Influence of Religiosity on Childbirth Satisfaction among Pakistani Women
A Multifaceted Exploration
Abstract

Abstract
This study presents a comprehensive thematic analysis of the impact of religiosity on childbirth and satisfaction among Pakistani women. Utilizing a qualitative approach, the research sought to understand the relationships between women's religious beliefs and practices, and their satisfaction with childbirth experiences. Semi-structured interviews conducted with a purposive sample of 25 women who had had live births during past 12 months. Data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Three main themes emerged: (1) religious beliefs as a source of strength and resilience, (2) religious practices providing comfort and coping strategies, and (3) the role of Family and community support. These themes highlight the importance of religiosity in shaping Pakistani women's childbirth satisfaction and emphasize the need for healthcare providers to be culturally sensitive and responsive to the religious needs of their patients.
References
Ai, Annabel L., Tammy N. Tice, Christopher Peterson, and Baiyun Huang. "Prayers, spiritual support, and positive attitudes in coping with the September 11 national crisis." Journal of Personality 73, no. 3 (2005): 763-791. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.2005.00328.x.
Akhtar, Nighat, Muhammad Yasir, Aamir Rizwan, and Naveed Munir. "Exploring the relationship between religiosity and childbirth satisfaction in Pakistani women." Journal of Religion and Health 61, no. 1 (2022): 115-129. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-021-01327-1
Akhtar, Nighat, Nida Khan, and Nudrat Ahmed. "Religiosity and childbirth satisfaction among Pakistani women: A mixed-methods study." Journal of Religion and Health (2022): 1-19.
Al-Kubaisi, Nada J., Rana Al-Fouzan, and Nasser M. Al-Qahtani. "Listening to Quran recitation during labour and its effect on anxiety, pain perception, and childbirth experience: A randomised controlled trial." Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice 34 (2019): 161-166. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctcp.2018.12.012.
Braun, Virginia, and Victoria Clarke. "Using thematic analysis in psychology." Qualitative Research in Psychology 3, no. 2 (2006): 77-101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa.
Ganle, John K., Michael Parker, Rachael Fitzpatrick, and Edmund Otupiri. "A qualitative study of health system barriers to accessibility and utilization of maternal and newborn healthcare services in Ghana after user-fee abolition." BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 14 (2014): 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-014-0425-1.
Ghodrati, Fatemeh, Razieh Hassanzadeh, and Mojgan Mirghafourvand. "The relationship between religious beliefs and coping strategies in pregnant women: A systematic review." Journal of Religion and Health, 57, no. 3 (2018): 851-864.
Ghodrati, Fatemeh, Razieh Hassanzadeh, and Mojgan Mirghafourvand. "The relationship between religious coping and general health in Iranian pregnant women." Journal of Religion and Health, 57, no. 6 (2018): 2353-2367. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-018-0599-6.
Hassan, Shaima. "Muslim women's experiences of childbirth in non-Muslim countries: A narrative review." Women and Birth, 30, no. 4 (2017): e199-e206. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wombi.2017.02.002
Hodnett, Ellen D., Simon Gates, G. Justus Hofmeyr, Carol Sakala, and Jane Weston. "Continuous support for women during childbirth." Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, no.7 (2013): CD003766. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD003766.pub5
Hussein, N. S., Sulaiman, S. A. S., & Abdullah, S. M., The role of religiosity and spirituality in maternal health: A systematic review. Journal of Religion and Health, (2022), 61(2), 783-803. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-021-01402-8
Kavlak, O., Balci, N. C., & Artar, G., Religiosity, spirituality and childbirth satisfaction among Muslim women in Turkey. Journal of Religion and Health, (2020), 59(5), 2365-2377.
Kavlak, O., Demir, B., & Yildirim, G., The Effect of Religiosity on Satisfaction with Childbirth in Muslim Women. Journal of Religion and Health, (2020), 59(2), 670-680. doi: 10.1007/s10943-018-0625-x
Koenig, H. G., Religion, spirituality, and health: The research and clinical implications. ISRN Psychiatry, (2012), 278730. https://doi.org/10.5402/2012/278730
Mazaheri, M. A., Kheirabadi, G. R., Zarghami, M., Esmaeily, H., Mohagheghzadeh, A., & Ghasemi, V., Spiritual and religious coping strategies among Iranian women with preeclampsia. Journal of Religion and Health, (2018), 57(6), 2266-2277
Pargament, K. I. Religion and coping: The current state of knowledge. In The Oxford Handbook of Stress, Health, and Coping Oxford University Press.2011, 195-209
Reza, N., Amin, T., & Saeed, M., Childbirth experience in Pakistani culture. Journal of the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan, (2016), 26(6), 479-482
Rizvi, S., Williams, C., & Hoban, E., Pakistani women's experiences of childbirth. Journal of Midwifery & Women's Health, (2012), 57(5), 460-466
Roudsari, R. L., Javadnoori, M., Hasanpour, M., Hazavehei, S. M. M., & Taghipour, A. Religious beliefs and practices in pregnancy and childbirth: Implications for maternal care. Iranian Red Crescent Medical Journal, (2013), 15(11), e11590
Copyright (c) 2023 Journal of History and Social Sciences

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)