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Article Abstract
Problem: Indigenous women face unique challenges during pregnancy/birth-related medical travel due to systemic barriers, cultural differences, and geographic isolation.
Background: In Canada, Indigenous women frequently travel substantial distances for pregnancy care and birth. Many pregnant women in Northwest Territories (NWT) are mandated to travel to urban centres with secondary/tertiary hospitals between 36-38-weeks gestation.
Question/hypothesis/aim: What are the experiences of Indigenous women in NWT regarding pregnancy and birth-related medical travel? How do cultural and community-specific, culturally informed, and accessible healthcare practices influence the experiences of Indigenous women during pregnancy-related medical travel?
Methods: Across three NWT communities, 156 self-identifying Indigenous women who were pregnant or who had given birth in the previous three years completed a semi-structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. Qualitative data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis in NVivo.
Findings: Of the 55 women who travelled for pregnancy care, 68.5 % felt prepared for medical travel and 57.4 % had a positive experience. Of the 52 women who travelled for birth, the mean length of stay after birth was 11 days (ranges from 1 to 90 days), with 63.5 % staying ≤ one week.
Participants Highlighted Three Themes: Travel experiences, experiences with prenatal care and childbirth, and suggestions for improvement. The experiences involved loneliness, nervousness, logistical challenges, and communication and resource issues.
Discussion: Suggestions included improving cultural competency, expanding community healthcare, and incorporating Elder knowledge sharing.
Conclusion: While many women reported positive experiences, improvements in medical travel and care access are needed to guide Indigenous maternal healthcare policy and planning.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2025.104466 | DOI Listing |
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