Religion and Spirituality in Pregnancy and Birth: The Views of Birth Practitioners in Southeast Nigeria
Religion and spirituality have been acknowledged as crucial aspects of health and wellbeing. Nigeria, the most populous African country, is a multi-religious society where plural health systems (traditional and modern) co-exist. Religion is part of everyday conversation within the country and tradit...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2019-01-01
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| Series: | Religions |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/10/2/82 |
| _version_ | 1818141877642199040 |
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| author | Magdalena Ohaja Jo Murphy-Lawless Margaret Dunlea |
| author_facet | Magdalena Ohaja Jo Murphy-Lawless Margaret Dunlea |
| author_sort | Magdalena Ohaja |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Religion and spirituality have been acknowledged as crucial aspects of health and wellbeing. Nigeria, the most populous African country, is a multi-religious society where plural health systems (traditional and modern) co-exist. Religion is part of everyday conversation within the country and traditional healthcare providers are believed to have spiritual healing powers. Correspondingly, Nigerian women in their quest for a meaningful and comprehensive maternity care experience continue to use the plural health systems during the pregnancy birth continuum. Drawing from data collected through interviewing midwives (n = 7) and traditional birth attendants (n = 5), this paper explored the place of religion and spirituality within maternity care in the context of Igbo-Nigeria, through the lens of hermeneutic-phenomenology. Ethical approval was granted by relevant institutions and consent was obtained from each participant prior to the interviews. The findings revealed divergent views of the birth practitioners, influenced on one hand by conventional Western scientific ways of thinking, and on the other hand by traditional/cultural orientation. Healthcare professionals’ views on the place of religion and spirituality within maternity care in Igbo-Nigeria reflect societal norms, impacting either positively or negatively on women’s needs for a meaningful maternity care experience. In order to improve women’s satisfaction with their pregnancy and birth experience, it is important for the healthcare providers to pay attention to and reflect on their own religious and spiritual belief systems. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T11:06:52Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-594172099d9a4cc69addf0b37baeb0ee |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T11:06:52Z |
| publishDate | 2019-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj.art-594172099d9a4cc69addf0b37baeb0ee2022-12-22T01:09:41ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442019-01-011028210.3390/rel10020082rel10020082Religion and Spirituality in Pregnancy and Birth: The Views of Birth Practitioners in Southeast NigeriaMagdalena Ohaja0Jo Murphy-Lawless1Margaret Dunlea2School of Nursing and Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin, 24 D’Olier Street, D02 T283 Dublin, IrelandSchool of Nursing and Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin, 24 D’Olier Street, D02 T283 Dublin, IrelandSchool of Nursing and Midwifery, Trinity College Dublin, 24 D’Olier Street, D02 T283 Dublin, IrelandReligion and spirituality have been acknowledged as crucial aspects of health and wellbeing. Nigeria, the most populous African country, is a multi-religious society where plural health systems (traditional and modern) co-exist. Religion is part of everyday conversation within the country and traditional healthcare providers are believed to have spiritual healing powers. Correspondingly, Nigerian women in their quest for a meaningful and comprehensive maternity care experience continue to use the plural health systems during the pregnancy birth continuum. Drawing from data collected through interviewing midwives (n = 7) and traditional birth attendants (n = 5), this paper explored the place of religion and spirituality within maternity care in the context of Igbo-Nigeria, through the lens of hermeneutic-phenomenology. Ethical approval was granted by relevant institutions and consent was obtained from each participant prior to the interviews. The findings revealed divergent views of the birth practitioners, influenced on one hand by conventional Western scientific ways of thinking, and on the other hand by traditional/cultural orientation. Healthcare professionals’ views on the place of religion and spirituality within maternity care in Igbo-Nigeria reflect societal norms, impacting either positively or negatively on women’s needs for a meaningful maternity care experience. In order to improve women’s satisfaction with their pregnancy and birth experience, it is important for the healthcare providers to pay attention to and reflect on their own religious and spiritual belief systems.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/10/2/82religionspiritualitypregnancy and childbirthcultural practicesNigeria |
| spellingShingle | Magdalena Ohaja Jo Murphy-Lawless Margaret Dunlea Religion and Spirituality in Pregnancy and Birth: The Views of Birth Practitioners in Southeast Nigeria Religions religion spirituality pregnancy and childbirth cultural practices Nigeria |
| title | Religion and Spirituality in Pregnancy and Birth: The Views of Birth Practitioners in Southeast Nigeria |
| title_full | Religion and Spirituality in Pregnancy and Birth: The Views of Birth Practitioners in Southeast Nigeria |
| title_fullStr | Religion and Spirituality in Pregnancy and Birth: The Views of Birth Practitioners in Southeast Nigeria |
| title_full_unstemmed | Religion and Spirituality in Pregnancy and Birth: The Views of Birth Practitioners in Southeast Nigeria |
| title_short | Religion and Spirituality in Pregnancy and Birth: The Views of Birth Practitioners in Southeast Nigeria |
| title_sort | religion and spirituality in pregnancy and birth the views of birth practitioners in southeast nigeria |
| topic | religion spirituality pregnancy and childbirth cultural practices Nigeria |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/10/2/82 |
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