The Factors Affecting the Level of Women’s Awareness of Birth Preparedness and Complication Readiness in the Lake Zone, Tanzania: A Cross-sectional Study

BACKGROUND: The concept of birth preparedness and complication readiness (BP/CR) has continued to generate interest in the last decade. Unfortunately, there is a paucity of published data regarding this subject in Tanzania and the Lake Zone in particular. This study aimed to determine the factors affecting the level of awareness of BP/CR among Tanzanian women in the Lake Zone. METHODS: Between May and June 2016, a cross-sectional study on 737 postnatal or pregnant women was conducted in the Lake Zone Tanzania. A systematic random sampling technique was employed to select the study participants. A structured questionnaire adopted from the Johns Hopkins Program for International Education in Gynecology and Obstetrics (JHPIEGO) questionnaire was used to collect the data. Data analysis was carried out through SPSS (v.21) using statistical tests including descriptive Statistics, Chi-square tests and Multivariate logistic regression. A significance level of 5% was considered. The odds of the occurrence of events were assessed using Odds Ratios (OR) at a 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: The majority of women were multigravida (512=69.5%) with up to three living children (409=80%). Awareness of danger signs and BP/CR was low at 40% and 35%, respectively. Predictors of the level of awareness on BP/CR were multi-gravidity (P=0.04), awareness of at least three danger signs (P<0.001), and use of public transport (P=0.01). CONCLUSION: Low awareness of BP/CR in this study calls for strengthened efforts from policy-makers and healthcare providers to design effective programs geared towards educating women on the importance of BP/CR that will reduce the delays of seeking care, hence reducing maternal and neonatal deaths.