TITLE:
Prevalence of Disrespectful Maternity Care and Abuse among Women Seeking Maternity Care Services at the Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi: A Cross-Sectional Descriptive Study
AUTHORS:
Ondieki Peter Atai, Hannah Inyama, Sabina Wakasiaka, Joyce Jebet, Jennifer Oyieke
KEYWORDS:
Disrespect, Abuse
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
Vol.8 No.6,
June
25,
2018
ABSTRACT: Background: Respectful Maternity Care (RMC) is a basic human right for every
childbearing woman. Acts of disrespectful maternity care and abuse are commonly
reported worldwide and are recognized as a powerful deterrence to facility
based childbirth than the traditionally known accessibility. In Kenya, acts of
disrespect and abuse are frequently reported. Objectives of the study:
To assess the prevalence of disrespectful maternity care and abuse among women
seeking maternity care services at the Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi. Methods:
This study was conducted at the Kenyatta National Hospital maternity wards. A
descriptive study design was employed and targeted 164 respondents. The study
utilized an interviewer administered questionnaire and an observational
checklist to collect required data. Participants were sampled using simple
random sampling method. Data was collected between July 15th and
July 30th 2017 and was entered, cleaned and analyzed using SPSS 20.
Results were presented in descriptive form, figures and tables. Results:
Out of the targeted 164 participants, 152 (93%) women were interviewed during
the study. The study found that women experienced at least some form of
disrespect and abuse while seeking maternity care services at the Kenyatta
National hospital. In general, prevalence of disrespectful maternity care and
abuse ranged from 9% for discriminatory care to as high as 32% for non-privacy
of care. Untimely care/abandonment of care was 22%, similar to non-consensual
care (22%). Prevalence for non-confidential care was 28%. Majority of the women
who experienced disrespect and abuse chose to resort to acquiescence whereby
they just complied or kept quiet. The study found a strong association between
marital status and physical abuse of women in labor 95% CI (P = 0.029). Conclusion: There
are significant levels of disrespect and abuse among women seeking maternity
care services at the Kenyatta National Hospital. The hospital management and
the reproductive health department of the ministry of health should work towards
ensuring that women seeking maternity care services at the facility do not
endure disrespect and abuse.