Obstetric performance recall accuracy (OPERA) among a low literacy population in Southeast Nigeria

Accurate obstetric history is of utmost importance in prenatal care to ensure optimal maternal and fetal outcomes.

To determine the accuracy of recalled obstetric history among rural Igbo women of Southeast Nigeria.

Primiparous and multiparous women, who accessed antenatal care in a rural Mission Hospital over a two-year period, had their past obstetric histories recorded in a pro forma by trained research assistants. The information so obtained was compared with the previous obstetric data documented in the patients' hospital case files to evaluate their correctness. Univariate analysis was performed for statistical evaluation using the epi info package version 3.3.2 of 2005.

Two hundred and thirty-five antenatal clinic attendees aged between 18 and 41 years were recruited for the study. Low literacy level is prevalent in rural communities of Southeast Nigeria. The ability of the women to accurately recall past obstetric events, including major pregnancy risk factors, was considerably limited. The recall accuracy for details of the immediate past pregnancy was 43.6% and 41.3% for the penultimate pregnancy. Patient's educational attainment, but not her age or parity, had significant influence on the recall ability.

The introduction of the Obstetric performance card for use in the busy antenatal clinics in low literacy rural communities of the developing countries such as Nigeria, will corroborate the information obtained from patients and greatly enhance the management and positive outcomes of the index pregnancy.