Knowledge of obstetric danger signs and level of emergency healthcare utilization among primigravidas

Abstract

The main cause of maternal death has been obstetric complications (Bolanko et. al, 2021). About 810 women per day in 2017 died from preventable causes associated with pregnancy and delivery (WHO, 2019). This study aimed to determine the level of knowledge of primigravidas who gave birth from January 2019 to May 2023 about obstetric danger signs and level of emergency healthcare utilization in selected towns and barangays within the provinces of Iloilo and Antique. The study's specific objectives were to determine the socio-demographic variables of the respondents (age and education). In order to determine the level of knowledge of obstetric danger signs, the level of emergency healthcare utilization, and the relationship between the two, a descriptive-correlational design was used, targeting 100 primigravidas which were gathered through snowball sampling. Data were collected using a validated researcher-developed questionnaire, where the findings showed a directly significant relationship between the level of knowledge of obstetric danger sign and level of emergency healthcare utilization. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and Spearman’s rho were used for inferential statistics. The results show that the level of knowledge of obstetrics danger signs has a strong direct relationship to the level of emergency healthcare utilization among primigravidas, with statistically significant values (.435, p= .001). This study emphasized the importance of educational interventions in enhancing the health of pregnant women by providing them with crucial information that encourages prompt healthcare utilization. It demonstrated that higher knowledge levels increase the likelihood of primigravida mothers utilizing emergency medical services.