Abstract:
Background: Preparing for childbirth and being ready for complications reduces delays in obtaining skilled maternal and neonatal care, especially during childbirth. Birth Preparedness and
Complication Readiness (BP/CR) is a strategy to promote the timely use of such a care. However, it is not a common practice in developing countries like Ethiopia and the factors also vary
from place to place.
Objectives: The study is aimed to determine the prevalence of BP & CR and the associated factors among pregnant women in Arba Minch Zuria Woreda.
Methods: A community based cross-sectional study was conducted among 713 pregnant women
in Arba Minch Zuria Woreda in March, 08-17/2015. Using registries from HEWs in the health
posts of each kebele, all pregnant women with self-reported months of pregnancy of 3 and above
in the nine kebeles were listed and selected for each by using SPSS software V.20. A pretested
and semi- structured interviewer-administered questionnaire was used. Data was coded, checked
and entered into Epi data version 3.1 and exported to SPSS 20 statistical software for analysis.
Result: A total of seven hundred seven (99.2%) women were interviewed for the study. The
prevalence of BP &CR in Arba Minch Zuria Woreda was found to be 30%. The odds of being
prepared for birth and its complications was higher among women from high economic class
(AOR= 2.29(1.16, 4.54), with frequency of antenatal care >= 4 (AOR=4.52(2.26, 9.02), who received advice on BP &CR (AOR=1.84(1.13, 3.01), and who were knowledgeable on labor and
delivery danger signs (AOR=1.85(1.01, 3.44). However, those women with parity of 2 to 4
(AOR=.0.51(0.31, 0.84) and above four (AOR=0.51(0.31, 0.84) and those who were food insecure (AOR=0.26(0.16, 0.42) were less likely to be prepared for birth and its complications than
their corresponding reference groups.
Conclusion and recommendation: The study showed that birth preparedness and complication
readiness practice is inadequate in the study area. Women‘s economic status , parity, frequency
of ANC visit ,receiving of advice on BP /CR, knowledge on key danger signs during labor and
delivery, household food security status showed statistically significant association with BP/CR.
Enhancing BP/CR activities and Information ,Education and Communications targeting the factors among pregnant women was recommended.
