The level of awarenes on danger signs of pregnancy and associated factors among ANC attendant pregnant women in Debark Town, North-West Ethiopia, 2012

Abstract

Endalamaw Mengesha and Hawult Taye

Pregnancy related complications are among the greatest killers of women of reproductive age in developing countries.Many pregnant women may face the risk of sudden, unpredictable complications that could end in death or injury to herself or to her infant. Hence, it is necessary to employ strategies to overcome such problems as they arise. and in Ethiopia 676 per 100,000 women die from maternal causes. The study was to assess the level of awareness on danger signs of pregnancy and associated factors among antenatal care attendant women in Debark Town, North Gondar, Ethiopia 2012. Institutional based cross- sectional study was conducted andA total of 385 pregnant mothers were included in the study. A systematic random sampling technique was used to select study participants. Bivarient and Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with awareness of danger signs of pregnancy. From all respondents 204 (53%) of them have poor awareness during pregnancy whereas, 209 (54.3%) of pregnant women have poor awareness during labor. The percentage of women who knew at least three or more danger signs during pregnancy and during delivery was 47% and 45.7% respectively. According to a multivariate logistic regression analysis women’s having high school and above educational level are3.46 (AOR= 3.46 and 95%CI: 1.77- 6.77)times more likely to be aware on danger signsof pregnancy than those who don’t read and write. And also women having high school and above are 5.78 times more likely to be aware on danger signs of pregnancy during labor than those women who don’t not read and write (AOR=5.78 and 95%CI: 2.78- 12.03). From the result it can be concluded that mother’s awareness on danger signs of pregnancy was poor and affected by educational status and the occupation. Therefore, it needs to increase the women’s awareness through maternal and child health services by designing an appropriate strategies including provision of targeted information, education and communication