Pregnancy intention and associated maternal behavior during pregnancy among pregnant women in hadiya zone, southern Ethiopia, 2017

Abstract

Background: When pregnancy is intended, there is greater opportunity for women to adopt or maintain healthy behaviors. Pregnancy that is unintended is tends to result in unhealthy behaviors or continue unhealthy behaviors or exposures during pregnancy. Unintended pregnancy has direct relation with poor utilization of maternal health care services and also associated with unhealthy behaviors during pregnancy. Few studies have examined the association between unintended pregnancy and maternal health behaviors during pregnancy in developing countries including Ethiopia. Objective: To determine pregnancy intention and associated maternal behaviors during pregnancy among pregnant women in Hadiya zone, Southern Ethiopia, 2017 Methods: Community based cross sectional study design using both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods was employed in Hadiya zone from March,13to April,13, 2017. A structured interviewer administered questionnaire for quantitative and FGD guide and in-depth interview guide for qualitative was used to collect data. Descriptive, Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression was employed to identify the independent effect of pregnancy intention on the outcomes of interest after controlling other possible confounding variables. The qualitative data was transcribed and translated and analyzed using manually. Results: Of 770 sampled mothers, data were collected from 748 mothers giving a response rate of 97%. More than one third (36.2%) women reported unintended pregnancy. With regards to maternal health behavior, 73.1% of women received at least one antenatal care visit during in the recent pregnancy. Only 14.6% start first antenatal visit in the first four months and the rest 85.4% late ANC initiation. And 9.5% of women had used substance during recent pregnancy. Unintended pregnancy was significantly associated with use of antenatal care services and late initiation of antenatal care. Women with unintended pregnancy were 69% times less likely to receive ANC (AOR = 0.31, 95% CI; 0.21 – 0.46); were four times more likely to late ANC initiation (AOR = 4.40, 95% CI; 1.70 – 11.40) and were three times more likely to use substance (AOR = 3.01, 95% CI; 1.81 – 5.02) during pregnancy as compared to women with intended pregnancy after controlling other possible variables. The other variables associated with ANC use and substance use during pregnancy includes occupation, wealth index, exposure to health information, participation in household decision, distance from health facility and gravidity. Conclusion and recommendation: This study finding showed an association between pregnancy intention and maternal behavior during pregnancy. Women with unintended pregnancy less likely receive recommended ANC and more likely expose themselves to risky behavior like substance use. To understand this relationship between pregnancy intention maternal behavior during pregnancy, longitudinal studies are suggested.