Individual and community-level determinants of knowledge of obstetric danger signs among women in Southern Ethiopia: A multi-level mixed effect negative binomial analysis
2025

Understanding Obstetric Danger Signs Among Women in Southern Ethiopia

Sample size: 1130 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Yoseph Amanuel, Simachew Yilkal, Tsegaye Berhan, Borsamo Asfaw, Seifu Yohans, Belayneh Mehretu

Primary Institution: Hawassa University

Hypothesis

What are the individual and community-level determinants of obstetric danger sign knowledge among women in the northern zone of the Sidama region, Ethiopia?

Conclusion

Only one in five women has good knowledge of obstetric danger signs in the study setting.

Supporting Evidence

  • Government-employed women had a 37% higher likelihood of knowledge of obstetric danger signs.
  • Women with mass media exposure had a 16% higher likelihood of knowledge.
  • Receiving model family training increased the likelihood of knowledge by 34%.
  • Autonomous women had a 15% higher likelihood of knowledge.
  • Women facing health problems during pregnancy had a 21% higher likelihood of knowledge.
  • Urban women had a 22% higher likelihood of knowledge compared to rural women.

Takeaway

This study found that many women in Southern Ethiopia don't know the warning signs of pregnancy problems, which can be dangerous. Helping women learn these signs can save lives.

Methodology

A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted using a structured questionnaire and multi-stage sampling.

Potential Biases

Potential biases include social desirability bias in self-reported data and unmeasured confounders.

Limitations

The study's cross-sectional design limits establishing cause-and-effect relationships, and self-reported data may be subject to recall and reporting bias.

Participant Demographics

The majority of participants were aged 25-29, predominantly from the Sidama ethnic group, and most were married and had primary education.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.05

Confidence Interval

95% CI: 18.7, 25.9

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1371/journal.pone.0314916

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