Suha Al-Oballi Kridli; Olufunke M. Ilori; Heather L. Verriest
Description:
<p class="a"><strong>Purpose</strong>: The purpose of this study was to understand health beliefs and practices of Qatari women in the areas of pregnancy and childcare.</p> <p class="a"><strong>Methods</strong>: A qualitative descriptive research design, using focus groups, was used in this study. Purposive sampling was used to recruit college age Qatari women from six universities in Qatar. A total of 43 Qatari women participated in this study. NVivo 8 qualitative analysis software was used to analyze the collected data.</p> <p class="a"><strong>Results</strong>: A lack of knowledge about pregnancy and childcare was found. Family, especially mothers, provided education and support to mothers during pregnancy and after childbirth, especially during the 40-day period after childbirth. A strong preference for having a large family and having sons to carry the family name was found. Although the Qatari society is changing, the husband and husband’s family play a role in determining the number of children.</p> <strong>Conclusion</strong>: Childbirth and childcare educational sessions are highly needed, in Qatar, but need to be provided in a culturally sensitive manner. Recommendations were elicited from the participants.