Stress and Pregnancy in Western Australian Aboriginal Women

Abstract

Maternal stress during pregnancy has been associated with poor perinatal outcomes. A decolonising methodological approach was adopted to explore the conceptualisation of stress with Aboriginal women in Perth, Western Australia. The findings provide insights into the experiences of ongoing colonisation and oppression experienced by Aboriginal women. This knowledge has important implications of how the health disparities between Indigenous women and infants and their non-Indigenous counterparts may be addressed in future health and social services policy.