Post-War Assessment of the Prevalence and Determinants of Unplanned Pregnancy Among Pregnant Women Attending Public Hospitals in Conflict-Zones of South Wollo, Northeast Ethiopia, 2022, Multi-Center Study

Abstract

Besfat Berihun Erega,1 Wassie Yazie Ferede,1 Fillorenes Ayalew Sisay,1 Eyaya Habtie Dagnaw,1 Abeba Belay Ayaliew,1 Wondimnew Gashaw Ketema,2 Eyob Shite Lake3 1Department of Midwifery, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Debre Tabor University, Debre Tabor, Ethiopia; 2Department of Midwifery, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Wollo University, Dessie, Ethiopia; 3Department of Midwifery, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Woldia University, Woldia, EthiopiaCorrespondence: Besfat Berihun Erega, Email [email protected]: Worldwide, although unplanned pregnancy seems decreasing, 38% of pregnancies are unintended. In sub-Saharan Africa, unintended pregnancy accounts for more than a quarter of the 40 million pregnancies that occur annually.Objective: The study aimed to assess the prevalence and determinants of unplanned pregnancy among pregnant women attending public hospitals in conflict-zones of South Wollo zone, Northeast Ethiopia, 2022.Methods: A multi-center facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted from December 20, 2021 to February 30, 2022 among the hospitals of South Wollo zone that that were destructed by the armed conflict.Results: The prevalence of unplanned pregnancy in our study was 44.72% (CI=39.40– 48.08%).Conclusion: In this study nearly half of the pregnancies were unplanned, which is shocking to the health care system in the 21st century.Keywords: unplanned pregnancy, armed conflict, post-war assessment, Ethiopia

Keywords

• unplanned pregnancy
• armed conflict
• post-war assessment
• ethiopia