'Under great anxiety': Pregnancy experiences of Vietnamese women with physical disabilities seen through an intersectional lens
Article
Article Title | 'Under great anxiety': Pregnancy experiences of Vietnamese women with physical disabilities seen through an intersectional lens |
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ERA Journal ID | 39837 |
Article Category | Article |
Authors | Nguyen, Thi Vinh (Author), King, Julie (Author), Edwards, Niki (Author) and Dunne, Michael P. (Author) |
Journal Title | Social Science and Medicine |
Journal Citation | 284, pp. 1-9 |
Article Number | 114231 |
Number of Pages | 9 |
Year | 2021 |
Publisher | Elsevier |
Place of Publication | United Kingdom |
ISSN | 0277-9536 |
1873-5347 | |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114231 |
Web Address (URL) | https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953621005633 |
Abstract | Background: There is scant research on pregnancy experiences of women with physical disabilities in low and middle-income countries. This qualitative study used an intersectional lens to explore pregnancy experiences of women with physical disabilities in northern Vietnam. Specifically, socio-cultural, economic, and environmental influences were analysed, drawing upon their lived experiences. Methods: Two in-depth interviews were conducted at different time-points in 2018 with women with physical disabilities who had given birth in the previous three years. Twenty-nine women participated in the first interview and 27 in the follow-up interview. The interviews were thematically analysed. Results: The women were happy and excited when discovering their pregnancy but they also experienced anxiety, fear, and distress. Their ambivalence related to concerns around having a child with disabilities, their capability to carry a pregnancy, and their mothering abilities. Negative community views of disability were internalised by the women. These socio-culturally constructed beliefs led to lack of confidence in their pregnancy journey. This was exacerbated by inaccessible environments that contributed to increased risk of falls, and women who used wheelchairs experienced particular difficulties. Other powerful influences included poverty, lost income, and costs associated with pregnancy. Single mothers with disabilities experienced additional stigma and discrimination as Vietnamese society judged their pregnancies as socially unacceptable. Conclusion: This study contributes to knowledge and understanding about women with physical disabilities, specifically how the intersection of gender, disability, socio-economic, and marital status shaped their pregnancy experiences in Vietnam. Multiple challenges were encountered by the women in their pregnancy journey, including negative community views, inaccessible environments, and poverty. The findings highlight the necessity for Vietnamese women with physical disabilities to be actively engaged in talking about their experiences to ensure maternal and child health providers become more sensitive to their pregnancy and motherhood needs. |
Keywords | Discrimination; Intersectionality; Maternal and child health; Motherhood; Pregnancy; Vietnam; Women with physical disabilities |
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020 | 420318. People with disability |
321502. Obstetrics and gynaecology | |
420305. Health and community services | |
Public Notes | Files associated with this item cannot be displayed due to copyright restrictions. |
Byline Affiliations | Queensland University of Technology |
Hue University, Vietnam | |
Institution of Origin | University of Southern Queensland |
https://research.usq.edu.au/item/q70v6/-under-great-anxiety-pregnancy-experiences-of-vietnamese-women-with-physical-disabilities-seen-through-an-intersectional-lens
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