ABSTRACTMalaria is endemic in Sub-Saharan Africa and pregnant women and children under five are mostly susceptible. Ghana embraced a new Intermittent Preventive Treatment (IPT) using Sulphadoxine Pyrimethamine (SP) policy to prevent malaria in pregnancy. However, IPTp-SP utilization is been reported to be low relative to World Health Organization requirement of …
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ABSTRACTMalaria is endemic in Sub-Saharan Africa and pregnant women and children under five are mostly susceptible. Ghana embraced a new Intermittent Preventive Treatment (IPT) using Sulphadoxine Pyrimethamine (SP) policy to prevent malaria in pregnancy. However, IPTp-SP utilization is been reported to be low relative to World Health Organization requirement of at least three doses during a pregnancy. This study was therefore designed to determine the predictors of SP utilization during pregnancy among PNC and CWC women in the Fanteakwa District. A cross-sectional study was carried out in five sub-districts in Fanteakwa district among postnatal women. Stratified random sampling was employed to select 314 participants for a structured interview. In addition, eight service providers were purposively selected for an in-depth interview. Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 20.0 was used to analyze the quantitative data whiles NVivo 12 was used for qualitative data analysis. Descriptive statistical analyses were performed using mean age, frequencies and percentages for the relevant variables in the study. Utilization of SP was categorized into two groups thus below three doses (classified as inadequate intake) and three doses and above (adequate SP intake). The Chi square test of independence was used to determine the independent association between the outcome variable (less than 3 doses, 3 or more doses) and the independent variables measured at p- value of less than 0.05 (95% confidence interval). Binary logistic regression was finally used to determine the factors that influence uptake of IPTp-SP with a p-value <0.05 deemed as statistically significant. The mean age of women was 28.32 years. About 92.9% of respondents who were eligible took SP during their last pregnancy and 77.6% took at least three doses. Mothers who were married had 2.546 (95%CI= 1.028-6.306) times more likely to take adequate IPTp than those cohabitating. The odds of mothers who lived close to facility had 4.339 (95%CI= 1.932-9.745) times more likely to take adequate SP than the odds of those who lived far away from the health facility. Those registered in their second trimester had 0.226 (95%CI= 0.100-0.509) times likely to utilize adequate SP than those registered in their first trimester. Also, those who took their SP home had 0.104 (95%CI= 0.015-0.721) times likely to utilize SP intervention than those who took it at the health facility. Among 8 ANC service providers, 7 had been formerly trained however all 8 know of the DOTs strategy for IPTp-SP implementation.It was revealed that adequate utilization was relatively lower than WHO recommendations but was higher than the national coverage even though ANC providers had adequate information and supply of SP. Socio-demographic characteristics of mother and proximity to health facilities providing ANC predict adequate uptake of SP during pregnancy.
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