The main outcome on my mind for this course and which is the focus of my dissertation is unplanned or unintended pregnancy. This is an important issue for many populations, including in the US, however I am focusing on Haiti for the time being.
Many of the structural determinants outlined in the conceptual framework are implicated when trying to understand the circumstances that lead to unplanned pregnancies for Haitian women. A few that are interesting for me to think about on the structural side include cultural and society values – specifically marriage and the role of women as mothers and caretakers. In many families in Haiti, a couple does not get legally married and men are responsible for providing for the mother and child. This arrangement impacts the material circumstances, an intermediary determinant, because a woman's ability to earn money is shaky if working outside the home is not part of her assigned role in society.
These determinants of health are impacted greatly by a woman's past socioeconomic experiences and environment due to the ability of a girl child to receive education which may change their path away from entering the workforce with skills. Resources may not be available for a girl to attend school over her brother who is seen as a future worker and family provider. The community in which a girl child is raised is really important to think about when thinking ahead to her chance of unplanned pregnancy as an adolescent or adult including options for employment for women. It is very telling to link geographic data to other SES measures in Haiti because of the disparity between those living in rural versus urban areas.