Engagement/involvement of staff from public medical Institutions with pregnant women experiencing intimate partner violence - a systematic review of African & South African literature

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dc.contributor.advisorArtz, Lillian
dc.contributor.advisorHoltzhausen, Leon
dc.contributor.authorAdams, Faseegah
dc.date.accessioned2025-11-06T06:48:54Z
dc.date.available2025-11-06T06:48:54Z
dc.date.issued2025
dc.date.updated2025-11-06T06:46:51Z
dc.description.abstractThis study explores how staff at public health care institutions respond to intimate partner violence (IPV) experienced by pregnant women living in South Africa and Africa. This study aimed to investigate what protocols/pathways staff at public health care institutions (PHCI) use to identify, screen, report, record and refer instances of IPV. The motivation for this study was to bring awareness of IPV during pregnancy. Since learning the high statistics of IPV during pregnancy, the researcher was prompted to investigate what PHCI are doing to identify, screen, report, record and refer cases of IPV. In addition, the researcher hopes that this research can facilitate policy development for staff at PHCI on how best to respond to pregnant women experiencing IPV. The methodology used in this study was a systematic literature review, that reviewed 14 qualitative journal articles. PICo was used to identify the study participants, the Cochrane systematic review methodology was used and the PRISMA flow diagram. Using thematic analysis, the researcher used Dey and Tesch to analyse the data. The findings indicate that there are no pathways/protocols for identifying, screening, reporting recording and refereeing instances of IPV in South Africa or Africa. There were also no direct policies or frameworks established at PHCI to manage intimate violence during pregnancy. The research identifies some of the main barriers/challenges to IPV enquiry which are lack of privacy at public health care institutions, training and awareness of IPV during pregnancy, staff agency, staff safety and cultural beliefs. These results contribute to the research regarding how PHCI in South Africa and Africa respond to IPV. Thus shifting focus away from the criminal justice system and more toward PHCI as IPV during pregnancy has grave health implications. This study provides new insights on how to build and improve protocol/pathways at PHCI. This study highlights the daily challenges that staff at PHCI face when enquiring about IPV. It concludes by discussing how The National Council on Gender-Based Violence Femicide can use information on the challenges/barriers to enquiry to achieve the goals and aims set out in The National Strategy Plan addressing gender-based violence and femicide in South Africa and Africa.
dc.identifier.apacitationAdams, F. (2025). <i>Engagement/involvement of staff from public medical Institutions with pregnant women experiencing intimate partner violence - a systematic review of African &amp; South African literature</i>. (). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Social Development. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42111en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationAdams, Faseegah. <i>"Engagement/involvement of staff from public medical Institutions with pregnant women experiencing intimate partner violence - a systematic review of African &amp; South African literature."</i> ., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Social Development, 2025. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42111en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationAdams, F. 2025. Engagement/involvement of staff from public medical Institutions with pregnant women experiencing intimate partner violence - a systematic review of African &amp; South African literature. . University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Social Development. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42111en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Adams, Faseegah AB - This study explores how staff at public health care institutions respond to intimate partner violence (IPV) experienced by pregnant women living in South Africa and Africa. This study aimed to investigate what protocols/pathways staff at public health care institutions (PHCI) use to identify, screen, report, record and refer instances of IPV. The motivation for this study was to bring awareness of IPV during pregnancy. Since learning the high statistics of IPV during pregnancy, the researcher was prompted to investigate what PHCI are doing to identify, screen, report, record and refer cases of IPV. In addition, the researcher hopes that this research can facilitate policy development for staff at PHCI on how best to respond to pregnant women experiencing IPV. The methodology used in this study was a systematic literature review, that reviewed 14 qualitative journal articles. PICo was used to identify the study participants, the Cochrane systematic review methodology was used and the PRISMA flow diagram. Using thematic analysis, the researcher used Dey and Tesch to analyse the data. The findings indicate that there are no pathways/protocols for identifying, screening, reporting recording and refereeing instances of IPV in South Africa or Africa. There were also no direct policies or frameworks established at PHCI to manage intimate violence during pregnancy. The research identifies some of the main barriers/challenges to IPV enquiry which are lack of privacy at public health care institutions, training and awareness of IPV during pregnancy, staff agency, staff safety and cultural beliefs. These results contribute to the research regarding how PHCI in South Africa and Africa respond to IPV. Thus shifting focus away from the criminal justice system and more toward PHCI as IPV during pregnancy has grave health implications. This study provides new insights on how to build and improve protocol/pathways at PHCI. This study highlights the daily challenges that staff at PHCI face when enquiring about IPV. It concludes by discussing how The National Council on Gender-Based Violence Femicide can use information on the challenges/barriers to enquiry to achieve the goals and aims set out in The National Strategy Plan addressing gender-based violence and femicide in South Africa and Africa. DA - 2025 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town KW - Midwives KW - nurses KW - doctors KW - pathways KW - protocols KW - screening KW - IPV KW - pregnancy KW - Africa and South Africa LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2025 T1 - Engagement/involvement of staff from public medical Institutions with pregnant women experiencing intimate partner violence - a systematic review of African &amp; South African literature TI - Engagement/involvement of staff from public medical Institutions with pregnant women experiencing intimate partner violence - a systematic review of African &amp; South African literature UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42111 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/42111
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationAdams F. Engagement/involvement of staff from public medical Institutions with pregnant women experiencing intimate partner violence - a systematic review of African &amp; South African literature. []. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Humanities ,Department of Social Development, 2025 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42111en_ZA
dc.language.isoen
dc.language.rfc3066eng
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Social Development
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Humanities
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subjectMidwives
dc.subjectnurses
dc.subjectdoctors
dc.subjectpathways
dc.subjectprotocols
dc.subjectscreening
dc.subjectIPV
dc.subjectpregnancy
dc.subjectAfrica and South Africa
dc.titleEngagement/involvement of staff from public medical Institutions with pregnant women experiencing intimate partner violence - a systematic review of African &amp; South African literature
dc.typeThesis / Dissertation
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
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