Complementary and alternative medicine in midwifery: a qualitative exploration of perceptions and utilisation of CAM among trained midwives in rural Ghana

Recently, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies have become popular in maternity care as many midwives either use or recommend them to women. Studies in Ghana, however, have conspicuously missed the standpoint of the persons working within maternity care, specifically midwives'...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Evidence based midwifery 2017-12, Vol.15 (4), p.135-142
Main Authors: Peprah, Prince, Abalo, Emmanuel Mawuli, Nyonyo, Julius, Okwei, Reforce, Amankwaa, Godfred
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alternative medicine
Attitudes
Childbirth & labor
Clinical medicine
Developing countries
Fasting
Health care
Health care policy
Herbal medicine
Herbalism
Integrative medicine
LDCs
Midwifery
Midwives
Perceptions
Prayer
Pregnancy
Qualitative research
Rural areas
Rural communities
Rural development
Rural health care
Underserved populations
Womens health
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Summary:Recently, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies have become popular in maternity care as many midwives either use or recommend them to women. Studies in Ghana, however, have conspicuously missed the standpoint of the persons working within maternity care, specifically midwives' perspectives concerning their perception and utilisation of such therapies. As midwives work closely with pregnant women, evaluating their perception and utilisation of CAM could be important in the planning of future integration policies. To explore the perceptions and utilisation of CAM by trained midwives in rural Ghana, and to determine their attitudes toward the implementation of an intercultural healthcare policy in Ghana. In-depth interviews, augmented by informal conversations, were conducted with all (n=25) trained midwives within the Birim South District in the Eastern Region of Ghana from 10 June to 30 July 2017. Data were thematically analysed and presented based on the posteriori inductive reduction approach. Institutional ethical approval was gained through the office of the Department of Geography and Rural Development, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. Trained midwives have positive perceptions about CAM, use CAM therapies frequently and recommend them to women. Herbal medicine, prayer and fasting were mostly practised. However, trained midwives have very limited knowledge about CAM. Findings reveal a positive attitude to, and support for, integrative medical care in Ghana by trained midwives. The study findings suggest a perfect opportunity for the integration of CAM into the mainstream healthcare system in Ghana to address the shortfalls in knowledge. Evidence-based integration of traditional medical therapies into clinical practice will provide safer, faster and more effective healthcare for the underserved and resource-poor, particularly in the rural areas.
ISSN:1479-4489