Abusive maternal care and associated factors during childbirth in Northeast Ethiopia

This study aimed to assess the abusive maternal care and associated factors during childbirth in North Wollo Hospitals, Northeast Ethiopia. The institutional-based cross-sectional study design was implemented with a sample size of 394. Stratified systematic random sampling was applied to select the study participants. The study population was women who gave birth in selected hospitals in the study period. Women with postpartum psychiatric problems and women who were referred for complications management after they gave birth in the other health institution were excluded. Data was collected by using a structured questionnaire adapted from the White Ribbon Alliance Declaration on on women's rights during childbirth. Data were entered by EPI- data version 3.1 and analyzed by SPSS version 23. The magnitude of abusive care among childbearing women was 47.1%. Women who attended their childbirth at general hospital (AOR =0.13, 95% CI: 0.06, 0.26), women who had no antenatal care (AOR =2.08, 95% CI: 1.27, 3.39), and women who had two birth attendants (AOR =0.56, 95% CI: 0.35, 0.92) were significant association with abusive maternal care. The level of abusive maternal care in health institutions is high as compared to national and international standards. Women who attended their childbirth at a general hospital, having antenatal care and the number of birth attendants were significant factors. Interventions should focus on increasing pregnant women's ANC follow-up. The health institutions also better increase the number of skilled birth attendants to address women's concerns during childbirth.