Lived experiences of medical students of online learning: lessons for adopting virtual learning in medical education.

BACKGROUND: The COVID 19 lockdown created a shift in medical education from the traditional physical classroom to online learning. OBJECTIVES: To explore the lived experiences of students in various years of medical education attending a medical college in Chennai, India. METHODS: In this qualitative exploration of lived experiences we conducted 4 focus group discussions among students of the four years in the medical college with the help of a checklist. We recorded the interviews, transcribed them and performed a thematic content analysis. RESULTS: There was a gendered impact of the lockdown on the online learning experiences with women students finding it challenging to attend classes balancing their gender roles of performing household chores. Online learning offered some advantages in the form of increased participation and engagement due to the partial anonymity. The greatest disadvantage of online learning was lack of clinical learning experience. The students resorted to fabricating case studies for discussion, which some students found useful and some commented that it can never replace real life clinical discussions. A generational gap between adoption of technology between the senior professors and the students hampered the online learning. Online assessments were challenging, and many students resorted to cheating in these exams. CONCLUSIONS: Though online learning offers several advantages, it has serious limitations in offering the clinical learning experience. While planning adoption of online learning into routine medical education adequate time must be set aside for real life clinical exposure in addition to the online lectures and demonstrations for conceptual understanding.

The Realities of Caring for a Person with a Mental Disorder in Rural and Remote Capricorn District of South Africa: A Qualitative Study.

In rural African communities, family caregivers shoulder the responsibility of caring for loved ones with mental disorders, often without professional support. This qualitative explorative study, conducted in Limpopo Province, South Africa, aimed to explore the realities of caring for a family member with a mental disorder in rural and remote Capricorn District, in order to uncover insights that can inform support systems, the academic community, interventions, and policies. Non-probability purposive sampling was used to ensure the reproducibility and validity of the results by focusing on participants who are actively involved in caregiving, living in the rural and remote of Capricorn District, in order to provide a comprehensive understanding of their experiences, and this resulted in 15 participants (13 females, 2 males). Data saturation determined the sample size, with data collected through in-depth interviews and analyzed using Tesch's open-coding method. The findings revealed that cultural and spiritual beliefs strengthen caregivers, who exhibit resilience and resourcefulness, yet face financial strain, career setbacks, social isolation, and health declines. The study underscores the critical role of healthcare professionals in recognizing and addressing the challenges faced by family caregivers, while also advocating for the academic community to prioritize the development and dissemination of educational programs focused on safe and ethical coping strategies for caregivers and for policymakers to develop comprehensive mental health services that are accessible and culturally sensitive to rural and remote communities. This is essential because the well-being of caregivers directly influences the rehabilitation and community integration outcomes for individuals with mental disorders.

Experiences of Spanish-Speaking Families with a Remote Neurodevelopmental Assessment.

U.S. Hispanic families with limited English proficiency experience barriers to autism diagnosis, such as lack of Spanish-speaking providers and assessments. Remote assessments in Spanish have the potential to address some of these barriers. This study explored the acceptability and feasibility of a remote developmental assessment (Parent Administered Neurodevelopmental Assessment, i.e., PANDABox) for Hispanic infants at high likelihood for autism. The PANDABox was translated into Spanish by two independent groups, synthesized, and reviewed by 10 native Spanish-speakers. Thirteen Spanish-speaking families completed the PANDABox-Spanish with their infant at high likelihood for autism. Remote developmental measures that exist in Spanish were administered for comparison. Families then participated in semi-structured interviews to explore their experiences, which were analyzed in Spanish using an inductive, grounded theory approach. Translation reviewers revealed the need to adapt peekaboo and storybook activities, build in dialogue addressing caregivers' concerns, and add visual supports. PANDABox families valued communicating directly to a Spanish-speaking specialist, felt that the translation was clear, and that, overall, the administration was easy. Families had mixed preferences for in-person or remote assessments, with some families valuing the accessibility and comfort of the PANDABox and others expressing concerns about the validity of remote versus in-person options. Families also discussed barriers related to literacy and confidentiality. The PANDABox-Spanish is a promising option for increasing accessibility to laboratory-grade neurodevelopmental assessment. More broadly, providers need to consider families' familiarity with common assessment activities, access to information about early identification, and concerns related to confidentiality.

