Stud Fam Plann. 1992 Sep-Oct;23(5):279-91.
This article is the result of a collaborative effort among the researchers of the Prevention of Maternal Mortality Network. The network consists of 12 multidisciplinary teams, 11 in West Africa and one based at Columbia University in New York. This article summarizes exploratory research conducted by the African teams using focus-group discussions in rural communities in Nigeria, Ghana, and Sierra Leone. The objective was to identify barriers to the use of health-care facilities when obstetric problems arise. The findings illustrate how sociocultural factors, such as societal expectations and the role of women, affect the use of health services. Physical and social distance between communities and facilities, as well as transportation problems, were found to be obstacles to care. Health-service factors were also found to pose barriers to prompt treatment. This article also provides an example of how qualitative methodology can be used to obtain substantive information about a community's frustrations and needs with respect to health care.
本文是孕产妇死亡预防网络研究人员共同努力的成果。该网络由12个多学科团队组成，其中11个在西非，1个位于纽约的哥伦比亚大学。本文总结了非洲团队在尼日利亚、加纳和塞拉利昂的农村社区通过焦点小组讨论进行的探索性研究。目的是确定出现产科问题时使用医疗保健设施的障碍。研究结果表明社会文化因素，如社会期望和妇女的角色，如何影响卫生服务的使用。社区与设施之间的物理和社会距离以及交通问题被发现是获得护理的障碍。卫生服务因素也被发现对及时治疗构成障碍。本文还提供了一个例子，说明如何使用定性方法来获取有关社区在医疗保健方面的挫折和需求的实质性信息。
