Couple decision making and use of cultural scripts in Malawi.

PURPOSE: To examine the decision-making processes of husband and wife dyads in matrilineal and patrilineal marriage traditions of Malawi in the areas of money, food, pregnancy, contraception, and sexual relations. METHODS: Qualitative grounded theory using simultaneous interviews of 60 husbands and wives (30 couples). Data were analyzed according to the guidelines of simultaneous data collection and analysis. The analysis resulted in development of core categories and categories of decision-making process. Data matrixes were used to identify similarities and differences within couples and across cases. FINDINGS: Most couples reported using a mix of final decision-making approaches: husband-dominated, wife-dominated, and shared. Gender based and nongender based cultural scripts provided rationales for their approaches to decision making. Gender based cultural scripts (husband-dominant and wife-dominant) were used to justify decision-making approaches. Non-gender based cultural scripts (communicating openly, maintaining harmony, and children's welfare) supported shared decision making. Gender based cultural scripts were used in decision making more often among couples from the district with a patrilineal marriage tradition and where the husband had less than secondary school education and was not formally employed. CONCLUSIONS: Nongender based cultural scripts to encourage shared decision making can be used in designing culturally tailored reproductive health interventions for couples. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Nurses who work with women and families should be aware of the variations that occur in actual couple decision-making approaches. Shared decision making can be used to encourage the involvement of men in reproductive health programs.

Short-term effects of a peer group intervention for HIV prevention among trainee teachers in Malawi.

This report describes the implementation and short-term results of a peer group intervention for HIV prevention on the HIV-related attitudes, knowledge and behaviours of primary school teachers in Malawi. The intervention, based on the social-cognitive learning model, took place in 2000 at two teacher training colleges with a distance-learning programme. Primary school teachers attending a final six-week training session before certification volunteered to participate. Group leaders were teachers selected by each group, and after training they facilitated the peer group intervention. The teachers completed a pre-test and post-test questionnaire. The 286 trainee teachers whose pre- and post-test samples could be matched, largely reported positive changes in their HIV-prevention-related knowledge, attitudes, self-efficacy, behaviour change and condom-use intentions. However, at post-test immediately after the intervention they did not show a higher level of perceived-risk, a greater hope that people could change their high-risk sexual behaviour, or greater agreement that persons infected with HIV should be allowed in public places. This research demonstrates the feasibility of an HIV-prevention intervention for primary school teachers during their training. The Malawi Ministry of Education has since made the programme available to over 90 per cent of all trainee teachers through an NGO.

Barriers to and facilitators for newborn resuscitation in Malawi, Africa.

Newborn resuscitation is a key component of efforts to reduce neonatal morbidity and mortality. This article reports the findings of focus groups conducted to explore the barriers and facilitators present for obstetric nurse providers in a central urban hospital in Malawi regarding the training and provision of neonatal resuscitation. All obstetric nurse providers in this setting participated in focus groups; these groups identified 4 themes: 1) confidence in their skills in assessing newborns and recognizing the need for resuscitation, 2) a lack of resources, 3) facilitators who would enable them to introduce resuscitation, and 4) solutions to the current problems. Resource shortages and barriers to providing care included availability of staff, equipment, and supplies; labor ward geography; ethical dilemmas; and the lack of standard protocols regarding newborn resuscitation. Facilitators were professional experience and the critical load of deliveries performed. Solutions to barriers included small resource additions as well as long-term policy changes. With standard policy and protocols, experienced, confident nurses could overcome the barriers to providing newborn resuscitation. This group identified ways to change systems to decrease infant mortality, thereby improving the health and quality of life of women receiving care in Malawi.