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Access to Maternal and Child Health Services during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Explorative Qualitative Study in Odisha, India.
- Source :
- Indian Journal of Community Medicine; May/Jun2023, Vol. 48 Issue 3, p459-464, 6p
- Publication Year :
- 2023
-
Abstract
- Background: Maternal and child health (MCH) care is one of the essential routine healthcare services, which got affected during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Modeled projections had anticipated an 8.3%-38.6% rise in maternal mortality from different countries globally. In view of limited studies pertaining to issues related to accessing MCH services in the event of a pandemic, this study was carried out on pregnant and postnatal mothers in Odisha, India. Methods: An explorative qualitative study through 36 in-depth interviews (IDIs) was conducted among 16 (44.4%) antenatal and 20 (55.5%) postnatal mothers in six of thirty districts of Odisha, India, from February to April 2021. The districts and blocks were randomly selected for better representativeness. The IDIs were conducted using a predesigned and pretested guide among mothers who had undergone delivery or availed of antenatal, postnatal, or child health services from October 2020 to April 2021. The IDIs were conducted till data saturation. The data were analyzed using MAXQDA software. Results: The average age of mothers was 27.6 (+/- 2.2) years. Among the participants, 16 (44.4%) were antenatal and 20 (55.6%) were postnatal mothers; 19 (52.8%) were primipara and 17 (47.2%) were multipara. The majority explained that they received enormous support including door-to-door services from the community health workers (CHWs) even during the difficult times of the pandemic. Reduced transportation facility and fear of contracting the infection were reasons behind the unwillingness to visit health facilities and preference for home delivery. Furthermore, the pandemic had physical, mental, social, and financial impacts among pregnant and postnatal women. Conclusion: The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic has affected access to MCH services by antenatal and postnatal mothers. Health system preparedness and appropriate strategies including better community engagement and participation could avert such challenges in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- MATERNAL health services
RESEARCH
MOTHERS
HEALTH services accessibility
SOCIAL support
PSYCHOLOGY of mothers
INTERVIEWING
TRANSPORTATION of patients
FEAR
QUALITATIVE research
CHILDBIRTH at home
PATIENTS' attitudes
CHILD health services
PUERPERIUM
RESEARCH funding
MATERNAL mortality
PRENATAL care
POSTNATAL care
DATA analysis software
MEDICAL appointments
COVID-19 pandemic
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 09700218
- Volume :
- 48
- Issue :
- 3
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- Indian Journal of Community Medicine
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 165628475
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_285_22