Women In Public Health Facilities Research Articles

DELAY on first antenatal care visit and its associated factors among pregnant women in public health facilities of Debre Markos town, North West Ethiopia

BackgroundDelay on timely initiation of antenatal care has a great impact on adverse pregnancy out comes. However, evidences in Ethiopia revealed that majority of pregnant mothers did not start their first visit as recommrnded by WHO. The aim of this study was to assess delay and associated factors of first antenatal care visit among pregnant mothers at public health facilities of Debremarkos town, North West Ethiopia.MethodsAn institutional based crosss-sectional study was conducted from February to March, 2014 in public health facilities of Debremarkos town North west Ethiopia. A total of 320 pregnant mothers who were sure of their last menstrual periods were interviewed with a structured questionnaire. Data entry was done using Epi data 3.1 and analysis was done using SPSS version 20. Descriptive statistics, binary and multivariable logistic regression analyses were employed to identify the magnitude and factors associated with delay on timely initiation of the first antenatal care visit.ResultsThe proportion of respondents who made their first antenatal care visit after 16 weeks of gestation was found to be 33.4%. Mothers residing in rural settings (AOR = 2.8 [95% CI:1.54–5.44]), not attained formal education(AOR = 2.2 [95% CI:1.10–4.68]),with unintended pregnancy (AOR = 3.6 [95% CI:2.00–6.80]) and who perceived that the right initiation time of the first antenatal care visit is beyond 16 weeks of gestation (AOR = 3.9 [95% CI:1.61–9.76]) were more likely delayed on their first antenatal care visit .ConclusionResidence, educational status, intention of pregnancy and perception on the right time of first antenatal care visit initiation were found to be predictors of delay on timely initiatin of first antenatal care visit. Therefore, the Zonal health department should strengthen awareness creation about timely initiation of first antenatal care visit and family planning to prevent unintended pregnancy in the community especially in the rural settings.

Exploring Religious Discrimination Toward Women in Public Health Facilities in Mumbai

The rise in communally driven identity politics in India during the past two decades has led to an increasing number of communal flare-ups in the country, State institutions have been found to be complicit in many cases, raising questions on the secular nature of the state. In the two major instances of communal violence in the past two decades - the 1992-1993 Mumbai riots following the Babri Masjid demolition and the 2002 post-Godhra riots in Gujarat - the involvement of the police force has been explicitly noted by Judicial Enquiry Commissions as well as fact-finding reports. As with the police system, the health system too has displayed biases towards minority communities during communal riots. This departure from a neutral role in times of communal riots points to the extent to which communal elements have seeped into even the health machinery. In addition to this active bias and discrimination perpetrated during communal riots, we at CEHAT (Centre for Enquiry into Health and Allied Themes) hypothesize that discriminatory treatment by health facilities operates in times of peace as well, and women belonging to the minority community face such discrimination on a regular basis. Studies show that the experience of discrimination has an impact on people's health and sense of well-being. Discrimination by health care providers at health facilities results not only in poor health outcomes for vulnerable groups but also reduces compliance with treatment and serves as a barrier to accessing medical care. India is signatory to several human rights treaties that explicitly forbid prejudice and bias in the provision of services. By virtue of being a signatory to these human rights treaties, the Indian State is committed to provide health services and end all forms of discrimination in the health facilities. It therefore becomes important to understand the overt and covert functioning of religious based discrimination in the area of health. Health professionals and health systems need to recognize that women face multiple forms of discrimination based on caste, class and community and therefore take additional steps to ensure unbiased delivery of services.

Prevalence and Associated Factors of Intimate Partner Violence during Pregnancy among Recently Delivered Women in Public Health Facilities of Hossana Town, Hadiya Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Background: Intimate partner violence is recognized as a worldwide serious public health problem. It can cause serious injury, disability or death. Risk factors for intimate partner violence during pregnancy are often similar to risk factors for intimate partner violence in general. Objectives: To assess the prevalence and associated factors of intimate partner violence during pregnancy among recently delivered women in public health facilities of Hossana Town, Hadiya Zone, Southern Ethiopia, 2014. Methods: Facility based cross sectional study was conducted among 195 recently delivered women in public health facilities of Hossana Town, Hadiya zone, Southern Ethiopia from March 31-April 30, 2014. The data were collected by pretested structured questionnaire. Both bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were done to identify predictors of intimate partner violence during pregnancy. Results: Twenty three percent (23%) of women experienced at least one form of Intimate partner violence during pregnancy. Psychological violence was the most common form (20%) followed by physical (15%) and sexual violence (12%). Alcohol drinking by the partners (AOR = 22 (7.4, 65.6), no formal education of the partners (AOR = 10.8 (1.06, 108.5) and planned pregnancy (AOR = 0.23 (0.08, 0.67) were significantly associated with intimate partner violence during pregnancy. Conclusion: Our study established that intimate partner violence during pregnancy was a common experience. Partners’ alcohol drinking, no formal education of partners and planned pregnancy were associated with intimate partner violence during pregnancy. Health sector, police, lawyers and advocators should give due emphasis to the victims of this problem.