Level of Healthcare Providers’ Preconception Care (PCC) Practice and Factors Associated with Non-Implementation of PCC in Hawassa, Ethiopia

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Healthcare providers (HCPs) are at the forefront of screening and identifying preconception risk factors leading to adverse pregnancy outcomes (APOs). In Ethiopia, there is no published study that assessed the status of the implementation of PCC. This is a study conducted with the aim of determining the level of HCP’s PCC practice and factors associated with non-implementation of PCC.METHODS: This institution based cross-sectional study conducted among HCPs working in public health institutions (PHI) of Hawassa. The data was collected using a validated instrument called ‘Andarg-Ethio PCC-KAPQuestionnaire’. A ltistage sampling was applied to draw a sample of 634 HCPs. The data were analyzed using SPSS software, version 20. Descriptive statistics and binary as well as multiple logistic regression analysis models were used to determine the cruds and adjusted odds ratios.RESULTS: Out of the total study participants, 84.7%(537) were found not totally practising PCC. Those HCPs who do not screen their clients’ reproductive life plan (RPL) had 7 times higher odds of not practising PCC (AOR=7.2 95% C.I. 3.6- 14.5), whereas those HCPs with poor PCC knowledge had 4 times higher odds of not practising PCC (AOR= 4.4, 95% C.I. 2.5-7.6).CONCLUSION: The findings of this study demonstrated the absence of standardized and consistent PCC practice which indicates that PCC is not well introduced to the area. Developing of PCC policy and guidelines plus training of HCPs are recommended.

Knowledge of preconception care and associated factors among maternal health care providers working in urban public health institutions of Eastern Ethiopia

“…9 , 10 Maternal health care providers (MHCPs) are primarily responsible and at the forefront to incorporate up-to-date, evidence-based clinical practices like PCC. 11 For successful preconception health promotion, health care providers need to have accurate and current information with the most recent research evidence to have ample knowledge and skill to provide PCC. 12 , 13 Various organizations such as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), WHO, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), Public Health England (PHE), and Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (RANZCOG) have developed guidelines and recommendations to improve PCC based on a review of published research and the opinions of specialists.…”

Current state of preconception care in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic scoping review

“…Online Appendix 1 shows the characteristics of the included studies, revealing that 16 of the 39 studies in this review were from Ethiopia, 15 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 11 from Nigeria, 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 four from Kenya, 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 two from Sudan, 59 , 60 two from Zimbabwe, 61 , 62 one from Malawi, 63 one from South Africa, 64 one from Swaziland 65 and one from Zambia. 66 …”

“…Thirty-five (35) studies 15 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 used a quantitative descriptive design; three used a mixed-method approach 34 , 42 , 55 and one used a qualitative study design. 62 Only knowledge of PCC was assessed in 18 of the reviewed articles.…”

“… 15 , 31 , 32 , 38 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 44 , 49 , 51 , 53 , 54 , 56 , 57 , 60 , 61 , 62 , 64 Fourteen studies assessed both knowledge and utilisation of PCC, 29 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 43 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 50 , 59 , 63 , 65 , 66 four studies assessed only utilisation, 30 , 37 , 55 , 58 two studies assessed both knowledge and provision 33 , 52 and one study assessed the provision of PCC. 39 None of the studies in this review engaged with men’s knowledge or utilisation of PCC. Twenty-nine articles examined PCC knowledge among women, seven examined PCC knowledge among healthcare workers and 17 examined PCC utilisation among women.…”

“…43 Most PCC components were either not practised or were practised infrequently. 33 , 39 , 43 , 52 Some studies 33 , 43 , 52 identified barriers to the provision of PCC services, such as unplanned pregnancies and a lack of awareness among women.…”