Assessing Awareness of Maternity Danger Signs and its Associated Factors among Women Benefited from Antenatal Care Services in the Gaza Strip, 0Palestine 2020: Clinic-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Causes of maternal deaths could be prevented if women are aware of maternity danger signs. We aimed to examine women’s awareness about obstetric danger signs and associated factors among females attending primary health facilities in Gaza strip, Palestine.Methods: A cross-sectional clinic-based study was employed. An interview-based questionnaire, prepared after a review of literature, comprises two parts: socio-demographic and Obst/Gyn information and second awareness about obstetric danger signs during pregnancy, delivery, and after delivery was administered to 185 women between September and mid of November, 2020. Descriptive analysis (mean, percentage, mean, and standard deviation) was employed. Moreover, bivariate and multivariate logistic regression were applied to determine independent factors related to women knowledge.Results: One hundred thirty-eight (138) women participated. The mean age was 26.3±6.1 years and 76.1% were married for less than 10 years. Women had adequate knowledge about obstetric danger signs during pregnancy, childbirth, and post-partum (82.6%, 71%, and 68.1% respectively). Common danger signs reported were blurred vision, severe headache, convulsion, and severe vaginal bleeding. One third of women relied on more than two sources of information regarding danger signs and 90.6% thought that danger signs lead to death. Independent factors related to the knowledge about obstetric danger signs are being literate (OR: 2.46; CI95%: 1.77–6.23), previous maternal health problem (OR: 2.4; CI95%: 1.67–5.93), utilization of ante-natal care services (OR 2.21; CI95%: 1.72–4.02), and parity (OR: 3.6; CI95%: 1.48–5.64).Conclusion: Women have an adequate level of awareness about obstetric danger signs; however, it is quite less in post-partum. Efforts should be made to target knowledge deficit about danger signs in post-partum and to reduce the stress resulted from these danger signs.

Keywords

• obstetric danger signs
• knowledge
• assessment
• pregnancy
• childbirth