Project type: Staff initiated

Investigators: Dr Jimmy Mai, Nhat Huy Vo, A/Prof Kirstie McKenzie-McHarg, Prof Leesa Hooker, Prof Emi Kashima

Mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and stress are prevalent among the perinatal population. Several influencing factors include, but are not limited to, personal history of mental illness, levels of social support, and personal coping strategies.

Pregnancy and childbirth are regarded as more than just personal medical events; they are also associated with many cultural practices. Cultural practices appear to determine levels of social support for perinatal women and their coping behaviors. In some interdependent cultures, such as those in Africa and Asia, where the sense of self is largely determined by personal relationships and group membership, cultural practices during the perinatal period include certain expectations for support from family and relatives, as well as imposing some expectations and restrictions on the perinatal women. Given these high expectations, it is reasonable to suggest that the influence of cultural practices on women’s mental health depends on the availability of cultural advice and the mothers’ acceptance and adherence to those cultural practices.

For instance, food restrictions are specific cultural practices in perinatal care. Although the advice differs, and sometimes contradicts, across cultures, adherence to these practices, if accepted, can be beneficial. Specifically, in the first month postpartum, Chinese new mothers are advised to avoid spicy food, while their Vietnamese counterparts are encouraged to consume hot food such as black pepper and salty cooked rice. Regardless of these differences, adherence to culturally congruent practices has been found to benefit postpartum mothers. In a study of Chinese and Vietnamese postpartum mothers living in Taiwan, research found higher acceptance of and adherence to the cultural practices of the mainstream country (Taiwan) among Chinese mothers compared to the Vietnamese group. This difference was associated with a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms among Vietnamese-born mothers relative to the Chinese group.

Although social support from family members was a significant protective factor, and is an inherent expectation in Chinese and Vietnamese cultures, its protective effects on these mothers were independent of acceptance and adherence to cultural practices. This suggests that in Chinese and Vietnamese cultures, a set of rules and expectations during the perinatal period may be beneficial if their presence (i.e., social support) and nature (i.e., rules and restrictions) are congruent with the mothers’ attitudes towards and desire to follow those practices.

The current study focuses on cultural perinatal care practices of Vietnamese-born women living in Australia. Vietnamese culture is selected for this study because it is an interdependent culture, and an emic approach in cultural psychology, in which PI Mai is a cultural member, allows for an insider’s perspective.

Status: Writing up Manuscript

Last update: 14/10/2025