- Title
- Saudi Women's knowledge and awareness of the risk of venous thromboembolism during pregnancy and the puerperium and the practice of ‘lying-in’: a mixed methods study
- Creator
- Alshammari, Afrah Madyan
- Relation
- University of Newcastle Research Higher Degree Thesis
- Resource Type
- thesis
- Date
- 2024
- Description
- Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
- Description
- Background: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) refers to blood clots in the veins including Deep Vein Thrombosis (blood clots in deep veins, usually in the leg or pelvis), and Pulmonary Embolism (when a piece of blood clot is dislodged and flows through the bloodstream to the lung causing a blockage in the lung). During pregnancy, the human body undergoes physiological and anatomical changes that increase the risk of VTE. Prolonged periods of immobility such as during postpartum ‘lying-in’ may increase this risk. Aim: To assess Saudi women’s awareness of the risks of VTE during pregnancy and the puerperium in Al-Jouf, KSA and in Australia, and to explore Saudi women’s cultural practice of ‘lying-in’ after the birth of the baby. Design: Two separate studies using a mix of methods. A qualitative descriptive study using semi structured interviews with pregnant and postnatal women in Al-Jouf and, a quantitative cross-sectional study with a survey including two validated tools to compare Saudi Arabian pregnant and postnatal women’s awareness of the risk of VTE and postnatal practices of ‘lying-in’ in Al-Jouf and in Australia. Results: interviews were conducted with 15 pregnant and postnatal women in Al-Jouf. Analysis of the individual interview data led to the creation of two main themes, ‘40 days rest is expected’ and ‘pregnancy and blood clots? No way!’. These two main themes illustrated the participants’ knowledge and awareness of the risk of VTE, as well as their experiences with lying-in during the postpartum period. Women justified their lying-in practice due to customs and a lack of knowledge about any risks of this practice. Some women had prior awareness of blood clotting due to factors such as a personal or a neighbour’s experience of VTE, or face-to-face health education, or through the internet. Most participants confirmed their lack of awareness of the risk of VTE during pregnancy and the postpartum period, as well as their desire for health education to improve understanding. Analysis of the survey data from 380 Saudi women in Al-Jouf and 85 Saudi women in Australia confirmed the lack of awareness/knowledge of the risk of VTE associated with pregnancy and the puerperium. The practice of ‘lying-in’ was more common amongst Saudi women in Al-Jouf than in Australia, due to the lack of family in Australia to provide support. Awareness of the risk of VTE during pregnancy and the postpartum period was higher amongst Saudi women in Australia, possibly due to exposure to a different health system which emphasises education about the risks. Conclusions: pregnant and postnatal women are at risk of VTE, and certain cultural practices, such as lying in bed during the postpartum period may further increase this risk. Therefore, it is crucial to raise awareness among Saudi Arabian women about the potential risk of VTE during pregnancy and after giving birth. Health education to encourage women to engage in physical activity during this period may mitigate the risk of VTE.
- Subject
- pregnancy; pregnant; Immobilisation; postpartum period; puerperium; postpartum women; postnatal; venous thromboembolism (VTE); deep vein thrombosis (DVT); pulmonary Embolism (PE); lying-in
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1495939
- Identifier
- uon:54086
- Rights
- Copyright 2024 Afrah Madyan Alshammari
- Language
- eng
- Full Text
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| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details Download | ATTACHMENT01 | Thesis | 3 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download | ||
| View Details Download | ATTACHMENT02 | Abstract | 288 KB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download |