and unplanned pregnancy was 59.7%. The risk factors for contraceptive use included woman’s employment status at the last pregnancy, woman’s partner employment status at the last pregnancy and number of miscarriages a woman had experienced. The risk factors for unplanned pregnancy included race, woman’s age , education level and employment status at last pregnancy, number of miscarriages, contraceptive use and partner’s employment status at last pregnancy. Conclusion: If the prevalence of unplanned pregnancies is to be reduced, policies and programmes need to address economic factors which were associated with both contraceptive use and unplanned pregnancy. Further study needs to be carried out as to the reasons behind why a woman with a previous history of a miscarriage is less likely to have an unplanned pregnancy yet she is less likely to be on contraception.

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Masters in Psychology in the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2012. / Unwanted pregnancy among young unmarried South African women still remains a challenge. It has been identified that young unmarried women who are living in rural areas are more vulnerable to unwanted pregnancy. Bronfenbrenner.s theory of systems has been used in the study. The participants were sourced from eMbobeni location, a rural area in Bizana in the Eastern Cape Province. The data was collected through focus group interviews and analysed through content analysis. Group interviews were tape recorded and transcribed. Group support was provided for the participants in the focus group. Through the study it has emerged that lack of knowledge about sexuality and the protection of oneself still remains a challenge. Factors contributing towards unwanted pregnancy among young unmarried women were identified as being lack of parental support; lack of knowledge and the stigma towards contraception; pressures from the partner; ignorance, carelessness and restrictions; and shift of responsibility. / National Research Foundation (NRF)

Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of a Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology, 2005. / The purpose of this research is to describe the experiences of females who have undergone a termination of pregnancy. A phenomenological study was employed, in which each participant used in the research was interviewed in a single session. The sample consisted of six women who had terminated a pregnancy before. The results were presented in the form of an integrative text, which accounted for all the individual variations of the experiences of termination. The ages of women ranged from 17 to 42. All participants regarded the situation of an unplanned pregnancy as stressful. Most of them viewed having a child as a threat to their education, career or relationship with family. Although all of the participants thought some part of the procedure was more stressful than they anticipated, they all found ways to cope with differing levels of stress. All participants view themselves as coping well with the stressful life event.

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ABSTRACT Teenage pregnancy is a health and social problem in Malawi as a result of physical, psychological and socio-economic consequences on the teenage mother, family and the society as a whole. Although studies have been conducted on the prevalence and risk factors that cause teenage pregnancy in Malawi before, detailed reports are scanty, especially for Zomba district. In spite of studies and interventions that have been and are being implemented, the prevalence of unplanned teenage pregnancy in Malawi is still high, suggesting that more efforts are required to achieve effective preventive measures. The aim of this study was to explore risk factors such as cultural issues, non-use of contraceptives, lack of knowledge on sexual and reproductive health, circumstances of first sex, gender power dynamics, sexual and physical violence, age difference between teenage girls and their partners and socio-economic status for unplanned teenage pregnancy in Zomba district of Malawi. A cross-sectional analytic design was used. Five antenatal clinics were selected using a stratified and simple random sampling technique. Data were obtained from 505 participants under the age of 20 years using a questionnaire administered through face-to-face interviews. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse data and comparisons between planned and unplanned teenage pregnancy were conducted using the Chi-squared (P ≤ 0.05) and logistic regression model to predict factors for unplanned pregnancy. Findings reveal that unplanned pregnancy accounted for 76.4% of teenagers attributable to early sex and marriage, low contraceptive use, educational levels and socio-economic status, lack of knowledge of reproductive and sexual health, physical and sexual violence and substance abuse, transactional sex due to poverty, early school dropout, misleading counselling causing a lack of knowledge on sexual and reproductive health and gender inequalities. Recommendations made are aimed at eliminating myths and misconceptions surrounding the use of contraceptives and condoms, empowering teenagers economically and in decision making, promoting career guidance, awareness on human rights, including sexual and reproductive rights and implications of early marriage and training of traditional counsellors. A multisectoral approach, including government, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and communities, is required to implement these recommendations.

In Canada, one in five women can now expect to deliver their baby by caesarean section. For some women, this method of delivery creates little concern, but for others, birth by caesarean causes emotional trauma that can last for years. Childbirth was historically regarded as a natural event and was undertaken with little assistance from health professionals. However, with urbanization and medical advancements, childbirth soon became a medically managed process. During the Women's Health Movement of the 1970's, women reacted to the medicalization of birth by calling attention to the emotional reactions of women following childbirth, with particular attention paid to deliveries by caesarean section. This paper discusses interviews with five women who sought the assistance of a community support and awareness group following a negative emotional response to an unplanned caesarean section. Qualitative research methods were used in order to capture the participants' unique experiences during and after childbirth. The women described feelings of fear, failure, disappointment, and loss of control. They perceived that the medical staff was generally uncaring and dismissive of their concerns. Each participant felt that the support group was instrumental in helping them to recover from the trauma of their birth experience, but also reported that they would have appreciated the opportunity to speak with a social worker following the birth. / Thesis / Master of Social Work (MSW)

