Project description:BackgroundMother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) remains the major source of HIV infection in young children. Targeting pregnant women attending antenatal clinics provide a unique opportunity for implementing prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) programmes against HIV infection of newborn babies. This study aimed to investigate factors associated with the acceptability and utilization of PMTCT of HIV.MethodsAn institution based cross-sectional study was conducted in April 2010 using exit interviews with 843 pregnant women attending antenatal care (ANC) clinics of 10 health centers and two hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Trained nurses administered structured questionnaires to collect data on socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge about MTCT, practice of HIV testing and satisfaction with the antenatal care services. Six focus group discussions among pregnant women and 22 in-depth interviews with service providers complemented the quantitative data.ResultsAbout 94% of the pregnant women visited the health facility for ANC check-up. Only 18% and 9% of respondents attended the facility for HIV counselling and testing (HCT) and receiving antiretroviral prophylaxis, respectively. About 90% knew that a mother with HIV can pass the virus to her child, and MTCT through breast milk was commonly cited by most women (72.4%) than transmission during pregnancy (49.7%) or delivery (49.5%). About 94% of them reported that they were tested for HIV in the current pregnancy and 60% replied that their partners were also tested for HIV. About 80% of the respondents reported adequacy of privacy and confidentiality during counseling (90.8% at hospitals and 78.6% at health centers), but 16% wished to have a different counselor. Absence of counselors, poor counselling, lack of awareness and knowledge about HCT, lack of interest and psychological unpreparedness were the main reasons cited for not undergoing HIV testing during the current pregnancy.ConclusionsHIV testing among ANC attendees and knowledge about MTCT of HIV was quite high. Efforts should be made to improve the quality and coverage of HCT services and mitigate the barriers preventing mothers from seeking HIV testing. Further research should be conducted to evaluate the uptake of antiretroviral prophylaxis among HIV-positive pregnant women attending ANC clinics.
Project description:Anemia is a major cause of morbidity and mortality of pregnant women and increases the risks of fetal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. Approximately 50% of all anemia is estimated to be caused by low dietary intake of iron, poor absorption of dietary iron, or blood loss. The objective of the present study was to determine the prevalence of and assess the dietary habits associated with anemia in pregnant women receiving antenatal care (ANC) in Unguja Island, Tanzania. A cross-sectional study was conducted to select 338 pregnant women at Kivunge, Mwembeladu, and Mnazimmoja hospitals from March to June 2018. Hemoglobin concentration was measured using a HemoCue photometer on capillary blood. Sociodemographic data and dietary habits were collected using a structured questionnaire. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was carried out to determine the predictors of anemia in pregnant women. The overall prevalence of anemia was 80.8%. Of these 68.64% had mild anemia, 11.24% had moderate anemia, and 0.89% had severe anemia. Anemia was significantly associated with inadequate dietary diversity [adjusted OR (AOR): 1.16; 95% CI: 0.57, 2.36; P < 0.05], drinking tea or coffee with a meal (AOR: 0.06; 95% CI: 0.03, 0.13; P < 0.001), consuming <3 meals/d (AOR: 2.92; 95% CI: 1.60, 5.84; P < 0.001), higher education level (AOR: 3.4; 95% CI: 1.6, 7.2; P < 0.0001), birth interval <2 y (AOR: 3.6; 95% CI: 1.1, 11.9; P < 0.05), and multigravida status (AOR: 1.2; 95% CI: 0.3, 4.4; P < 0.0001). The prevalence of anemia in this study demonstrates a severe public health problem among pregnant women. Inadequate dietary diversity coupled with inadequate daily meal intake and consumption of tea or coffee were the dietary habits predicting anemia in pregnant women. Other predictors of anemia were higher education level, multigravida status, and birth interval <2 y. Nutrition policy interventions are needed to complement ANC services by providing important information on healthy eating habits during pregnancy.
