Firdous, T, Darwin, Z orcid.org/0000-0001-8147-0669 and Hassan, SM (2020) Muslim women’s experiences of maternity services in the UK: Qualitative systematic review and thematic synthesis. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 20. 115. ISSN 1471-2393
Abstract
Background
This review aimed to identify and synthesise evidence of Muslim women’s experiences of maternity services in the UK. A systematic review and thematic synthesis of qualitative evidence, unrestricted by type of publication was conducted. Muslim women who had accessed maternity services in the UK, regardless of obstetric or medical history were included.
Method
Databases were searched from 2001 to 2019 and screened for inclusion using pre-determined criteria. The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme Qualitative Research Checklist was used to assess study quality and findings were synthesised using thematic synthesis, as described by Thomas and Harden.
Results
Six studies were included. The following five themes were identified: Islamic practices and Individualised care; Talk, Teach and Translate; Injustice, Inequity and Intolerance; If Allah wills; and, ‘It’s not all that bad’. Synthesis highlighted the significance of Islam in shaping many of the women’s decision-making relating to antenatal screening and medication, which was contrasted with healthcare professionals’ limited awareness of the importance of Islam for motherhood. The majority of women experienced poor maternity care which at times indicated stereotypical and discriminatory behaviour.
Conclusions
Education for healthcare professionals is warranted, to enhance the quality and cultural competency in providing appropriate care that acknowledges and meets Muslim women’s needs.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © The Author(s). 2020 Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated. |
Keywords: | Muslim women, Religion, Cultural competency, Maternity care, Systematic review |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Medicine and Health (Leeds) > School of Healthcare (Leeds) > Midwifery (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 14 Feb 2020 11:38 |
Last Modified: | 25 Jun 2023 22:09 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | BioMed Central |
Identification Number: | 10.1186/s12884-020-2811-8 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:157026 |