Praying until Death: Apostolicism, Delays and Maternal Mortality in Zimbabwe (original) (raw)
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Journal of Public Health in Africa
Existing literature has been equivocal about the effect of religion on utilization of health service and health outcomes. While followers of particularized theology hypothesis believe that doctrinal teachings, beliefs and values of religious groups directly influence health access and outcomes, the advocates of the selectivity hypothesis claim that the observed disparities between religious groups mainly reflect differential access to social and human capital which in turn determines health access and outcome rather than religion per se. Using household data from the Zimbabwe Multiple Indicator Monitoring Survey 2009, we find that household heads’ affiliation with apostolic faith put children under five years old at greater risk of death compared to other religious groups. This effect remains strong even after controlling for a wide range of socio-economic and demographics characteristics of the households in multivariate logit regressions.
Reflections on the Malawian church’s role in maternal health
Reformed Theology in Africa Series, 2019
While reproduction is fairly often touched upon in theological and Christian ethical discussions, reproductive health is not. However, reproductive health is a matter of theological and ethical concern. Discussion pertaining to reproductive health includes a number of debates about, for instance, abortion and the termination of pregnancy, reproductive loss, childlessness, infertility, stillbirth, miscarriage and adoption. Additionally, new reproductive possibilities made available by the development of reproductive technology have necessitated theological and ethical reflection on, for example, surrogacy, post-menopausal pregnancies, litter births, single mothers or fathers by choice, in vitro fertilisation and the so-called saviour siblings. These new developments compel us to reconceive our notions of what reproductive health is or should be. Many of these topics are receiving increasing attention in a variety of theological publications. The focus of this volume is unique, however, and to the best of our knowledge, this is the first volume dealing not only with reproductive issues, but also reflecting theologically and ethically on reproductive health. It makes a contribution by providing a variety of perspectives from different theological fields on this theme, and in many chapters, focussing especially on the South African context. These discussions are also part of urgent debates within churches, which require developing life-giving theological language and imaginative theological alternatives that may speak to experiences of matters relating to reproductive health. The popular books, TV series and films that touch upon these discussionsincluding The Handmaid's Tale and Mother!-strengthen the perception that a more in-depth theological and ethical discussion on the theme may be necessary, particularly towards exploring stories and confessions from our faith tradition that may provide us with a timely opportunity to do the important work of theological 'reconceiving'. The target audience includes academics, professionals and researchers. The methodology utilised by the chapters differ, but all take the form of a type of literature study. No empirical research was conducted and the research, therefore, does not pose any ethical risks. The chapters in this volume are all original research that has not been published elsewhere. It includes a diverse range of perspectives from several disciplines. This volume, we hope, will contribute to scholarly discussion and deeper theological and ethical reflection on reproductive health. It aims to offer a comprehensive view of the theme of reproductive health from theological and Christian ethical viewpoints. This is done by providing new and novel lines of inquiry, new topics for discussion and new insights into established research. At the same time, we are also aware that the theme of reproductive health is much broader than can be (re)conceived in one volume and hope that one of the contributions of this volume will be to spark and become part of a larger conversation and discourse.
SAHARA J : journal of Social Aspects of HIV/AIDS Research Alliance, 2016
This study examines the association between religious affiliation and reasons for marriage, perceived church attitudes, and reproductive health-seeking behaviors, including HIV testing, among young women in eastern rural Zimbabwe. The sample comprised women (N = 35) who had married by 2012 while participating in a larger randomized controlled trial (RCT) to test the effects of school support on HIV-related risk. The RCT sample was identified in 2007 as all female sixth graders in 25 rural eastern Zimbabwe primary schools whose parents, one or both, had died (N = 328). In our previous RCT analyses, we found that participants who affiliated with an Apostolic church were more than four times more likely to marry than those from non-Apostolic churches and that control group participants were twice as likely to marry as those in the intervention group. Other studies had found that marriage greatly increased the odds of HIV infection among adolescent women. Given the link between Apostoli...