Project description:Background The timing of initiation of first antenatal care visit is paramount for ensuring optimal care and health outcomes for women and children. However, the existing evidence from developing countries, including Ethiopia, indicates that most pregnant women are attending antenatal care in late pregnancy. Thus, this study was aimed to assess timely initiation of antenatal care and associated factors among pregnant women attending antenatal care services in Southwest Ethiopia. Methods Institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted among 375 pregnant women from April 15 to June 15, 2019 in Southwest Ethiopia. A structured and pre-tested face-to-face interviewer-administered questionnaire technique was used to collect data. Systematic random sampling technique was employed to recruit pregnant women. The data were entered into Epi data version 4.4.2 and analyzed using SPSS version 25. Frequency tables, charts and measures of central tendency were used to describe the data. The effect of each variable on timely initiation of antenatal care was assessed using bi-variable logistic regression. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to identify factors associated with timely initiation of antenatal care. The adjusted odds ratio with 95% confidence interval and p<0.05 was used to identify factors associated with timely initiation of antenatal care. Results The study revealed that 41.9% of pregnant women started antenatal care timely. Pregnant women who had good knowledge of timely initiation of antenatal care (AOR = 3.8, 95% CI: 2.2–6.5), planned to be pregnant (AOR = 5.1, 95% CI: 2.9–8.9), being primigravida (AOR = 2.6, 95% CI: 1.4–4.7) and confirmed their pregnancy by urine test (AOR = 4.1, 95% CI: 2.4–6.9) were found to be significant predictors for timely initiation of antenatal care. Conclusions Despite the efforts made to make ANC visit services freely available, timely initiation of antenatal care among pregnant women in the study area was low. Pregnant women who had good knowledge of timely initiation of antenatal care, planned to be pregnant, being primigravida and confirmed pregnancy by urine test were found to be significant predictors for timely initiation of antenatal care. Therefore, efforts that strengthen awareness on antenatal care and its right time of commencement, increase pregnant women’s knowledge of timing of antenatal care services and reducing unplanned pregnancies should be organized.
Project description:BackgroundIntimate partner violence (IPV) refers to any behavior by either a current or ex-intimate partner or would-be rejected lover that causes physical, sexual, or psychological harm. It is the most common form of violence in women's lives. According to a World Health Organization report, about 1 in 3 women worldwide experience at least one form of IPV from an intimate partner at some point in her life. In the Gambia, about 62% of pregnant women experience at least one form of violence from an intimate partner. IPV has severe physical and mental health consequences on a woman ranging from minor bodily injury to death. It also increases the risk of low birth weight, premature delivery, and neonatal death.MethodsA health facility-based cross-sectional study design was carried out to assess the magnitude and factors associated with intimate partner violence among pregnant women seeking antenatal care in the rural Gambia. The study enrolled 373 pregnant women, and a multi-stage sampling technique was used to select the respondents. An interviewer-administered structured questionnaire was used to obtain information from the study participants. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS Ver.22. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to determine the association between dependent and independent variables. Odds ratio with 95% confidence interval (CI) was computed to determine the presence and strength of associated factors with IPV.ResultThe study reveals that the prevalence of IPV in The Gambia is 67%, with psychological violence (43%) being the most common form of IPV reported by the respondents. The multivariate logistic regression result reveals that being aged 35 years or older [AOR 5.1(95% CI 1.5-17.8)], the experience of parents quarreling during childhood [AOR 1.7(95% CI 1.0-2.75)], and having cigarette smoking partners [AOR 2.3 (95% CI 1.10-4.6)] were significantly associated with IPV during pregnancy.ConclusionThis study has demonstrated that all forms of IPV in rural Gambia are frequent. Women older than 35 years, had experienced parents quarreling, had a partner who smoked, and a partner who fight with others were more likely report IPV compared to other pregnant women in the study. We recommend that IPV screening should be included as an integral part of routine antenatal care services in The Gambia. Community-based interventions that include indigenous leaders, religious leaders, and other key stakeholders are crucial to create awareness on all forms of IPV and address the risk factors found to influence the occurrence of IPV in rural Gambia.
Project description:BackgroundPoor maternal nutrition during pregnancy creates a stressful environment that can lead to long-term effects on tissue development. Understanding the food consumption score can be used to prevent problems associated with poor dietary intake of pregnant mothers. In Ethiopia, the food consumption score ranges from 54% to 81.5%, which is far below the World Food Program (WFP) recommendation. Thus, this study aimed to assess food consumption score and associated factors among pregnant women attending antenatal care services in health centers of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.MethodsThis study has used institution based cross sectional study. Overall, 999 pregnant women were selected for this study. A multistage sampling technique followed by systematic random sampling was used to include pregnant women coming for antenatal care services in the selected health centers of Addis Ababa from June 07 to July 08, 2022. We used interviewer administered questionnaire using the Kobo toolbox. Food consumption score (FCS) was assessed after collecting data on frequency of eight food groups consumed over the previous seven days, which were weighted according to their relative nutritional value. STATA 14 was used to analyse the data. Ordinal logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors of food consumption score. Those variables having p value < 0.25 in the bivariable ordinal logistic regression were considered for the final model. Crude and Adjusted Odds Ratio were used to assess the strength of the association. In the final model, p value < 0.05 at 95% confidence interval was used to declare statistical significance.ResultFrom the total of 949 pregnant women a little over half (51.20% (95%CI: 48.00%-54.40%) had acceptable food consumption score, while just over two fifth (42.60% (95% CI: 39.40%-45.70%)) and a small proportion (6.2% (95%CI: 4.84%-7.94%)) of the study participants had borderline and poor food consumption score, respectively. No meal skip (AOR = 1.37, 95% CI:1.03-1.81), able to read and write (AOR = 3.99, 95% CI: 1.33-11.96), poorest wealth status (AOR = 0.52, 95% CI: 0.34-0.78), positive attitude towards consumption of a diversified diet (AOR = 1.52,95% CI: 1.17-1.98) were independent predictors of acceptable food consumption score.ConclusionIn this study, considerably low level of acceptable food consumption score among the study participants was observed. Besides, not skipping meal, having better educational status, wealth status and attitude towards consumption of a diversified diet were associated with acceptable food consumption score. Therefore, nutritional education considering important dietary modifications should be intensified targeting vulnerable groups.
