WORLD JOURNAL OF ADVANCE
HEALTHCARE RESEARCH

Victory Edet Iyanam*, Emem Akpan Udo, Joel Monday Abu and Sunday Bassey Udoh

ABSTRACT

SARS-COV-2 (COVID-19) is an emerging pandemic that spreads rapidly across the globe affecting individuals of all ages, gender and status. Although studies on its effects on pregnancy are still evolving, it is severally documented that it could complicate pregnancy especially at the third trimester, thereby altering the course of pregnancy. Preventive measures contribute greatly in curbing its spread and averting its affects. Objective: This study aimed at finding out the level of awareness and practice of preventive measures against COVID-19 pandemic among pregnant women attending ante-natal booking clinic of a secondary health care facility in a sub-urban area of southern Nigeria. Methodology: This was a facility based cross-sectional study done among 220 pregnant women seen at ante-natal booking clinic of Methodist General Hospital, Ituk Mbang, Uruan Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, southern Nigeria. The respondents were recruited conveniently with the use of interviewer-administered questionnaire to obtain data on socio-demographic characteristics, obstetric history, awareness and practice of preventive measures against COVID-19. The study lasted between November 2020 and January 2021. Results: The ages of the respondents ranged from 15 to 49 years with mean and standard deviation of 28.58± 6.97 years. Out of 220 respondents, greater percentage, 193 (87.73%), had higher education. Most of the respondents, 96.8% and 59.55%, had lower parity and presented at advanced gestational age (29-39 weeks) respectively. While almost all respondents, 95.91%, were aware of COVID -19, 68.18% of them knew about cough as the commonest symptom of the disease. Also while majority, 65.91% of the women knew handshake with infected persons as the commonest means of contracting the disease, 75.91% of them knew about observing social/physical distances as the commonest means of preventing the infection. While 92.82% of the pregnant women have been practicing the preventive measures, only 63.37% of them did so always. The practice of preventive measures against COVID-19 was significantly associated with higher education (P=0.005, OR=0.23, CI=0.079 – 0.682), being married (P=0.005, OR=3.05, CI = 1.414 – 11,058) and higher gestational age (p=0.001, OR = 0.06, CI = 0.019-0.161). Conclusion: The awareness and practice of preventive measures against COVID-19 among the pregnant women in the study was high. However, it is not all the pregnant women that practiced the preventive measures at all times. The need therefore to encourage antenatal attendees to regularly practice the preventive measures is hereby emphasized since the infection has come to stay. Moreover, information, education and counseling on COVID-19 should henceforth form component of routine ante-natal care in all ante-natal clinics.

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