KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND AWARENESS OF ANTENATAL AND MATERNITY HEALTH CARE SERVICE AMONG WOMEN OF CHILD BEARING AGE
ABSTRACT
This study is on Knowledge, attitude and awareness of antinatal and maternity health care service among women of child bearing age. The objectives of the study were ;To establish the influence of the presence of Traditional Birth Attendant, investigate the extent to which level of awareness influences attendance to antenatal care by the Nigeria women, investigate how cultural beliefs towards modern reproductive services affect antenatal seeking behavior among the Nigeria and find out how economic status contribute to the number of Nigeria women who seek antenatal care. The target population was all Nigeria women living in Lagos state.Data collection was carried out by the researcher over a period of four weeks by use of self administered questionnaires from respondents who could read and write and also with the assistance of a research assistant for the illiterate respondents. All questionnaires were edited and responses coded before data was entered into the computer by the use of the Statistical Program for Social Scientists (SPSS), version 11.5. Cross tabulation was the main method used for data analysis. After analysis, data was summarized and presented in form of frequency tables, percentages and proportions. Majority respondents were within the active ages of reproduction with a majority 72% practicing Islam while 50.8% had no formal education. The study established great need of awareness programmes geared towards enlightening the Nigeria women with 63.6% of the respondents unaware since most of them were illiterate. The study recommended that women be encouraged to undertake entrepreneurial activities since there was high relationship of economic status and attendance to antenatal clinics.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to the study
Antenatal care service is an important goal concerning in the health status of the pregnant women during their reproductive period and its health beneficial accounting for nearly one quarter of all pregnant worldwide Terry TL (1942)
Through the antenatal care service attempts have been made to identify pregnant women not at risk and those at risk group based on their previous pregnant or currently historical or clinical factors and steps are planned to prevent it in this allegedly high-risk group of women to reduce adverse pregnancy outcomes Lincetto et al (2013).
Unfortunately, adverse pregnancy outcome can occur even in women without identifiable risk factors. Numerically, more pregnant women without risk factors have seen to end up with serious adverse outcome compared to those with risk factors during the attendance of antenatal care service Villar J, bergsj P (2002). In order to prevent pregnancy adverse outcome world wide as well as in developing countries, interventions should therefore be targeted at all pregnant women attending antenatal care service and during childbirth Dowswell T, et al. (2013).
Early attendance intervention at the antenatal care service in those with and without risk group pregnant women seems to beneficially in relation of their health and this intervention that has been promoted as an effective intervention in preventing adverse pregnant outcome Adewoye KR, Musa IO, Atoyebi OA, Babatunde OA (2013).
The need of implementing knowledge, attitude and practice of ANC intervention in pregnant women it has been showed that as a package comprising the following interlocking system includes interventions, early screening, administration of a preventive prophylactic therapy and curative of the various detected risk conditions effectively on the basis of reduced maternal complications Zegey AM, Bitew BD, Koye DN (2013).
Additionally, antenatal care service is not a single intervention; instead, it represents a series of assessments and interventions over time that is not uniformly applied effectively by different health care providers found in developing countries Hajela S (2014).
Although not only the “quantity” of antenatal care service is relatively easy to measure through the required timing and number of visits adjusted for gestational age at delivery but also the “quality” of antenatal care service and the effectiveness of individual components on outcome are quite difficult to measure. However, the major goal of antenatal care service is to ensure the birth of a healthy baby with minimal risk for the mother.
Despite high ANC attendance in Nigeria, only 14% of pregnant women start ANC during the first trimester as per the national guidelines. The median number of months that women are pregnant at their first visit is 5.4 months. One third of women do not seek ANC until their sixth month or later Tekelab T, Berhanu B (2014). However, early booking has an advantage for proper pregnancy information sharing and pregnancy monitoring
Statement of the problem
In spite of the fact that exercise programs during pregnancy and after childbirth are designed to minimize impairment and help the woman maintain or regain function while she is preparing for the arrival of the baby and then caring for the infant, it is submitted that women are not meeting the exercise recommendations of the previous studies. A myriad of factors not limited to beliefs and attitudes of women with respect to exercise in pregnancy, level of knowledge, level of education, safety concern of the pregnant woman and her physician , race/ethnicity, and previous involvement in regular exercise have been implicated as important factors predisposing to exercise engagement or phobia among pregnant women.Some identifying factors that affect beliefs and behaviors would objectively encourage a change in attitude. Therefore, an assessment of knowledge and attitude about exercise in pregnancy may help to determine whether or not women will participate in exercise during and after pregnancy. This study was designed to assess knowledge and attitude of Nigerian pregnant women towards antenatal exercises.
Purpose of the study
The main objectives of this study is to investigate the Knowledge, attitude and awareness of antinatal and maternity health care service among women of child bearing age.
The study have the following specific objectives;
- 1. To assess the extent to which level of maternal awareness influences women’s attendance to antenatal care services in Nigeria
- To determine how cultural beliefs towards modern reproductive services influences women’s attendance to antenatal care services in Nigeria
- To establish how economic status influences women’s attendance to antenatal care services in Nigeria
Research Questions.
- To what extent does the level of maternal awareness influence women’s attendance to antenatal care services in Nigeria
- How do cultural beliefs towards modern reproductive services influence women’s attendance to antenatal care services in Nigeria
- How does economic status influence women’s attendance to antenatal care services in Nigeria