Perceptions of midwife support during labour and delivery in Gambia

[[abstract]]This study was conducted to investigate women's perceptions of the support given by midwives during labour and delivery in Gambia, and to compare the results with the perceptions reported in similar studies undertaken in other countries and ethnic groups. In 2009, a total of 120 women were recruited with a purposive sampling method from five public health facilities in the western region of the Gambia. The Bryanton Adaptation of Nursing Support in Labour Questionnaire (BANSILQ) was applied to measure various nursing-support behaviours. Results reveal that study participants valued all the categories of nursing support during labour and delivery. Overall, emotional support was valued as the most helpful during childbirth and informational support was reported as being less helpful. The results of this study were contrasted with those of previous studies into different ethnic populations which also applied the BANSILQ to survey the women's perceptions. Further consideration of the pathways in this web of causation would provide key information which could have significant implications for the future of midwifery education and practice