Maternal satisfaction with intrapartum care at the Jos University Teaching Hospital

Abstract

Background: A woman's satisfaction with the delivery service may have immediate and long term effects on her health and subsequent utilization of the services. Maternal satisfaction is an essential indicator of the quality and efficiency of health care systems. Providing skilled and satisfying care during pregnancy, intrapartum and postpartum period saves lives of both mother and neonates and so increases service utilization. Women play a principal role in the upbringing of children and the management of family affairs, and their loss from pregnancy related causes is a significant social and personal tragedy. Hence we sought to assess maternal satisfaction with the delivery service in Jos University Teaching Hospital and to determine satisfaction in relation to three dimensions; interpersonal care, information and involvement in decision making and physical birth environment

Methods: A cross sectional study of postnatal women that attended the family health clinic between January to March 2015. A simple random sampling was used on eligible participants. An interviewer administered questionnaire that included respondents sociodemographic characteristics and validated 14 items maternal satisfaction with intrapartum care scale was used. Data was analysed using SPSS version 23.

Results: A total of 173 mothers were interviewed, of which 64.6% of the respondents were between the ages of 20-34 years. All the respondents were married and had a mean age of 27.3±3.2 years. Greater than half of the participants (50.9%) had secondary level of education, 67.1% were multiparous while 32.9% were primiparous. Overall maternal satisfaction level with the delivery services rendered at the hospital was 86.7%.

Conclusion: Although the majority of the participants were satisfied with the services given to them during delivery, lack of satisfaction by the minority group will limit their ability to engage in health facility delivery which will further contribute to maternal mortality. Thus, mechanisms should be devised to increase maternal satisfaction in this health institution.