Abstract

Birth preparedness is crucial for the health quality of mother and newborn and acts as a strong contributor in mitigating maternal and newborn mortalities. Different factors are predicted to influence birth preparedness practice.

This study aims at exploring the factors influencing Birth preparedness among couples in the Buea Town community. Specifically, the study sought to assess couples’ knowledge on the importance of adequate birth preparedness, to identify the factors influencing birth preparedness and to identify the challenges faced towards adequate birth preparedness among couples at Buea Town community.

The study employed a cross-sectional survey design using convenient sampling techniques to select 100 respondents in the Buea Town Community using. A self-administered structured questionnaire was used to collect data from the participants. Collected data from the field was analyzed descriptively using frequency and percentages in SPSS (23.0).

Findings revealed that the majority of the respondents (63.0%) had adequate knowledge of the importance of adequate birth preparedness as they cited recognition of danger signs followed by a plan for where to give birth.

The study also revealed the factors influencing birth preparedness and complication, result shows that respondents (93.0%) had a very good knowledge concerning the positive and negative factors inhibiting birth preparedness. The major challenges faced towards adequate knowledge of birth preparedness by majority of the respondents (60.1%) were lack of support/ assistance from family members, relatives and friends making it difficult for one to prepare and get ready for birth and complication.

The study recommended that public health education should be promoted which will further create awareness of the importance of birth preparedness which could be undertaken at the community level to bring significant changes will be an appropriate measure.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background

Globally, more than half a million women still die annually as a result of complications of pregnancy and childbirth (WHO, 2007). Birth Preparedness (BP) is a process of planning for normal child birth and putting in place recommended interventions’ that is require in case of abnormal situation associated with labour this enhance preparation as well as its readiness towards any likely occurrence obstructed labour. This involves a collaboratory effort among the couple, family members and healthcare professionals to have a good outcome before, during and after child birth period.

Birth preparedness is a strategy to promote the timely use of trained health professional during childbirth, booked at hospital close to you with adequate maternal and child health services, setting out money for unexpected outcome during labour, movement to the hospital during unset of labour and unplanned situation that may arise during child birth and having blood donors in case of emergency (WHO, 2014). Each stakeholder has an important role to play as coordinated effort is effective for reducing delays that contribute to maternal and newborn mortality (IJEOMA, 2015).

According to (Thaddeus & Maine, 1994), BP in essence reduces the three delays in reaching and receiving skilled care through timely decision making and taking appropriate action. The three delays that could result into poor pregnancy outcomes include: delay in decision to reach skilled health care due to lack of information, inadequate knowledge about danger signs and lack of money during pregnancy and labor, delay in identifying and reaching places of access of skilled care (health facilities) due to poor roads and infrastructure, lack of family/community support, availability and cost of transportation and distance to points of skilled care; and delay in receiving adequate skilled health care due to poor status of health facilities and medical supplies, inadequately trained and poorly motivated medical staff and also inadequate referral systems.

Several studies have shown that delays in care-seeking to be the most common factor for newborn mortality (Waiswa et al., 2010), delays in receiving quality care and delay in reaching the point of appropriate skilled care (Jammeh et al., 2011).

The principle of birth preparedness (BP) in a third world setting where there is prevailing illiteracy, inefficient infrastructure, poor transport system, and unpredictable access to skilled care provider have the potential of reducing the existing high maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality rates. BP promotes skilled care for all births and encourages decision making before the onset of labour (Baltimore, 2003).

The BP matrix raises awareness of danger signs, thereby improving problem recognition and reducing delay in deciding to seek care (Baltimore, 2020). Maternal mortality which is still a major public health problem although globally there has been a decrease (Alkema et al., 2016). Unfortunately, Cameroon has its maternal mortality ratio (MMR) increased from 430 per 100 000 live births in 1991 to 782 in 2011 (Institute National de la Statistique, 2012).

Birth preparedness (BP) among other strategies developed by the safe motherhood programme of the United Nations was recognized as a key component in the reduction of maternal and neonatal mortality (Del Barco, 2004). Birth preparedness and complication readiness is a comprehensive package to promote timely access to skilled maternal health services. It permits pregnant women and their families seek health care without delay in case of obstetric complications and delivery (Del Barco, 2004; Hailu et al., 2011)).

BP is an essential component of the focused antenatal consultation (FANC) adopted in Cameroon by the Ministry of Public Health to combat the two main delays out of three that are known to be associated with most maternal deaths (Ministry of public health, 2021). It is evident that most of the complications that lead to maternal deaths if treated on time will greatly reduce maternal mortality.

The aim of BP is to permit pregnant women and their families to overcome the delays that often lead to fatal outcomes due to absence of timely care (Del Barco, 2004). BP consists of the pregnant woman and her family making active preparation and decision making on identifying a health facility and a skilled birth attendant, saving funds for delivery, emergency and transportation, arranging for mode of transportation, identifying compatible blood donors, arranging necessary article, identifying birth companion and having knowledge on danger signs (Institute National de la Statistique, 2012; Del Barco, 2004).

Birth preparedness, a strategy to fight this dilemma of maternal and neonatal mortality, is yet to gain its root as a pillar of the focused antenatal consultation. It is therefore the interest of the researcher to assess the factors influencing birth preparedness among couples at the Buea town community.

1.2 Problem Statement.

Pregnancy and childbirth sometime accompanied with unforeseen circumstance which can be life-threatening which most time lead to the death of mothers and neonate, particularly among mothers in low-income nations of the world.

The causes of death during childbirth are view from different perspective including inability to identify abnormal changes in pregnancy; inability to report to health professional on time for adequate care, inability to come to hospital on time due to poor road network especially developing nations of the world like Cameroon and inability of health professional to attend to pregnant women on time due to inadequate resource and lack of skilled birth attendant at the point of delivery (Bobga et al., 2022).

It is evident that most of the complications that lead to maternal deaths if treated on time will greatly reduce maternal mortality. Therefore the aim of this study is to assess the factors influencing birth preparedness among couples at the Buea town community.

1.4 Research Questions

1. What knowledge do couples have on the importance of adequate birth preparedness at the Buea Town community?
2. What are the factors influencing birth preparedness among couples in the Buea Town community?
3. What are the challenges faced towards adequate knowledge of birth preparedness among couples in Buea Town community?

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