Development of a Care Model for Pregnant Women with Anemia in the Thai-Muslim Context

Abstract

This one-group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental research and development study aimed to develop a new care model for pregnant women with anemia in a Thai-Muslim cultural context, and to examine its effectiveness. Study was conducted in Narathiwat Province. It was divided in three phases. Phase 1 investigated the situation, problems, and needs in self-care, using document analysis and qualitative methods. The participants were 16 pregnant women with anemia. Phase 2 involved the development of a new care model, which was validated by experts. Phase 3 examined the effectiveness of the model. The sample consisted of 56 pregnant women with anemia. The research instruments included a self-care behavior questionnaire, a record form, and an evaluation form. The content validity indices ranged from 0.67 to 1.00, and the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.86. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. The results were as follows.

1. From 2021 to 2023, there was a decreasing trend in the number of pregnant women, and those with anemia near term. The main self-care issues were missed appointments, inconsistent medication intake, failure to adhere to recommendations, and anxiety. Participants expressed a need for after-hours nursing services, guidance on medication use, dietary advice regarding iron-rich local foods and vegetables, and mental health counseling.

2. The developed care model for pregnant women with anemia in Thai-Muslim cultural context, namely called the Chor-Chor-Tor Model, comprises the eight (8) following components: a)jer (meet) for screening pregnant women, b) jai (provide) for providing knowledge and medication, c) chuan (invite), for encouraging participation in activities, d) chom (showcase) for presenting examples of iron-rich foods, e) chim (taste) to explore sampling food, f) chai (apply) for assessment of acquired knowledge, g) truatsop (check) for monitoring outcomes, h) tornueang (continue) for providing ongoing education, and h) chob (finish), so to complete the process.

3. After implementing the model, pregnant women with anemia demonstrated significantly improved self-care behaviors and higher hemoglobin levels (p < .001), with no complications observed.

Therefore, this model can be implemented in proactive maternal care programs, both in hospital antenatal clinics and subdistrict health-promoting hospitals, emphasizing active engagement that align with the local context.