Preeclampsiasurvivor and symbolic interactionism in women's maternal health

A hypertensive disorder of pregnancy and leading cause of maternal mortality worldwide, preeclampsia (PE) impacts approximately one in 25 pregnancies. Biomedical researchers continue to look for concrete causes and effective treatments for PE, but the experience of PE-the personal and socially const...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inHealth care for women international Vol. 45; no. 8; p. 852
Main Authors Cramer, Emily M, Chung, Jae Eun, Li, Jiang
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published England 02.08.2024
Subjects
Adult
Female
Humans
Maternal Health
Pre-Eclampsia - psychology
Pregnancy
Qualitative Research
Social Media
Survivors - psychology
Symbolism
Women's Health
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Summary:A hypertensive disorder of pregnancy and leading cause of maternal mortality worldwide, preeclampsia (PE) impacts approximately one in 25 pregnancies. Biomedical researchers continue to look for concrete causes and effective treatments for PE, but the experience of PE-the personal and socially constructed meanings surrounding the condition-remains under-researched. Using a symbolic interactionism approach, we examined Instagram posts accompanying the #preeclampsiasurvivor hashtag during Preeclampsia Awareness Month. Themes emerging from interpretive analysis of 98 posts (160 images) included the role of PE in redefining a woman's relationship to her body, reifying a woman's connection to her child, and illuminating the transitive aspects of a childbearing woman's identity. Additionally, PE survivors turned to Instagram to speak to an imagined, 'generalized sisterhood' of women sharing a common set of experiences. Our study is unique in its examination of the lived experiences of PE survivors.
ISSN:1096-4665
DOI:10.1080/07399332.2022.2142226