article

Pregnancy and childbirth among the Amish

Social science & medicine36 (3) • Published In 1993 • Pages: 333-342

By: Campanella, Karla, Korbin, Jill E., Acheson, Louise S..

Abstract
This study examined Amish patterns of perinatal health care utilization from the perspective of Amish women and local health care providers in Geauga County, Ohio. Participant observation and intrerviews with health care providers and 15 Amish women yielded data on perinatal beliefs and utiliztion patterns for 76 pregnancies. While local health care providers regard the Amish as suboptimally utilizing prenatal care, this study found a consistent pattern of health seeking behavior. In the absence of symptoms perceived to be serious, Amish women initiated prenatal care earlier for fist pregnancies and progressively later with increasing parity. Amish women's perinatal health care utilization must be seen within the context of barriers of transportation, cost, and child care needs. The Amish do not automatically reject medical technology, but select those aspects that are congruent with and that will support and maintain their way of life. Further, despite outward appearances of homogeneity, Amish women display individual variability in responding to pregnancy and childbirth (p. 333).
Subjects
Pregnancy
Childbirth
Medical care
Medical personnel
Hospitals and clinics
culture
Amish
HRAF PubDate
2009
Region
North America
Sub Region
Regional, Ethnic and Diaspora Cultures
Document Type
article
Evaluation
Creator Types
Medical Personnel
Ethnologist
Document Rating
4: Excellent Secondary Data
5: Excellent Primary Data
Analyst
John Beierle; 2007
Field Date
1989
Coverage Date
1989
Coverage Place
Geauga County, Ohio, United States
Notes
Karla Campanella, Jill E. Korbin, Louise Acheson
Includes bibliographical references (p. 341-342)
LCCN
82643975
LCSH
Amish