Blessing of the moon
Cultural beliefs, birth timing and child health in Nepal
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 15098564 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Binaya Chalise (0000-0001-7292-1229, Graduate School for International Development and Cooperation, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan, corresponding author), Satoru Kaneko (0000-0002-9026-5728, Network for Education and Research on Peace and Sustainability, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan), Duc Tran (0000-0002-3443-6510, Hiroshima University) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 25 |
| Issue | 8 |
| Pages | 947-959 |
| Publication date | 2023-08-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Culture Health & Sexuality (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1369-1058 • E-ISSN: 1464-5351 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/13691058.2022.2111466 |
| PMID | 35994692 |
| OpenAlex | W4292980986 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 24 |
In many South Asian contexts, specific dates are auspicious and inauspicious for health-related behaviours and outcomes. This study analysed the effect of lunar date-related auspicious beliefs in Nepal on childbirths and neonatal health outcomes. Using the daily birth records from a tertiary maternity hospital, we empirically examined whether births occurred disproportionally around full moon days. We found an average of 10.7 extra births on and before full moon days, with an average of 7.5 extra Caesarean deliveries on full moon days. We demonstrated that births occurring on or before the full moon day have poor neonatal health outcomes. However, a subsample analysis suggested better health outcomes for low-risk mothers and worse health outcomes for high-risk mothers. These findings suggest that low-risk mothers may move their deliveries to auspicious dates with fewer complications than high-risk mothers. The results emphasise the need for additional research to distinguish health service demand from supply influences on birth timing in Nepal
Environmental health · Full moon · Pregnancy · Demography · Global Maternal and Child Health · Medicine
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |