Developing a Pictorial Sisterhood Method in collaboration with illiterate Maasai traditional birth attendants in northern Tanzania.

Int J Gynaecol Obstet

Athena Institute for Research on Innovation and Communication in Health and Life Sciences, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, VU University, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Published: October 2016

AI Article Synopsis

  • The study aimed to determine if maternal mortality data could be collected while keeping local control over the information in a pastoral community, where data scarcity and cultural silence hinder awareness of the issue.
  • A collaborative research project involved traditional birth attendants (TBAs) developing a visual tool called the Pictorial Sisterhood Method, which was tested in a survey with a sample of women.
  • Results indicated a high maternal mortality ratio, suggesting the tool could empower illiterate participants in maternal health discussions and highlight the importance of localized data ownership and awareness.

Article Abstract

Objective: To study whether data on maternal mortality can be gathered while maintaining local ownership of data in a pastoralist setting where a scarcity of data sources and a culture of silence around maternal death amplifies limited awareness of the magnitude of maternal mortality.

Methods: As part of a participatory action research project, investigators and illiterate traditional birth attendants (TBAs) collaboratively developed a quantitative participatory tool-the Pictorial Sisterhood Method-that was pilot-tested between March 12 and May 30, 2011, by researchers and TBAs in a cross-sectional study.

Results: Fourteen TBAs interviewed 496 women (sample), which led to 2241 sister units of risk and a maternal mortality ratio of 689 deaths per 100000 live births (95% confidence interval 419-959). Researchers interviewed 474 women (sample), leading to 1487 sister units of risk and a maternal mortality ratio of 484 (95% confidence interval 172-795).

Conclusion: The Pictorial Sisterhood Method is an innovative application that might increase the participation of illiterate individuals in maternal health research and advocacy. It offers interesting opportunities to increase maternal mortality data ownership and awareness, and warrants further study and validation.

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Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijgo.2016.03.035DOI Listing

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