Respectful Maternity Care and Associated Factors Among Women Who Attended Delivery Services in Referral Hospitals in Northwest Amhara, Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background

Disrespectful and abusive care is a violation of women rights to self-determination, health, life, body integrity, and privacy. Providing respectful maternity care (RMC) during labour and delivery is one of the enhancing factors and targets in the Ethiopian health sector strategic plan to promote facility delivery. However, providing respectful maternity care is still a major challenge in the Ethiopia health-care system. This study aimed to assess respectful maternity care and associated factors among women who attended delivery services in Northwest Amhara, referral hospitals, Ethiopia.

Methods

Health-facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted at Northwest Amhara, referral hospitals from March 1 to April 1, 2020. A systematic random sampling technique was used to identify study participants in the referral hospitals. A total of 410 women who gave birth were enrolled in the study. A pre-tested and structured questionnaire was used for data collection. The data were collected during the exit interview. Data were cleaned and entered into Epi data version 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 23 for further analysis. Both bi-variable and multi-variable logistic regressions were employed in the analysis. Variables with a p-value of less than 0.05 were used to declare as statistically significantly associated with the dependent variable.

Results

The overall magnitude of women who have received respectful maternity care was 56.3%. Four and above antenatal care follow-up adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 3.092 (95% CI: 1.676, 5.725), previous history of facility delivery AOR 2.53 (95% CI: 1.094, 5.867), and delivery time AOR 2.46 (95% CI: 1.349, 4.482) were found significantly associated with respectful maternity care.

Conclusion

The overall magnitude of respectful maternity care was low as compared to international and national standards. This study showed that respectful maternity care among women who gave birth was influenced by the number of antenatal care visits, previous history of facility delivery, and delivery time.

Keywords:

• respectful care
• maternity
• delivery service
• northwest Amhara
• Ethiopia

Abbreviations

AOR, Adjusted Odds Ratio; ANC, Antenatal Care; CI, Confidence Interval; CRC, Compassionate, Respectful and Caring; HSTP, Health Sector Transformation Plan; RMC, Respectful Maternity Care; USAID, United States of America Agency for International Development; WHO, World Health Organization.

Data Sharing Statement

The datasets are available from the corresponding author with a reasonable request.

Ethical Consideration

Ethical clearance was obtained from the ethical review committee of the institute of public health, college of medicine and health sciences, university of Gondar. Support letters were also obtained from the department of health systems and policy and chief clinical directors of the hospitals. Explanation about the objective of the study and its procedures were given for all respondents. Written informed consent was obtained from each respondent after explaining the objective of the study and the benefits of participating in the study, and the right to withdraw from the study at any time. The participants were also assured that the data will be confidential and any information will not be handed over to a third party. All the procedures of the ethical evaluation of this study were followed the Helsinki declaration of human research.

Acknowledgment

First, we would like to thank the University of Gondar for providing us to conduct this research and northwest Amhara referral hospital administrators for giving us a supportive letter. Last but not least we should also thank the data collectors and study participants.

Author Contributions

All authors made a significant contribution to the work reported, whether that is in the conception, study design, execution, acquisition of data, analysis, and interpretation, or in all these areas; took part in drafting, revising, or critically reviewing the article; gave final approval of the version to be published; have agreed on the journal to which the article has been submitted; and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

Disclosure

The authors declared that they have no competing interests (political, religious, personal, or any other interest).

Additional information

Funding

Self-sponsored.