Health facility related factors associated with herbal medicine use among pregnant women during antepartum period at walukuba health center IV, jinja district. A cross-sectional study.

Abstract

Background

Pregnant women should be concerned about all medication taken during pregnancy including herbal medicines, because some of them affects the mother and the fetus leading to poor pregnancy outcomes. Therefore, this study aimed at determining the health facility related factors associated with herbal medicine use among pregnant women during antepartum period at walukuba health center IV, Jinja district.

Methodology.

The study employed a descriptive cross-sectional study design involving quantitative method of data collection using simple random sampling technique in which 30 participants were selected.

Results.

Majority of the respondents were aged between (31-45) years, about 85% of the were coming from urban areas, most participants 19(63%) were employed, 17(57%) had attained tertiary level of education. Majority (76%) of the participants did not agree with the statement that there are always drugs at the health facility, greater number of respondents (77%),  said they had to wait for long periods at the health center before they were worked on, about (60%) of the participants said they had ever been health educated about dangers of herbal medicine use in pregnancy by the health workers and about 57% of the respondents said they did not freely talk to their health care providers and bigger proportion reported that the facility had no adequate space for ANC services.

Conclusion.

The established health facility related factors included poor attitude of health workers towards the pregnant mothers, lack of drugs at health facility and long waiting hours during ANC.

Recommendations.
Health workers should provide follow-up services during pregnancy.

Health facility should conduct training to improve the attitude of health workers to pregnant mothers.

Lobby from the ministry of healthy for more funding to facilitate awareness campaigns about dangers herbal medicine during pregnancy.