Knowledge and utilization of the partograph: A cross-sectional survey among obstetric care providers in urban referral public health institutions in northwest and southwest Cameroon

Abstract

BackgroundThe enormous challenge to maternal well-being with associated maternal wastages during labour has remained an unsurmountable problem in Cameroon which reflects the current high maternal mortality rate. Evidence abounds that cost-effective and affordable health interventions like the use of the partograph will contribute to curb the alarming number of intrapartum maternal deaths. However, little is known about the level of knowledge and utilization of this simple life-saving tool in the North–and South–West Regions, Cameroon.MethodsUsing a self-administered structured questionnaire, a cross-sectional study was conducted from January 4th–March 25th 2016 among non-physician obstetric care providers (OCPs) across urban public health institutions in these regions. Logistic regression models were used to identify factors associated with good knowledge and routine utilization of the partograph.ResultsOf the 79 eligible participants, 71 (89.9%) took part in the study. The mean age of the respondents was 37.9±10.0 years with majority being female (85.9%). Less than one-third (29.6%) of the respondents had good knowledge on the partograph and only 23 (32.4%) routinely used it in monitoring labour. OCPs working in Maternal and Infant Welfare Clinics were about 4 times more likely than those working in Regional/District Hospitals to have good knowledge on the partograph [AOR = 3.88 (95% CI:1.07–14.04)], p = 0.04. Little or no knowledge of the partograph and poor staff strength in the study centres were factors militating against its routine use.ConclusionsThe knowledge and use of the partograph in this study is sub-optimal. Regular in-service training of OCPs superimposed with periodic workshops and seminars, provision of reasonable staff numbers, and mandatory institutional policies on routine use of the partograph are recommended as vital first steps towards ensuring the safety of women in labour in the North–and South–West Regions of Cameroon.

Partograph utilization as a decision making tool and associated factors among obstetric care providers in Ethiopia: A systematic review and Meta-analysis

“…The prevalence of partograph use in this study is higher than the study done in Rwanda [60] 41.22%, Cameroon [61] 32.4%), and Nigeria[62] 37.5%. The possible reason might be the Federal Ministry of Health has set targets and working for facility delivery coverage at 90% and to enable all health centers to use partograph, and to provide all BEmONC functions [63].…”

“You have to take action”: changing knowledge and attitudes towards newborn care practices during crisis in South Sudan

“…Admittedly, the TBAs did not have the skill set to monitor foetal heart rate using the partograph or manage complicated deliveries following training. Several studies even in non-crisis settings have found the partograph as a low-adoption intervention, 35,36 but the factors influencing use in this study were perceived by midwives to be continuous access to SBA during operating hours. In this study, conflict limited the movement of non-local staff in evening hours or during acute moments that resulted in lack of staffing of SBAs at the health facilities.…”

Steering the predictors to improve the knowledge and utilization of partograph by skilled birth attendants: An intervention study

“…This level of knowledge is quite lower than the knowledge reported by many authors among health professionals about components and uses of partograph from various other countries of low-resource settings. [ 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 ] Almost 38% of the SBAs had received training to use the partograph in the present study. This finding is comparable to the status of training reported by many other studies.…”

“…Wide variations in the context of routine use of partograph have been reported by many studies. [ 8 17 19 20 22 21 22 23 24 ]…”