Discussion Committee:
Dr. Hussein Ahmed/supervior
Dr. Ali Sha'ar/external examiner
Dr. Maher Abu Saleh/internal examiner
Supervisors:
Dr. Hussein Ahmed/supervior
Authors:
Maha Osama Mohammed Al-Haj Yahya
Abstract:
Mother's reproductive health practices in their communities are one of the most important indicators of the degree of development and progress of the health condition in the society. This includes health services and mothers' education programs. Against this backdrop, this study comes to find out the extent of previously married women's practice of reproductive health issues. These issues include number of births, prenatal care, care during delivery of birth, maternity care and family planning methods. This study also sought to identify impact of some demographic, social and economic variables on extent of practice of reproductive health issues by these women.
To these two ends, the researcher depended on the data of the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey of 2014 conducted by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics in 2014 in cooperation with the Ministry of Health and with UNICEF technical support. The survey was funded by the Palestinian government and the United Nations Population Fund. The study's questionnaire targeted 15-49 age group. The researcher used the descriptive method to give a picture of the extent of women's practice of reproductive health issues. She also used the analytical method to find out the impact of demographic social, economic variables on their practices of reproductive health issues.
The study was divided into nine chapters. Chapter one was devoted to the problem of the study, its objectives and importance. It also included questions of the study, its variables, hypotheses and review of literature. Chapter two presented the theoretical framework of the study and the key terms and concepts. Chapter three dwelt on reproductive health services in the West Bank. To this end, the researcher studied the health conditions in the occupied Palestinian territories, and primary health care services provided to mothers and children. This is in addition to the study of the extent of availability of maternity health care and family planning centers. The researcher found a horizontal expansion in health care centers in the West Bank governorates. There were 767 health care centers in 2014 as opposed to 454 in 1994. Chapter four tackled health care for women during pregnancy. The researcher examined some variables affecting pregnant woman and the primary health care they received during their first pregnancy, location of this care and number of times they had received health care. The researcher found a rise in the percentage of woman who referred to health care centers during pregnancy in 2014 in comparison with 2018. In chapter five, the researcher dwelt on health care for women/mothers during and after delivery of their births. In this context, the researcher studied some variables such as place of birth delivery, nature of birth delivery, symptoms mother suffered from during labor, length of mother's stay in hospital and distance of health facility. It was found that women delivered their births mostly in government hospitals and they stayed in hospital after birth for days rather than for hours and weeks. Chapter six examined healthcare for newborns after birth. The researcher, in this regard, studied some variables such as size, weight and height of child as well as natural breastfeeding. The researcher found a rise in the percentage of mothers who practiced natural breastfeeding in 2014 in comparison with 2010. Chapter seven was devoted to the most important demographic, social and economic factors affecting average of births per woman. It was found that there was also a direct correlation between women's present age and length of marriage life as well as the average number of births per women. Chapter eight presented family planning methods. In this context, the researcher examined the contraception methods which women used, and other means to avoid unwanted pregnancy. The researcher found that the intrauterine device was the most widely used method among women. Chapter nine presented a number of conclusion and recommendations.