Childbirth Methods in Healthcare: Essay Sample on Cultural Influences in Iran

Introduction

In a normal healthcare setup, there exist two major ways a human being can deliver a child. The processes include normal delivery and the use of the caesarian section. Each of these processes has been linked with several advantages and drawbacks. In healthcare setup, culture is an essential factor to consider. Each community has a specific belief that may affect the provision of quality care. In this case, the problem statement was the challenge in selecting the best delivery method in Iran (Zakerihamidi, Roudsari & Khoei, 2015). Although the problem statement was identified, it was not well framed for easy identification. The researcher uses the problem to create a persuasive argument by linking the impact of culture and different approaches in healthcare. The link enabled the researcher to determine the best approach to access the target population. In this research, the target population was pregnant women in Iran.

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Research Questions

Research questions are essential in directing research. They enable the researcher to focus on the main objective of the research. Also, research questions are essential for readers to understand the main area of focus. In this study, the researcher stated the research questions clearly and precisely, making it easier to understand their main focus (Zakerihamidi, Roudsari & Khoei, 2015). The two research questions used for the study are:

1. What are the values, attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions of pregnant women, midwives, and gynecologists about different modes of delivery?
2. What is the cultural meaning of childbirth from the perspective of mothers and health care providers?

According to the research questions, it is evident that the researchers aimed at addressing values, beliefs, and attitudes in midwifery using the first research question and evaluating the relationship between culture and delivery in the community using the second research question.

Methods

Research Tradition

Research tradition describes the usual process in which all research should follow regardless of the research design. In most types of research, especially those conducted in the biological and medical fields, the researcher should explain and try to quantify the problem and identify the approach to determine the effects of the problem and the measurements to be used during the research. In this research, the main problem was well identified in the introduction section, which is the impact of culture in the determination of the healthcare approach during delivery. In addition, in the methodology section, the researchers explained in detail the problem to be addressed, the target group, the selection criteria of the people to be involved in the study, and the general approach for the study (Zakerihamidi, Roudsari & Khoei, 2015). The methodology section also has detailed information on the measurement methods. Therefore, although the tradition was not directly explained, the researchers presented all the information regarding the research. No evidence of reflexivity in the research design.

Ethical Aspects of a Study

Research ethics should be considered before and during any research. Some of the ethics include protecting the participants' welfare by maintaining high levels of privacy and confidentiality and avoiding any physical or psychological harm that can occur during research. From the available information, it is evident that the researchers informed the participants on the research and assured them all the data that will be obtained would be handled with high levels of confidentiality. In addition, the researchers ensured that the data was collected in private rooms where the participants had to respond to the open-ended questions (Zakerihamidi, Roudsari & Khoei, 2015). All the participants were handles with high diligence, but the researchers did not specify the actual process used to protect the rights of pregnant women. Therefore, generally, all the essential ethics were followed during the study.

Data collection

In all types of studies, researchers should identify the best method of data collection, which will also influence the method of data analysis. The main objective of the process was to obtain wide information from the participants based on the research questions. The participants were different groups of people, from pregnant women, women with delivery experience, midwives, and others. To obtain the required information, the researcher used a semi-structured questionnaire, which was well formulated for the participants. The researcher was also keen to observe the participants' reactions (Zakerihamidi, Roudsari & Khoei, 2015). All the information was recorded and later coded for data analysis. All the methods selected to gather the data and for data management was in line with the research questions, which means that the data gathered during the process was credible.

Data Analysis

After data collection, the next steps involve analyzing the data to find the relationship between parameters and answering the research questions. The method of data analysis depends on the technique used to obtain the data. This article represents qualitative research, and thus the approach used in data analysis was based on qualitative models (Zakerihamidi, Roudsari & Khoei, 2015). The data analysis started with coding the information, theme searching, naming of the themes, and providing a report. The approach used is the best, especially because the method of data collection involved the use of open-ended questions. The link between data collection and analysis was excellent.

Results

The nature of a research report is highly dependent on the method used to present the findings. Good presentation of the findings simplifies the process of identification of how effective the research has answered the research questions and the relationship between the data obtained and the results from previous studies conducted in the area. The selection of the method to present the results depends on the researcher's preference and the research method used. Among the best approaches to present data is the use of tables and graphs, which summarizes all the findings. In this research, the researchers opted to use a table, which was used to summarize all the information obtained during the study (Zakerihamidi, Roudsari & Khoei, 2015). In addition, the researchers summarized the demographics of the participants, such as their mean age, education level, and delivery experience. Also, the researchers capture the themes and subthemes, where were presented in table format. The themes were conceptualized to satisfaction. This enabled the reader to easily link the results and the methodology.

Discussion

Findings

The study's objective was to determine the cultural effects on the delivery method in healthcare facilities. From previous research, it is evident that culture plays a crucial role in healthcare systems. Some practices, behaviors, and beliefs are likely to improve outcomes, while others are detrimental to human health. In Iran, the largest percentage of residents are Muslims who have specific beliefs that may be different from those from other communities. This research demonstrated that a significant percentage of Iranians believe that vaginal delivery is the best approach. According to the participants, the process has fewer complications and is "more natural" as compared to C-section (Zakerihamidi, Roudsari & Khoei, 2015). The experts revealed that the use of the technique reduces the infection rate and other healthcare complications such as back pain. For an effective presentation of the findings, the researchers quoted direct information from the participants. Therefore, through this study, the researchers were able to demonstrate the impact of culture, beliefs, and attitudes on the method of delivery, which was the phenomenon of interest.

Clinical Practice

In the discussion section, the researcher explained the implications of the research in clinical practice. One of the factors to be considered in clinical practice is the impact of cultural beliefs. The researchers explained that there is a need to help in the creation of a positive attitude towards methods of delivery in the community. Although most Iranian residents believe the vaginal delivery is the best, C- section is also important in reducing delivery complications that may arise during vaginal delivery (Zakerihamidi, Roudsari & Khoei, 2015). In addition, the research demonstrated the need to embrace the cultural belief of a specific community in the selection of a healthcare procedure. However, the researchers did not give a directive on future research.

Summary

Generally, qualitative research was well conducted. The efficiency of the research is judged by the organization of the report. The research questions were well presented. The researchers were able to use the questions as a channel for the selection of the best method of data collection and analysis. In addition, the study was able to link the research questions and findings. The study results were well presented, followed by a detailed explanation of the findings in the discussion section. Therefore, despite the challenge in the identification of the problem statement, the study was well conducted.

References

Zakerihamidi, M., Roudsari, R. L., & Khoei, E. M. (2015). Vaginal delivery vs. cesarean section: A focused ethnographic study of women's perceptions in The North of Iran. International journal of community-based nursing and midwifery, 3(1), 39.