Preparedness Practices Research Articles

Birth preparedness and complication readiness among pregnant women in Tehulederie district, Northeast Ethiopia: a community-based cross-sectional study

BackgroundMotherhood is a time of anticipation of joy for a woman, her family, and her community. In spite of this fact, it is not as enjoyable as it should be because of numerous reasons. Insufficiency or lack of birth preparedness and complication readiness is the most common reason. The aim of this study was to assess the practice of birth preparedness and complication readiness and associated factors among pregnant women in Tehuledere district, northeast Ethiopia.MethodsA community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Tehuledere district, northeast Ethiopia. Participants were selected using the multistage sampling technique, and data were analyzed both descriptively and analytically using the binary logistic regression.ResultOut of the total 507 samples, 500 (response rate 98.6%) pregnant women participated in the study. Less than half (44.6%) and (43.4%) of the respondents had knowledge and practice on birth preparedness and complication readiness, respectively. In the multivariate analysis, knowledge of birth preparedness and complication readiness (AOR = 1.648, 95%CI: 1.073, 2.531), knowledge of danger signs during pregnancy (AOR = 2.802, 95% CI: 1.637, 4.793), gestational age (AOR = 3.379, 95% CI: 2.114, 5.401), and antenatal care follow up starting time (AOR = 2.841, 95% CI: 1.330, 6.068) were significantly associated with the practice of birth preparedness and complication readiness, but pregnant women in rural areas (AOR = 0.442, 95% CI:0.244, 0.803) were less associated with birth preparedness and complication readiness compared to women in urban settlements.ConclusionThis study identified that poor knowledge, inadequate birth preparedness, and complication readiness were prevalent among mothers in the study area. Government officials, partners, and health care providers working in the areas of maternal and child health should operate together to maximize birth preparedness and complication readiness practices.

Birth Preparedness and Complication Readiness Plan among Antenatal Care Attendants in Kofale District, South East Ethiopia: A Cross Sectional Survey

Background: Birth preparedness and complication readiness plan is a major strategic tool designed to reduce maternal deaths. Despite its importance on maternal mortality reduction, its practice is less studied in Ethiopia. Hence, this study assessed birth preparedness and complication readiness practices and associated factors among antenatal care attendees in Kofale district, south east Ethiopia. Method: Cross-sectional study was conducted among 555 antenatal care clients. A systematic random sampling technique was used to select respondents. Data were entered and analyzed using SPSS version 20.0. Logistic regression analyses were used to assess the relationship between dependent and independent variables. Results: In this study, 41.3% of the women were wellprepared for birth and its complications. Over two third (69.0%) women identified place of delivery ahead of their current pregnancy and while 20.5% of them identified skilled birth attendants. Maternal education (2.02 (95% CI: 1.33- 3.06)), age group from 21-25 (2.68 (95% CI: 1.23-5.85)) and being aware of danger signs (2.01 (95% CI: 1.40-2.88)) were independent predictors of birth preparedness and complication readiness practices. Conclusion: Less than half of the interviewed mothers were prepared for birth and related complications. Maternal education, age and awareness of danger signs were among the major predictors identified to have impact on birth preparedness and complication readiness. Further studies on why women prepared less, especially to address whether the gaps are from health care providers, women or any other factors is required

