Abuse, disrespect and mistreatment during childbirth care: contribution of the Ribeirão Preto cohorts, Brazil/Abuso, desrespeito e maltrato na assistência ao parto: contribuição das Coortes de Ribeirão Preto, Brasil

• Published in: Ciência & saude coletiva Vol. 27; no. 2; pp. 535 - 544
• Main Authors: Vieira de Rezende Dornelas, Adélia Cristina, Santos Rodrigues, Lívia dos, Papa Penteado, Marina, Fernandes Lucena Batista, Rosângela, Bettiol, Heloísa, Carvalho Cavalli, Ricardo de, Grandi, Carlos, Cunha Cardoso, Viviane
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Portuguese
• Published: Associacao Brasileira de Pos-Graduacao em Saude Coletiva - ABRASCO 01.02.2022
• Subjects: Brasil
• ISSN: 1413-8123; 1678-4561
• DOI: 10.1590/1413-81232022272.01672021

This study aimed to estimate the perception and frequency of abuse, disrespect and mistreatment (ADM) situations during childbirth care of 745 women from the Ribeirão Preto birt cohorts. Confidential questionnaires containing one question regarding perceived abuse during childbirth care and other questions addressing exposure to ADM situations were applied. The chi-squared test was used to compare the situations presented between women who did and did not report mistreatment using the Stata 14.0 software. Among the 745 women evaluated, 66.2% were exposed to some situation of ADM and 8.3% reported having perceived ADM. The most frequent situations were that the woman could not eat or drink (30.5%), the woman had her belly squeezed to help the child be born (27.5%), and the woman could not stay with a companion of her choice (25.5%). Women who reported to have suffered maltreatment more frequently responded positively to all situations of ADM when compared to the other participants, except for the following statements: "I was not allowed to eat or drink anything" (p = 0.975) and "I was forced to have a cesarean delivery against my will" (p = 0.073). Although most women of the Ribeirão Preto cohorts reported exposure to ADM situations during childbirth care, a minority perceived disrespect or mistreatment.