Editorial: Determinants of health in South-East Asia

Editoria

Cross-Cultural Research and Qualitative Inquiry

Abstract Cross-cultural research has become important in this postmodern world where many people have been made, and are still, marginalised and vulnerable by others in more powerful positions like colonial researchers. In this paper, I contend that qualitative research is particularly appropriate for cross-cultural research because it allows us to find answers which are more relevant to the research participants. Cross-cultural qualitative research must be situated within some theoretical frameworks. In this paper, I also provide different theoretical frameworks that cross-cultural researchers may adopt in their research. Performing qualitative cross-cultural research is exciting, but it is also full of ethical and methodological challenges. This paper will encourage readers to start thinking about methodological issues in performing cross-cultural research

“Happy, just talking, talking, talking”: Community strengthening through mobile phone based peer support among refugee women

Resettled refugees face lack of information and support, due to disrupted community and cultural mismatch. In this context, we provided 111 refugee women peer support training and a restricted-dial unlimited-call mobile phone in Melbourne, Australia. We gathered demographic, phone call, pre and post intervention questionnaires, and interview data.The provided resources synergised with existing resources such as social capital and information demand, resulting in changes to resource allocation and social processes, such as economic resource reallocation, information sharing, personal agency, and social support. These changes impacted areas such as employment, education, transportation and domestic violence, leading to improved individual lives and community functioning

Recovery after caesarean birth: a qualitative study of women's accounts in Victoria, Australia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The caesarean section rate is increasing globally, especially in high income countries. The reasons for this continue to create wide debate. There is good epidemiological evidence on the maternal morbidity associated with caesarean section. Few studies have used women's personal accounts of their experiences of recovery after caesarean. The aim of this paper is to describe women's accounts of recovery after caesarean birth, from shortly after hospital discharge to between five months and seven years after surgery.</p> <p>Method</p> <p>Women who had at least one caesarean birth in a tertiary hospital in Victoria, Australia, participated in an interview study. Women were selected to ensure diversity in experiences (type of caesarean, recency), caesarean and vaginal birth, and maternal request caesarean section. Interviews were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. A theoretical framework was developed (three Zones of clinical practice) and thematic analysis informed the findings.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Thirty-two women were interviewed who between them had 68 births; seven women had experienced both caesarean and vaginal births. Three zones of clinical practice were identified in women's descriptions of the reasons for their first caesareans. Twelve women described how, at the time of their first caesarean section, the operation was performed for potentially life-saving reasons (Central Zone), 11 described situations of clinical uncertainty (Grey Zone), and nine stated they actively sought surgical intervention (Peripheral Zone).</p> <p>Thirty of the 32 women described difficulties following the postoperative advice they received prior to hospital discharge and their physical recovery after caesarean was hindered by a range of health issues, including pain and reduced mobility, abdominal wound problems, infection, vaginal bleeding and urinary incontinence. These problems were experienced across the three zones of clinical practice, regardless of the reasons women gave for their caesarean.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The women in this study reported a range of unanticipated and unwanted negative physical health outcomes following caesarean birth. This qualitative study adds to the existing epidemiological evidence of significant maternal morbidity after caesarean section and underlines the need for caesarean section to be reserved for circumstances where the benefit is known to outweigh the harms.</p

Critiquing the Health Belief Model and Sexual Risk Behaviours among Adolescents: A Narrative Review of Familial and Peer Influence

Research into the rising rates of sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancies among adolescents has highlighted the challenge in developing sexual education campaigns that affect behavioural change. Frequent attempts to apply the otherwise robust Health Belief Model to the challenge of high-risk sexual behaviours have yielded confounding results from sexually active teens who discount the seriousness of consequences or their susceptibility to them. Social dynamics involving familial and peer relationships may strongly influence teen sexual risk-taking; the growing population of sexual risk-takers is strongly associated with disengaged family environments and a shift in alliance from family to peer community. This shift in identification to peer groups, in the absence of supportive parental relationships, is correlated with permissive and coercive sexual behaviour and a future of substance abuse, depression, sexually transmitted infections and unwanted pregnancy.This paper seeks to explore the correlation between peer interaction and parental relationships and availability, while assessing the predictive value of the Health Belief Model in relation to adolescent high risk sexual behaviour. Doing so can inform research to further clarify the nature of these associations and investigate new insights into adolescent sexual dynamics and new policy and programming approaches to sexual health promotion

"Happy, just talking, talking, talking" : community strengthening through mobile phone based peer support among refugee women

