Hong Kong Chinese women's perception of support from midwives during labour

Objective: to identify what support from midwives Chinese women find most helpful in contributing to a positive labour and childbirth experience. Design: a quantitative study using a cross-sectional design was employed. Data were collected using a Chinese language version of the Bryanton Adaptation of Nursing Support in Labor Questionnaire. Setting: a postnatal ward in a Hong Kong public hospital. Participants: purposive sample of 30 Hong Kong Chinese women, from 24 to 38 hours after delivery. Key Findings: the category of ‘informational support’ with the specific behaviour of ‘praise’ was identified as the most supportive. Tangible support such as ‘touching’ was considered the least helpful behaviour. Implications for practice: suggestions are made for promoting culturally-sensitive midwifery care for Chinese women to include: ‘saving face’; interpreting personal orientation; and supporting Chinese ‘hot and cold’ beliefs.