Project Materials

 MATERNAL HEALTH CARE SEEKING BEHAVIOUR AND PREGNANCY OUTCOME

ABSTRACT

The goal of this study was to look at the maternal health care seeking behaviour and pregnancy outcomes of pregnant women in two rural areas in Enugu State. The study’s objectives were to: (i) determine the gestational age at which pregnant women book for Antenatal Care (ANC) in the Udi and Abia communities, (ii) determine how frequently pregnant women attend Antenatal Care (ANC) during the third trimester, (iii) determine the facilities used by pregnant women with complications for care, and (iv) determine their pregnancy outcome. A cross-sectional survey design was used for the investigation. A total of 207 respondents were selected from a population of 586 pregnant women. The data collection instrument was a researcher-created questionnaire that served as an interview guide. An observation guide was also employed to validate the questionnaire results. The study was designed as a descriptive cross-sectional survey. Convenience sampling was utilised to pick 207 respondents from a population of 586 pregnant women. The collected data was examined using descriptive statistics such as frequencies and percentages. The chi-square test was used to determine whether there was a significant connection at a threshold of 0.05. Major findings suggest that the majority of respondents (79.7%) scheduled an ANC during the first trimester. In terms of ANC frequency during the third trimester, 81.1% maintained weekly attendance, whereas all responders with complications sought care from health facilities, particularly general hospitals, under the supervision of professional healthcare personnel. According to the pregnancy outcome, 84.5% of the newborns cried forcefully at birth, whereas 0.5% did not cry at all. In terms of maternal delivery outcomes, 83.1% felt confident in their ability to care for herself and their baby following birth. There was no significant relationship (p > 0.05) between the respondents’ demographic characteristics (age and educational level) and their healthcare seeking behaviour. There was no significant relationship (p > 0.05) between maternal healthcare seeking behaviour and mothers’ delivery outcomes (those who were strong to care for themselves and their babies and those who were weak to care for themselves and their babies after birth). There was a significant correlation (p < 0.05) between maternal healthcare seeking conduct and babies’ delivery outcomes (number of babies who cried strongly versus those who did not cry at all).

Chapter one

INTRODUCTION

Background OF the Study

A woman’s health-seeking conduct during pregnancy is heavily influenced by her beliefs, culture, experience, educational level, socioeconomic status, attitude towards pregnancy, autonomy, and decision-making ability.

Adele (2010) indicates that important issues include the woman’s family communicating pregnancy information to her as a child, as well as whether the pregnancy was planned or unplanned.

Garba, Hellandendu, and Ajayi (2011) went on to say that long before the arrival of modern scientific medicine, most civilisations had a set of beliefs and practices centred on recognising and treating pregnancy difficulties and carrying out deliveries.

Thus, understanding proper health care seeking behaviour is critical in reaching the desired pregnancy outcome. Negative conduct is strongly linked to higher morbidity and mortality in mothers and babies.

Osubor, Fatusi, and Chiwuzie (2006) propose that Maternal Health Care Seeking Behaviour (MHCSB) comprise the number of visits made by pregnant women to antenatal clinics (ANC) as well as their preferred place of delivery.

The authors of Jain, Nandan, and Misra (2006) defined “a complex outcome of m any factors operating at individual, family and community levels including their biosocial profile, past experiences with health services, availability of alternative health care providers, and the people’s perception regarding the efficacy and quality of the services” .

Adele (2010) defines health seeking behaviour as the activities that people engage in in reaction to any discomfort they experience. He went on to say that in industrialised countries such as the United States of America (USA), most women visit ANC early in their pregnancy, follow prenatal directions, and are attended to by professional health care providers when they go into labour.

He further claims that in poor nations, particularly in rural Sub-Saharan Africa, most women regard pregnancy as a natural occurrence, and the services of competent health care practitioners are unnecessary.

Rastogi (2012) discovered low ANC utilisation among rural women in India due to a shortage of transportation, as well as the women’s reluctance to disclose their health problems in front of male professionals.

Rastogi contends that women with formal education up to the secondary school level sought health treatment from qualified practitioners.