Assessment of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Disaster Preparedness among Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital Health Care Workers, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Back ground: Disasters are parts of human life; they will never ask for permission to occur in particular area. The world over, they have been caused disastrous complications, disrupting human lives, and exposing the world economy to untold cost. In times of disasters, hospitals are among the most crucial institutions as they are considered as sanctuaries where victims seek ministration. Although major disasters are always to be expected, past disasters and more recent events shows that communities are not yet fully prepared. Objective: The study was intended to assess current awareness, attitude, and practice of the health care workers regarding disaster preparedness and to find out what arrangements were in place should a disaster occur at the hospital. Methodology: The study utilized both quantitative and qualitative research methods. Data collection was made through self-administered questionnaires and semi- structured key informant interview. A total of 290 respondents were participated in the study. Data analysis: Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics with Epi-info and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Qualitative data were analyzed after organizing into themes and summaries. Result: About half of (50.8%) health care workers had good knowledge about hospital disaster preparedness and its plan. The remaining 49.2%) had low knowledge. Their general attitude towards the issue was largely positive as 64.8% of respondents had favorable attitude. Low practice (8.3%) of disaster preparedness at the hospital was observed. Moreover, the hospital had neither nor disaster preparedness plan nor other forms of arrangements and preparations for occurrence of disasters. Conclusion and recommendations: The present study found that the health care workers at the hospital had fair awareness and largely positive attitude on disaster preparedness. As the national health policy has not given sufficient attention to hospitals disaster preparedness, there were negligible arrangements in place at the hospital. Therefore, much effort is still expected from all stakeholders including Federal Ministry of Health and managements of hospital.

Birth preparedness and complication readiness (BPCR) among pregnant women in hard-to-reach areas in Bangladesh.

BackgroundBirth preparedness and complication readiness aims to reduce delays in care seeking, promote skilled birth attendance, and facility deliveries. Little is known about birth preparedness practices among populations living in hard-to-reach areas in Bangladesh.ObjectivesTo describe levels of birth preparedness and complication readiness among recently delivered women, identify determinants of being better prepared for birth, and assess the impact of greater birth preparedness on maternal and neonatal health practices.MethodsA cross-sectional survey with 2,897 recently delivered women was undertaken in 2012 as part of an evaluation trial done in five hard-to-reach districts in rural Bangladesh. Mothers were considered well prepared for birth if they adopted two or more of the four birth preparedness components. Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression were used for analysis.ResultsLess than a quarter (24.5%) of women were considered well prepared for birth. Predictors of being well-prepared included: husband’s education (OR = 1.3; CI: 1.1–1.7), district of residence, exposure to media in the form of reading a newspaper (OR = 2.2; CI: 1.2–3.9), receiving home visit by a health worker during pregnancy (OR = 1.5; CI: 1.2–1.8), and receiving at least 3 antenatal care visits from a qualified provider (OR = 1.4; CI: 1.0–1.9). Well-prepared women were more likely to deliver at a health facility (OR = 2.4; CI: 1.9–3.1), use a skilled birth attendant (OR = 2.4, CI: 1.9–3.1), practice clean cord care (OR = 1.3, CI: 1.0–1.5), receive post-natal care from a trained provider within two days of birth for themselves (OR = 2.6, CI: 2.0–3.2) or their newborn (OR = 2.6, CI: 2.1–3.3), and seek care for delivery complications (OR = 1.8, CI: 1.3–2.6).ConclusionGreater emphasis on BPCR interventions tailored for hard to reach areas is needed to improve skilled birth attendance, care seeking for complications and essential newborn care and facilitate reductions in maternal and neonatal mortality in low performing districts in Bangladesh.

Birth preparedness: studying its effectiveness in improving maternal health in urban slums of Jamnagar, Gujarat

Background: Maternal health and healthy outcome of a pregnancy are the core focus of all the programmes related to maternal and child health. Most of the causes of maternal morbidity and mortality are preventable. So we need to introduce new strategies according to the need of beneficiaries to reduce the underlying causes which ultimately lead to morbidities or complications during pregnancy. Birth preparedness is a kind of strategy which can help the mothers to plan out their pregnancy to combat the complications arising during pregnancy, childbirth or puerperium. The aims and objectives were to study the birth preparedness amongst the women, to study effect of various socio demographic determinants on birth preparedness and to find out relation between maternal morbidity and mortality with birth preparedness. Methods: Cross sectional study was conducted in Jamnagar. 450 women were selected by 30 cluster sampling. Data analysis was done with Microsoft office Excel and SPSS 20, Chi square test was applied. Results: 11.33% women were fully prepared, 67.33% were partially prepared while 96 women were not prepared at all. Education, place of delivery, parity and knowledge of danger signs has statistically significant association with birth preparedness in cases of both maternal mortalities, women were not at all prepared. Conclusions: Birth preparedness practices need to be improved. Education, parity, place of delivery, knowledge about danger signs are associated with birth preparedness practices. Birth preparedness can help in decreasing maternal morbidities and mortalities.

