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Male involvement in birth preparedness and complication readiness for emergency obstetric referrals in rural Uganda
Othman Kakaire1, Dan K Kaye, Michael O Osinde
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, P.O. Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda.
Insights
Birth preparedness and complication readiness are crucial for pregnant women. Factors like spousal education and formal occupation significantly influence birth plan creation in emergency obstetric referrals.
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Public Health
- Maternal Health
Background:
- Pregnant women face risks of life-threatening obstetric complications.
- Birth preparedness packages promote active preparation and healthcare seeking for complications.
- Assessing birth preparedness and male participation in birth plans is vital for emergency obstetric referrals.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess factors associated with birth preparedness and complication-readiness.
- To evaluate the level of male participation in birth plans among emergency obstetric referrals in rural Uganda.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study at Kabale regional hospital maternity ward.
- Involved 140 women admitted as emergency obstetric referrals.
- Multivariate logistic regression analyzed factors associated with having a birth plan.
Main Results:
- Spousal education (secondary or higher) was strongly associated with birth plans (OR 3.8).
- Formal spousal occupation (OR 1.6) and presence of complications (OR 1.4) also correlated with birth planning.
- Primigravidae (OR 1.8) and anticipated caesarean section (OR 1.6) were linked to having a birth plan.
Conclusions:
- Empowering women, families, and communities is essential for safer pregnancies.
- Developing comprehensive birth plans contributes positively to maternal health outcomes.
- Targeted interventions addressing socio-demographic factors can enhance birth preparedness.
Background:
Every pregnant woman faces risk of life-threatening obstetric complications. A birth-preparedness package promotes active preparation and assists in decision-making for healthcare seeking in case of such complications. The aim was to assess factors associated with birth preparedness and complication-readiness as well as the level of male participation in the birth plan among emergency obstetric referrals in rural Uganda.
Methods:
This was a cross-sectional study conducted at Kabale regional hospital maternity ward among 140 women admitted as emergency obstetric referrals in antenatal, labor or the postpartum period. Data was collected on socio-demographics and birth preparedness and what roles spouses were involved in during developing the birth plan. Any woman who attended antenatal care at least 4 times, received health education on pregnancy and childbirth danger signs, saved money for emergencies, made a plan of where to deliver from and made preparations for a birth companion, was deemed as having made a birth plan. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to analyze factors that were independently associated with having a birth plan.
Results:
The mean age was 26.8 ± 6.6 years, while mean age of the spouse was 32.8 ± 8.3 years. Over 100 (73.8%) women and 75 (55.2%) of their spouses had no formal education or only primary level of education respectively. On multivariable analysis, Primigravidae compared to multigravidae, OR 1.8 95%CI (1.0-3.0), education level of spouse of secondary or higher versus primary level or none, OR 3.8 95%CI (1.2-11.0), formal occupation versus informal occupation of spouse, OR 1.6 95%CI (1.1-2.5), presence of pregnancy complications OR 1.4 95%CI (1.1-2.0) and the anticipated mode of delivery of caesarean section versus vaginal delivery, OR 1.6 95%CI (1.0-2.4) were associated with having a birth plan.
Conclusion:
Individual women, families and communities need to be empowered to contribute positively to making pregnancy safer by making a birth plan.
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