Lived Experiences and Perceptions of Autistic Young Adults Participating in Employment Readiness Skills Training.

This study aimed to examine the experiences and perceptions of participants engaged in an employment readiness program, Employment Preparation And Skills Support (EPASS), which is a manualized group-based training program designed to improve employment readiness among autistic young adults. A qualitative descriptive design was utilized to generate thick descriptions through semi-structured interviews with 22 transition-age autistic individuals (Mage = 20; 6 females; 16 males). Thematic analysis was employed to understand the experiences and career outcomes of transition-age autistic individuals pre- and post-participation in the EPASS program. Five main themes were identified: (1) More Negative Than Positive Employment-related Experiences; (2) Insight about Training Needs despite Hesitation to Participate; (3) Improved Perception and Confidence of Employment readiness through Experiential Learning; (4) Emerging Career Goals and Plans in Future Application of Knowledge and Skills; and (5) Learning Preference for More Interactive and Practice Experience. Participants reported a better understanding of job preparation skills, work-related social skills and interview etiquette. They also reported that what they learned in EPASS helped them improve their skills and confidence in obtaining and maintaining employment. Overall, participants expressed satisfaction with participating in EPASS and anticipated potential long-term impacts on their employability. This study sheds light on the training needs for transition-age autistic individuals and informs future employment readiness program development. Future studies should focus on collaborating with stakeholders to address training gaps and support needs that foster improved employment outcomes for this population.

Barriers to care: Caregivers' accounts of raising a child with a communication disorder.

BACKGROUND:  There exists a dearth of research on the psychological experiences of childhood communication disorders. Caregivers of these children are one source who can provide us with this information since the child exists within a system. Literature on the experiences of caregivers of children with communication disorders, specifically in the South African city context, is lacking. OBJECTIVES:  The article presents the reported experiences of six parental caregivers raising a child with a communication disorder within Johannesburg. METHOD:  Data were collected via semi-structured interviews and underwent an interpretative phenomenological analysis. RESULTS:  Five themes are presented: feeling out of control; barriers to accessing services; caregivers left speechless; a misunderstood disability; and relinquishing control: 'I needed to be a mommy'. CONCLUSION:  The caregivers relayed an initially negative experience in raising a child with a communication disorder, marred with worry and fear for the future. In accessing services, they narrated their experiences of multiple barriers to access, including an overreliance on the private sector, financial barriers, time constraints, limited resources and poor information on available resources. Eventually, the caregivers were able to identify strengths, skills and capabilities within their children and themselves that allowed for adjustment and coping.Contribution: The findings highlight the importance of considering how barriers to care may marginalise and seclude parental caregivers. Over time, the caregivers were able to empower themselves through building their own knowledge and reformulating their narratives by challenging assumptions and retitling the source of disability as a product of the failure of society.

Lived experiences of diabetes self-management among persons with disabilities in rural Tamil Nadu - a case study approach.

BACKGROUND: People with disabilities have numerous challenges in diabetes self-management. Poor self-management leads to the worsening of disability and secondary complications of diabetes. This study was conducted to explore the challenges in diabetes self-management and the factors influencing diabetes self-management among people with disabilities. METHODS: We conducted 16 case studies among people with physical, neurological, visual, hearing, and multiple disabilities who were affected by diabetes. We adopted a thematic content analysis approach to analyse the data. RESULTS: People with disabilities have challenges in adopting healthy diets as they are unable to purchase and consume fruits and vegetables which are costly, unavailable, and inaccessible. They have difficulty in doing physical activity due to lack of inclusive public spaces which are inaccessible, lack of motivation, and dependence on others for their mobility. Irregular drug supply in the public health system and unaffordable cost of drugs hamper adherence to medications. Laboratories are inaccessible to people with disabilities thus preventing monitoring of blood sugars. They have poor quality of life, life with pain and mental health issues, which prevent adoption of self-management behaviors. The intersectionality of age and gender with disability worsens self-management behaviors. Inaccessible health system, poor quality of health care and insensitive health care providers further complicate self-management. CONCLUSION: This study documents the challenges faced by persons with disabilities in practicing diabetes self management. There is a need for public health policy and planning that is inclusive of persons with disabilities to make access to diabetes care universal.