Ebola Preparedness in the Netherlands: The Need for Coordination Between the Public Health and the Curative Sector.

Context:During the Ebola outbreak in West Africa in 2014-2015, close cooperation between the curative sector and the public health sector in the Netherlands was necessary for timely identification, referral, and investigation of patients with suspected Ebola virus disease (EVD).Objective:In this study, we evaluated experiences in preparedness among stakeholders of both curative and public health sectors to formulate recommendations for optimizing preparedness protocols. Timeliness of referred patients with suspected EVD was used as indicator for preparedness.Design:In focus group sessions and semistructured interviews, experiences of curative and public health stakeholders about the regional and national process of preparedness and response were listed. Timeliness recordings of all referred patients with suspected EVD (13) were collected from first date of illness until arrival in the referral academic hospital.Results:Ebola preparedness was considered extensive compared with the risk of an actual patient, however necessary. Regional coordination varied between regions. More standardization of regional preparation and operational guidelines was requested, as well as nationally standardized contingency criteria, and the National Centre for Infectious Disease Control was expected to coordinate the development of these guidelines. For the timeliness of referred patients with suspected EVD, the median delay between first date of illness until triage was 2.0 days (range: 0-10 days), and between triage and arrival in the referral hospital, it was 5.0 hours (range: 2-7.5 hours). In none of these patients Ebola infection was confirmed.Conclusions:Coordination between the public health sector and the curative sector needs improvement to reduce delay in patient management in emerging infectious diseases. Standardization of preparedness and response practices, through guidelines for institutional preparedness and blueprints for regional and national coordination, is necessary, as preparedness for emerging infectious diseases needs a multidisciplinary approach overarching both the public health sector and the curative sector. In the Netherlands a national platform for preparedness is established, in which both the curative sector and public health sector participate, in order to implement the outcomes of this study.

Knowledge and practice of birth preparedness among women of child bearing age in Migori County, Kenya

Background: Birth preparedness is a strategy that has been found to ensure readiness for birth and prevent obstetric delays. It is hindered, however, by lack of knowledge, cultural taboos and lack of finances. Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study, which aimed to establish the knowledge and practice of birth preparedness among antenatal mothers attending public health facilities in Migori County, Kenya. The study used both quantitative and qualitative methods. Data were collected through interviewer-administered questionnaires and focus group discussions. A total of 389 women were interviewed in four randomly selected facilities. Data analysis was carried out and P-values reported. Content analysis was conducted for the qualitative data and reported in form of narration. Findings: The knowledge on birth preparedness was low (53%) and the respondents were unaware of its key concepts. Marital status (P=0.003), residence (P=<0.001), unemployment (P=0.001) and the partner's level of education (P=0.001) affected birth preparedness knowledge. Favourable birth preparedness practices were seen in 56% of participants. Marital status (P=0.05), residence (P=<0.001), partner's education, and health facility (P=<0.001) affected birth preparedness. Conclusions: More emphasis should be made on the key concepts of birth preparedness during health education. Effort should also be made to improve its practice.

Get prepared: Discourse for the privileged?

Being prepared for a disaster is an important strategy for reducing physical, social, psychological and cultural harm. Preparedness practices mitigate the immediate impacts of a disaster while also enabling people to respond to and cope with any ongoing consequences. However, not all people have the ability to prepare. This paper queries how preparedness discourses impact on people without financial means, capacity or support to prepare. The work situates preparedness within a neoliberal system that is preoccupied with risk management as an economic cost reducing exercise. It highlights that without the ability to feel safe and achieve ontological security in a disaster, people can experience instability and mental health is compromised. It questions disaster preparedness texts that produce a form of structural violence, preventing the ability to have needs meet, while privileging agency to some and denying it to others. Government documents and preparedness websites from Aotearoa/New Zealand are outlined to highlight the frequently ignored preparedness needs of vulnerable groups. The role of research in preparedness activities is also discussed. People working in the emergency management space should contest the socio-political conditions that produce increased risk for disadvantaged groups.

