Does Knowledge on Socio-Cultural Causes of Maternal Mortality Affect Maternal Health Decisions? A Cross-Sectional Study of the Greater Accra Region of Ghana

The concern of all maternal health stakeholders is to improve maternal health and reduce maternal deaths to the barest minimum. This remains elusive as the majority of factors that drive maternal deaths in the developing world... [ view full abstract ]

The concern of all maternal health stakeholders is to improve maternal health and reduce maternal deaths to the barest minimum. This remains elusive as the majority of factors that drive maternal deaths in the developing world stems from the socio-cultural environment especially in rural settings. Women in Ghana like their counterparts in other sub-Saharan African countries prefer to be attended to by elderly women or Traditional Birth Attendants during child birth, as the number of births assisted by skilled personnel is below 45% in rural Ghana. This poses risk to such women as birth complications are always very difficult to deal with even by highly qualified health professionals. The question to ask is: do these women know the risk that these socio-cultural practices and critical decisions they take during their childbearing age pose on their lives. This study was aimed at finding out if knowledge on socio-cultural determinants of maternal mortality affects maternal health decisions in rural Ghana. Community-based cross-sectional in design, the study involved 233 participants from 3 rural districts in the Greater Accra Region. Mixed method of data collection was employed after informed consent. Quantitative data were analyzed using simple statistics and Fisher’s Exact Test of independence was used to interpret the results, whilst the Focus Group Discussions were recorded, transcribed and analyzed on the basis of themes. Statistically, significant relationship exists between all the socio-cultural determinants studied (TBAs, religious beliefs and practices, herbal concoctions, and pregnancy and childbirth-related taboos) and maternal health decisions (p = 0.000 for all the variables). However, misconceptions on causes of maternal mortality deeply rooted in rural communities explain why maternal morbidity and mortality are persistent in Ghana. Meaningful and successful interventions on maternal mortality can be achieved if misconceptions on causes of maternal mortality especially in rural areas of the country are tackled through mass education of communities. This should be done consistently over a long period of time for sustained behavioral change. Also the government should make it a priority to establish well-resourced health facilities in rural areas to make healcare accessible to these vulnerable women.