Page 85 - Encyclopedia of Nursing Research

52 n CHILDBIRTH EDUCATIon

(f) caregiver perceptions of childbirth edu- The benefits of childbirth education con-
cation, (g) teaching strategies, and (h) use tinue to be a focus for nurse researchers.
C of the media (Internet, videos, and Tv) for Malata, Hauck, Monterosso, and McCaul’s
childbirth education. (2007) quasi-experimental study found pos-
A mix of both quantitative and quali- itive benefits for a childbirth education pro-
tative articles was identified. Quasi- gram designed for the needs of Malawian
experimental and correlational methods women. Artieta-Pinedo et al. (2010) reported
predominated in the quantitative studies, reduced anxiety among Spanish women
and phenomenology was the preferred qual- who attended childbirth education classes
itative research method. In addition, a num- when compared with women not attend-
ber of mixed method studies were identified. ing the classes. ngai, Chan, and Ip’s (2009)
very few authors identified a theoretical longitudinal study found support for the
framework for the study. Several frame- effectiveness of childbirth psychoeduca-
works noted were Roy’s adaptation model, tion for improving learned resourcefulness
Bandura’s self-efficacy model, Rosenbaum’s and decreasing depression outcomes among
learned resourcefulness model, and Dona- Chinese women. Childbirth education clas-
bedian’s structure, process, and outcomes ses were reported to improve antenatal adap-
framework. tation for a Turkish population (Serçekus &
There is a rise in the number of research Mete, 2010).
articles focusing on expectant fathers. Familiar topics showing a decline in
Erlandsson and Häggström-nordin’s (2010) nursing research studies include child-
phenomenological study found that Swedish birth education for teens and the effect of
fathers attending childbirth education dis- childbirth education on pain control during
cussions focused on the normalcy of birth, labor. This raises interesting questions. Has
the father’s role, infant behaviors, the need teen pregnancy become so normalized in
for information on complicated births, gender American culture, as well as worldwide, that
roles, and parenting. The benefits of a male- there is less emphasis on attending to the
facilitated, all-male discussion group for developmental needs of teens during preg-
expectant fathers in Australia were reported nancy? or do researchers believe we know all
by Friedewald, Fletcher, and Fairbairn (2005). that is necessary about the care of pregnant
Those fathers discussed topics such as their teen families? Has the marked acceptance of
role as fathers, coping, relationships, and pharmaceutically managed pain control in
communication. labor decreased the interest of both families
The use of electronic sources for child- and nurses in studying alternate options? or
birth education is becoming a focus of have nurses become discouraged in promot-
research. A research brief reporting on the ing the concepts of “natural” childbirth?
effects of a popular Tv reality show geared The increase in the global nature of
to childbirth states the media uses a medical nursing research on childbirth education is
model to depict childbirth, portraying inter- evident. A wide variety of countries on six
ventions for labor progression and pain as continents are represented in the nursing
normal, and a lack of information on birth literature. Topics show a wide conceptual
alternatives (vandevusse & vandevusse, scope of interest but little depth of study.
2008). Swedish women are reported to use These studies use a wide variety of methods
the Internet extensively to seek pregnancy- but have refrained from stating a theoretical
related information (Larsonn, 2007). These perspective for the studies.
women perceived the information to be reli- Although mother-friendly and baby-
able, and only about half discussed the infor- friendly initiatives continue to spread
mation with their health care provider. through maternity services, a large number