Comparing the preparedness, content knowledge, and instructional quality of elementary science specialists and self‐contained teachers

In this article, we report on the results of a study comparing the preparedness, content knowledge, and instructional practices of elementary science specialist (ESS) teachers with those of a matched sample of self-contained elementary teachers. Analysis of survey data collected for the two groups indicated that ESS teachers were more likely than self-contained teachers to hold science content degrees. ESS teachers scored significantly higher than self-contained teachers on self-reported measures of the following: preparedness to teach science and engineering content; familiarity with science standards; knowledge of students’ strengths and weaknesses in science, having enough time to meet students’ needs in science and having enough time to plan for all the subject areas that they teach. ESS teachers also scored significantly higher than self-contained teachers on selected measures of science content knowledge. Finally, in comparison to self-contained teachers, some elements of ESS teachers’ science lessons were better aligned with our chosen framework for quality elementary science instruction. Regression analyses suggested that these differences in quality of science lessons could be predicted based on the different amounts of time that ESS and self-contained teachers are respectively afforded for planning and teaching science. Implications are provided for future research into elementary science specialization as well as professional development support for all teachers of elementary science. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 10: 1302–1321, 2017

Barriers to utilization of childbirth services of a rural birthing center in Nepal: A qualitative study.

BackgroundMaternal mortality and morbidity are public health problems in Nepal. In rural communities, many women give birth at home without the support of a skilled birth attendant, despite the existence of rural birthing centers. The aim of this study was to explore the barriers and provide pragmatic recommendations for better service delivery and use of rural birthing centers.MethodsWe conducted 26 in-depth interviews with service users and providers, and three focus group discussions with community key informants in a rural community of Rukum district. We used the Adithya Cattamanchi logic model as a guiding framework for data analysis.ResultsIrregular and poor quality services, inadequate human and capital resources, and poor governance were health system challenges which prevented service delivery. Contextual barriers including difficult geography, poor birth preparedness practices, harmful culture practices and traditions and low level of trust were also found to contribute to underutilization of the birthing center.ConclusionThe rural birthing center was not providing quality services when women were in need, which meant women did not use the available services properly because of systematic and contextual barriers. Approaches such as awareness-raising activities, local resource mobilization, ensuring access to skilled providers and equipment and other long-term infrastructure development works could improve the quality and utilization of childbirth services in the rural birthing center. This has resonance for other centers in Nepal and similar countries.

A survey of impact on industrial parks caused by the 2011 Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami

During the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami (GEJET), many industrial facilities were affected to different extents by the earthquake and/or tsunami. Damages and reasons for hazardous materials releases were reported by former studies. This paper provides further details concerning the impact of GEJET, by the data collected from a series of field visits, interviews and mail surveys. In this study, we report the facility damage and economic losses, the performance of safety and mitigation measures, the emergency preparedness and response to the chemical releases triggered by earthquake and/or tsunami, and changes to preparedness practices at the facilities after experiencing the GEJET. Recommendations are proposed at the end when compared to previous studies in the literature.

