Midwife gender proclivity: Differential effects of expectant mothers’ demographic factors in Zimbabwe

Abstract

A survey of 300 expectant mothers, in their third trimester, was conducted in Bindura district of Zimbabwe. The causal study was done over a period of 6 months with the intention of determining the differential effects of various demographic factors of expectant mothers on midwife gender preferences. Data was collected using a short questionnaire on demographic factors and expectant mothers’ preferences of male or female midwives. A binary logistics regression and odds ratios were used to analyse data. Our results revealed that specific demographics show preferences regarding the gender of midwives. Older women (aged 40 and above), who are married, having their first child, members of the African religion, and with less formal education, tend to prefer midwives of the same gender. Younger women (aged 18-39), those with prior pregnancy experience, Christians, and urban residents, generally were indifferent to midwife gender. Implications of the study were proffered.

Disclosure statement

The authors did not have any conflict of interest on this study.

Data availability statement

Dataset for the study is readily available upon request from the corresponding author for academic use only.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.