A Qualitative Study to Assess the Perceptions of the Nurses and Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) Regarding the Prevention of Female Feticide in a Selected District of Haryana

Objective: The objective of the study was to assess the perceptions of the nurses and Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) regarding the prevention of female feticide. Methods: The study was conducted in Public Health Centres and Community Health centres of Faridabad district, Haryana. An in-depth interview was conducted by using semi-structured interview schedule in order to assess the perceptions of the nurses and ASHA workers regarding the different aspects of female feticide. The recorded data were transformed into verbatim written accounts. Thematic analysis was done and it followed a five-phase process. In phase I, transcripts were read fully without coding the data to gain an overall sense of the views of the study participants. In phase two and three, more detailed transcript review to identify key phrases and words, followed by coding and data reduction was done. In phase four, another researcher individually coded the transcripts and compared those findings to reach a consensus about the explanations. Conclusion: Qualitative analysis of nursing personnel and ASHAs regarding their perception about female feticide provided deeper insights into the problem of female feticide and its consequences in the society. And it reveals that they are sensitized about this pressing issue and are ready to become the channel of communication to the public for the prevention of the female feticide. It is very necessary that the government and NGOs should systematically organize and orient several programmes to tackle this critical social issue.