Interview with Molly Dondero

What can women in other countries or regions relate to about the DZC findings?

Although our study is set in Pernambuco, the state that was hardest hit by the Zika epidemic, our findings touch on many themes that resonate with women in other countries. For example, our main goal has been to understand women’s experiences navigating one of life’s most consequential decisions—whether and when to have (more) children—during major novel infectious disease crises—which tend to be periods characterized by extreme uncertainty, fear, and worry.  The ways that women across the world navigate these shocks might differ, but the question is one that is relevant across contexts.

Why is it important to keep studying this theme through DZC2 and what scopes you plan to focus on these coming years?

Because the Zika epidemic and the Covid-19 pandemic occurred within the last decade, it is important to continue studying this topic to understand the longer-term of impacts of these novel infectious disease crises on women’s reproductive lives.  

In addition, it is important to keep studying this theme because our findings can offer frameworks for how women might navigate future novel infectious disease crises. With scientists predicting an “era of pandemics” of novel infectious diseases, during which we will experience an increased frequency of novel infectious diseases and recurrent outbreaks of existing infectious diseases, DZC’s work will continue to be timely for years to come.

My scope within the coming years will include continuing to assess the scarring effects of successive novel infectious disease crises on women’s reproductive lives but will also expand to focus on the well-being of the young children of the women in our sample.

You are now working in another country. What lessons and expertise do you take with you from your experience with DZC, collecting data abroad and working with an international team?

 I am currently working in Marseille, France at the Iméra Institute of Advanced Studies of Aix-Marseille University. While my project in Marseille is on a different topic (the health of immigrants) in a different region of the world and relies on different methods, there are many lessons from my experience on the DZC team that are transferrable across contexts, especially: 1) flexibility, 2) cross-cultural sensitivity, and 3) interdisciplinarity.

Flexibility: DZC-1 was set to begin data collection in the form of face-to-face survey interviews in Spring 2020. When the pandemic hit, we had to pivot to restructure our survey and data collection plan. Our yearslong preparation made us nimble enough to be able to pivot very quickly. These challenging circumstances also forced us to innovate, and in doing so reiterated the importance of flexibility in large-scale research studies.

Cross-cultural sensitivity: our team is made up of researchers on three different continents. In designing our survey, a critical goal has been to ensure cultural sensitivity so that our questions would be understandable to our respondents. This process engendered insightful debate and rigorous testing, especially when culturally sensitive phrasing departs from how questions might be asked in surveys from other parts of the world. 

Interdisciplinarity: DZC’s work is enriched by the different disciplinary perspectives and expertise that our team members contribute and continually makes clear that such diverse perspectives are needed to understand these complex questions surrounding women’s reproductive lives.