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Indigenous Women Managing Pregnancy Complications in Rural Ecuador: Barriers and Opportunities to Enhance Antenatal Care

Abstract:

Previous research has explored the potential use of digital health to support maternal health in the Global South highlighting the importance of understanding the socio-cultural context to inform system design. However, the experiences of indigenous women managing pregnancy complications in Latin America remain underexplored in HCI. We present a qualitative study with 25 indigenous pregnant women in an Ecuadorian rural community looking at their experiences during complications, their antenatal care visits and their access and use of technologies. Our findings highlight key barriers that hinder the use of antenatal care services and influence women's experiences managing complications. Based on the findings, we present opportunities for digital health centered on indigenous women to enhance antenatal care in rural Ecuador.