Can critical medical anthropology theory and methods contribute to improving global maternal health?

The Minangkabau people of West Sumatra, Indonesia, are famous for their matrilineal culture, with property and land passing down from mother to daughter. The system puts women at the centre of the household and the community. Despite a fairly balanced status of women in the community, the impact of health inequalities is uneven; women suffer more. Malnutrition is the biggest issue for women and girls in Indonesia, with a high maternal mortality ratio of 228/ 100,000 live births [UNICEF 2012]. In an earlier study, Soltani et al 2015 have shown a worrying trend in the rate of both under-nutrition and overweight in Indonesian pregnant women with a negative impact on birth outcomes. In order to complement the results of the study, this project was designed to use anthropological theory and methods to explore factors that affect the nutritional well-being of pregnant women regarding food availability and access. The study found low income and unequal access, limited information and food taboo as well as control over resources are significant factors that affect nutritional wellbeing in pregnant women. Though women own and inherit productive resources such as land and water, control over resources and decision-making is an exclusive domain for men. The identified influencing factors can help to develop locally sensitive interventions to improve maternal nutrition and health.