| ORIGINAL ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2015 | Volume
: 17
| Issue : 1 | Page : 4-11 |
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Effect of primary health care workers training on the knowledge and utilization of intermittent preventive therapy for malaria in pregnancy in Zaria, Nigeria
Adegboyega M Oyefabi, Mohammed N Sambo, Kabir Sabitu
Department of Community Medicine, ABUTH, Zaria, Nigeria
Correspondence Address:
Adegboyega M Oyefabi
Department of Community Medicine, ABUTH, Zaria
Nigeria
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/2276-7096.148561
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Introduction: Malaria in pregnancy (MIP) is one of the leading causes of maternal deaths and adverse pregnancy outcomes in Nigeria. All pregnant women in the country are at risk of MIP. Since 2001, intermittent preventive therapy (IPTp) using pyrimethamine sulfadoxinewas recommended by the World Health Organization as a strategy for prevention of MIP. Nigeria adopted this policy in 2005. This study was carried out to determine the effects of training primary health care workers on the utilization of IPTp among pregnant women who attend antenatal clinics in Sabon-Gari local government area (LGA) of Kaduna State, Nigeria.
Methodology: Using quasi-experimental pre and post study design. Two LGAs were sampled, SabonGari the intervention LGA and Zaria LGA as the control. One hundred and seventy clients each from the 6 Primary Health Care Centers (PHCs) in Sabon-Gari, the study and 5 PHCs in Zaria LGA, the control were selected. Semi-structured, Pre-tested questionnaires and focused group discussion (FGD) guides were used as an instrument of data collection from the clients' pre- and post-intervention. Data were analyzed with SPSS 17 and STATA 12SE. Relationships between variables were tested using χ2 at P < 0.05 level of significance.
Results: Majority of the clients aged 20-24 years, were married, Hausa Muslims Intermittent preventive therapy had mainly primary education, and earn < 5000/month. During the baseline assessment at the PHCs in Sabon-Gari LGAs, only 20 (11.8%) of the clients had good knowledge of the IPTp. This however increased significantly to 144 (87.4%) clients post intervention (mks 11.12 ± 1.99 P < 0.001). A significant majority of the clients in Zaria still had poor knowledge of the IPTp post study (mean knowledge score = 3.86 ± 2.50, P < 0.001). The poor practice in Zaria also persisted even after the study period, but with a significant decrease from 160 (94.12%) to 142 clients (83.53%), with the mean practice score in Zaria being 2.62 ± 1.72, P < 0.001). More clients (68%) use IPTp - sulfadoxine pyrimethamine at the study LGA postintervention.
Conclusion: This research has demonstrated significant improvement in the knowledge and utilization of the IPTp by the clients in the study LGA when the health care workers were trained compared with where such training was not conducted, in the control LGA. |
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