Factors associated with lack of postnatal care among Palestinian women: A cross-sectional study of three clinics in the West Bank
2008

Factors Associated with Lack of Postnatal Care Among Palestinian Women

Sample size: 264 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Dhaher Enas, Mikolajczyk Rafael T, Maxwell Annette E, Krämer Alexander

Primary Institution: Department of Public Health Medicine, School of Public Health, University of Bielefeld, Bielefeld, Germany

Hypothesis

What factors are associated with the lack of postnatal care among Palestinian women?

Conclusion

Efforts should focus on providing postnatal care to more low-risk women, as some dangerous conditions can occur in this group.

Supporting Evidence

  • 66.1% of women considered postnatal care necessary.
  • Only 36.6% of women obtained postnatal care.
  • 85% of women who did not obtain postnatal care felt they did not need it because they were not sick.
  • Women who experienced complications during delivery were more likely to seek postnatal care.
  • Women who delivered in private hospitals were more likely to obtain postnatal care than those in public hospitals.

Takeaway

Many women in Palestine don't go for postnatal check-ups after having a baby, even though they think it's important. This study looked at why that happens.

Methodology

A cross-sectional survey was conducted at three clinics in the West Bank, interviewing 264 postpartum women using a structured questionnaire.

Potential Biases

Social desirability bias may have influenced women's responses regarding the importance of postnatal care.

Limitations

Self-reported outcomes may lead to over-reporting of postnatal care use, and the sample may not represent women who do not visit clinics.

Participant Demographics

The majority of women were married before 20 years of age, had more than one child, were unemployed, and rated their economic status as middle class.

Statistical Information

P-Value

0.001

Confidence Interval

95% CI

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1471-2393-8-26

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