Project description:Main objectiveTo determine the extent to which women plan and prepare for pregnancy.MethodsCross-sectional questionnaire survey of pregnant women attending three maternity services in London about knowledge and uptake of preconception care; including a robust measure of pregnancy planning, and phone interviews with a range of health care professionals.Main resultsWe recruited 1173/1288 (90%) women, median age of 32 years. 73% had clearly planned their pregnancy, 24% were ambivalent and only 3% of pregnancies were unplanned. 51% of all women and 63% of those with a planned pregnancy took folic acid before pregnancy. 21% of all women reported smoking and 61% reported drinking alcohol in the 3 months before pregnancy; 48% of smokers and 41% of drinkers reduced or stopped before pregnancy. The 51% of all women who reported advice from a health professional before becoming pregnant were more likely to adopt healthier behaviours before pregnancy [adjusted odds ratios for greatest health professional input compared with none were 2.34 (95% confidence interval 1.54-3.54) for taking folic acid and 2.18 (95% CI 1.42-3.36) for adopting a healthier diet before pregnancy]. Interviews with 20 health professionals indicated low awareness of preconception health issues, missed opportunities and confusion about responsibility for delivery of preconception care.Significance of the findingsDespite a high level of pregnancy planning, awareness of preconception health among women and health professionals is low, and responsibility for providing preconception care is unclear. However, many women are motivated to adopt healthier behaviours in the preconception period, as indicated by halving of reported smoking rates in this study. The link between health professional input and healthy behaviour change before pregnancy is a new finding that should invigorate strategies to improve awareness and uptake of pre-pregnancy health care, and bring wider benefits for public health.
Project description:IntroductionSyphilis is one of the leading causes of perinatal morbidity and mortality and is one of the most important public health problems. There was no study showing syphilis serostatus and its related factors among pregnant women in the current study area. This study was aimed to assess the magnitude of syphilis serostatus and associated factors among pregnant women attending antenatal care in Jinka town public health facilities.MethodInstitution based cross-sectional study design was conducted in Jinka town public health facilities, southern Ethiopia from the 1st July to the 1st September, 2020. A systematic sampling technique was used to select 629 study subjects. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire through face-to-face interviews and records were reviewed to check syphilis test results. Data were coded and entered by using Epi-data version 4.432 and analyzed using SPSS version 25. The binary logistic regression model was used to investigate factors associated with syphilis. A p-value of < 0.05 at multivariable analysis was considered statistically significant.ResultIn this study, syphilis sero-prevalence among pregnant women attending antenatal care clinics was 4.8% (95% CI: 3.12, 6.48). Rural residence [AOR: 2.873; 95%CI (1.171, 7.050)], alcohol use [AOR: 3.340; 95% CI (1.354, 8.241)] and having multiple sexual partner [AOR: 5.012; 95% CI (1.929, 13.020)] were statistically significantly associated with syphilis.ConclusionSero-prevalence of syphilis was high. Being a rural residence, having multiple sexual partners, alcohol use were factors associated with syphilis. Therefore, substantial efforts have to be made to provide regular health education for pregnant women at the antenatal clinic on the avoidance of risky behaviors and the risk of syphilis on their pregnancy.
