Birth Preparedness and Complication Readiness and Associated Factors among Pregnant Women in Basoliben District, Amhara Regional State, Northwest Ethiopia, 2013

Introduction: Birth preparedness and complication readiness is a strategy that has been globally endorsed as an essential component of safe motherhood programs to reduce delays for care, to reduce maternal mortality and neonatal mortality rates. Objectives: To asses birth preparedness and complication readiness and associated factors among pregnant women in Basoliben district, East Gojjam Zone, Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia in 2013. Methods: A community based cross sectional study was conducted in Basoliben District, on a sample of 546 pregnant women in 2013. Data was collected using pre-tested structured questionnaire which was adapted from other similar studies. Each data collector checked the questionnaires for completeness before leaving each study participant and reviewed on daily basis by supervisors. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS version 16 software. Bivariate analyses was done to identify factors associated with birth preparedness and complication readiness and those found significant (p-value ≤ 0.2) were entered in the multivariate logistic regression analysis. The results was presented in frequency table, odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Ethical issues: Ethical clearance was obtained from Debre Markos University ethical review committee. Permission also requested from Basoliben District Health Office. Interview was carried out with full written consent of the person being interviewed. Result: Data were obtained from 517 mothers, yielding a response rate 94.7%. Considering at least three elements of birth preparedness and complication readiness, 26.9% of the respondents were prepared for birth and its complications. Women living in urban areas were 2.55 times more likely to be prepared for birth and its complication than those living in rural areas [AOR (95% CI): 2.55(1.42, 4.56)]. Women who had Antenatal Care (ANC) follow up were 2.37 times more likely to be prepared for birth and its complication than those did not have ANC follow up [AOR (95% CI):2.37(1.11, 5.05)].Women who had history of still birth were 3.41 times more likely to be prepared for birth than those who did not have still birth [AOR (95% CI): 3.41(1.86, 6.27)]. Respondent who know at least one danger sign during labor/childbirth two times more likely birth prepared and ready for complication than those do not know any danger sign [AOR(95% CI) 1.96 (1.14,3.36)]. Conclusion: The proportion of mother who prepared for birth and its complications for was low. Women living in urban area, having antenatal care visit, with history of stillbirth and those aware of danger sign during labor/childbirth were positively associated with birth preparedness and complications readiness. Therefore, the district health office should come up with strategies to improve birth preparedness at individual and community level especially in rural. Health facilities should have Strengthen health services in promoting early ANC attendance and improving the information given during the follow up, with special emphasis given to birth preparedness.