Birth Preparedness and Complication Readiness Among Pokot Nomadic Pastoralists’ Pregnant Women in East Pokot District, Midwest- Kenya

Kiptulon Evans Kasmai

doi:10.11648/j.ajbls.20180601.13

Abstract

Birth Preparedness and Complication Readiness (BPCR) is a strategy to promote the timely use of skilled maternal and neonatal care, especially during childbirth, based on the theory that preparing for childbirth and being ready for complications reduces delays in seeking health care and averts serious complications that women face during child birth. However, information on BPCR among Pokot nomadic pastoralists have not been well documented in literatures. The purpose of this research was to determine factors affecting BPCR among Pokot nomadic pastoralists’ pregnant women living in East Pokot District of Kenya. A cross-sectional facility based study was conducted among 275 Pokot pregnant women, above 18 years of age who were on their second and third trimesters and attending various Antenatal Clinics (ANCs) in East Pokot district. This was response rate of 90.1%. A multi-stage sampling technique was used and data was collected from those who met the inclusion criteria between August-October, 2017, using a pretested researcher administered questionnaire. The data collected was analyzed using (SPSS) version 21. Chi-square was used to test the hypothesis. A p-value of <0.05 was considered significant. The results showed that practice of BPCR was low (28%) among the respondents. Being educated (OR=18, CI=3.83-85.16) and having high household income (OR=2.53, CI=1.37-4.66) increased practice of BPC R. Ethnic affiliation to Pokot (OR=4.85, CI=1.38-17.07), practicing African Traditional Religion (OR=2.48, CI=1.44-4.26), practicing pastoralism (OR=2, CI=1.17-3.42) were found to significantly reduce the level of BPCR. In conclusion, birth preparedness and complication readiness was low among Pokot nomadic pastoralist’s pregnant women. There is a need for more BPCR awareness programmes targeting pastoralists’ women and other vulnerable groups in the region.

Highlights

Maternal mortality has continued to be the greatest public health problem in Sub-Saharan Africa [1]
The findings found that ethnicity was significantly associated with Birth Preparedness and Complication Readiness (BPCR)
Pastoralism figured prominently as a factor displacing women away from health facilities and skilled birth attendants something that other researchers had previously raised [16, 18]. This findings is similar with other research results reported among women attending Bowen University Hospital, South West Nigeria where BPCR was 40.3% [5] and a research done among pregnant women in Jimma Zone of Ethiopia where only 23.3% BPCR was reported [12] the two researches were not done among pastoralists

Summary

Introduction

Maternal mortality has continued to be the greatest public health problem in Sub-Saharan Africa [1]. In 2008 and 2014 for example, the country’s Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) was 362 deaths per 100,000 live births and 488/100,000 respectively [2]. These statistics indicate relatively a slow progress in reduction of MMR in the five year period. Pastoralists’ regions in the country have been shown to carry the highest burden of maternal deaths with top five counties having high MMR being occupied by pastoralist communities. These include Mandera, Wajir, Turkana, Kiptulon Evans Kasmai et al.: Birth Preparedness and Complication Readiness Among Pokot

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Discussion

Conclusion