'n Ondersoek na die betekenis wat vroue heg aan alkoholgebruik tydens swangerskap

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT : Although speculation about the toxicity of alcohol intake during pregnancy has alreadysurfaced decades ago, the term Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) and thepermanent effects of it on human development is a relative new and unknown topic formany. Research indicates that FASD presents one of the most preventable birthdefects. It is thus clear that FASD, which is caused through alcohol consumption duringpregnancy, is a phenomenon that begs intensive attention, research and interventions.Whereas other qualitative studies in this field focus mainly on the effects of FASD onchildren, this study's premise was the attitudes and experiences of mothers who stillor who have, consume(d) alcohol during pregnancy. Secondary aims were tounderstand the value the participants attach to alcohol use, their knowledge of FASDand the role that mental pain or psychological distress plays in their motivation to usealcohol.Mothers who presented rich information were purposefully selected for voluntaryparticipation. Criteria for selection included the fact that participants had to already bemothers, or had to be pregnant and secondly they had to be consuming alcohol whilstpregnant.Working from an interpretivist research paradigm, it was endeavoured to understandthe participants' situations, and their unique lives within specific contexts. Data wasgenerated through open-ended questions, as well as two creative activities, namely alifeline drawing using the metaphor of life-as-a-river and also using a sandtray withminiature figurines. Data was thematically analysed, and subsequently the findingswere presented in a narrative format, by telling each of the four participants' stories.Research findings revealed that the participants held insufficient or distortedunderstandings of FASD and that various factors played a role in their attitudes andexperiences of alcohol use during pregnancy. These factors include unplannedpregnancies, social influences and pleasure-seeking, mental pain, as well as alcoholdependancy.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University