Nuampa Sasitara, Tangsuksan Pornnapa, Sasiwongsaroj Kwanchit, Pungbangkadee Rudee, Rungamornrat Somsiri, Doungphummes Nuntiya, Netniyom Sittiporn, Patil Crystal L
Department of Obstetric and Gynaecological Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Department of Cultural Studies, Research Institute for Languages and Cultures of Asia, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand.
Int J Equity Health. 2024 Aug 7;23(1):156. doi: 10.1186/s12939-024-02240-1.
Although nutrition is an essential contributor to the quality of pregnancy outcomes, little is known about the experiences and influences affecting dietary behaviors during pregnancy among migrant women, particularly those from Myanmar, the largest immigrant population in Thailand. To fill this gap, we conducted a descriptive qualitative study to explore Myanmar immigrant women's perceptions, beliefs, and information-seeking behaviors concerning nutrition and food practices during pregnancy.
We conducted focus group discussions (FGDs) with fifty Myanmar immigrant pregnant women aged 18-45 years across all trimesters, who were recruited using purposive sampling from a public tertiary hospital. The FGDs were conducted in Thai or Myanmar using semi-structured guides that probed women's pregnancy perceptions and experiences about nutrition and food patterns during pregnancy. The FGDs were audio-recorded, translated, and transcribed. Direct content analysis was used to guide the analysis through an ecological perspective framework.
The seven FGDs with fifty women revealed four major themes involving perceptions, beliefs, and information-seeking behaviors. The qualitative results consisted of (1) a positive attitude toward better changes under difficult conditions (setting goals for infant health; uncertainty about changes); (2) beliefs about eating patterns and dietary practices during pregnancy (taboos aimed at protecting women's health and ensuring safe childbirth; taboos aimed at guaranteeing infant safety); (3) limited access to appropriate information about nutrition (unclear dietary information from healthcare providers; ease of learning from experiences in informal social networks); and (4) difficult living conditions in a non-native setting (work-related influences on dietary behaviors; lack of comprehensible language to gain food literacy). In addition, the results were highlighted across four levels of ecological perspectives.
Immigrant pregnant women are a vulnerable population that should be treated with equity to ensure quality of life through optimal nutrition throughout pregnancy. Respectful care requires that healthcare providers develop culturally sensitive nutrition interventions to increase nutrition literacy, accessibility, and pregnancy outcomes.
尽管营养是影响妊娠结局质量的重要因素，但对于移民妇女孕期饮食行为的经历和影响，尤其是泰国最大移民群体缅甸妇女的相关情况，我们却知之甚少。为填补这一空白，我们开展了一项描述性定性研究，以探究缅甸移民妇女在孕期对营养和饮食行为的认知、信念及信息寻求行为。
我们对50名年龄在18至45岁、处于孕期各阶段的缅甸移民孕妇进行了焦点小组讨论（FGD），这些孕妇是从一家公立三级医院通过目的抽样法招募而来的。焦点小组讨论用泰语或缅甸语进行，使用半结构化指南，探讨妇女对孕期营养和饮食模式的认知及经历。焦点小组讨论进行了录音、翻译和转录。直接内容分析法用于通过生态视角框架指导分析。
与50名妇女进行的7次焦点小组讨论揭示了涉及认知、信念和信息寻求行为的四个主要主题。定性结果包括：（1）在困难条件下对积极变化的积极态度（为婴儿健康设定目标；对变化的不确定性）；（2）对孕期饮食模式和饮食习惯的信念（旨在保护妇女健康和确保安全分娩的禁忌；旨在保证婴儿安全的禁忌）；（3）获取适当营养信息的机会有限（医疗保健提供者提供的饮食信息不明确；从非正式社交网络的经验中易于学习）；以及（4）在非本土环境中的艰难生活条件（工作对饮食行为的影响；缺乏易懂的语言以获取食品知识）。此外，结果在生态视角的四个层面得到了突出体现。
移民孕妇是弱势群体，应公平对待，以通过孕期最佳营养确保生活质量。尊重性护理要求医疗保健提供者制定具有文化敏感性的营养干预措施，以提高营养知识水平、可及性和妊娠结局。