Maternal and Newborn Care Practices Among the Urban Poor in Indore, India - Gaps, Reasons and Potential Program Options

Maternal and Newborn Care Practices Among the Urban Poor in Indore, India - Gaps, Reasons and Potential Program Options

Assessment of knowledge and practice towards birth preparedness and complication readiness among women in Northern Ghana: a cross-sectional study

<p class="abstract"><strong>Background:</strong> The principle and practice of birth preparedness and complication readiness (BP&CR) in resource-poor settings have the potential of reducing maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality rates. The purpose of this study was to assess BP and CR among pregnant women and women who gave birth in the12 months preceding the study and the socio-demographic factors affecting BP and CR.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Methods:</strong> The study was a health facility-based cross-sectional survey using pre-tested and structured questionnaires to gather data among 422 currently pregnant women and women who gave birth in the 12 months preceding the study and attending antenatal or postnatal care in health facilities in the Kassena-Nankana Districts in Northern Ghana. Data were analysed using State version 10.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Results:</strong> For the 422 respondents, 50% were rural and 50% urban residents. Having at least a primary education and living in a rural area were significantly associated with birth preparedness plan (BPP) (P = 0.044) and (P = 0.007). There was no association between age group, occupation, marital status and religion to BPP (P=0.907), (P=0.397), (P=0.573) and (P=0.564) respectively. The study also revealed that identification of a potential blood donor and a skilled birth attendant were not considered crucial by the respondents.</p><strong>Conclusions:</strong> The study identified poor knowledge and practices of identification of a potential blood donor and skilled birth attendant preparation for birth preparedness and its complication in the study area. Antenatal care education should place emphasis on birth preparedness and complication readiness to improve access to skilled and emergency obstetric care.

Knowledge of obstetric danger signs and birth preparedness practices among pregnant women in rural communities of Eastern Ethiopia

Key elements of the birth plan package include recognition of danger signs. Although there are some studies on birth preparedness and complication readiness in Ethiopia; most of them studied women attending antenatal care. Moreover, there is no data on the eastern part of the country where the culture is more liberal and cash crop is the mainstay of the livelihood. This study explored the association between knowledge of obstetric danger signs and birth preparedness among pregnant women in rural communities. A cross sectional community based study was conducted in Dere Teyara District (Woreda) of Rural Harari Region in the Eastern Ethiopia from March to May, 2013. The sample size was determined using formula for estimation of single population proportion. A total of 436 pregnant women were selected using simple random sampling technique. A pre tested interviewer administered structured questionnaire was used to collect relevant data. The data were coded and entered into and analyzed using SPSS for windows version 20. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to isolated independent predictors of good birth preparedness. Out of 423 respondents, 42.8% (181/423) of the pregnant women had good birth preparedness. A total of 28.6, 28.6 and 40.9% had good knowledge on obstetrical danger sign during pregnancy, delivery and post-partum period, respectively. The main danger signs during pregnancy mentioned were vaginal bleeding (75.5%) and severe headache (68.8%), while severe vaginal bleeding (81.1%) and prolonged labor (39.2%) were mentioned to be danger signs during delivery. Severe vaginal bleeding (68.3%) and swollen hands/face during the postpartum period (44.7%) were stated to be danger signs in the post partum period. On multivariable logistic regression model, women who had literate husbands were 2.8 times more likely to have good preparedness (adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=2.83; 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.423, 5.655). Literate mothers were 2.46 times more likely to be birth prepared (AOR=2.46; 95% CI= 1.09, 5.57). Likewise, women who started the first antenatal visit before four months of pregnancy were 15.5 times more likely to have good birth preparedness (AOR=15.50; 95% CI=3.713, 64.67). It was also observed that, women who had two or more ANC visits were nearly twice as likely to have good birth preparedness (AOR=1.96; 95% CI=1.13, 3.41). Women with good knowledge on obstetric danger signs during pregnancy (AOR=2.517; 95% CI=1.39, 4.55) and postnatal period (AOR=2.245; 95% CI=1.26, 3.97) were also more likely to be birth prepared than those without this knowledge. Antenatal care attendance, knowledge about obstetric danger signs and literacy status of the woman and her husband were strong predictors of birth preparedness practices. The findings imply the need for behavior change communication on obstetric danger signs and the importance early initiation of ANC follow up, especially to illiterate women to reduce maternal mortality. Key word: Birth preparedness, complication readiness, birth

Development and Validation of a Questionnaire to Measure Iranian Nurses' Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Regarding Disaster Preparedness.

