Immigrant and Newcomer Women's Experiences of Maternity Services in Edmonton, Canada

Higginbottom, Gina Marie Awoko

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Gina Marie Awoko Higginbottom, PhD, RN, RHV, RM, BA, (Hons), MA¹
Beverley A. O'Brien, RN¹
Zubia Mumtaz, PhD, MPH, MBBS²
Sophie Yohani, PhD, MEd, BA³
Yvonne Chiu, BSc⁴
Philomena Okeke-Ihejirika, PhD, MSc, BEd⁵
Patricia Paton, MA, BA⁶
(1)Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
(2)School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
(3)Department of Educational Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
(4)Multicultural Health Brokers Cooperative, Edmonton, AB, Canada
(5)Women's Studies Program, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
(6)Alberta Health Services, Medicine Hat, AB, Canada

Learning Objective 1: The learner will be able to gain understanding of challenges for immigrant/newcomer women when accessing and navigating maternity care services.

Learning Objective 2: The learner will be able to become sensitized to strategies for developing new models of maternity care to respond to diverse needs of immigrant/newcomer women.

Where culturally-appropriate maternity care is not delivered studies demonstrate a negative trajectory of events ranging from simple miscommunication to life-threatening incidents (1). Purpose: To increase our understanding of how maternity services can better enable immigrant/minority women to have positive maternity experiences. In particular, we will deconstruct the ways in which exclusion, cultural norms and preferences, language and communication difficulties and socioeconomic and gendered disadvantage inter-relate. Methods: The study design utilizes a mixed methodological approach with four phases and is currently in phase two. Phase one incorporates secondary analysis of Maternity Experiences Survey (2009) data, specifically women’s views regarding quality of maternity services. Additional Alberta specific data will be analyzed to improve understanding of maternity outcomes for immigrants. Phase two is a qualitative investigation, using in-depth interviews with immigrant women, health professionals, policy makers, immigrant advocates and community representatives in Edmonton (40 participants) and Brooks (40 participants). Qualitative data is being managed, classified and ordered with Atlas.ti software and analyzed using Roper & Shapira’s (2) ethnographic analysis framework. A metasynthesis of evidence on immigrant women’s experiences of maternity care will be performed in phase three. Integrated knowledge translational and transformative activities comprise phase four. Results: Data collection for the qualitative investigation in Edmonton is complete and findings will be shared. Conclusion/Implications: New information regarding maternity care, challenges facing health professionals, and policy concerns related to services provision will be ascertained. Critical factors in care delivery will be identified and policy and practice solutions generated. Key messages for improving services will be delivered to stakeholders to facilitate measurable impacts upon maternity care for immigrant women. References: 1) Meddings F, Haith-Cooper M 2008. Nursing Ethics, 15, 52-61; 2) Roper J, Shapira J 2000. Ethnography in nursing research. Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA.

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