Physical Activity in Pregnant Adolescents With Hypertension: A Cross-Cultural Perspective

Abstract

Objective: to describe the generic care practices related to physical activity in pregnant adolescents with hypertension attending a health institution in Sincelejo - Sucre, Colombia. Method: a qualitative ethnographic study of pregnant adolescents with induced hypertension, cared for in a health institution in Sincelejo - Sucre, Colombia. Data were collected from December 2017 to April 2018, using semi-structured in-depth interviews, participant observation, and field notes in the homes of the participants; an ethnographic analysis was performed, and semantic relationships were established. Results: generic care practices emerged in the coastal culture related to the physical activity of pregnant adolescents with hypertension, as well as the following subtopics: generic care practices considered physical activity to prevent increased blood pressure (walking every day, putting ice on one's head, lying on one's left side, among others) and generic care practices considered risky physical activity for blood pressure (not walking, having sex at the end of pregnancy, among others). Conclusion: generic care practices related to physical activity of pregnant adolescents with hypertension show the relevance of the body of knowledge that adolescents and their families have in the coastal cultural environment, which becomes the basis for the nursing professional to provide culturally congruent care and to apply the nursing care process, both at home and in the hospital, to contribute to maternal and perinatal health.