Experiences of mothers who are on tuberculosis treatment While caring for their children in Nelson Mandela Bay health district

Title: Experiences of mothers who are on tuberculosis treatment While caring for their children in Nelson Mandela Bay health district
Creator: Mwadiwa, Chiedza
Subject: Caring experiences -- Nelson Mandela Bay
Subject: Tuberculosis treatment
Date Issued: 2023-12
Date: 2023-12
Type: Master's theses
Type: text
Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/62935
Identifier: vital:73071
Description: Women and mothers have an important role to play as caregivers of their children. However, mothers are often faced with challenges with fulfilling this important role. Many women value the caring role as a mother over other areas of their lives, and for ill women, such as those with tuberculosis (TB) and those on TB treatment, it can be difficult to relinquish maternal responsibility. Indeed, many mothers in South Africa and other low- and middle-income countries develop TB during pregnancy and postpartum because their immune systems are compromised. For a mother who is chronically ill, carrying out a mother’s caregiving role presents a range of challenges. However, few studies have addressed this problem or explored the experiences of such mothers. The purpose of the study was to understand the experiences of mothers who are on TB treatment while caring for their children in order to establish their support needs and thereby develop recommendations to assist CHWs, nurses and nurse managers at primary healthcare (PHC) clinics to provide optimum care to such women. The Socio-Ecological model was used as the theoretical lens to explore the phenomenon under investigation. A qualitative, exploratory-descriptive research design was identified as most suited to respond to the research question. Purposive sampling was used to select both the participants and the clinics in the Nelson Mandela Bay Health District (NMBHD) for the purpose of this study. The population was mothers on TB treatment caring for their children (aged five years or younger) who were attending either one of the two of the largest PHC clinics in Sub-district C in the NMBH. Altogether ten mothers on TB treatment caring for their children took part in individual semi-structured interviews conducted telephonically. Ethical clearance was obtained from Nelson Mandela University and permission was obtained from the Department of Health (DoH), district office, operational managers at the respective clinics, and the participants involved in the study. Trustworthiness was enhanced by ensuring credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability. Ethical principles were upheld throughout the course of this study namely respect for persons, beneficence and justice. All interviews were recorded and transcribed, and the data was analysed using Tesch’s method of data analysis to identify the themes. Three themes came out of the data, namely: Theme 1: Mothers expressed having to navigate a range of physical and psychosocial challenges while caring for their v children; Theme 2: Mothers struggled to perform motherly roles while on TB treatment; Theme 3: Mothers described their relationships with their family, community members and clinic health practitioners. The experiences of the participants were described using direct quotations from the interviews followed by a literature control used to verify the participants’ experiences. Thereafter, the findings were used to develop recommendations to optimise the care and support of mothers on TB treatment who are caring for their children. Four recommendations were developed: Recommendation 1: Prepare and support mothers with TB to care for themselves and their children; Recommendation 2: Assist CHWs and nurses to care and support mothers with TB and their children; Recommendation 3: Prepare and support family members to support mothers with TB and their children and Recommendation 4: Educate community members regarding the needs of mothers with TB. There is limited existing research on mothers who are on TB treatment while caring for their children. This research study helped to fill this gap, particularly in an urban Eastern Cape context. The findings illustrated mothers’ physical and psychosocial challenges, as well their role-related challenges and finally the challenges related to the various spousal, family, community and clinic relationships that influence their experience of caring for their child while on TB treatment.
Description: Thesis (MA) -- Faculty of Health Science, 2023
Format: computer
Format: online resource
Format: application/pdf
Format: 1 online resource (xiii, 164 pages)
Format: pdf
Publisher: Nelson Mandela University
Publisher: Faculty of Health Science
Language: English
Rights: Nelson Mandela University
Rights: All Rights Reserved
Rights: Open Access

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