Knowledge and attitude towards pain relief in labor among final year midwifery students: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: Poor attitudes and lack of knowledge about labour pain has long been demonstrated to burden the health professionals, as well as the women. In developing countries, labour analgesia practice is not well established and undermined. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore final year midwifery students’ knowledge and attitudes towards pain relief during labour, at University of Gondar, Northwest Ethiopia.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among final year undergraduate midwifery students using structured, and self-administered questionnaire(n=130). Descriptive statistics were performed. Results were presented using narrations, means and standard deviations, percentage, figure and tables. Univariate analysis was used to assess the association between demographic variables with poor knowledge and attitudes. P-value below 0.05 level of significance was used to identify the statistical significance of factors for knowledge and attitude about pain relief during labour.Results: Of 130 students participated, the majority, 88% of respondents understood that women can feel moderate to severe pain during labour. However, only less than half of the participants had knowledge of labour pain should be relieved. The majority, 70% of students did not have awareness about the methods of labour analgesia.Conclusion: Although the majority of final year midwifery students were agreed with women can feel moderate to severe labour pain, almost more than half of the students were not aware of the painless labour in hospital. Most of the students believed that pharmacologic methods of labour analgesia will affect the labour, baby, and mother. Therefore, considerable attention in preservice teaching and training about labour pain and analgesia for midwifery students is recommended.