Exploring the Lived Experiences of Young Women With Congenital Heart Disease Through Adolescence: A Qualitative Feminist Study Using Focus Groups.

OBJECTIVES: The overarching aim of this study is to explore, examine and identify the experience that young women with congenital heart disease face as they transition through adolescence into womanhood. DESIGN: This is an empirical qualitative study conducted in the form of three focus groups. The study design and analysis adopted a feminist ontological positioning to elucidate the voice of women and offer an alternative perspective of cardiology health care. Data were analysed using the inductive thematic approach informed by the study aims. PARTICIPANTS: A group of seven female participants (mean age 26) based in the United Kingdom, each with varying degrees of congenital heart defects that required open heart surgery growing up, was included in the study. RESULTS: Three key themes with antecedent concepts emerged: (a) the impact of womanhood and the potential influence of motherhood on the young women themselves transitioning through adolescence with CHD within medical and sociocultural contexts, (b) the challenges of being a woman and undergoing heart surgery during adolescence on the young women's health before, during and after surgery and (c) the effect of existing online/offline healthcare and social structures on women's health during transitioning through adolescence These themes were encompassed under an overarching theme of psychological complexities developed throughout the cardiac journey from diagnosis through to post-surgery. CONCLUSION: This study built on the limited exploration of being a young woman and having CHD and confirmed that there are vulnerabilities and challenges in having CHD as a young woman transitioning through adolescence. This was a result of sex (biological characteristics) and gender factors (socially constructed roles). This leads to short- and long-term implications on psychological well-being. This research indicates that enhancements are needed in the provision of care and psychological support for young women with CHD. This will help to enable women to achieve a good quality of life in addition to increased life expectancy offered by medical advancements. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Active participant involvement was crucial to ensure the authentic female voice in the study. This study received support from young women with congenital heart disease. Young women contributed to the study design, recruitment of participants and analysis of results. Two of the women were also co-authors of this paper.

Qualitative Analysis of the Lived Experience of Individuals After Undergoing Osseointegration for Transfemoral Amputation.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to qualitatively assess the first-hand lived experiences of patients with amputation who had transitioned from a traditional socket (TS) to Osseointegration (OI) to impact their overall quality of life (QOL) and function. Methods: This was a qualitative phenomenological study. Participants who had a unilateral transfemoral amputation and fit the study's inclusion criteria were interviewed in a semi-structured format regarding their quality of life and function before and after transitioning from a traditional socket (TS) to Osseointegration (OI). Responses were then analyzed through line-by-line coding to determine themes that were relevant to QOL outcomes for this study. Results: Eleven participants were interviewed in this study. The qualitative analysis demonstrated an emergence of 6 main themes consisting of "Improved Quality of Life," "Supportive Community," "Previous Ill-fitting Socket," "Greater Function," "Improved Osseo-perception," and "Promotion of Community Accessibility". Strengths included the use of an OI-specific quality of life assessment with adapted questions from validated outcome measures, international participants, and use of thematic analysis for data analysis. Weaknesses included sample size, niche participant population, and OI as a revision procedure only. More research is still necessary to explore/determine the benefits and detriments of Osseointegration as an alternative to traditional sockets for prosthetic devices. Conclusion: Individuals who have undergone Osseointegration procedure discuss being more satisfied with their prosthesis and quality of life when compared to their previous experience of a traditional socket. Impact Statement: This is a first of its kind study reporting on the lived experiences of those who have undergone OI. The field of amputation rehabilitation is expanding rapidly and knowing how this procedure impacts quality of life is important for healthcare professionals to understand as new frontiers are explored in this field.

Understanding the importance of weight management: a qualitative exploration of lived individual experiences.

