Original Paper From Page 36: Birth Preparedness and Complication Readiness: Knowledge and Practices among Pregnant Women in Benin City, Edo State by Obi Andrew Ifeanyichukwu and Okojie Hilda Obehi 

BIRTH PREPAREDNESS AND COMPLICATION READINESS: KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICES AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN IN BENIN CITY, EDO STATE

Obi Andrew Ifeanyichukwu¹  and  Okojie Hilda Obehi^{1, 2}

¹Department of Community Health, University of Benin, Benin City, PMB 1154, Edo State

²Department of Community Health, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, PMB 1111, Edo State.

ABSTRACT

Objective: To assess knowledge and practices of birth preparedness and complication readiness (BPACR) among pregnant women in Benin City, for improved antenatal care (ANC) registration and skilled attendance at birth.

Design: Cross-sectional community-based study.

Setting: An urban community-based in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria.

Materials and Method: A community-based analytical cross sectional study design was utilized in this study, involving researcher distribution of pretested semi-structured questionnaires to 252 consenting pregnant women in Benin City. Data collected were sorted for completeness, coded, entered and analysed using SPSS version 21.0 statistical software with statistical significance set at p˂0.050 and 95% confidence interval.

Results: The mean age of women studied was 28.9 ± 4.9 years, 197(78.2%) of them were aware of the term “birth preparedness” with health care providers 172 (89.1%) reported as their main source of information. majority 243(96.4%) of respondents had good knowledge of birth preparedness and complication readiness (BPACR) while 9(3.6%) had fair knowledge. In relation to practice of BPACR, 238(94.4%) had registered for ANC, 234(98.3%) had identified a health facility, 233(92.5%) identified a skilled birth provider, 165(65.5%) made transportation plans, 74(29.4%) had savings as emergency fund while only 21(8.3%) had identified potential blood donor. ANC registration (OR=0.30; 95%CI= 0.09-0.98; p=0.04) and Identifying skilled birth provider (OR=0.18; 95%CI= 0.06-0.49; p < 0.01) among respondents were significant predictors identified influencing health facility deliveries.

Conclusion: This study identified good knowledge and practice of BPACR among pregnant women studied in Benin City, with ANC registration and identifying skilled birth providers significantly influencing health facility deliveries. There is need to strengthen Antenatal Care (ANC) registration practices and identifying skilled birth providers among pregnant women in study area and by extension Nigeria for improved health facility delivery, while addressing the need for community financial contribution schemes such as thrift and community health insurance schemes to help address economic empowerment cost for healthcare and other concerns. 

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