Clinics in Mother and Child Health

Abstract

Level of Awareness on Danger Signs During Pregnancy and Associated Factors, among Pregnant Mothers, Dire Dawa Administrative Public Health Facilities, Eastern Ethiopia

Neil Abdurashid, Nesredin Ishaq, Ketema Ayele and Nina Ashenafi

Background: Raising awareness of women on danger signs during pregnancy is crucial for safe motherhood. In Ethiopia a country where maternal morbidity and mortality is high where little is known about awareness level of pregnant women on danger signs of pregnancy is used to enhance utilization of skilled care in low-income countries like Ethiopia.
Objective: To determine level of awareness on danger signs of pregnancy and associated factors among ANC attendant mother in urban and rural health centres, in Diredawa, eastern Ethiopia.
Methods and materials: Facility based cross-sectional study design was used to collect data. The study was conducted among a sample of 502 pregnant women in Diredawa administration town in selected health centres from Jan 1-Mar 30/2017. Sample size was determined by using double population proportion formulas. Simple random sampling technique was used to select six health centres, three from each urban and rural resident. Then systematic random sampling technique was used to select study subjects by considering both the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Pregnant mothers were interviewed face to face using pre-tested structured questionnaire. Data was checked for completeness, consistency and coded before data entry. Data entered, cleaned and analyzed using SPSS for windows version 20.0. Bivariate, multivariable logistic regression model were used to demonstrate the difference between study subjects’ characteristics (independent variables) and level of awareness of danger sign of pregnancy.
Results: Of all 502 (100%) respondents interviewed 121 (24.1%) mothers had good awareness of danger signs of pregnancy. Maternal age, educational status, place of most recent delivery, residents and danger sign causes problem or death to the mother were independently associated with awareness of women about danger sign of pregnancy.
Conclusion: Three fourth of study subjects didn’t have awareness about DSP. Maternal age, maternal education, place of most recent delivery, residents and danger sign causes problem or death to the mother were independently associated with awareness of women about danger sign of pregnancy. Thus, provision of information, education and communication targeting women, family and the general community on danger signs of pregnancy and associated factors was recommended.