A comparative analysis of women's nutrition decision-making autonomy during pregnancy in Burkina Faso and Madagascar
- Author
- Ngoutane, Raphia
- Published
- [University Park, Pennsylvania] : Pennsylvania State University, 2022.
- Physical Description
- 1 electronic document
- Additional Creators
- Kodish, Stephen R.
Access Online
- etda.libraries.psu.edu , Connect to this object online.
- Graduate Program
- Restrictions on Access
- Restricted (PSU Only).
- Summary
- Objective: The study aimed to conceptualize maternal nutrition decisions in Yako and Ziniare, Burkina Faso and Itasy and Vatovavy Fitovinany, Madagascar using the Food Choice Process Model by 1) describing typical maternal diets during pregnancy, 2) understanding multi-level factors that influence women's nutrition decision making, and 3) exploring the extent to which women have nutrition decision-making autonomy during pregnancy. Method: This multi-phased, formative study was conducted between Oct. 2020 - Feb. 2021 in Burkina Faso and Madagascar. Semi-structured interviews, focus group interviews, and free lists were conducted among pregnant and lactating women. Textual data from focus groups and semi-structured interviews were digitally recorded and translated verbatim from local languages into French. The Food Choice Process Model guided textual content analysis using Dedoose software. Free list data were analyzed using cultural domain analysis in Anthropac. Findings: women during pregnancy receive nutrients through diets consisting primarily of staple foods, including rice and tô (millet or maize-based dough) in Madagascar and Burkina Faso, respectively. While locally available vegetables and fruits are sometimes consumed when available, animal-source foods are rarely eaten among these samples. Differentially between contexts, maternal nutrition is influenced by a synergy of upstream factors that influence individual food choices, including available resources, social influences, and personal characteristics and ideals. While shared decision-making within key domains of autonomy (e.g., household finances) is the norm between men and women in Madagascar, men were the primary decision-makers across all areas of inquiry among the sample of participants from Burkina Faso. Conclusion: Sub-optimal maternal diets are determined by inter-related, multi-level factors in Burkina Faso and Madagascar. Further exploration on decision-making autonomy and its role in women's ability to consume optimal diets during pregnancy in these settings should be considered.
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- Dissertation Note
- M.S. Pennsylvania State University 2022.
- Technical Details
- The full text of the dissertation is available as an Adobe Acrobat .pdf file ; Adobe Acrobat Reader required to view the file.
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