Knowledge, Perception and Practice of Birth Preparedness and Complication Readiness among Pregnant Women Attending a Tertiary Healthcare Facility in Sokoto, Nigeria

Introduction: Maternal mortality is a global public health challenge; developing regions account for approximately 99% (302,000) of the global maternal deaths in 2015, and sub-Saharan Africa alone accounts for roughly 66% (201,000), followed by South Asia (66,000). Birth preparedness has been identified as an effective intervention for reversing the prevailing trend. This study aimed to determine the knowledge, perception and practice of birth preparedness and complication readiness (BP/CR) among pregnant women in Sokoto, Nigeria.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 408 pregnant women (selected by systematic sampling technique) attending antenatal care (ANC) clinic of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, Nigeria. Data were collected with a set of pretested interviewer- administered, semi-structured questionnaire. Data analysis was done using IBM SPSS version 20 statistical package.

Results: The mean age of the respondents was 27.6 ± 5.1 years. Majority, 364 (89.2%) of the 408 respondents had good knowledge of BP/CR, but the proportion of respondents with good knowledge of BP/CR was significantly higher among the urban residents (91.2%) as compared to the rural residents (76.4%), c2 = 10.917, p = 0.001. Most of the respondents perceived the need for a pregnant woman and her family to observe the various BP/CR practices. Most of the respondents 375 (92.0%) had good practice of BP/CR, as they observed the various BP/CR practices such as, choice of place of delivery 339 (83.1%), making arrangement for transportation for ANC visits and delivery 329 (80.6%), and saving money for emergencies 330 (80.9%). The proportion of respondents with good practice of BP/CR was also significantly higher among the urban residents (94.1%) as compared to the rural residents (78.2%), c2 = 16.120, p < 0.001.

Conclusion: This study showed good knowledge, perception of need, and good practice of birth preparedness and complication readiness among the respondents, but significant disparities exist between the rural and urban residents. Governments should make concerted efforts to bridge the gap in the knowledge and practice of BP/CR between the rural and urban residents by addressing the prevalent inequalities in access to information and healthcare services between the rural and urban populations of their countries.