Women's Autonomy and Respectful Maternity Care in Zambia: A Cross-Sectional Study Using Validated Patient-Reported Measures.
Objective: Although women's autonomy is key to patient care, the extent to which patients exercise autonomy during clinical consultations in resource-limited contexts such as Zambia remains unknown. This study aimed to examine women's experiences of autonomy in decision-making and respectful treatme...
| Publicado en: | Maternal & Child Health Journal Vol. 30; no. 6; pp. 831 - 843 |
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| Autores principales: | , , , |
| Formato: | research tables/charts Journal Article |
| Publicado: |
Springer Nature
Jun2026
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| Acceso en línea: | Ver este registro en EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=194640733&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ccm uiTerm: 194640733 longDbName: CINAHL Complete uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: dissinfo: jinfo: jid: 10927875 N9J jtl: Maternal & Child Health Journal issn: 10927875 maglogo: N pubinfo: dt: Jun2026 vid: 30 iid: 6 pid: 237 pub: Springer Nature place: New York, New York artinfo: ui: 194640733 193563590 194640733 194640733 10.1007/s10995-026-04278-9 194640733 ppf: 831 ppct: 12 formats: tig: atl: Women's Autonomy and Respectful Maternity Care in Zambia: A Cross-Sectional Study Using Validated Patient-Reported Measures. aug: au: Khalaf, Atika Sichimba, Francis Nakazwe, Kalunga Cindy Halawi, Lena affil: https://ror.org/00tkrft03 Faculty of Health Science, Kristianstad University, Elmetorpsvägen 15, 29188, Kristianstad, Sweden sug: subj: Maternal Health Services Zambia Patient Autonomy Evaluation Decision Making, Patient Evaluation Respect Patient-Reported Outcomes Human Zambia Adult Cross Sectional Studies Descriptive Research Exploratory Research Sample Size Determination Questionnaires Resource-Limited Settings Sociodemographic Factors Pearson's Correlation Coefficient T-Tests One-Way Analysis of Variance Chi Square Test Fisher's Exact Test Data Analysis Software Descriptive Statistics Adult: 19-44 years ab: Objective: Although women's autonomy is key to patient care, the extent to which patients exercise autonomy during clinical consultations in resource-limited contexts such as Zambia remains unknown. This study aimed to examine women's experiences of autonomy in decision-making and respectful treatment in Zambian maternal healthcare. Methods: The study was conducted in Lusaka and used a cross-sectional survey design. The sample consisted of 305 women who were conveniently recruited. Data was collected using a questionnaire consisting of sociodemographic data and two validated instruments: the 7-item Mothers Autonomy and Decision-Making Scale (MADM), and the 14-item Measure of Respect (MOR) index. Results: Higher levels of decision-making autonomy, according to MADM, are significantly associated with higher levels of perceived respect in maternal healthcare settings, according to MOR (p <.001). Furthermore, higher education was found to correlate significantly with higher autonomy and respect (p <.001). Both instruments showed an excellent (MADM) and good (MOR) internal consistency among this sample (Cronbach's alpha = 0.959 and 0.851, respectively). Overall, while there's significant variation in responses, there is a slight tendency towards positive experiences in both autonomy and respect in maternal healthcare settings. Conclusions for Practice: Health authorities should promote the implementation of autonomous and respectful care for all women, regardless of socioeconomic or educational background, and provide a supportive environment that fosters user participation in decision-making. Significance: What is Already Known on This Subject?: Patient autonomy is a core ethical principle in enhancing patient-centered care and influencing healthcare decision-making. However, the extent of maternal autonomy practice in resource-limited contexts like Zambia remains understudied. What Does This Study Add?: This study reveals significant disparities in Zambian women's experiences of autonomy and respectful care, influenced by sociodemographic factors and provider type – indicating potential systemic biases and structural inequities in Zambian maternity care. Higher education, employment, marital status, and having children correlate with increased autonomy and respect. Furthermore, women reported higher levels of autonomy and respect when consulting OB/GYNs than when consulting midwives, contrary to findings in other contexts. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: research tables/charts Journal Article ougenre: Article language: English refInfo: holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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