Publication Date
2018
Degree Type
Doctoral Project
Degree Name
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Department
Nursing
First Advisor
Deepika Goyal
Second Advisor
Carmen Lung
Third Advisor
Sandra Melton
Keywords
Birth tourist, Chinese, Zuo yuezi, Pregnancy, Postpartum
Abstract
Birth experiences and perceptions vary greatly among different cultures. There has been an increase in Chinese women who specifically come to the United States (US) to give birth to their child and return back to their native country after being cleared at the postpartum checkup. This practice is known as birth tourism. The aim of this study is to explore the perceptions of childbirth and postpartum experiences among Chinese birth tourists. Twelve women self-identifying as Chinese, between the ages of twenty-four and thirty-eight, who came to the US to give birth to their child, and who were able to read and communicate in Chinese or English took part in this study. Using a qualitative content analysis design, the study implicated that Chinese women continue to practice their cultural traditions while practicing birth tourism in the US. The study also determined that women had positive perceptions of childbirth in the US. Chinese birth tourists in the study came to the US primarily to secure a future for their children. Understanding childbirth and postpartum perceptions among this unique population will assist health care professionals to provide culturally competent care. Future research should examine nurses’ perceptions of the Chinese birth tourist phenomenon.
Recommended Citation
Jaramillo, Juanita Childs, "Perceptions of Chinese Women Coming to the United States to Give Birth: Birth Tourism" (2018). Doctoral Projects. 92.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.31979/etd.5ytm-h926
https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/etd_doctoral/92