Resettled refugees face lack of information and support, due to disrupted community and cultural mismatch. In this context, we provided 111 refugee women peer support training and a restricteddial unlimited-call mobile phone in Melbourne, Australia. We gathered demographic, phone call, pre and post intervention questionnaires, and interview data. The provided resources synergised with existing resources such as social capital and information demand, resulting in changes to resource allocation and social processes, such as economic resource reallocation, information sharing, personal agency, and social support. These changes impacted areas such as employment, education, transportation and domestic violence, leading to improved individual lives and community functioning

Sensitive Research and Vulnerable Participants: Accessing and Conducting Research with African Australian Teenage Mothers in Greater Melbourne, Australia

with African born immigrants, predominantly thosewith a refugee background. Focus has been on refugeeexperiences, health issues and settlement prior to andafter arrival in Australia. Little has been written aboutaccessing and conducting research with AfricanAustralian migrants. This paper provides reflectivediscussions on how to successfully access and doresearch with Australians of African descent.Methods and research participantsThis qualitative study is situated within the culturalcompetency framework. In-depth interviews and focusgroup discussions were conducted with AfricanAustralian teenage mothers (16) and key informants(five). A focus group was conducted with serviceproviders/key informants who worked and providedservices to African refugees/families and a second withsix African mothers/key informants with a refugeebackground in Greater Melbourne.DiscussionThere are several salient issues regarding accessing thisgroup of migrants that emerge from our research.These include: locating participants and gaining access;cultural knowledge; trust and sensitivity to the issue(s)under study; relationships and networks; researchknowledge by participants; acceptance of the researcherby the community and vice versa. Understanding oftheir lives and acknowledgement of previous researchexperiences by African descent persons and minoritygroups is vital for effective engagement with vulnerableparticipants.ConclusionWe conclude that culture sensitivity, cultural awarenessand knowledge, the ‘appropriate’ person, good rapport,and trust on the part of the researcher will yield positiveoutcomes. In addition race/ethnicity, gender,personal/shared experiences and respect of participantsall contribute to positive outcomes

The lived experience of Australian women living with breast cancer : a meta-synthesis

Background: Breast cancer is the second most common cancer among Australian women. In 2019, an estimated 19,000 women in Australia were diagnosed with breast cancer, with around 3,058 women dying from the disease in the same year. Although many qualitative studies published in Australia exist which examine breast cancer from various perspectives, only limited literature is available which addresses Australian women’s lived experience of breast cancer from diagnosis, treatment and beyond. Method: Meta-synthesis of qualitative studies. Participants who took part in either semi-structured interviews or surveys with open-ended questions were included. A thematic synthesis analysis approach was used. Results: Five themes and 13 sub themes emerged from the data analysis which illustrated the lived experience of Australian women diagnosed with breast cancer. Emotional burden and women’s response towards their breast cancer diagnosis were key themes. Experience of decision-making, social distress, symptoms beyond changes in their body, fertility considerations and their role as mothers were some of the challenges during their treatment. Women coped and adjusted with these challenges through the support of their family, and healthcare providers. Women developed greater empowerment by making their life choices after treatment. Life choices such as getting into a new relationship was challenging for single women. Conclusion: Although most women were emotionally supported following their diagnosis, there are still areas where women could be better supported such as when having to break the news of their breast cancer diagnosis to their children, provision of ongoing emotional support for caregivers of women with breast cancer, providing constant emotional and informational support at the point of diagnosis and during their treatment, tailoring treatments according to different stages of pregnancy, and discussion of fertility treatments in timely manner by healthcare professionals

Sistem Hirarki Kelembagaan Badan Pengelola Zakat di Indonesia (Tinjauan terhadap Pelaksanaan Undang-undang No. 23 Tahun 2011)

: Government support for the existence and role of zakat management organization indicated by the issuance of legislation on the management of zakat that Act No. 38 of 1999 and the decision of the Minister of Religion No. 581 of 1999 on the implementation of Act No. 38 of 1999 which was amended by Act No. 23 of 2011 concerning the management of zakat. Many factors of causing non-optimal zakat as legislation, mostly related to the system and institutional factors. In this case, should the government as well as amil zakat organization has a strategic role to establish an institutional system of zakat and charity empowerment and support the establishment of the implementation of the charity as a binding regulation. This can occur if the control system of zakat management organization operating effectively, as well as the existence of legislation on the management of zakat either No. 38 of 1999 and No. 23 of 2011. In other words, the optimization of the implementation of zakat is affected by the system and the effective management of zakat management in addition to firmness of government in enforcing the implementation of zakat either written in the legislation and are implementable in order to achieve good governance zakat (alms good governance)