Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Apr 23;7(4):156-161.
doi: 10.36401/JQSH-23-28. eCollection 2024 Nov.

Factors Affecting Pregnancy Complications in Ghana

Yaw K Wiafe  1 , Andrews Asamoah  2 , Patricia Akweongo  3 , Augustine Kumah  4
Affiliations

Factors Affecting Pregnancy Complications in Ghana

Yaw K Wiafe et al. Glob J Qual Saf Healthc. .

Abstract

Introduction: The prevalence of maternal mortality continues to be a significant health concern across the world. In Ghana, pregnancy-related complications in the previous 5 years account for 12% of all deaths among women 15 to 49 years. More than half of these deaths were avoidable if early assessment had been done. However, assessment of the pooled prevalence of pregnancy-related complications among pregnant women to inform policy is limited. This study sought to determine the factors contributing to pregnancy complications in Ghana.

Methods: Using a systematic sampling technique, a facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 415 pregnant women who attended antenatal care (ANC) services at Mamprobi Hospital. Bivariate and multiple logistics regression analyses were conducted to test significant factors determining pregnancy complications. The results of regression analysis are reported in odds ratio. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.

Results: The mean age of the participants was 31.6 ± 6.6 years. The incidence of pregnancy complications among the pregnant women was 51.8% (95% CI, 0.47-0.56) The incidence of pregnancy complications among the women was significantly determined by age (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 6.1; CI, 1.19-30.76), record of pregnancy complication (AOR, 2.5; CI, 1.35-4.49), ANC visit (AOR, 6.1; CI, 2.14-17.70), and family history of pregnancy complication (AOR, 3.6; CI, 1.25-10.40). Other significant factors included a record of abortion (AOR, 7.8; CI, 4.21-14.32), knowledge about obstetric danger signs (AOR, 2.4; CI, 1.21-4.88), and experiencing at least one obstetric danger sign during pregnancy (AOR, 6.6; CI, 3.30-13.29).

Conclusion: The incidence of pregnancy complications was comparatively high among the women who used ANC services at Mamprobi Hospital. Early initiation of ANC services for pregnant women is an essential tool for addressing some of the challenges of early onset of some pregnancy complications, including anemia in pregnancy and preeclampsia. Midwives and other health workers who engage pregnant women should encourage their clients to initiate ANC visits at an early stage.

Keywords: complication; danger signs; obstetric; pregnancy.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Source of Support: None. Conflict of Interest: None.

References

    1. Trends in maternal mortality 2000 to 2020: Estimates by WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank Group, and UNDESA/Population Division. World Health Organization, 2023.
    1. Piane GM. Maternal mortality in Nigeria: a literature review. World Med Health Policy. 2019;11(1):83–94.
    1. Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), Ghana Health Service (GHS) I . Ghana Maternal Health Survey 2017. Ghana Statistical Service, Ministry of Health, The DHS Program; 2018.
    1. Joint Ministry of Health Partners Business Meeting . Advanced Information Technology Institute (Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence), Apr 23, 2008.
    1. Dalinjong PA, Wang AY, Homer CSE. The implementation of the free maternal health policy in rural Northern Ghana: synthesised results and lessons learnt. BMC Res Notes. 2018;11:341. - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources