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The trick of probabilities: Pregnant women's interpretations of maternal serum screening results in Japan
Author(s) -
Yoshino Mikiko Aoki,
Takahashi Miyako,
Kai Ichiro
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
nursing and health sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.563
H-Index - 47
eISSN - 1442-2018
pISSN - 1441-0745
DOI - 10.1111/j.1442-2018.2007.00335.x
Subject(s) - meaning (existential) , interpretation (philosophy) , test (biology) , psychology , health professionals , medicine , health care , computer science , paleontology , economics , psychotherapist , biology , programming language , economic growth
This study aimed to explore how pregnant Japanese women interpret maternal serum screening test results presented as probabilities and to consider the possible methods to improve women's understanding of the results. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 15 women. Data collection and analysis were performed concurrently, based on the grounded theory approach. We showed that the participants interpreted the test results using various criteria, including information from obstetricians, previously experienced risk probabilities, subjective interpretations, and comparisons with other women. The explanations given by health‐care professionals affected the participants' interpretation of the probability of risk and their recognition of false‐negative results. Therefore, health‐care professionals should explain the meaning of the probability test results and confirm how women interpret them.