PURPOSE: To explore the lived experiences and motivations of individuals engaged in weight management, focusing on psychological, societal, health-related, and personal factors influencing their motivations. METHODS: A descriptive exploratory approach, guided by the Self-Determination Theory (SDT), was followed and semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten adults actively involved in weight management. Thematic analysis identified key themes across four domains: (i) psychological motivation (extrinsic and intrinsic), (ii) societal influence (body image, social norms, media influence), (iii) health consciousness (priority of health, health concerns), and (iv) family support and past weight management experiences (learned habits, supportive environment). RESULTS: The findings revealed a nuanced interplay of intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, societal expectations, health priorities, and the impact of family support on weight management. Aligning with SDT, the study emphasizes the role of autonomy, competence, and relatedness in shaping individual motivations for weight management. CONCLUSIONS: The study provides valuable insights for tailoring interventions aimed at enhancing well-being by addressing the psychological, societal, health-conscious, and familial factors that influence motivations in weight management.

Midwives' support for parents following stillbirth: How they practise and resources they need from a phenomenological perspective.

AIM: To explore the perceptions and experiences of midwives caring for couples who experience a stillbirth. DESIGN: Qualitative study based on Gadamer's hermeneutic phenomenology. METHODS: This study was conducted with midwives (n = 18) at the birth unit of a third-level public hospital in Jaén (Spain) in 2023. Personal semi-structured interviews were recorded in audio for later transcription by two researchers following steps described by Fleming. RESULTS: Two themes were identified as important aspects of the practise of midwives in a situation of the birth of a stillborn child: (1) the importance of each action of the midwife, and (2) the availability of resources determines the care provided. CONCLUSIONS: Having a stillbirth is a very complex experience, in which the psychological support and human and material resources involved are the basic tool for the care of these families. Acknowledging limitations of the available resources, the assistance and care provided by midwives are in line with the clinical practice guidelines, which can have an emotional impact on them. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION AND/OR PATIENT CARE: The care to be provided in stillbirth requires appropriate human and material resources for these families. Midwifery and nursing professionals are in a unique position for acting in cases of families with a stillbirth, updated protocols and, in general, the coordination of the different agents involved within the healthcare system. WHAT PROBLEM DID THE STUDY ADDRESS?: The midwives´ experiences in cases which end with the delivery of a stillborn. WHAT WERE THE MAIN FINDINGS?: Each action of the midwife is as important as the availability of resources to offer the most appropriate care. WHERE AND ON WHOM WILL THE RESEARCH HAVE AN IMPACT?: In each woman who receives the care of a midwife who attends the birth of a stillborn. REPORTING METHOD: COREQ checklist. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public contribution occurred for this study as this research focused on exploring staffs' perspectives from the specific viewpoint of their personal experience.

The Saskatchewan Caregiver Experience Study: Support Priorities of Caregivers of Older Adults.

BACKGROUND: Population aging is a global phenomenon. Many older adults living with chronic conditions rely on family and friend caregivers. The growing demand for family and friend caregivers underscores the necessity for adequate and effective support services. PURPOSE: The Saskatchewan Caregiver Experience Study sought to gather the perspectives of caregivers of older adults and set priorities for caregiver support. METHODS: An online survey with open-ended questions was employed in this qualitative descriptive study. In this manuscript, we present our findings from the survey question: "What do you think is most important for support in your caregiving role? In other words, what are your top priorities for support?" FINDINGS: This survey question received n = 352 responses, evenly distributed across Saskatchewan in urban-large (33%), urban-small/medium (32%), and rural (35%) settings. Support priorities of Saskatchewan caregivers were found to be access to help when they need it; an ear to listen and a shoulder to lean on; assistance in optimizing the care recipient's health; having healthcare professionals that care; and improved policies, legislations, and regulations. CONCLUSION: Services and interventions that assist caregivers are more likely to be accessed and utilized when caregivers are given the opportunity to identify their own support priorities. This study has the potential to inform health and governmental systems to support caregivers of older adults provincially within Saskatchewan, nationally in Canada, and in a global context.

