Midwife students' attitudes towards violence against women: A pilot study.

Abstract

Introduction: The United Nations define violence against women (VAW) as any gender-based violence that causes mental, physical, or economic harm and restricts freedom. The topic has not been studied before in the context of the midwifery curriculum in Estonia. The purpose of the study is to investigate the attitudes of midwife students towards VAW.

Methods: This pilot study followed a mixed-methods approach. The study population consisted of 77 midwifery students at Tallinn Health Care College from 2022-2023. The online survey was distributed to all Tallinn Health Care College midwifery students. The pilot study is used to validate the questionnaire and obtain initial information.

Results: The results show that the midwife students of this study have personal experiences and exposures to different types of violence, and some midwife students had sociocultural misconceptions about VAW. Midwife students have limited knowledge of the impact of violence on women's health and the legislation regarding violence. Midwife students stated that they would not be able to properly help the woman as a victim, as they lack knowledge, skills, and experience, which is an unfortunate factor.

Conclusions: The present pilot study showed that midwife students' attitudes towards VAW need improvement. The study raises the need to investigate midwife students' attitudes towards VAW with a larger sample, better-designed method, and validated questionnaire. Topics related to violence should be included in the midwifery curriculum, along with developing practical skills.