Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

The purpose of this exploratory-descriptive study is to describe the beliefs, values, and practices regarding the childbearing experience as perceived by a sample of Navajo childbearing women. The methodology is a replication of that used in previous studies by the researchers and colleagues who investigated the childbearing experience as perceived by childbearing women of five other culture s. A Navajo nurse interviewed 20 pregnant Navajo women between 16 and 38years ofage who reside on the Navajo reservation. The 35items with which at least 12 subjects agreed are reported. The great diversity in beliefs, values, and practices reported by this sample of Navajo childbearing women is consistent withfindings of thefive previous studies. The results reemphasize the needfor individualized culture-specific assessment of each Navajo childbearing client to provide health care that is truly sensitive to her cultural needs.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Affonso, D. (1979). Framework for cultural assessment. In A. Clark & D. Affonso (Eds.), Childbearing: A nursing perspective (2nd ed., pp. 107-119). Philadelphia: F. A. Davis.

Boyle, J. , Szymanski, M. , & Szymanski, M. (1992). Improving home health care for the Navajo. Nursing Connections, 5(4), 3-13.

Dempsey, P. , & Gesse, T. (1983). The childbearing Haitian refugee: Cultural application to clinical nursing. Public Health Reports, 98, 261-267.

Dempsey, P. , & Gesse, T. (1985). The childbearing Cuban refugee: A cultural profile. Urban Health, 14, 32-37.

Dempsey, P. , & Hippo, P. (1989, October). Childbearing beliefs of Spanish speaking women from Mexico (part 1). Paper presented at the Sigma Theta Tau Annual Research Day, El Paso, TX.

Dempsey, P. , & Hippo, P. (1990, October). Childbearing beliefs of Spanish speaking women from Mexico (part 2). Paper presented at the Sigma Theta Tau Annual Research Day, El Paso, TX.

Dempsey, P. , & Hippo, P. (1991, October). Cross cultural perspectives on childbearing women. Paper presented at the Sigma Theta Tau Annual Research Day, El Paso, TX.

Dutton, B. (1983). American Indians of the Southwest. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press.

Evans, P. , & Fike, J. (1975). The Navajo way: As related to pregnancy, childbearing and childrearing. Arizona Medicine, 32(2), 97-99.

10.

Gesse, T. (1991, October). Childbearing practice cross-culturally and clinical application of assessment data. Paper presented at Integrated Genetics Regional Workshop, Orlando, FL.

11.

Gesse, T. , & Strauss, K. (1991, April). Childbearing values, beliefs and practices of Black American women in South Florida. Poster presented at University of Miami-Jackson Memorial Medical Center Research Day, Miami.

12.

Goldstein, D. (1987). A traditional Navajo medicine woman-a modern nurse-midwife-healing in harmony. Frontier Nursing Service Quarterly Bulletin, 52(3), 6-13.

13.

Higgins, P. , & Dicharry, E. (1991). Measurement issues addressing social support with Navajo women. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 13, 242-255.

14.

Hippo, P. (1989a, April). Childbearing beliefs of Spanish speaking womenfrom Mexico: Nursing implications. Paper presented at New Mexico section of Nurses Association of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (NAACOG) annual meeting, Las Cruces, NM. (Poster presented at seventh national meeting of NAACOG, St. Louis, MO)

15.

Hippo, P. (1989b, May). Cross cultural approaches to nursing practice issues: Childbearing beliefs of Spanish speaking women from Mexico. Symposium presentation at 22nd Annual Western Society for Research in Nursing, San Diego.

16.

Phillips, S. , & Lobar, S. (1990). Literature summary of some Navajo child health beliefs and rearing practices within atranscultural nursing framework. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 1(2), 13-20.

17.

Satz, K. (1982). Integrating Navajo tradition into maternal-child nursing. Image: Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 14(3), 89-91.

18.

Strauss, K. , & Gesse, T. (1992, October). Beliefs and practices of Black American childbearing women. Paper presented at the 18th Annual Transcultural Nursing Society Conference, Miami.

Beliefs,Values,and Practices of Navajo Childbearing Women

Abstract

Get full access to this article

References