Preferences for traditional or modern practitioners: A comparative study

Abstract

Objective: This study compared two groups of women—those with a preference for traditional birth attendants (TBAs) and those with a preference for modern health care practitioners (MHCPs)—at Akpabuyo, Cross River state, Nigeria with regard to their level of knowledge about the risks of patronizing the TBAs; perception of costs of services; educational qualifications; traditional beliefs; and income status. Method: A comparative descriptive design and a multistage systematic random-sampling technique were used to study 300 women of child-bearing age, 18–45 years, who had delivered at least one baby or were pregnant and residing at the study area. A validated questionnaire was the instrument for data collection. Results: Most of the participants, 156 (52.0%), had primary education, 113 (37.7%) had secondary education, 26 (8.7%) had tertiary education and 5 (1.7%) had no formal education. There were statistically significant differences between the two groups of respondents with regard to knowledge of the risks involved in patronizing TBAs; perception of costs of delivery with MHCPs; traditional beliefs; and income levels (Cal. t =3.26; 4.96; 6.61 and 3.88 > Crit. t = 1.96; df 298; P = 0.05). Women with a preference for MHCPs had a higher mean score (mean = 3.78) for knowledge; perception of lower cost of delivery services with MHCPs (mean = 7.57); lower adherence to traditional beliefs (mean = 5.25) but poorer and lower income level (mean = 1.12) compared with those who preferred TBAs (mean = 2.99; 8.88; 6.33 and 1.75 respectively). Most of the respondents (n = 54; 67.5%) whose educational level was below secondary education preferred TBAs compared with 113 (51.4%) of those with secondary education and above who preferred MHCPs. Conclusion: Recommendations focused on improvement of women's educational level to enhance their decision-making abilities with respect to choice of delivery services.

Women's Attitudes Toward Their Partners’ Involvement in Antenatal Care and Prevention of Mother‐to‐Child Transmission of HIV in Cameroon, Africa

“…Financial barriers have been shown to impact women's access to antenatal care in some African countries 35–39 . In Cameroon, men control the family's finances, which can impact a women's access to medical care.…”

“…Financial barriers have been shown to impact women's access to antenatal care in some African countries. [35][36][37][38][39] In Cameroon, men control the family's finances, which can impact a women's access to medical care. The obstetric care women receive is often dependent on the man's ability and willingness to pay for the care.…”