Cent Eur J Nurs Midw 2013, 4(1):528-536

Social inequality issues in midwifery

Veronika Sopuchová^1,*, Radka Bužgová²

¹ Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Municipal Hospital Ostrava

² Department of Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ostrava

Aim: The aims of the qualitative research were to determine whether social inequality among women in labor affects the approach of health professionals to laboring women and those staying on a postnatal ward and to compare opinions on this approach between health professionals and these women.

Methods: The group, selected by purposive sampling, comprised 11 midwives and 12 women staying on a postnatal ward while the research was conducted. Data for the qualitative research were collected using semi-structured individual interviews and content analysis.

Results: The interview analysis showed that the age and level of education of women in labor have an impact on their education by and cooperation with midwives. And in some midwives, these also affect their attitude to laboring women. But what also influences the approach of some midwives, mostly in a negative sense, is laboring women's belonging to a minority group.

Conclusion: Social inequality among women in labor not only has an impact on midwives' approach to laboring women and those staying on a postnatal ward but also affects childbirth preparation and possibility to benefit from the presence of birth support people or pain management options not covered by insurance.

Keywords: social inequality, woman in labor, delivery, midwife, approach

Published: March 30, 2013  Show citation