Sociodemographic determinants of pregnancy outcome: a hospital based study -

Background: Though pregnancy and child birth are natural processes, they are not by any means risk free. In spite of various efforts made to improve the maternal child health (MCH) services, the poor outcome of pregnancy continues to remain high because of complex web of causal factors that includes medical, obstetrics and socioeconomic factors. Objective: To study the association between the sociodemographic factors in pregnant women and adverse pregnancy outcomes and to study certain socioeconomic profile of study group and their association with pregnancy outcome. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among the all pregnant women reporting in tertiary care hospital for delivery over a period of one calendar year and relevant data were recorded. Result: Of the total 629 women, 288(38.32%) had experienced poor pregnancy outcome. After univariate analysis highly significant association of pregnancy outcome was observed within education, nature of work, socio-economic status, age at marriage, consanguineous marriage, significant association was observed with maternal age, residence and no significant association was observed with type of family, transport facilities. Conclusion: Poor outcome of pregnancy was maximum in illiterate women, women who were doing moderate-to-heavy work during pregnancy, lower socioeconomic class, women who were married before the age of 18 years and women who gave history of consanguineous marriage.