Assessing awareness of danger signs of pregnancy and its associated factors among pregnant women in Libya: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

BackgroundThe maternal mortality rate in Libya surpasses the regional average and is primarily due to sepsis, hemorrhages, hypertension and other factors, highlighting gaps in maternal knowledge and access to quality care. This study aimed to assess the awareness of obstetric danger signs and associated factors among pregnant women attending the outpatient clinic of Tobruk Medical Center, Libya. MethodsAn institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from August to October 2023, involving 301 pregnant women visiting the outpatient clinic. Convenience sampling was utilized, and data was collected using structured questionnaires. Data was initially stored in Excel and then imported into R (version 4.3.1) for analysis. Descriptive statistics were applied to both categorical and continuous variables. Logistic regression was used to study the association between awareness of danger signs and socio-demographic variables, with p-values calculated and multivariate analysis performed to adjust for confounding factors. ResultsResults revealed that 79.4% (239) of the pregnant women had awareness about danger signs. Additionally, the most cited danger signs were “fatigue” (41.5%) and “severe headache” (23.3%), whereas the least common one was “sudden gush of fluids” (10.6%). Marital status was found to be an independent predictor of knowledge about pregnancy danger signs, whereby married women were more likely to have awareness than divorced women (AOR:0.16, CI: 0.04–0.71, P-value: 0.016). ConclusionTo improve maternal healthcare, ANC units should focus on educating patients about under-recognized signs and encourage peer discussions through social media. These steps aim to enhance preparedness and reduce pregnancy-related complications.