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Introduction Although culture is an integral part of health, there is scarcity of evidence on the influence of culture on caregiving experiences of parents of preterm infants. The aim of this study was to explore the influence of sociocultural practices on caring for preterm infants in the Ghanaian community. Method Narrative inquiry was utilized to explore the influence of sociocultural practices on the care of preterm infants from 21 mothers, 9 fathers, and 12 household members. Data were collected through face-to-face semistructured interviews and observations at participants’ homes. Results Analysis of data resulted in three threads/themes—respect for the elderly, use of herbal medicines, and communal living. Discussion Community and extended family members have great influence on the care of preterm infants. Traditional herbal medicines are considered effective in treating traditional illnesses among preterm infants. Understanding the influence of culture on the care of vulnerable preterm infants in the community is essential in developing interventions for infant survival.

The care of preterm infants is associated with stress. In the busy neonatal unit where highly skilled healthcare workers are always present, parents have reported being stressed when caring for their preterm infants in the neonatal unit. In Ghana, preterm birth is the highest cause of neonatal mortality with 70% of these morbidities and mortalities occurring in the community. Yet to date, no study in Ghana has explored how parents experience their care giving role after discharge from the neonatal unit into the community. This study explored the experiences of caring for preterm infants in the neonatal unit and after discharge from the perspective of parents. Narrative inquiry methodology was utilised as it explores lived experiences using stories as data. In all, 42 participant carers (mothers, fathers and significant others) of preterm infants discharged from one of four neonatal intensive care units in Ghana were interviewed at three different stages - one week, one month and four months after discharge. Data were collected from February to June, 2015 in the residences of parents. Interviews were conducted face-to-face and audio-recorded. As Ghanaians live communally, members of households were also engaged in informal conversation to explore their experiences of caring for preterm infants after discharge. In addition to this, participants were observed in their natural environment as they cared for the preterm infant in the community. Results of the study suggest that in the neonatal units and after discharge, parents have concerns caring for their preterm infants. The findings suggest that after discharge, grandmothers of preterm infants who were not involved in pre-discharge education in the neonatal unit take charge of the care of preterm infants in the community. Grandmothers diagnose preterm infants’ illnesses and decide whether to refer an infant to hospital or herbalist for treatment. Cultural practices mainly initiated by grandmothers resulted in adverse

Background: Human beings live storied lives and it is these stories that define the “self” in a community. Narrative inquiry, aqualitative research methodology seeks to understand social and cultural experiences of people and communities by studying stories from the perspective of individuals who are living the story and relating it to time, place and person. Narrative inquiry has two aspects: (1) the lived experiences (phenomenological aspect), and (2) the interactions of the stories with the story teller’s sociocultural environment (ethnographical aspect). However, only the lived experiences aspect of narrative inquiry is overemphasized in the literature. The aspect that deals with the interactions of stories to the story teller’s sociocultural environment has been overlooked. Aim: To explore the sociocultural feature of narrative inquiry and to demonstrate how this methodology was used to explore both lived experiences and cultural aspects of parents’ experiences of caring for preterm infants after discharge from four neonatal units in Ghana. Conclusions: Given the dynamic nature of narrative inquiry, this article proposes that its use should not be limited to the study of experiences only. For a qualitative study that requires the study of both experiences and the interaction of participants with their sociocultural environment, narrative inquiry serves the purpose.

Adama, E. A., Arabiat, D., Foster, M. J., Afrifa-Yamoah, E., Runions, K., Vithiatharan, R., & Lin, A. (2021). The psychosocial impact of rare diseases among children and adolescents attending mainstream schools in Western Australia. International Journal of Inclusive Education. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2021.1888323

Adama, E. A., Arabiat, D., Foster, M. J., Afrifa-Yamoah, E., Runions, K., Vithiatharan, R., & Lin, A. (2021). The psychosocial impact of rare diseases among children and adolescents attending mainstream schools in Western Australia. International Journal of Inclusive Education. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2021.1888323

Adua, E., Afrifa-Yamoah, E., Frimpong, K., Adama, E., Karthigesu, S. P., Anto, E. O., ... Wang, W. (2021). Construct validity of the suboptimal health status questionnaire-25 in a Ghanaian population. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 19, article 180. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12955-021-01810-z

Adua, E., Afrifa-Yamoah, E., Frimpong, K., Adama, E., Karthigesu, S. P., Anto, E. O., ... Wang, W. (2021). Construct validity of the suboptimal health status questionnaire-25 in a Ghanaian population. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 19, article 180. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12955-021-01810-z

Adama, E. A., Sundin, D., & Bayes, S. (2016). Exploring the sociocultural aspect of narrative inquiry: A dynamic nursing research methodology. Clinical Nursing Studies, 4, (4), 1-8. Available here. .

Adama, E. A., Sundin, D., & Bayes, S. (2017). Ghanaian fathers' experiences of caring for preterm infants; a journey of exclusion. Journal of Neonatal Nursing, 23, (6), 275 - 281. Available here

Fisher, D., Khashu, M., Adama, E. A., Feeley, N., Garfield, C. F., Ireland, J., ... & Thomson-Salo, F. (2018). Fathers in neonatal units: Improving infant health by supporting the baby-father bond and mother-father coparenting. Journal of Neonatal Nursing, 24(6). 306-312. Available here.

Adama, E. A., Bayes, S., & Sundin, D. (2016). Parents' experiences of caring for preterm infants after discharge from Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A meta-synthesis of the literature. Journal of Neonatal Nursing, 22(1), 27-51. Available here

Adama, E. A., Bayes, S., & Sundin, D. (2018). Parents’ experiences of caring for preterm infants after discharge with grandmothers as their main support. Journal of clinical nursing, 27(17-18), 3377-3386. Available here

Adama, E. A., Adua, E., Bayes, S., & Mörelius, E. (2022). Support needs of parents in neonatal intensive care unit: An integrative review. Journal of Clinical Nursing. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.15972

Adama, E. A., Adua, E., Bayes, S., & Mörelius, E. (2022). Support needs of parents in neonatal intensive care unit: An integrative review. Journal of Clinical Nursing. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.15972