Individual and community level predictors of utilization of deworming medications among pregnant women in Ethiopia: A multilevel analysis

Abstract

Background Deworming is one strategy for reducing the burden of anaemia in pregnant women caused by intestinal parasites and it is one of the components of prenatal treatment offered to pregnant women in Ethiopia during antenatal care visits. However, there is limited evidence on the levels of deworming utilization and its determinants in Ethiopia. Hence, this study was aimed to assess the levels of deworming utilization and its individual and community level determinants among pregnant women in Ethiopia. Method This study used a total weighted sample of 7590 reproductive-aged women who gave birth in the five years preceding the survey from the 2016 EDHS data. The data were cleaned and weighted using STATA version 16. Results were presented with tables and texts. Individual and community level determinants for deworming use among Ethiopian pregnant women were identified using a multilevel binary logistic regression model. In the multivariable multilevel analysis, those variables with p-value Results The overall utilization of deworming among pregnant women was 5.69% (95% CI: 5.24%, 6.33) in Ethiopia. Having occupation [AOR = 1.59; 95% CI; 1.27, 1.99], wanted pregnancy [AOR = 1.51; 95% CI; [1.16, 1.95], having ANC visit [AOR = 2.72; 95% CI; 2.03,3.64], media exposure [AOR = 1.67; 95%CI; 1.30,2.15], and high community level poverty [AOR = 0.59; 95% CI; 0.40,0.87] were significantly associated with utilization of deworming among pregnant women’s. Conclusion According to the findings of this study, out of twenty pregnant women, only one pregnant woman utilizes deworming medication in Ethiopia. Pregnant woman having an occupation, being exposed for media, having wanted pregnancy, having ANC visits and live with low level community poverty were more likely to use deworming medication. Therefore, intervention efforts to enhance utilization of deworming in Ethiopia requires working on enabling factors like media exposure, ANC visit and pregnancy desirability. In addition, Furthermore, increasing the community’s economic capacity could support in increasing deworming medication uptake. Author summary Neglected intestinal parasitic infections, such as soil-transmitted helminthes, have been identified as a major public health issue in the world’s poorest communities. Women of reproductive age, especially pregnant women, are at a particular risk from soil transmitted helminthiasis which results in morbidities such as anemia. Deworming is one strategy for reducing the burden of intestinal parasites in pregnant women. Little is known about levels of deworming utilization and its determinants among pregnant women in Ethiopia. We used national survey data from approximately 7590 pregnant women to assess deworming utilization and its individual and community-level determinants in Ethiopia. We found that the level of utilization of deworming was very low, there is a higher uptake of deworming medication among womens who have an occupation, media exposure, desired pregnancy, ante natal care visit and pregnant women with low level community poverty. Our findings have important implications for scaling up the utilization of anthelminthic treatment for pregnant women.