Rev Epidemiol Sante Publique. 2000 Jan; 48(1): 71-9.

[A socio-anthropological study of birth in Morocco]

Makhlouf Obermeyer C.

Harvard University, Department of Population and International Health, Boston,, MA 02115, USA.

BACKGROUND: To understand the role of beliefs, notions of risk and local practices in explaining the low utilization of maternal health services in Morocco. METHODS: Ethnographic research in three sites in Morocco, including interviews with 126 women and observation of medical encounters at health facilities. RESULTS: Local practices are not incompatible a priori with the use of health services, and women manifest a relatively pragmatic and flexible attitude towards the decisions they make regarding birth. The different factors that influence women's choices are analyzed, in particular those related to obstacles of accessibility and quality of services. CONCLUSION: The pluralism and eclecticism that characterize beliefs and behaviors related to birth in Morocco suggest that an improvement in the quality of care would encourage more women to seek care from health facilities.