"It's just part of who I am " Living with chronic headache: voices from the CHESS trial, a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Between 2015 and 2019 the Chronic Headache Education and Self-management Study (CHESS) developed and tested a supportive self-management approach that aimed to improve outcomes for people with chronic migraine or chronic tension type headache with/without episodic migraine. However, a paucity of qualitative research which explored the lived experiences of people with chronic headache was evidenced. In response, we undertook to explore the experiences of living with chronic headaches of people who participated in the CHESS study. METHODS: We adopted qualitative methodologies, inviting participants in the CHESS study to participate in semi-structured interviews. In phase 1 (feasibility study), a thematic analysis was conducted. In phase 2 (main CHESS trial), interviews were informed by topic guides developed from our learning from the phase 1 interviews. Pen portrait methodology and thematic analysis was employed allowing us to explore the data longitudinally. RESULTS: Phase 1, 15 interviews (10 female) age range 29 to 69 years (median 47 years) revealed the complexities of living with chronic headache. Six overarching themes were identified including the emotional impact and the nature of their headaches. Phase 2, included 66 interviews (26 participants; median age group 50s (range 20s-60s); 20 females. 14 were interviewed at three points in time (baseline, 4 and 12 months) Through an iterative process four overlapping categories of headache impact emerged from the data and were agreed: i) 'I will not let headaches rule my life'; ii) 'Headaches rule my life'; iii) 'Headaches out of control-something needs to change'; and iv) 'Headaches controlled-not ruling my life'. One of these categories was assigned to each pen portrait at each timepoint. The remaining 12 participants were interviewed at two time points during a year; pen portraits were again produced. Analysis revealed that the headache impact categories developed above held true in this sample also providing some validation of the categories. CONCLUSIONS: These data give an insight into the complexities of living with chronic headache. Chronic headache is unpredictable, permeating all aspects of an individual's life; even when an individual feels that their headache is controlled and not interfering, this situation can rapidly change. It shows us that more work needs to be done both medically and societally to help people living with this often-hidden condition. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN79708100.

Lived Experiences of Migrant Fathers in the Perinatal Period: A Systematic Review and Analysis.

The worldwide population of migrant families is on the rise, and there is growing acknowledgement of the significance of supporting parental mental health within these families. However, understanding of the experiences of migrant fathers during the perinatal period remains incomplete. The objective of this review is to provide an overview of existing research on perinatal migrant fathers' experiences in different cultures. Multiple searches were conducted in April 2023 for quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods studies across six electronic databases: Medline, CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Scopus. Fourteen eligible articles were identified, including nine qualitative studies, five quantitative studies, and no mixed-methods studies. The Mixed-methods Appraisal Tool was used to assess the quality of these studies. The quantitative findings were transformed into narrative summaries to be analysed thematically along with the qualitative data. Three themes were identified: (1) Cultural competence (dealing with cultural differences, needs related to original country); (2) Parenthood in a new country (challenges and adaptation to fatherhood, challenging traditional gender norms, lack of extended family and building new support networks, being the main supporter for the family); (3) Needs of the fathers and their personal difficulties. The findings of this review suggest a direction for future research in perinatal psychology. The review also provides insights into the need for social and community support for migrant fathers and how healthcare services can support this group during the perinatal period.

Experiences of African American caregivers providing care for family living with Alzheimer's disease: A descriptive phenomenological study.

This study aimed to describe how African American family caregivers of people living with Alzheimer's disease manage caregiving. A qualitative study design using a descriptive phenomenological approach was used to understand the lived experiences of African American family caregivers. Fifteen individual semi-structured and in-depth interviews were conducted via telephone or videoconference between January and June 2023 to address the research question. Guided by Swanson's theory of caring, the data transcribed verbatim from the audio-recorded interviews were analyzed using Colaizzi's methodology. Eight themes emerged from the data: (a) Parenting all over again, (b) Self-sacrifice, (c) Caring for the caregiver, (d) Connecting to God, (e) Responsibility to care, (f) Trapped, (g) Beyond exhaustion, and (h) Loss of self. The findings of the study indicate that African American family caregivers of people living with Alzheimer's disease often experience physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion while managing care. Thus, there is a considerable need for greater support, health promotion, and development of appropriate interventions to alleviate the challenges experienced so that they can continue in their caregiving role with some respite.

Exploring paramedics' lived experiences in confrontation with patients' death during missions: a phenomenological study.

