Kung-Keat Teoh

Malawi women's knowledge and use of labour and birthing positions: A cross-sectional descriptive survey

PROBLEM Despite research evidence supporting use of upright birthing positions, most women give birth in supine position. Little is known about womens knowledge and use of labour and birthing positions. Specifically, there is a lack of evidence on Malawi womens knowledge and use of birthing positions, and this limits the possibility of improvement in childbirth practices. AIM To assess womens knowledge and use of different positions during labour and birthing. METHODS The study used a cross-sectional descriptive survey in a Malawi maternity unit where 373 low-risk postnatal women participated in face-to-face exit interviews, using a structured questionnaire. A descriptive analysis of the categorical variables was conducted to examine frequencies and percentages. FINDINGS The majority of women knew about walking (66.4%) and lateral (60.6%) as labour positions, whereas 99.2% knew about the supine as a birthing position. Half of the women (50%) walked during labour and the majority (91.4%) gave birth whilst in supine position. Midwives were the main source of information on positions used during childbirth. DISCUSSION Education about different birthing positions is needed for women who deliver at the maternity unit so that they can make informed decisions on their own options for childbirth. However, midwives must have the competence to encourage and assist women give birth in different positions, so professional development of midwives in childbirth positions is a priority. CONCLUSION Childbirth education should include information on the various labour and birthing positions. Midwives should be equipped with appropriate skills to help women use different positions during childbirth.

A gender lens perspective of the use of social network in higher education in Malaysia and Australia

The use of social network sites (SNS) such as Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Pinterest, Google Plus+, Tumblr, and Instagram, among others, has increased at a very fast pace in the last few years. In tandem with its rising popularity, especially among teenagers, many academics in higher education have been experimenting with its use in formal and less formal ways, in classroom teaching. Studies on the use of SNS in higher education indicate mixed results. While some academics found that SNS only distracts students from actual study and do not improve academic performance, others discovered that it improves communication and teacher-student relationships. Most however, agree that SNSs popularity with students makes it a very useful tool to exploit for classroom teaching and management. There are very few studies which look into the effect of gender on the use of SNS in education. While studies have concluded that men and women approach and use SNS in slightly different ways, there is little in existing literature which tells us about how the use of SNS in higher education differs between men and women. This paper discusses research on the use of SNS in higher education by both genders. It details the results of a survey conducted in Malaysia and Australia and highlights how men and women perceive SNS use in higher education based on a framework built on Push Pull and Mooring theory.