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Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Healthcare Providers on Mistreatment of Women During Labour and Childbirth: A Cross-Sectional Study in Tehran, Iran, 2021 Publisher Pubmed



Mirzania M1 ; Shakibazadeh E2 ; Bohren MA3 ; Babaey F4 ; Hantoushzadeh S5 ; Khajavi A6 ; Foroushani AR7
Authors
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Authors Affiliations
  1. 1. Department of Social Medicine, School of Medicine, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences, Khorramabad, Iran
  2. 2. Department of Health Education and Promotion, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  3. 3. Gender and Women’s Health Unit, Nossal Institute for Global Health, School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Carlton, VIC, Australia
  4. 4. Department of Midwifery, Ministry of Health and Medical Education, Tehran, Iran
  5. 5. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Vali-E-Asr Reproductive Health research Center, Family Health Research Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
  6. 6. Department of Social Medicine, School of Medicine, Gonabad University of Medical Sciences, Gonabad, Iran
  7. 7. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Source: PLoS ONE Published:2024


Abstract

Background Mistreatment of women during childbirth is a global health challenge. Maternity healthcare providers play a key role in influencing women’s birth experience. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of healthcare providers regarding mistreatment of women during labour and childbirth in public hospitals in Tehran, Iran. Methods This cross-sectional study was part of an implementation research project that was conducted from October to December 2021 at five public teaching hospitals in Tehran. All eligible maternity healthcare providers (obstetricians and midwives) and students were invited to participate in this study. Data were collected using a questionnaire consisting of four sections: socio-demographic characteristics (11 items), knowledge (11 items), attitudes (13 items), and practices (14 items) about mistreatment. Knowledge, attitude, and practice scores were determined using Bloom’s cut-off points. Logistic regression analyses were used to identify the socio-demographic characteristics associated with knowledge and attitudes. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results Of the 270 participants, 255 (94.5%) participated in the study. Majority of the participants (82.7%) had poor knowledge regarding mistreatment of women during labour and childbirth. Poor knowledge was more apparent in the categories of physical abuse, verbal abuse, poor rapport between women and providers, and failure to meet professional standards of care. Most participants (69.4%) had poor attitudes towards mistreatment; they were alright with physical abuse, verbal abuse, and discrimination. Only 3.1% of the participants reported moderate mistreatment practices towards birthing women. Verbal and physical abuse were the most prevalent categories used by the participants. The number of night shifts was associated with attitudes regarding mistreatment (AOR = 0.45, 95% CI = 0.22–0.89, p = 0.02). Conclusion The knowledge and attitude of our participants regarding maternity mistreatment were poor. A small percentage of the participants reported mistreatment practices. The findings of our study have important implications for program planners and decision-makers in developing effective interventions to reduce mistreatment of women during labour and childbirth in Iran. Copyright: © 2024 Mirzania et al.
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