Using mixed methods to mend methodological flaws in the analyses of traditional birth attendants' effectiveness in health service delivery : an examination of management of pregnancy complications / Nnanna Onuoha Arukwe, Francis Okoronkwo Okwara.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Arukwe, Nnanna Onuoha, author.

Okwara, Francis Okoronkwo, author.

Series:

SAGE Research Methods Cases : Medicine and Health.

SAGE Research Methods Cases: Medicine and Health

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Pregnancy--Complications.

Pregnancy.

Mixed methods research.

Physical Description:

1 online resource.

Place of Publication:

London : SAGE Publications Ltd, 2020.

Summary:

Mixed methods involve the integration of quantitative and qualitative research methods and can be employed in a number of situations. We employed mixed methods as a methodological strategy to mend observed methodological flaws from previous studies on Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs). With our interest in how rural health care services operate and being mindful that in rural communities where formal health care services often malfunction TBAs conduct most deliveries, we decided to examine TBAs' management of delivery complications in rural Nigeria. Although studies have been done on TBAs, mixed methods involving TBAs and mothers have been barely considered. In conducting our mixed methods research, we administered a questionnaire exclusively to service users of TBAs, considering their relatively high numbers, and derived a general perception on service effectiveness. In addition, we conducted focus group discussions to understand mothers' knowledge, experiences of delivery complications, and evaluations of service effectiveness evidenced from health outcomes. We reasoned that certain aspects of TBAs' service delivery, experiences of past and present users, actions taken in critical moments, and underlying reasons might fall outside the cognitive grasp of participants in focus group discussion sessions; hence, we further employed in-depth interviews with TBAs to provide the extra insight. By incorporating mothers' and TBAs' perspectives into our analysis, we were able to cross-check and validate information generated from the two groups. This case provides information for understanding mixed methods in operation, when and how to employ mixed methods, as well as some practical lessons in conducting mixed methods research in rural settings.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on XML content.

ISBN:

1-5297-3222-0

9781529732221

OCLC:

1151023057