Public Health 2 الصحة العامة

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Browsing Public Health 2 الصحة العامة by Author "Abdelrahman Ihab Jamal Hammouda"

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    Knowledge, Attitude, and Health Seeking Action Related to Obstetric Danger Signs among Postpartum Women in the Gaza Strip
    (Al-Quds University, 2024-12-09) Abdelrahman Ihab Jamal Hammouda; عبدالرحمن إيهاب جمال حمودة
    The maternal mortality rate (MMR) remains at an unacceptably high level, with many deaths potentially preventable. The study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and health-seeking actions related to obstetric danger signs (ODS) and associated factors among postpartum women attending postnatal care in the Gaza Strip. Materials and Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted over 20 months, from March 2023 to October 2024. The study included 383 women who had recently given birth and attended governmental primary health care (PHC) centres for BCG vaccination or postpartum (within 42 days after delivery) care, regardless of the place or outcome of delivery. A convenient sampling technique was used, and governmental PHC centres were conveniently selected, with one from each Gaza Strip governorate. Data was collected using an expert-evaluated, structured interview questionnaire, and its reliability was confirmed using Cronbach’s alpha coefficients (0.952 for Knowledge and 0.724 for attitude). The data were analyzed using the SPSS program. Results: The mean age of participants was 26.3 years, and 56% demonstrated adequate Knowledge of ODS. Additionally, 67.1% exhibited positive attitudes, and 65.4% of women who experienced ODS took appropriate health-seeking actions by visiting a healthcare facility. A significant relationship was found between health-seeking action and women's Knowledge, though there was no significant association with their attitudes. Employed women were 4.5 times more likely to have adequate ODS knowledge than unemployed women (OR = 4.49, CI = 1.494–13.514). Husband’s education level also impacted women’s Knowledge; women whose husbands had secondary education were 3.5 times more likely to have adequate knowledge than those with less-educated husbands (OR = 3.5, P = 0.003, CI = 1.549–7.951), with a stronger association for those whose husbands had higher education (OR = 4.52, P = 0.001, CI = 1.82–11.18). Attending only governmental clinics during antenatal care (ANC) was associated with a 67.2% decrease in the likelihood of being knowledgeable about ODS compared to attending governmental and private clinics (OR = 0.328, CI = 0.152–0.708). The study also identified two factors significantly associated with attitude levels: receiving counselling during ANC visits about the benefits of delivering in a healthcare facility (χ² = 4.733, p = 0.03) and the place of delivery, with women delivering in governmental hospitals more likely to exhibit positive attitudes than those delivering in private hospitals (χ² = 4.951, p = 0.026). Conclusion: This study highlights the critical role of women's knowledge about ODS in seeking appropriate actions during pregnancy, labour, and postpartum. While most women demonstrated adequate knowledge and positive attitudes, significant gaps remain, particularly influenced by factors such as employment status, husband's education, family size, and the location of healthcare facilities accessed during ANC visits. These findings suggest that improving access to comprehensive maternal health education for women and their families, as well as enhancing counselling services, may be key strategies for improving maternal health outcomes and reducing maternal mortality in the Gaza Strip.