RESEARCH ARTICLE, 2023
Religion, being an integral part of everyday life and conversation in Nigeria, also plays fundamental role in pregnancy and child delivery. Religious pregnant women do not limit their maternity care to healthcare providers, but also subscribe deeply to the practice of faith healing in order to conquer spiritual powers that could wage war against their child delivery. Through hermeneutic-phenomenology approach, this paper examined the connection between misapplied faith healing activities and maternal mortality in Nigeria. As a cross sectional study, the data used in this study was collected through oral interview with 5 doctors, 5 midwives, 5 pregnant women and 5 prophets, after ethical approval was granted and consent of the interviewees obtained. The findings revealed that pregnant Nigerian women subscribe to faith healing, and spend much time in prayer houses in order to obtain the supernatural power to conquer the attacks of the 'enemies' who may try to truncate their pregnancy and child birth, as well as to receive the power to deliver like the biblical 'Hebrew women'. However, in their attempt to have a seemingly balanced and comprehensive maternity care, most pregnant women register with maternity homes just for registration seek. In most cases, they absent from antenatal check up, and ignore taking drugs as prescribed. The study concludes that religion is a strong determinant of the safety and welfare of pregnant women. Therefore, in order to curb the rate of maternal mortality, the healthcare providers should pay attention to the people's religious and spiritual life, and create avenues for mutual understanding with faith healers who can also serve as scientific health promoters without forfeiting their divine anointing.
Apostolic faith church organization contexts for health and wellbeing in women and children
Objective. The study explored contexts for health and wellbeing for women and children influenced by the structural behavior of an Apostolic faith church organization in Zimbabwe. Methods. Twenty-three purposively selected members of an African indigenous Apostolic church (males =12; females=11; age range 22-95 years) were informants to a focus group discussion session. They provided data on the institutional behaviors that were culturally-historically embedded in the organization’s activities. Data were analyzed thematically and using cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT) to foreground essential themes. Results. The church organization provided social capital to support health and wellbeing in members. However, the culturally embedded practices to minimize decision making by women and child members potentially compromised their health and wellbeing. Conclusion. The findings suggest that the structural activities of the church for health and wellbeing could also have the paradoxical effect of exposing women and children to health risks from obligatory roles. Keywords: Apostolic faith; structural behavior; health and wellbeing; women and children
Religious beliefs, Spirituality and Health: Implications for Maternal and Child mortality in Ghana
Background-Religious beliefs and spirituality has been a part of health as long as health has been a part of human existence. The influence of religion and spirituality on health remains a challenge in both developed and developing world. For some Ghanaians, such beliefs are important in understanding and coping with illness and may provide a framework within which seeking healthcare utilization are made. At the same time, efforts to achieve the stipulated reductions in maternal and child mortality levels by two-thirds by 2015 as part of the Millennium Development Goals remain impossible. There is the need to examine the complex set of determinants that affect maternal and child health in the region. Given the increasing ethnic diversity of Ghanaian culture, some understanding of the complexities of culture, religion and spirituality is essential for healthcare providers. As members of a specific culture often do not ascribe to same religious beliefs, it is important to explore how religion and spirituality determines health-seeking and uptake of health care utilization among members 12 Apostles church and Universal faith movement in Ghana. The specific aims are to understand the determinants that lead to acceptance or rejection of preventive or promote health and social practices, with focus on women and children. The paper draws on published papers retrieved from CINAHL, Psych Info, MEDLINER, Journal of Citation Reports-Science Edition, Scopus, EBSCO, Pub Med/Medline, JSTOR, African-wide information, WHO and UNAIDS. Reference lists in the retrieved articles were observed for further studies that fit the inclusion criteria, and important articles were included for analysis. The study proposes to improve understanding of existing social and cultural barriers that may prevent or facilitate health seeking behavior in the selected groups in the Ghanaian community, and to contribute to knowledge and inform policy in the public health arena. For example in case there is the need to address the cultural context in the promotion of maternal and child health policy and communication of messages on religion, spirituality and health prevention and intervention efforts.
Pharos journal of theology, 2024
The study sought to find out intersections of Covid-19, women's mental health, and religion in Masvingo District, Zimbabwe, during the first 35 days of the lockdown. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews from a purposefully selected sample of 15 Christian women and three clergymen in Masvingo District, Zimbabwe. Participation was voluntary and all participants gave their consent. Confidentiality and anonymity were maintained by not identifying participants by their real names. Data were thematically analysed. Findings show that while Covid-19 negatively affected all people in terms of mental health and psychological wellbeing, the burden weighed heavily on women on account of their caregiving role in the public and private spheres as well as their domestic responsibilities. The study also revealed that Covid-19 and its management were associated with heightened levels of anxiety and depression. Religion gave women hope. A sense of closeness to God gave the women resilience amidst the pandemic. Religious messages and prayers for the sick and bereaved, though at some point hampered by movement restrictions and digital challenges, were helpful mechanisms of stress reduction. It is recommended that the government and other stakeholders including faith communities adopt a gendered approach to provide psychosocial support and enhance women's coping capacity.