To know the impact of prepregnancy advocacy for safe maternity among rural, tribal women of a remote region: a community-based observational study
- International Journal of Pregnancy & Child Birth
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Chhabra S,<sup>1</sup> Kumar N<sup>2</sup>
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Abstract
Background: Prepregnancy advocacy is essential for ensuring safe maternal, perinatal outcomes. Objective: Present community-based prospective study was conducted to know impact of prepregnancy advocacy on pregnancy outcome in rural, tribal women.
Methodology: Community-based observational study was carried out in tribal communities
of remote, forestry, hilly region in 100 villages around village with health facility. All 100
villages were randomly divided into 50 study villages, where PA for safe maternity was
provided to women who could have pregnancy and were wanting to have a baby and 50
control villages where no PA was provided. After advocacy round, pregnant women of
15 to 39 years of age, 500 in study and 500 in control villages were enrolled as study
subjects. This was followed by post birth information collection by conducting face-to-face
interviews by research assistant, regarding impact of prepregnancy advocacy.
Results: Of the total 500 women in study villages, 73.2% sought antenatal care compared
to 39.2% in control villages. In study villages, 66.0% women got registered in health
facilities for delivery, with 96.6% health facility births. In comparison only 42.4% women
registered for delivery, however 95.6% did deliver in health facilities in control villages
also. Similarly, 95.8% of women in study villages had live-births with 2.6% stillbirths,
compared to 92.6% live-births with 5.4% stillbirths in control villages. Neonatal birth
weight was better in more women of study villages compared to controls (57.4% of babies
in study villages were born with birth weight ≥2.5- ≤3.5 Kg compared to 52.4% in control
villages).
Conclusion: PA impacted maternity care, more women sought antenatal care and many
registered for birth before birth time. However, PA needs to be a continuous process to have
real impact. Prepregnancy advocacy is
Keywords
antenatal care, health facility birth, prepregnancy advocacy
