Awareness on Birth Preparedness and Complication Readiness Among Antenatal Care Clients in Federal Police Referral Hospital Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Abstract

Birth-preparedness and complication readiness is a comprehensive strategy aimed at promoting the timely utilization of skilled maternal and neonatal health care and encouraging women, households and communities to make arrangements. This paper aimed to assess knowledge and practices on birth preparedness and complication readiness and related factors among antenatal clients in Federal Police Referral Hospital. Institutional based cross-Sectional study was conducted on 224 sampled pregnant women from September 14, 2014- October, 24 2014 who were attending Ante Natal Care in Federal Referral Police Hospital, Addis Ababa. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20. Different rates, as well as relevant associations were computed to see statistical significant. P-value less than 0.05 was taken as a cut of point to declare significant association. Multiple logistic regression analysis was also done to control for possible confounding variables. In this study the proportion of respondents considered as knowledgeable for key dangerous signs were 152(67.8%), 140 (62.1%), 118 (52.2%) during pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum respectively About 126(56.3 %) of the women were considered as prepared for birth and its complication. Maternal age of less than 20 years (COR = 3.5, 95% CI: 1.07, 11.66). Mothers who knew the key danger sign of pregnancy, child birth andpost-partum were almost three times more likely to be prepared for birth and its complications than mothers who didn’t know (COR = 2.61, 95% CI: 1.47, 4.65); (COR = 2.72, 95% CI: 1.56, 4.74) and (COR = 2.66, 95% CI: 1.54, 4.53) respectively. When the age of the client from socio demographic variables; knowledge on key danger signs of pregnancy, labor and post-partum were adjusted no one significantly associated with birth preparedness and complication readiness. In this study about 56.3 % women were prepared for birth and its complication which is relatively fair. Knowledge of key dangers signs of pregnancy, labor and delivery and postpartum were found to be the main factors affecting birth preparedness and complication readiness. Improving ANC education on BP/CR, giving special emphasis to comprehensive knowledge of key danger signs is recommended.