In the United States, prominent racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in rates of unintended pregnancy, abortion, and unintended births exist. Recent analysis suggests that Latinas are three times more likely to experience an unintended pregnancy than non-Latina white women. More than half of pregnancies among Latinas (53%) in the United States are unintended and have higher unintended births as they are less likely than black women to have an abortion. In addition, in 2006 the unintended pregnancy rate was highest among women aged 20-24. Little research has 0been conducted to understand unintended pregnancy particularly among young adult Latina women. The purpose of the study is to determine and understand the meaning of unintended pregnancy among Latina subpopulations and examine the perceived consequences and management of unintended pregnancy among Latina subpopulations. Between May 2012 and October 2012, twenty in-depth-interviews were conducted with U. S. born- Latinas between 18-25 years of age seeking a confirmation pregnancy test at clinics in which some provided abortion services. Latinas in the study's meaning of pregnancy came from their complicated life situations, and were facilitated by Latino cultural beliefs, such as fatalism, religiosity and familismo. Many held favorable and positive meanings of their unintended pregnancy, particularly those who continued their pregnancies to term. Consistent with several other studies, the act of deliberately trying to plan a pregnancy was foreign to many of these women, particularly because a pregnancy was something that should was not in their control and left up to God. Most of the Latinas in the study felt that women should not plan their pregnancies and doing so was going against fate and natural life course. Public health research overwhelmingly highlights the negative maternal and child health consequences of unintended, while many women in this study perceived the negative consequences of unintended pregnancy to be primarily emotional and social. The inquiry found stigma surrounding unintended pregnancy among Latinas in this study. More than half of the women in the study resorted to termination of their pregnancy and cited fears of family reaction, fears their partner would deny paternity or responsibility, and/or desires to continue schooling, community and societal attitudes toward an unintended pregnancy and religiosity, as influencing this decision. In addition, contributing to the stigma were the stereotypes of Latinas. Latinas decision to continue their pregnancies to term or have an abortion was provoked by diverse and interrelated factors. Although a few Latinas in the study stated their partner's had an influence on the pregnancy resolution decision, all Latina stated that ultimately they were in control over their pregnancy resolution decision. Even when Latinas partners did not agree with their decision, women still performed their intended pregnancy resolution decision. . Family planning services might benefit from intervention designs with the following features that address the cultural needs of this population; a) highlight/stress the importance and benefits of delaying a pregnancy, not discuss pregnancy planning which was found to be irrelevant to these women, b) incorporate and address cultural constructs such as familismo and fatalism as protective factors rather than risk factors, and c) link and discuss issues such as poverty, education, insurance, stigma, and mental health issues. Many women reported these factors as perceived consequences and influencing the management of an unintended pregnancy. Interventions may be aimed at improving provider communication with Latinas about prevention of unintended pregnancy as well their pregnancy resolution options. Future public health campaigns might benefit from incorporating promotores de salud who had similar experiences in curriculums already discussing reproductive health. Support groups and mental health counseling was suggested as needed among participants that terminated their pregnancies. Future research should continue to focus on the multiple levels of influence and the contribution they make on the meaning and consequences of unintended pregnancy. In addition, the role of cultural protective factors in strengthening families and communities merits further exploration. This study increased our understanding of what unintended pregnancy means in the Latino community, and explored it from a comprehensive, multi-dimensional, and structural perspective. Understanding these factors are important and first steps to addressing an issue that affects Latinas, their families, communities, and the nation-at large.

Heart Failure readmissions (HFR) significantly contribute to all cause hospital readmissions rates. Current evidence on the effectiveness of interventions for reduction of HFR is inconclusive. Recent research suggests that nurses’ emotional intelligence (EI) may be associated with better patient outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine if nurses’ EI is significantly related to HFR and if that relationship is mediated through patient satisfaction with care. One hundred and thirty six Registered Nurses were recruited from 11 in-patient units at a large teaching hospital in the south eastern United States. Two surveys were mailed to eligible participants; the Bar-On Emotional Quotient Inventory 2.0 and a demographic survey. Patient satisfaction was measured with the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey. The unit of observation for the analysis of the current study was the individual nursing unit with monthly measures for 14 months. Nurses EI was assessed at a single point in time and served as the basis for the data collected. Results of one-way ANOVA showed a non-significant small trend of higher total EI being associated with lower rates of HFR. The generalized estimating equation model was used to account for correlated observations and revealed a greater non-significant likelihood for higher total EI to translate to no HFR. Results of Pearson’s correlations found non-significant positive correlations between nurses total EI and the patient satisfaction items of rate hospital, nurses’ courtesy and respect, nurse listening, nurse explaining, and nurse communication. The linear mixed model to account for correlated observations showed small non-significant trends for total nurse EI and all patient satisfaction items. Results of one-way ANOVA showed no association between patient satisfaction and HFR. When accounting for correlated observations, increases in total nurse EI were not significantly associated with the predicted odds of no HFR. In conclusion, the examination of the aims in this study demonstrated results that were in the expected direction but not at the level expected. The findings of this study indicate that there is a need to further examine how nurses’ EI may influence patient outcomes.

No description available.