title: Health seeking behavior among pregnant women in rural Haiti.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to further knowledge of health care seeking behavior among pregnant women in rural Haiti. Eighty-two pregnant women were interviewed to assess care seeking behaviors during pregnancy, satisfaction with services, reliance on social networks, and management of pregnancy-related illness. Twenty-five percent reported not seeking care in the formal health sector for a pregnancy-related illness; 32% delayed seeking care. Women relied primarily on their husbands and mothers for health care advice during pregnancy and times of illness, and coped with illness by lying down. Strategies for improving awareness and health care access are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. klwhite@prc.utexas.edu
authors.forename: Kari
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Small
authors.forename: Rikerdy
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Frederic
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Joseph
authors.forename: Reginald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bateau
authors.forename: Trace
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kershaw
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D010298:Parity; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control; D037841:Pregnant People / Q000208:ethnology*; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires