International Journal of Innovative Research and Development

Abstract

Objective: To examine the relationship of child abandonment with maternal perception of the infant and perceived social support during the perinatal period.

Design: Correlational two group comparative survey

Setting: Khami women's prison and United Bulawayo Hospital

Subjects: Women who had abandoned their babies Main outcome

Measures: Demographic variables included maternal age at the time of pregnancy, parity, education level, marital status, medication used in pregnancy, length of pregnancy, health status. Maternal perception of the infant was measured using a Neonatal Perception Inventory. Social support was measured using the Perceived Social Support Scale -Friends and Family (Prociano and Heller, 1983). Results Bi-variate correlation showed a negative correlation to infant perception. Further analysis showed that the groups were also different in terms of age, marital status, place of delivery, but not different in terms of the education attainment, employment status, and child factors such as age, sex, and gestational age of the child. Conclusion Child abandoners were younger mostly single and did not deliver in hospital settings. They were likely to have had a negative perception of their infant. However, child abandonment was not associated with education attainment, employment status, and child factors such as age, sex, and gestational age of the child.

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The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between social support and fatigue on people living with HIV/AIDS stage 3 and 4, Harare Central Hospital in Harare. The study sought to answer whether social support mitigates fatigue in people living with HIV.A descriptive correlational study design was used in this study. Systematic interval sampling was used to select 80 ambulatory adults, 25 to 50 years old living with HIV/AIDS at stage 3 and 4. Data were obtained through a structured interview questionnaire.The Pearson’s product-moment correlation coefficient between social support and fatigue was (r=-0.66; p<0.01. This implied that as social support increased, fatigue among people living with HIV/AIDS decreased. The coefficient of determination, R² = 0.44 (F=60.4) indicated that social support was responsible for 44% of the variation in fatigue. The regression analysis was statistically significant as evidenced by a significant Fisher statistic. On the other hand (β=-0.8, SEB=0.11) implied that for every unit increase in social support, fatigue decreased by 0.8.Social support may be instrumental in enhancing functioning of the four adaptation modes crafted by Roy in the adaptation model which are physiologic components, self-concept, role function and interdependence. With enough support, adaptation is possible at every stage that is from tiredness to exhaustion.

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This study aimed at determining the relationship between domestic violence during pregnancy and adverse pregnancy outcomes. A descriptive correlational study design was employed. The setting for this study was Marondera Provincial Hospital in Zimbabwe, targeting women of childbearing age 15 to 49 years. A total of 120 participants were drawn from post-natal, neonatal unit and female wards including both post-natal and post aborted mothers. Convenient sampling method was used to recruit participants and face to face interviews were done using structured interviews to collect data. Data was coded and computed using the SPSS 16.0 and was analysed through descriptive and inferential statistics. The study revealed that women are experiencing different forms of domestic violence but they are not reporting. The results revealed that 32.5% of women experienced psychological/emotional abuse, 24.2% economic abuse, 11.7% physical abuse and 7.5% sexual abuse. Of the 120 participants, 21.7% reported abuse in pregnancy. The major adverse pregnancy outcomes reported included preterm deliveries (9.2%), low birth weight (13.3%), birth asphyxia8.3%, still births (2.5%), neonatal deaths (0.8%) and abortion (3.3%). Late antenatal care booking 79 (65.8%) and unbooked 1 (0.8%) cases were reported as some of the major risk factors. The major abusers were the intimate partners (17.5%), followed by the ex-husbands (1.7%). Other people like the in-laws were also reported as abusers (2.5%). The study revealed that these cases were going away unreported as most of the cases were not reported for medical care and even to the police. The inferential statistics revealed that there is a positive relationship between domestic violence during pregnancy and adverse pregnancy outcomes at (r=.229* and p=<0.05). R-squared indicated that experience of domestic violence during pregnancy accounts for 5.3% of the variance in the occurrence of adverse pregnancy outcomes. The study revealed that there is great need to intensify education of both men and women on the effects of domestic violence in pregnancy and strength the policy framework for the implementation of the local, regional and international polices on rights of women in a bid to improve health outcomes for women and children.

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