Obstetric Violence: A Conceptual Analysis in the Nursing Context

Objective: To analyze the concept of “Obstetric violence” in the Nursing context based on identifying its antecedents, attributes, and consequences. Materials and method: It is a conceptual analysis that follows the method proposed by the Walker and Avant model, which consists of eight stages. Six stages were used to contemplate the study objective, namely: selection of the concept; delimitation of the analysis objectives; identification of different uses of the concept in the literature; determination of the essential attributes; identification of the concept’s antecedents and consequents, and definition of the concept’s empirical references. Results: The sample was comprised of 22 studies. A total of 31 antecedents were evidenced: 24 attributes for physical violence; 35 for psychological/emotional violence; 6 for institutional and sexual violence, and 5 for structural violence. Regarding the consequences, 39 elements were found. Conclusions: The study contributes to Nursing science, research, and clinical practice, providing scientific support with a deep discussion of the phenomenon and presenting the antecedents, attributes, and consequences of obstetric violence in detail. It enables Nursing professionals to recognize the empirical indicators of the concept; thus, it is likely that they will have more knowledge that will lead them to more precise Nursing care, in addition to subsidies to prevent obstetric violence.