Help bring back the celebration of life: A community-based participatory study of rural Aboriginal women’s maternity experiences and outcomes

Abstract Background Despite clear evidence regarding how social determinants of health and structural inequities shape health, Aboriginal women’s birth outcomes are not adequately understood as arising from the historical, economic and social circumstances of their lives. The purpose of this study w...

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Published in:BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
Main Authors: Varcoe Colleen, Brown Helen, Calam Betty, Harvey Thelma, Tallio Miranda
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: BMC 2013
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2393-13-26
https://doaj.org/article/38cf367037b9485d877f37817e533b50
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spelling ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:38cf367037b9485d877f37817e533b50 2023-05-15T16:16:54+02:00 Help bring back the celebration of life: A community-based participatory study of rural Aboriginal women’s maternity experiences and outcomes Varcoe Colleen Brown Helen Calam Betty Harvey Thelma Tallio Miranda 2013-01-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2393-13-26 https://doaj.org/article/38cf367037b9485d877f37817e533b50 EN eng BMC http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2393/13/26 https://doaj.org/toc/1471-2393 doi:10.1186/1471-2393-13-26 1471-2393 https://doaj.org/article/38cf367037b9485d877f37817e533b50 BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, Vol 13, Iss 1, p 26 (2013) Aboriginal Rural Maternity care Outcomes Colonialism Critical ethnography Gynecology and obstetrics RG1-991 article 2013 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2393-13-26 2022-12-31T03:01:24Z Abstract Background Despite clear evidence regarding how social determinants of health and structural inequities shape health, Aboriginal women’s birth outcomes are not adequately understood as arising from the historical, economic and social circumstances of their lives. The purpose of this study was to understand rural Aboriginal women’s experiences of maternity care and factors shaping those experiences. Methods Aboriginal women from the Nuxalk, Haida and 'Namgis First Nations and academics from the University of British Columbia in nursing, medicine and counselling psychology used ethnographic methods within a participatory action research framework. We interviewed over 100 women, and involved additional community members through interviews and community meetings. Data were analyzed within each community and across communities. Results Most participants described distressing experiences during pregnancy and birthing as they grappled with diminishing local maternity care choices, racism and challenging economic circumstances. Rural Aboriginal women’s birthing experiences are shaped by the intersections among rural circumstances, the effects of historical and ongoing colonization, and concurrent efforts toward self-determination and more vibrant cultures and communities. Conclusion Women’s experiences and birth outcomes could be significantly improved if health care providers learned about and accounted for Aboriginal people’s varied encounters with historical and ongoing colonization that unequivocally shapes health and health care. Practitioners who better understand Aboriginal women’s birth outcomes in context can better care in every interaction, particularly by enhancing women’s power, choice, and control over their experiences. Efforts to improve maternity care that account for the social and historical production of health inequities are crucial. Article in Journal/Newspaper First Nations Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 13 1
institution Open Polar
collection Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles
op_collection_id ftdoajarticles
language English
topic Aboriginal
Rural
Maternity care
Outcomes
Colonialism
Critical ethnography
Gynecology and obstetrics
RG1-991
spellingShingle Aboriginal
Rural
Maternity care
Outcomes
Colonialism
Critical ethnography
Gynecology and obstetrics
RG1-991
Varcoe Colleen
Brown Helen
Calam Betty
Harvey Thelma
Tallio Miranda
Help bring back the celebration of life: A community-based participatory study of rural Aboriginal women’s maternity experiences and outcomes
topic_facet Aboriginal
Rural
Maternity care
Outcomes
Colonialism
Critical ethnography
Gynecology and obstetrics
RG1-991
description Abstract Background Despite clear evidence regarding how social determinants of health and structural inequities shape health, Aboriginal women’s birth outcomes are not adequately understood as arising from the historical, economic and social circumstances of their lives. The purpose of this study was to understand rural Aboriginal women’s experiences of maternity care and factors shaping those experiences. Methods Aboriginal women from the Nuxalk, Haida and 'Namgis First Nations and academics from the University of British Columbia in nursing, medicine and counselling psychology used ethnographic methods within a participatory action research framework. We interviewed over 100 women, and involved additional community members through interviews and community meetings. Data were analyzed within each community and across communities. Results Most participants described distressing experiences during pregnancy and birthing as they grappled with diminishing local maternity care choices, racism and challenging economic circumstances. Rural Aboriginal women’s birthing experiences are shaped by the intersections among rural circumstances, the effects of historical and ongoing colonization, and concurrent efforts toward self-determination and more vibrant cultures and communities. Conclusion Women’s experiences and birth outcomes could be significantly improved if health care providers learned about and accounted for Aboriginal people’s varied encounters with historical and ongoing colonization that unequivocally shapes health and health care. Practitioners who better understand Aboriginal women’s birth outcomes in context can better care in every interaction, particularly by enhancing women’s power, choice, and control over their experiences. Efforts to improve maternity care that account for the social and historical production of health inequities are crucial.
format Article in Journal/Newspaper
author Varcoe Colleen
Brown Helen
Calam Betty
Harvey Thelma
Tallio Miranda
author_facet Varcoe Colleen
Brown Helen
Calam Betty
Harvey Thelma
Tallio Miranda
author_sort Varcoe Colleen
title Help bring back the celebration of life: A community-based participatory study of rural Aboriginal women’s maternity experiences and outcomes
title_short Help bring back the celebration of life: A community-based participatory study of rural Aboriginal women’s maternity experiences and outcomes
title_full Help bring back the celebration of life: A community-based participatory study of rural Aboriginal women’s maternity experiences and outcomes
title_fullStr Help bring back the celebration of life: A community-based participatory study of rural Aboriginal women’s maternity experiences and outcomes
title_full_unstemmed Help bring back the celebration of life: A community-based participatory study of rural Aboriginal women’s maternity experiences and outcomes
title_sort help bring back the celebration of life: a community-based participatory study of rural aboriginal women’s maternity experiences and outcomes
publisher BMC
publishDate 2013
url https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2393-13-26
https://doaj.org/article/38cf367037b9485d877f37817e533b50
genre First Nations
genre_facet First Nations
op_source BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, Vol 13, Iss 1, p 26 (2013)
op_relation http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2393/13/26
https://doaj.org/toc/1471-2393
doi:10.1186/1471-2393-13-26
1471-2393
https://doaj.org/article/38cf367037b9485d877f37817e533b50
op_doi https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2393-13-26
container_title BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
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