Abstract:
Background: Genital hygiene practice as a series of procedures designed to eliminate excess waste from the female genital area, and clothing appropriately in order to enhance comfort and prevent genital infections. Even though appropriate genital hygiene practices are one of the methods to prevent postpartum infections, genital hygiene cares are frequently overlooked.
Objective of the study: To assess the postpartum women’s practice of genital hygiene and its associated factors at public hospitals in west Showa Zone, Oromia, Ethiopia, 2023.
Methods: Facility based cross sectional study design was conducted in March, 2023 at public hospitals in West Showa Zone, among 371 postnatal mothers. Systematic random sampling method was used. A pretested structured interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data. The data were exported to SPSS version 25 after cleaned and coded on excel. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regressions were used to analyze data. The outcome variable were good genital hygiene practice, if the participant answered > median value of the practice related questions and poor genital hygiene practice, if they answered < median value.
Results: Out of the 371 participants, 370 (99.7%) completed the questionnaire. The proportions of the postnatal mothers who had good genital hygiene practice was 149 (40.3%, 95% CI 34.6%, 45.1%). Urban residence (AOR 1.21, 95% CI 0.63-2.31), Attending college and above (AOR 2.23, 95% CI 1.10-4.51), >5065 ETB monthly income (AOR 1.63, 95% CI 0.86–3.09), exposure to information of genital hygiene (AOR 2.03, 95%CI 1.13, 3.45), husband support on genital hygiene (AOR 3.48, 95%CI 2.00, 6.07) and good knowledge of genital hygiene (AOR 3.05, 95%CI 1.80, 5.17) have statisticaly significant association with genital hygiene practice.
Conclusions and recommendations: Only less than half of the respondents had good genital hygiene practice. Urban residence, attending college and above, >5065 ETB monthly income, exposure to information, husband support, and having good knowledge of genital hygiene have statistically significant association with good genital hygiene practice. Health education on genital hygiene for both mothers and their husbands by health care workers and health extension workers, and providing and searching for donations of genital hygiene materials by Zonal Health Bereau and hospital managements are important recommendations to be concerned with to increase proper genital hygiene practice