Project description:BackgroundSuicidal ideation (SI) among pregnant women is a major public health concern worldwide and is associated with a higher risk of completed suicide. However, there are limited studies that determined the prevalence and the potential determinants of suicidal ideation in Sub-Saharan Africa, including Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the prevalence of suicidal ideation and associated factors among pregnant women attending antenatal care in Jimma, Ethiopia.MethodsAn institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 423 pregnant women attending Jimma medical center in Southwest, Ethiopia. A systematic random sampling technique was used to select the study participants. Suicidal ideation assessed using the Suicidality Module of the World Mental Health survey initiative version of the World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). Other tools used are EPDS, Abuse Assessment Scale (AAS), DASS -21, PSS, Maternity Social Support Scale (MSSS), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). A multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to explore the potential determinants of suicidal ideation among the participants.ResultThe prevalence of SI among women who are on antenatal care was found to be 13.3% (95% CI (10.1,16.4). In multivariable analysis, marital status with lack of cohabiting partners (AOR = 2.80,95%CI:1.23,6.37), history of abortion (AOR = 2.45,95% CI:1.03,5.93), having depression (AOR = 4.28,95% CI:1.75,10.44),anxiety(AOR = 2.99,95% CI:1.24,7.20), poor sleep quality (AOR = 2.85,95% CI:1.19,6.79), stress (AOR = 2.50, 95% CI:1.01,5.67), and intimate partner violence (AOR = 2.43, 95% CI:1.07,5.47) were found to be significant predictors of suicidal ideation.ConclusionThe prevalence of SI among pregnant women was found to be huge. Lack of cohabiting partners, previous history of abortion, depression, anxiety, intimate partner violence, poor sleep quality, and stress were variables that are independent predictors of suicidal ideation. Screening and interventions of antenatal SI are needed.
Project description:Background:Depression affects approximately 10 to 20% of pregnant women globally, and one in ten and two in five women in developed and developing countries develop depression during pregnancy, respectively. However, evidence regarding its magnitude and predictors in Southern Ethiopia is limited. The present study is aimed at assessing the magnitude and predictors of antenatal depression among pregnant women attending antenatal care in Sodo town. Methods:A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 403 antenatal care attendants in Sodo town from November 2 to January 30, 2017. Systematic random sampling was used to select the study population, and data were collected by using a pretested and structured questionnaire. Data were entered using Epi-data 4.2 and then exported and analyzed using SPSS version 20. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to assess the association between the dependent variable and independent variables. Variables with P value less than 0.05 were considered as statistically significant. Results:A total of 400 pregnant women were interviewed. The magnitude of antenatal depression was 16.3% (95% CI (12.8%, 19.9%)). Husband's educational status, at the college and above (AOR: 0.09; 95% CI (0.03, 0.34), regular exercise (AOR: 0.16; 95% CI (0.07, 0.36)), planned pregnancy (AOR: 0.16; 95% CI (0.06, 0.44)), use of family planning (AOR: 0.31; 95% CI (0.14, 0.66)), previous history of anxiety (AOR: 2.96; 95% CI (1.30, 6.74)), previous history of obstetric complications (AOR: 19.03; 95% CI (5.89, 61.47)), and current obstetric complications (AOR: 30.38; 95% CI (3.14, 294.19)) were significant predictors of antenatal depression. Conclusion:Nearly one in six pregnant women had antenatal depression. The husband's educational status, regular exercise, planned pregnancy, use of family planning, previous history of anxiety, previous history of obstetric complications, and current history of obstetric complications were significant predictors of antenatal depression. Screening for depression during routine antenatal care could be essential and recommended to identify early and prevent further morbidities and mortalities due to antenatal depression.
Project description:BackgroundGood-quality antenatal care improves maternal health in the least developed countries. This study was aimed at assessing the quality of antenatal care and associated factors among pregnant women attending hospitals in the Sidama Region, Southern Ethiopia.MethodA facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted from 1 February to 30 April 2020 among 372 pregnant women. A two-stage sampling technique-the first stage, selection of health facilities; the second stage, selection of respondents-was used. Trained data collectors administered exit interviews. Data were entered into EPI Info 7 and analyzed using IBM SPSS version 25. Quality of care was assessed using a validated questionnaire containing 68 attributes of quality. Good quality of care was determined by the proportion of respondents who scored ⩾80% of 68 variables. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regressions were used in the analysis. The outputs were presented using an adjusted odds ratio with 95% confidence intervals.ResultsThis study revealed that 41.2% (95% confidence interval: 36.2%-46.2%) of pregnant women had received good-quality antenatal care. Increased odds of the utilization of quality antenatal care were observed among women who lived in urban areas (adjusted odds ratio = 4.32, 95% confidence interval: 2.58-7.21), attained primary education and more (adjusted odds ratio = 2.68, 95% confidence interval: 1.60-4.48), earned a monthly income >3000 Ethiopia Birr (US$93.3) (adjusted odds ratio = 3.86, 95% confidence interval: 2.28-6.51), and visited hospitals for antenatal care ⩾4 times (adjusted odds ratio = 3.68, 95% confidence interval: 2.21-6.10).ConclusionsThe proportion of women who received good-quality antenatal care was low. Good quality care was associated with residence, education status, income level, and frequency of antenatal care visits. Training care providers, strengthening counseling, and promoting women's economic empowerment to improve the utilization of quality antenatal care are recommended.