Despite the key role of Iranian nurses throughout disaster management, there is no instrument available to examine nurses' current disaster preparation levels. The aim of this study was to develop and analyse the reliability and validity of a questionnaire on the nurses' knowledge, attitude and practice of disaster preparedness. The scale was developed based on a comprehensive literature review and applied to 112 nurses in three public educational center affiliated to Ilam University of Medical Sciences, Ilam, Iran. Relibility was obtained using the test-retest method. Cronbach's alpha was used to verify internal consistency. Exploratory factor analysis was used to assess the validity of the questionnaire. Explanatory factor analysis using varimax rotation revealed seven main factors associated with the nurses' knowledge, attitude and practice regarding disaster preparedness. The questionnaire overall internal consistency using Cronbach's alpha was 0.785, showing acceptable internal consistency. The intraclass correlation coefficient using Test-retest method was 0.82. Total variance was 67.57%. The instrument has satisfactory reliability and validity indices and can be used to measure nurses' knowledge, attitude and practice regarding disaster preparedness.

Factors influencing knowledge and practice of birth preparedness and complication readiness in sub-saharan Africa: a narrative review of cross-sectional studies

Birth preparedness and complication readiness (BP/CR) is a strategy that encourages pregnant women, their families, and communities to effectively plan for births and deal with emergencies, if they occur. The study assessed knowledge on and practice of BP/CR among expectant mothers, partners and community. A systematic search of peer reviewed journals in English language quantitative and qualitative studies published between 2010 and 2015 was undertaken using Primo search, Ovid and Scopus databases. Knowledge of birth preparedness was higher than knowledge of pregnancy danger signs (complication readiness) in many studies, whilst implementation of BP/CR interventions was lower than level of knowledge in all studies. Education, parity, antenatal care visits, age, place of residence and gender were better predictors of knowledge on BP/CR; financial difficulties, employment status, knowledge of danger signs, distance to health facility, the involvement of men and community perceptions were significant determinants of BP/CR practice. Relevant studies are welcomed on the perceptions and challenges of translating BP/CR knowledge into practice in hard-to-reach communities in sub-Saharan Africa.

A comparative assessment of the awareness of danger signs and practice of birth preparedness and complication readiness among pregnant women attending rural and urban general hospitals in Lagos State

Background: Nigeria still experiences a high burden of unsafe motherhood. The knowledge of obstetric danger signs and the effective application of the principles of birth preparedness and complication readiness (BPACR) have the potential to significantly reduce the high maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality rates. However, rural-urban differences may exist in the knowledge and practice of BPACR among women, and these may limit its potential benefit. We set out to assess and compare the knowledge of obstetric danger signs and practice of BPACR among pregnant women attending Rural (Agbowa) and Urban (Gbagada) Hospitals in Lagos State. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional comparative study, pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in each health facility were recruited into the study using a systematic sampling method. A structured interviewer administered questionnaire adapted from the safe motherhood John Hopkins Program for International Education in Gynecology and Obstetrics prototype questionnaire was used for data collection. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 17.0. Results: Awareness of obstetric danger signs during pregnancy was good among rural and urban study participants accounting for 62.4% and 68.4%, respectively. The most commonly identified danger sign in pregnancy, labor, and after delivery was bleeding from the genital tract. The awareness of danger signs during labor and after delivery identified by the women was low in both settings, though relatively higher in the urban area. The level of BPACR was low in both groups of women but was higher among women attending the urban center (31.6%) compared with the rural center (13.2%) P-value < 0.001. Conclusion and Recommendations: Activities aimed at improving birth preparedness practices particularly among rural women should be considered.

Are colleges in Lebanon preparing students for future earthquake disasters?

