CHILD DELIVERY PREFERENCE AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN IN A RURAL COMMUNITY IN AKWA IBOM STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Many African cultures present conflicting options of place of delivery for pregnant women especially in rural communities. Often times, the option that seems more familiar and accessible to these women is preferred. This study was conducted in a rural community in Etim Ekpo, a remote Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. The study involved pregnant women, who had delivered at least three (3) children as at the time of this study, among Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) and health workers in the ten (10) wards in Etim Ekpo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. The research adopted both quantitative and qualitative research methods. Simple percentages were used to analyze the socio-demographic characteristics of respondents, while the (χ²) was used to test the hypotheses generated for the study. It was noted that over 60% of the pregnant population in rural Nigeria preferred the traditional birth options despite the regular campaigns and sensitization by government and other voluntary agencies to promote visits to modern health facilities for ante-natal and post-natal care. It can deduced from the study that the preferred patronage of TBAs by a higher population of rural women is predicated on certain identified factors such as poor quality medical services in modern hospitals, poor financial standing of the rural women, attitude of some medical personnel to pregnant women, and the trust they have on their TBAs. The study therefore recommended among others that there should be sufficient checks and control on the TBAs to ensure safety in their practices and integrate them into modern ante-natal health care in the rural areas.