Level of women-friendly care provision among mothers in immediate post-partum period at public hospitals of Southeast Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background The women-friendly care approach focuses on women’s rights to have access to quality care for themselves as individuals, as mothers, and for their infants. However, access to quality health services is not guaranteed for many women, particularly in low and middle-income countries. Hence, this study aimed to assess the level of women-friendly care provision and associated factors among mothers in the immediate post-partum period at public hospitals of Bale Zone, Southeast Ethiopia 2021. Methods An institutional-based cross-sectional survey was employed among mothers in the immediate post-partum period in public hospitals of Bale Zone from March 1–30, 2021. A total of 363 mothers were recruited by systematic random sampling technique in this study. Data was collected through pre-tested structured questionnaires. A 21-verified questionnaire was used to measure the outcome variable. The data were entered into Epi Data version 4.6.2.0 and exported to the statistical package of social science version 26.0 for analysis. A variable with a P value of less than 0.25 in the bi-variable binary logistic regression model was transferred to a multivariable binary logistics regression model. Hosmer and Lemeshow’s goodness of fit model was checked. Adjusted odds ratio with 95% confidence intervals were used to estimate the strength of association between the outcome variable and independent variables. A p-value less than 0.05 was considered as significantly associated. Results The level of women-friendly care provision among mothers in immediate post-partum at public hospitals of Bale Zone was found to be 61% [95% confidence interval (55.73–66.04)]. Being prim para mother [Adjusted odds ratio = 1.88(1.07–3.33)], having planned pregnancy [Adjusted odds ratio = 1.94(1.04–3.63)] and staying at a health facility after delivery [Adjusted odds ratio = 4.8(1.71–13.39)] were found to be statistically significant predictors of level of women-friendly care provision. Conclusion The women-friendly care provision among mothers in the immediate post-partum period in this study area was found to be low against most of the pre-existing findings. Strong counseling on planned pregnancy and staying at a health facility after delivery is recommended.

An assessment of the provision of women-friendly care and its associated factors among mothers who gave birth at public health institutions in South Gondar Zone, Northwest Ethiopia

“…Our study revealed that the primiparous participants were 2.30 times more likely to receive friendly care than women who had a parity ≥4. These findings are consistent with those of a study conducted in Southeast Ethiopia ( 12 ). A possible explanation for our findings could be that primipara mothers might consider the healthcare setting unfamiliar and believe the quality of the care provided by the facility to be perfect, while multipara mothers have had experience with the facility's care and have rated its services accordingly.…”

“…This result is higher than those of 61% of the studies conducted in the Bale Zone in Southeast Ethiopia ( 12 ). This discrepancy might be due to the use of different measurement tools and study settings, the research for the Kene et al (2022) study was carried out solely at a public hospital in Southeast Ethiopia, whereas this study was conducted across multiple centers, including hospitals and healthcare centers.…”

“…Care that is provided with in a kind and friendly approach to women, using polite words, calling the woman by her name, and speaking the language the mother understands, it is measured by using seven requirements. A woman who answered “Yes” to all seven questions regarding friendly care was considered to have received it during labor and delivery ( 11 , 12 ).…”

“…According to a recent evaluation conducted in Ethiopia, 85% of the 103 surveyed women reported that their service experience had impacted their decision regarding their future place of delivery. Providing women-friendly care is a key intervention for improving care quality and for bringing previously unreached women to healthcare facilities where they can receive high quality for maternity care; according to Kene et al, full attention has not been given to the level of women-friendly care provision or to its associated factors ( 12 ). A few previous studies conducted in Ethiopia, including those in the Bale Zone in Southeast Ethiopia and in the Jimma Medical Center, have focused on the overall framework of women-friendly care and have revealed that a significant number of mothers are not cared for in a friendly manner, as 39% and 29%, respectively, did not receive women's friendly care ( 12 , 13 ).…”

“…Providing women-friendly care is a key intervention for improving care quality and for bringing previously unreached women to healthcare facilities where they can receive high quality for maternity care; according to Kene et al, full attention has not been given to the level of women-friendly care provision or to its associated factors ( 12 ). A few previous studies conducted in Ethiopia, including those in the Bale Zone in Southeast Ethiopia and in the Jimma Medical Center, have focused on the overall framework of women-friendly care and have revealed that a significant number of mothers are not cared for in a friendly manner, as 39% and 29%, respectively, did not receive women's friendly care ( 12 , 13 ). To improve the quality of health care and the ability of healthcare providers to respond to women's needs, this study aimed to evaluate the level of women-friendly care provision and to identify associated factors among mothers during the immediate postdelivery period at public hospitals in southeast Ethiopia.…”