Abstract:
Background: Preconception care is biomedical, social, and behavioral care provided for
a woman or couples before conception occurs or throughout their reproductive year. In
Ethiopia, it's reported that the majority of health care providers had poor knowledge and
practice of preconception care. In West Shoa Zone, more than seventy percent of women
did not hear about preconception care and only a few of them got information and
counseling from the health care providers. Even though in Ethiopia some studies were
conducted among total health care providers, there is a paucity of information on
knowledge and practice of preconception care among obstetric care providers in West
Shoa Zone Oromia, Ethiopia.
Objective: To assess knowledge and practice of preconception care and associated
factors among obstetric care providers in public health facilities of West Shoa Zone,
Oromia Ethiopia,2021
Methods: A Cross-sectional study was conducted among 359 obstetric care providers. A
simple random sampling technique was used to enroll study participants. Self administered questionnaires were used to collect the data. The Statistical package for
social sciences (SPSS) was used for analysis. Variables with a p-value of <0.25 in the
bivariate analysis were the candidate for multivariate logistic regression. In multivariate
logistic regression, odds ratios and their 95%CI were used to test the strength of
association, and statistical significance was declared at the p-value of < 0.05.
Result: The total response rate was 99% and near to half 168 (46.8%) of respondents
were midwives. In this study, 173(48.2%) and 124 (34.5%) of the obstetric care providers
had good knowledge and practice of preconception care respectively. The odds of having
good knowledge were high among providers who, have training on
HIV[AOR:3.5,95%CI:1.9-6.4], had library[AOR:1.7,95%CI:1.04-2.85] & internet access
[AOR:3.4,95%CI:2.0-5.8]. The odds of having good practice of preconception care were
higher among providers, who did screening for reproductive life plan[AOR: 3.7,
95%CI:1.8–7.4], Working in Mother and child health unit[AOR:4.2,95%CI:2.0-8.6], and
perceive all health care providers should give PCC services [AOR:3.0, 95% CI: 1.7 –
5.5].
Conclusions and recommendations: This study found that more than half of obstetric
care providers‟ had poor knowledge and poor practice of preconception care. Their
professions, educational status, having training, reading guideline, internet, and library
access in health facilities were associated with their knowledge and practice. Provision of
training, carrier development, and installation of internet and library services in working
facilities should be enhanced.