BACKGROUND: Emergency personnel are the first line of emergency response systems to respond to emergencies; in essence, they are usually exposed to a wide range of physical and psychological problems. Accordingly, the current study aimed to clarify the lived experiences of paramedics when exposed to Patients' Deaths during their missions in 2023. METHODS: This study was carried out using a qualitative approach and interpretative phenomenology from January 9, 2022, to September 21, 2023. The research was performed in Fars, Alborz, and Isfahan provinces in Iran. Data were gathered using semi-structured interviews with 17 male emergency personnel (both from the emergency medical service and Red Crescent). The obtained data were analyzed utilizing Smith's approach to clarify the lived experiences of emergency responders when facing deaths in various incidents in Iran. RESULTS: Seventeen emergency personnel with the age range of 24-60 (average = 39) years and with a history of confronting patients' deaths during their services were interviewed. Their lived experiences of being exposed to patients' deaths during the emergency response in Iran were classified into three main themes: psychological and emotional status, personality, disposition, and behavior status, and mental and physical status. Sub-themes such as psychological and emotional problems, mental and physical problems, and sub-subthemes such as anxiety, stress, decreased appetite, irritability, insomnia, forgetfulness, and fatigue were also noted within the main themes. CONCLUSION: While emergency personnel work diligently to save the lives of patients, the current study demonstrated that they were susceptible to multiple psychological, emotional, and physical problems, which potentially affect their lives outside of the workplace and make them more vulnerable to related physiological and psychological diseases. It is recommended that policymakers and clinical educators make ways to prevent these problems and provide emergency personnel with physical, psychological, and emotional support.

Women's Experiences Following Peripartum Hysterectomy: A Qualitative Study.

Objective: Peripartum hysterectomy is a major operation and is inevitably performed where certain indications require removal of the uterus at the time of delivery or in the immediate postpartum period. It is a traumatic birth event that affects women's physical, physiological, psychological, social, and sexual health. This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of women undergone peripartum hysterectomy. Materials and methods: Qualitative phenomenological design was adopted to explore the lived experiences of women undergone peripartum hysterectomy. Purposive sampling technique was adopted to enroll the participants and 19 women were interviewed before saturation of responses was reached. All interviews were audio recorded and then transcribed into verbatims. Colaizzi's thematic analysis method was used to analyze the data. Results: Based on participants' verbatims eight major themes emerged: Awareness status regarding peripartum hysterectomy; Body's response to peripartum hysterectomy; Perceived need of support; Facilitators in overcoming post-hysterectomy challenges; Relational turbulence; financial burden; Perceived psychological adaptation; Disturbed body image and low self-esteem. Conclusion: Derived themes in the present study highlighted the multidimensional effects of peripartum hysterectomy. Peripartum hysterectomy affected physical, psychological, sexual and financial health of the women. Increased dependence and changes in the self concept are the other problems faced by peripartum hysterectomy women. Need based individualized psychological therapeutic interventions will facilitate the successful adaptation to the traumatic situation by the reinforcement of positive coping mechanisms.

Understanding perspectives of HIV/AIDS affected households on food and nutrition interventions and social protection programmes in Zimbabwe.

Introduction: The study was aimed at understanding the needs and perspectives of HIV affected households on food and nutrition security intervention programmes. Methods: The study used qualitative methods that include focus groups discussions and key informant interviews to solicit for lived experiences of People Living With HIV (PLWHIV). Results: The results revealed that intervention programmes by both government and development partners (donors) can be divided into four (4) categories: food and nutrition security, livelihood, health, and social protection. Interventions that targeted health included the provision of HIV antiretroviral drugs to PLWHIV and counselling to both PLWHIV and affected persons. Intervention programmes targeted at social protection included provision of food aid and cash transfers. Discussion: The recommendations based on the research findings are that intervention programmes should focus more on resilience building as a way of building capacity of PLWHIV. This way, sustainability of intervention programmes is improved. As such, it is important to ensure, through policy, that all intervention programmes have a component of capacity building to improve resilience of participants and programme sustainability. Furthermore, there is a need to improve targeting for beneficiaries of intervention programmes and clearly define the "vulnerable" group.

Transition to Motherhood and Lived Experiences of Teenage Mothers Delivering in Kasese and Bundibugyo Districts, Western Uganda.

