Date of Conferral

2022

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Health Education and Promotion

Advisor

Jill Nolan

Abstract

The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore and describe how behavioral, normative, and control beliefs shape women's birthplace decision-making experiences. The study sought to better understand how Ugep women of southern Nigeria decided where to give birth after attending antenatal care. Using the theory of planned behavior as a framework, a purposeful sample of nine women aged 25 to 35 years who attended antenatal clinic at least twice at the selected primary health facility but gave birth at home during the past year was recruited. Data collection was through face-to-face, semistructured interviews. Audio recordings of interviews were transcribed and organized for analyses using ATLAS.Ti (ATLAS.Ti: The Qualitative Data Analysis & Research Software, n.d.); data were analyzed using descriptive and in vivo coding during the first cycle and pattern coding during the second cycle. The study found that most participants had positive behavioral and normative beliefs towards homebirths but negative beliefs towards health facility births. All participants perceived that they had no capacity to give birth at the health facility (behavioral control) due to financial difficulties, transportation, distance from the health facility, and the unfriendly attitudes of health providers. Additionally, while participants attended antenatal clinic (ANC) to receive health education and care, they did not receive essential birth preparedness and complication readiness education. Behavioral, normative, and control beliefs impact women’s decision of where to give birth. Programs designed to increase skilled birth attendance utilization through health facility births need to address these beliefs.

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