| Abstrakt: |
Introduction: Every mother has the right to receive respectful maternity care (RMC). Evidence of disrespect and mistreatment is reported globally. In the nation like India, during childbirth, almost every woman goes through some level of disregard and abuse, even though research on RMC among postnatal mothers of Indian and Kerala origin is scarce. Therefore, exploring this issue would be useful in the evidence-based fine-tuning of RMC services to promote quality maternal and newborn care. Objective: To assess perceptions of RMC among postnatal mothers. Methodology: We adopted an a quantitative approach with a descriptive cross-sectional design and collected data from 250 postnatal mothers based on consecutive sampling. The research setting is the postnatal wards of selected hospitals in Kannur District, Kerala. Data were collected using an interview schedule and a five-point RMC rating scale. The RMC assessment scale was developed by the investigator. Result: Most mothers (76.0%) had a moderate perception of RMC. The score regarding RMC among postnatal mothers is higher in the domain "Abusive free and discrimination-free care" with a median of 53.0 with IQR 5, and the lowest score is reported in the domain "providing comfort". There is a significant association between perception regarding RMC among postnatal mothers and sociopersonal variables such as religion, monthly income, and residence (p<0.05). Predictors such as age (adjusted odds ratio AOR=0.81 (0.60-1.10), P=0.178), religion (AOR=0.56 (0.29-1.07), P=0.061), monthly income (AOR=1.54 (0.76-3.10), P=0.230) and residence (AOR=0.42 (0.17-1.04), P=0.061) were not statistically significantly associated with perceptions of RMC among postnatal mothers. Conclusions: This study has highlighted the need to promote RMC by providing dignified and women-centred maternity care, evaluating and applying evidence-based care and providing a suitable environment for women, families, and caregivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
