Perceived Risk in Women with High Risk Pregnancy: A Qualitative Study

Zahra Shojaeian, Talat Khadivzadeh, Ali Sahebi, Hossein Kareshki, Fatemeh Tara

Abstract


Background: Risk perception in high‑risk pregnancies influences the mothers’ adherence to medical treatments and recommendations. Because of the lack of information about the women’s perception of risk, the aim of this study was to explain perception of risk in high‑risk pregnancies.

 Materials and Methods: This qualitative study was conducted on 25 women with a high‑risk pregnancy in educational hospitals of Mashhad, Iran, from August 2017 to August 2018. Data were collected through semi‑structured interviews and data saturation was reached after 29 interviews. Data collection and analysis were simultaneously carried out using the qualitative content analysis method adopted by Elo and Kyngäs in MAXQDA software.

Results: Data analysis resulted in the four main categories of perception of risk control ability (risk controlling through experience, risk tolerance through relying on a higher power, and risk tolerance to reach family goals), wrong estimation of risk (wrong calculation of possible risks based on wrong beliefs and knowledge, and incorrect risk estimation caused by misunderstanding), possibility of mutual vulnerability of pregnancy and risk condition (possibility of vulnerability of the fetus to risk factors, and possibility of the mother’s vulnerability to risk factors), and induced risk (risk induced by negative experiences, induced threat of unknown pregnancy outcome, and fear of ambiguous medical terms).

Conclusions: The results of this study promoted our understanding of risk perception in women with high‑risk pregnancies. Therefore, it will help to establish a‎ better link between women with a high‑risk pregnancy and the health team, enhance and improve maternal and fetal care.



Keywords


High Risk, Iran, pregnancy, qualitative research, risk assessment

Full Text:

PDF

References


Renn O. The contribution of different types of knowledge towards understanding, sharing and communication risk concepts. Catalan J Commun Cult Stud 2010;2:177 95.

Lee S, Ayers S, Holden D. A metasynthesis of risk perception in women with high risk pregnancies. Midwifery 2014;30:403 11.

Bayrampour H, Heaman M, Duncan KA, Tough S. Predictors of perception of pregnancy risk among nulliparous women. J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs 2013;42:416 27.

Okeh NO, Hawkins KC, Butler W, Younis A. Knowledge and perception of risks and complications of maternal obesity during pregnancy. Gynecol Obstet 2015;5:323.

Bayrampour H, Heaman M, Duncan KA, Tough S. Advanced maternal age and risk perception: A qualitative study. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2012;12:100.

Lennon SL. Risk perception in pregnancy: A concept analysis. J Adv Nurs 2016;72:2016 29.

Heaman MI, Gupton AL. Psychometric testing of the perception of pregnancy risk questionnaire. Res Nurs Health 2009;32:493 503.

Sintayehu Y, Hordofa B, Shiferaw K. Health care providers’perception and associated factors towards safe abortion in selected health facilities in Adama, Ethiopia. J Womens Health Care 2018;7:428.

Chadwick R, Foster D. Negotiating risky bodies: Childbirth and constructionsof risk. Health Risk Soc 2014;16:68–83.

Van Otterloo LR, Connelly CD. Maternal risk during pregnancy: A concept analysis. J Clin Nurs 2016;25:2393 401.

Elo S, Kyngäs H. The qualitative content analysis process. J Adv Nurs 2008;62:107 15.

Guba EG, Lincoln YS. Competing paradigms in qualitative research. Handbook of Qualitative Research.Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage 1994;2:105.

Lee S, Holden D, Webb R, Ayers S. Pregnancy related risk perception in pregnant women, midwives & doctors: A cross sectional survey. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2019;19:335.

Aldrighi JD, Wall ML, Souza SRRK, Cancela FZV. As experiências das mulheres na gestação em idade materna avançada: Revisão integrativa.The University of São Paulo Nursing School Journal 2016;50:512 21.

Rodrigues PB, Zambaldi CF, Cantilino A, Sougey EB. Special features of high risk pregnancies as factors in development of mental distress: A review. Trends Psychiatry Psychother 2016;38:136 40.

Widnes SF, Schjøtt J. Risk perception regarding drug use in pregnancy. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2017;216:375 8.

Bödeker B, Betsch C, Wichmann O. Skewed risk perceptions in pregnant women: The case of influenza vaccination. BMC Public Health 2015;15:1308.

Elek E, Harris SL, Squire CM, Margolis M, Weber MK, Dang EP, et al. Women’s knowledge, views, and experiences regarding alcohol use and pregnancy: Opportunities to improve health messages. Am J Health Educ 2013;44:177 90.

Joshi S, Prescott GJ, Simkhada P, Sharma N, Bhurtyal YM. Knowledge and risk perceptions about HIV/AIDS among Nepalese Migrants in Gulf Countries: A cross sectional study. Health Sci J 2014;8:350.

Carlsson Lalloo E, Rusner M, Mellgren Å, Berg M. Sexuality and reproduction in HIV positive women: A meta synthesis. AIDS Patient Care STDs 2016;30:56 69.

Tong A, Jesudason S, Craig JC, Winkelmayer WC. Perspectives on pregnancy in women with chronic kidney disease: Systematic review of qualitative studies. Nephrol Dial Transplant 2014;30:652 61.

Kane S, Kok M, Rial M, Matere A, Dieleman M, Broerse JE. Social norms and family planning decisions in South Sudan. BMC Public Health 2016;16:1183.

Chang AY, Nabbaale J, Nalubwama H, Okello E, Ssinabulya I, Longenecker CT, et al. Motivations of women in Uganda living with rheumatic heart disease: A mixed methods study of experiences in stigma, childbearing, anticoagulation, and contraception. PLoS One 2018;13:e0194030.

Coxon K, Homer C, Bisits A, Sandall J, Bick D. Reconceptualising risk in childbirth. Midwifery 2016;38:1 5.

Amorim TV, Souza ÍEdO, Moura M, Vasconcelos A, Queiroz ABA, Salimena AMO. Nursing care perspectives in high risk pregnancy: Integrative review. Enfermería Global 2017;16:500 14.

Maruz AHAGİ, İlgili Kİ, Algıları R. Risk perception of family medicine residents regarding drug exposure in pregnancy. Turk J Family Med Prim Care 2015;9:93 8.

Csajka C, Jaquet A, Winterfeld U, Yvonne M, Einarson A, Panchaud A. Risk perception by healthcare professionals related to drug use during pregnancy: A Swiss survey. Swiss Med Wkly 2014;144:w13936. doi: 10.4414/smw. 2014.13936.


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.