Lebanon, one of the most urbanised countries in the East Mediterranean region, is highly vulnerable to disastrous earthquakes. This vulnerability necessitates that Lebanese educational institutions play a proactive role in planning and preparing for future earthquakes. Students in various disciplines at Lebanese colleges (n=860) were surveyed to assess their preparedness for earthquakes and to determine how college programmes have affected students' preparedness level. The findings revealed a poor level of earthquake preparedness while multiple regression analysis showed that higher academic institutions have an insignificant contribution to the needed preparedness level of students. This article provides discussion of the findings and calls for the incorporation of earthquake preparedness knowledge and practices into college programmes across Lebanon.

Birth preparedness and complication readiness among recently delivered women in chamwino district, central Tanzania: a cross sectional study.

BackgroundUnacceptably high maternal mortality rates remain a challenge in developing countries such as Tanzania. Birth Preparedness and Complication Readiness is among the key interventions that can reduce maternal mortality. Despite this, its status in Tanzania is not well documented. We assessed the practice and determinants of Birth preparedness and complication readiness among recently delivered women in Chamwino district, Central Tanzania.MethodsA community based cross-sectional study was conducted to women who delivered two years prior to survey in January 2014 at Chamwino district, Tanzania. Woman was considered as prepared for birth and its complication if she reported at least three of these; know expected date of delivery, saved money, identified a skilled birth attendant/health facility, mode of transport and Identified two compatible blood donors. Descriptive, bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed at P value < 0.05 level of significance.ResultsWe interviewed 428 women whose median age (IQR) was 26.5 (22–33) years. About 249 (58.2 %) of the respondents were considered as prepared for birth and its complications. After controlling for confounding and clustering effect, significant determinants of birth preparedness and complication readiness were found to be maternal education (AOR = 2.26, 95 % CI; 1.39, 3.67), spouse employment (AOR = 2.18, 95 % CI; 1.46, 3.25), booking at ANC (AOR = 2.03, 95 % CI; 1.11, 3.72), Four or more antenatal visits, (AOR = 1.94, 95 % CI; 1.17, 3.21) and knowledge of key danger signs (AOR = 4.16, 95 % CI; 2.32, 7.45). Prepared for birth was found to be associated with institutional delivery (AOR = 2.45, 95 % CI; 1.12, 5.34).ConclusionThe proportion of women who prepared for birth and its complications were found to be low. District reproductive and child health coordinator should emphasis on early and frequent antenatal care visits, since they were among predictors of birth preparedness and complication readiness.

Association of Men's Awareness of Danger Sign of Obstetric Complication and Male Involvement’s in Birth Preparedness Practices at South Ethiopia

The Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS) indicate that maternal mortality in Ethiopia is one of the highest in the world. This death toll can be prevented partially through increasing awareness on danger sign of obstetric complications and birth preparedness practices for mother, husbands and other family members. Community based cross sectional study was done. Adult males with a wife or partner who had been through childbirth in the preceding 36 months were included in the study. Data was collected by pretested structured questionnaires and multi stage cluster sampling was used to reach 845 samples which were calculated by using StatCalc program of Epi Info 7. Collected data was cleaned and entered in to Epi Info 7 and exported to SPSS (IBM-20) for further analysis. Hierarchical logistic regression model and adjusted odds ratio with 95% confident interval were used to show association between men awareness and birth preparedness practices. The total numbers of men interviewed were 836 that makes response rate of 98.9%. Severe abdominal pain (87%) was the most recognized danger sign during pregnancy and 17.9% men involve in saving money. Forty two point two percent of men had awareness of danger sign and 9.4 %( 95% CI: (7.42, 11.4) of men involved in birth preparedness practice. Strong association between men awareness of danger sign of obstetric complications and involvements in birth preparedness practices persisted after adjusting for probable confounders. Thus respondents who had awareness of danger signs were two times (AOR: 1.91, 95% CI: 1.06, 3.41) more likely to involve in preparedness practice than respondents who had no awareness of danger signs of obstetric complication. The prevalence of men awareness of danger sign &amp;amp; involvement in birth preparedness practice was very low.