Abstract:
Background: Harmful cultural practice during the perinatal period is the period which includes pregnancy, childbirth, and postnatal period refer to deep-rooted traditional practices that adversely affect women health and their born and unborn child. Despite the fact that maternal health care services have improved over the years, the prevalence of harmful cultural practice during perinatal period is remains looked in general and study area in particular.
Objective: To assess the prevalence of harmful cultural practices during perinatal period and associated factors among women who gave birth in the last twelve months in Ilu Galan district, West Shoa, Oromia region, Ethiopia, 2024.
Method: A community based cross- sectional study design was conducted among 407 study participants in the Ilu Galan district. A simple random sampling technique was employed to select study participants from February 3 to March 11, 2024 .A Structured and pre- tested interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Data were entered into Epi-data, 4.6 and then exported to SPSS version 27 software for data processing and analysis. Descriptive statistics such as mean, standard deviation, frequency, and percentage were used to summarize descriptive data. The findings were presented as narratives, cross tabulations, tables, and figures. Binary logistic regression analysis was computed and variables, a p-value < 0.25, were considered candidates for multivariable logistic regression. Adjusted Odds Ratios (AOR) with 95% confidence interval and statistical significance was declared at a p-value < 0.05.
Results: The overall prevalence of harmful cultural practices during perinatal period was 176 (43.2%) with 95% CI: 38.4 - 48.2). Women who had no formal education (AOR=1.926, 95%Cl: 1.1-3.37), Women who had no ANC follow up (AOR=1.785, 95%Cl: 1.141-2.792). Mothers who lived >5KM distant (far) from health facility (AOR=1.754, 95%Cl: 1.06-2.89) Women who had no access to media (AOR=1.589(1.01-2.49), women who had history of last pregnancy complication (AOR=2.85, 95%Cl: 1.506-5.405) were significantly associated with harmful cultural practices during perinatal period.
Conclusion: The prevalence of harmful cultural practices during perinatal was found relatively low. In this study, low maternal education, lack of access to media, lack of antenatal care, distance of health facility and pregnancy related complication, were independent factors associated with harmful cultural practices during the perinatal period. Therefore, strong multi-sectoral collaboration targeted at improving women’s educational status and health care workers should take up the active role of women’s health education on the importance of ANC follow up especially with women who had last history pregnancy complication, may help to reduce or tackle HCP during perinatal period
