Mothers' Knowledge and Use of HIV Prevention Services in Tanzania
Author Information
Author(s): Eli Fjeld, Tylleskär Thorkild, Paoli Marina Manuela, Manongi Rachel, Engebretsen Ingunn MS
Primary Institution: Centre for International Health, University of Bergen, Norway
Hypothesis
What is the level of knowledge and utilization of prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) services among mothers in northern Tanzania?
Conclusion
Routine counselling and testing for HIV at antenatal clinics was highly accepted, but the quality of counselling was suboptimal due to time and resource constraints.
Supporting Evidence
- 98% of mothers were offered HIV testing and all accepted.
- Counselling was often hasty with little time for clarifications.
- Urban mothers had better knowledge about PMTCT than rural mothers.
- PMTCT knowledge among mothers increased compared to previous studies.
Takeaway
Most mothers in Tanzania accept HIV testing during pregnancy, but they often don't get enough time to understand the information given to them.
Methodology
Mixed methods including a survey of 426 mothers, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and observations at clinics.
Potential Biases
Potential social desirability bias in responses and selection bias due to non-random clinic selection.
Limitations
The study may have social desirability bias due to the recruitment process and may not be generalizable due to non-random selection of clinics.
Participant Demographics
Median age of mothers was 25 years; 90.1% were married or cohabiting; 43.7% were Catholic; 62.4% were Chagga; 5.4% had never been to school.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Confidence Interval
95% CI
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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