Introduction A large number of teenagers in low-resource settings experience pregnancy, with a significant number of these cases happening in sub-Saharan Africa. Teenage pregnancy is associated with unique physical and psychological experiences. Objective To explore the lived experiences of teenage mothers delivering at a tertiary referral hospital in southwestern Uganda. Methods This qualitative study used focus group discussions (FGDs) with teenage mothers in Kasese and Bundibugyo districts in Uganda. We purposively sampled 32 teenage mothers attending a tertiary referral hospital who had been pregnant at least once and had given birth. Sociodemographic information was obtained, and FGDs were conducted to capture the teenagers' experiences transitioning to motherhood. An inductive content analytic approach was used to analyze data.  Results The mean age of the participants was 18.4 (standard deviation [SD], 1.2) years, with the majority (22, 68.8%) being rural dwellers, married (23, 71.9%), unemployed (21, 65.6%), and having attained primary education (23, 71.9%). Teenage mothers' lived experiences were characterized by shattered dreams, concerns about changes in their body size and shape, abandonment and neglect by family members and spouses, considerations of terminating the pregnancy, forced early marriages, family stereotypes, and engaging in sex for survival. The process of transitioning to motherhood occurred along with resilience post-pregnancy and supportive environments from their loved ones, which enabled them to accept reality and care for their children. Conclusions The lived experiences of teenage mothers demonstrated social pressures, fear of abandonment, and poverty as major influences on their mindset and behavior. Further research to gain a comprehensive understanding of the challenges encountered by teenage mothers will aid the development of culturally appropriate strategies to reduce teenage pregnancy and improve perinatal outcomes.

Description of Nomophobia Among College Students: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.

Background: Nomophobia is a situational phobia evoked by unavailability of smart phone or the thought of the possibility of not having it, not being able to use it and losing it. Currently used instruments for assessment of severity of nomophobia offers challenges of administration and have limited applicability in the Indian setting. Therefore, this study was aimed to depict and understand the lived experience of college students with nomophobia and making sense of it. Methods: This interpretative phenomenological analysis research design study was carried out on 17 undergraduate students belonging to different academic streams including Science, Social science and Commerce from the three study sites situated in different locations of India. An in-depth interview guide was prepared. The students who scored more than 90 on nomophobia questionnaire (NMP-Q Questionnaire) were included in the study. The data was recorded in audio and video format, it was transcribed, and translated from Hindi to English language. Coding was done and the theme were extracted. Results: The findings identified six superordinate themes: Digital Obsession, Digital Compulsion, Approval Motivation, Digital Intensement, Digital Well-being and Insight. Conclusion: The lived experiences of the students with nomophobia had explicitly shown a strong inclination towards the smartphone. They also focused on some of the significant aids provided by the smartphone. Further the intensive use of the smartphone was posing major challenges to the students when they were away from it.

"It's what we perceive as different": an interpretative phenomenological analysis of Nigerian women's characterization of their health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Health has historically been adversely affected by social, economic, and political pandemics. In parallel with the spread of diseases, so do the risks of comorbidity and death associated with their consequences. As a result of the current pandemic, shifting resources and services in resource-poor settings without adequate preparation has intensified negative consequences, which global service interruptions have exacerbated. Pregnant women are especially vulnerable during infectious disease outbreaks, and the current pandemic has significantly impacted them. METHODS: This study used an interpretive phenomenological analysis study with a feminist lens to investigate how women obtained healthcare in Ebonyi, Ogun, and Sokoto states Nigeria during the COVID-19 pandemic. We specifically investigated whether the epidemic influenced women's decisions to seek or avoid healthcare and whether their experiences differed from those outside of it. RESULTS: We identified three superordinate themes: (1) the adoption of new personal health behaviour in response to the pandemic; (2) the pandemic as a temporal equalizer for marginalized individuals; (3) the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on maternal health care. In Nigeria, pregnant women were affected in a variety of ways by the COVID-19 epidemic. Women, particularly those socially identified as disabled, had to cross norms of disadvantage and discrimination to seek healthcare because of the pandemic's impact on prescribed healthcare practices, the healthcare system, and the everyday landscapes defined by norms of disadvantage and discrimination. CONCLUSION: It is clear from the current pandemic that stakeholders must begin to strategize and develop plans to limit the effects of future pandemics on maternal healthcare, particularly for low-income women.