TY - JOUR
T1 - Factors Associated with Health Care Provider Attitudes, and Confidence for the Care of Women and Girls Affected by Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting
AU - Marea, Christina X.
AU - Warren, Nicole
AU - Glass, Nancy
AU - Johnson-Agbakwu, Crista
AU - Perrin, Nancy
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was supported by the Rockefeller University Heilbrunn Family Center for Research Nursing through the generosity of the Heilbrunn Family.
Funding Information:
This survey was embedded into a larger program funded by the Department of Health and Human Service/Office on Women’s Health (grant no. ASTWH160045-02-00), whose primary aim was to enhance culturally informed health care services for women affected by FGM/C.
Publisher Copyright:
© Christina X. Marea et al., 2021; Published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. 2021.
PY - 2021/5/1
Y1 - 2021/5/1
N2 - Background: Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) is a cultural practice that includes procedures that intentionally alter or cause harm to female genital organs for nonmedical reasons, affecting ∼200 million women and girls globally. Health care providers in the United States often lack confidence to provide appropriate FGM/C-related care, and experience attitudes that may negatively impact quality of care for FGM/C. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of health care providers to explore the associations between health care provider characteristics, awareness of health complications of FGM/C, attitudes, and confidence for FGM/C care. Results: Factors associated with more Confidence for Clinical FGM/C Care include awareness of health complications, ever cared for a woman with FGM/C, being a woman or person of color, and more than 5 years of clinical practice. Increased Confidence in Communication Skills for FGM/C Care was associated with awareness of more health complications for FGM/C. Women endorsed significantly less Negative Attitudes toward FGM/C compared with men; no other factors were associated with health care provider attitudes. Conclusion: Future research should further investigate factors associated with health care provider attitudes toward FGM/C and those affected by the practice to promote quality care. Health providers require adequate training for clinical FGM/C care and in the communication skills that promote patient/provider communication cross-culturally. Trial Registration: Clinical Trials.Gov ID no. NCT03249649, Study ID no. 5252. Public website: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03249649
AB - Background: Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) is a cultural practice that includes procedures that intentionally alter or cause harm to female genital organs for nonmedical reasons, affecting ∼200 million women and girls globally. Health care providers in the United States often lack confidence to provide appropriate FGM/C-related care, and experience attitudes that may negatively impact quality of care for FGM/C. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of health care providers to explore the associations between health care provider characteristics, awareness of health complications of FGM/C, attitudes, and confidence for FGM/C care. Results: Factors associated with more Confidence for Clinical FGM/C Care include awareness of health complications, ever cared for a woman with FGM/C, being a woman or person of color, and more than 5 years of clinical practice. Increased Confidence in Communication Skills for FGM/C Care was associated with awareness of more health complications for FGM/C. Women endorsed significantly less Negative Attitudes toward FGM/C compared with men; no other factors were associated with health care provider attitudes. Conclusion: Future research should further investigate factors associated with health care provider attitudes toward FGM/C and those affected by the practice to promote quality care. Health providers require adequate training for clinical FGM/C care and in the communication skills that promote patient/provider communication cross-culturally. Trial Registration: Clinical Trials.Gov ID no. NCT03249649, Study ID no. 5252. Public website: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03249649
KW - attitudes
KW - confidence
KW - female circumcision
KW - female genital cutting
KW - female genital mutilation
KW - health care provider
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85106400538&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85106400538&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1089/heq.2020.0130
DO - 10.1089/heq.2020.0130
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85106400538
SN - 2473-1242
VL - 5
SP - 329
EP - 337
JO - Health Equity
JF - Health Equity
IS - 1
ER -