From being restrained to recapturing vitality: non-western immigrant women’s experiences of undergoing vitamin D treatment after childbirth

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

  • Ninni Qvist
  • Ingrid Bergström
  • Torbjörn Åkerstedt
  • Jan Persson
  • Konradsen, Hanne
  • Anette Forss

Purpose: Vitamin D deficiency is a complex topic in human health and ill-health and has been studied in a variety of contexts and populations. Few studies examine Vitamin D deficiency among non-western immigrant women and even fewer examine women’s perspective on daily life while living with low vitamin D levels after childbirth and undergoing vitamin D treatment. The aim was, therefore, to explore health and ill-health among non-western immigrant women living with low vitamin D levels after childbirth and reaching normalized levels after one year of vitamin D treatment. Method: An explorative qualitative study using qualitative content analysis. Six women aged 25 to 38 years, diagnosed with low 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels during pregnancy, were recruited after having undergone vitamin D treatment. Results: The women told about living a restrained life which gradually transformed into an experience of recaptured vitality. They also experienced a need for continuity in medication, as an interruption of treatment meant returning symptoms. Conclusion: In this study, non-western immigrant women described benefits in everyday life, increased strength, relieved pain and improved sleep quality. The findings can provide valuable knowledge for healthcare providers meeting women with physical weakness, musculoskeletal pain and/or poor sleep quality after childbirth. Further studies using a longitudinal design and larger samples are warranted.

Original languageEnglish
Article number1632111
JournalInternational Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-Being
Volume14
Issue number1
ISSN1748-2623
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2019

    Research areas

  • low vitamin D levels, musculoskeletal pain, Non-western immigrant women, physical weakness, post pregnancy, qualitative methods, sleep, women’s health

ID: 241208916