Predictors of Women’s Satisfaction with Hospital-Based Intrapartum Care in Asmara Public Hospitals, Eritrea

Background. Exploring patient satisfaction contributes to provide quality maternity care, but there is paucity of epidemiologic data in Eritrea. Objectives. To determine the predictors of women's satisfaction with intrapartum care in Asmara public maternity hospitals in Eritrea. Methods. A cross-sectional study among 771 mothers who gave birth in three public Hospitals. Chi-square tests were done to analyze the difference in proportion and logistic regression to assess the predictors of satisfaction with intrapartum care. Results. Overall, only 20.8% of the participants were satisfied with intrapartum service. The key predictors of satisfaction with intrapartum care were provision of clean bed and beddings (AOR = 18.87, 2.33–15.75), privacy during examinations (AOR = 10.22, 4.86–21.48), using understandable language (AOR = 8.72, 3.57–21.27), showing how to summon for help (AOR = 8.16, 4.30–15.48), showing baby immediately after birth (AOR = 8.14, 2.87–23.07), control of the delivery room (AOR = 6.86, 2.65–17.75), receiving back massage (AOR = 6.43, 3.23–12.81), toilet access and cleanliness (AOR = 6.09, 3.25–11.42), availability of chairs for relatives (AOR = 5.96, 3.14–11.30), allowing parents to stay during labour (AOR = 3.52, 1.299–9.56), and request for permission before any procedure (AOR = 2.39, 1.28–4.46). Conclusion. To increase satisfaction with intrapartum care, maternity service providers need to address the general maternity ward cleanliness, improve the quality of physical facilities, and sensitize health providers for better communication with clients. Policy makers need to adopt strategies that ensure more women involvement in decision making and consideration of privacy and reassurance needs during the whole delivery process

Health facility or home delivery? Factors influencing the choice of delivery place among mothers living in rural communities of Eritrea

Background: In Eritrea, despite high antenatal care (ANC) use, utilization of health facilities for child birth is still low and with marked variations between urban and rural areas. Understanding the reasons behind the poor use of these services in a rural setting is important to design targeted strategies and address the challenge contextually. This study aimed to determine factors that influence women\u2019s choice of delivery place in selected rural communities in Eritrea. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 309 women aged 15\u201349 years with a delivery in the last 1\u20132 years prior to the survey was conducted in a randomly selected villages of Hadish Adi, Serea, Genseba, Kelay Bealtat, Dirko, Mai Leham, Kudo Abour, Adi Koho, and Leayten. Data were collected using an interviewer administered questionnaire. Chi-square tests were used to explore association between variables. Using odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals with p < 0.05 taken as statically significant association, bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to identify factors that affect the choice of delivery place. Results: Overall, 75.4% of the respondents delivered their last child at home while 24.6% delivered in health facility. Women whose husband\u2019s had no formal education were less likely [AOR = 0.02; 95% CI 0.01\u20130.54] to deliver in health facility. Women who had joint decision-making with husbands on delivery place [AOR = 5.42; 95% CI 1.78\u201316.49] and women whose husbands choose health facility delivery [AOR = 2.32; 95% CI 1.24\u20135.11] were more likely to have health facility delivery. Respondents who had medium wealth status [AOR = 3.78; 95% CI 1.38\u201310.37] have access to health facility within 2 km distance [AOR = 14.67; 95% CI 2.30\u201393.45] and women with traditional means of transport [AOR = 9.78; 95% CI 1.23\u201377.26] were also more likely to deliver in health facility. Women who read newspaper daily or infrequently had three [AOR = 3.77; 95% CI 1.12\u20134.04] and almost three times [AOR = 2.95; 95% CI 1.01\u20138.59] higher odds of delivering in health facility. Similarly, women who have knowledge about complications during delivery [AOR = 4.39; 95% CI 1.63\u201311.83], good perception on the quality of care they received [AOR = 9.52; 95% CI 1.91\u201347.50], had previous facility delivery [AOR = 2.69; 95% CI 0.94\u20137.68], have negative experiences of delivery outcomes in her community [AOR = 1.31; 95% CI 1.00\u20134.96], and women who perceive home delivery as life threatening [AOR = 1.84; 95% CI 1.46\u20133.38] were more likely to deliver in health facility. Conclusion: To increase health facility delivery, raising women\u2019s awareness on the benefits of delivering in health facility, male involvement in the use of maternal health services, increasing women decision-making power, addressing common barriers of lack of transport, and compensations for transport expenses to alleviate the cost of transport are recommended. Efforts to shorten distance to reach health facility and health education focusing on the potential threats of delivering at home at the individual and community level can have substantial contribution to increase health facility delivery in rural communities of Eritrea

The prognostic utility of soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) and placental growth factor (PIGF) biomarkers for predicting preeclampsia: a secondary analysis of data from the INSPIRE trial.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the prognostic performance of biomarkers soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1), Placental Growth Factor (PIGF), and sFlt-1/PIGF ratio as continuous values or as a binary cut-off of 38 for predicting preeclampsia (PE) within 7 days. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of a randomised clinical trial. SETTING: Oxford University Hospitals, Oxford, United Kingdom (UK). POPULATION: Pregnant women between 24+0 to 37+0 weeks of gestation with a clinical suspicion of preeclampsia. MAIN OUTCOME: Onset of preeclampsia within 7 days of the initial biomarker test. METHODS: Logistic regression model for onset of preeclampsia using: (i) sFlt-1 (ii) PIGF, (iii) sFlt-1/PIGF ratio (continuous), and (iv) sFlt-1/PIGF ratio as a cut-off above or below 38. RESULTS: Of the total 370 women, 42 (11.3%) developed PE within 7 days of screening. Models with sFlt-1 and sFlt-1/PIGF ratio (continuous) had greater overall performance than models with PIGF or with sFlt-1/PIGF ratio as a cut-off at 38 (R2: sFlt-1 = 55%, PIGF = 38%, sFlt-1/PIGF ratio = 57%, sFlt-1/PIGF ratio as cut-off at 38 model = 46%). The discrimination performance was the highest in sFlt-1 and sFlt-1/PIGF ratio (continuous) (c-statistic, sFlt-1 = 0.94, sFlt-1/PIGF ratio (continuous) = 0.94) models compared to PIGF or sFlt-1/PIGF cut-off models (c-statistic, PIGF = 0.87, sFlt-1/PIGF cut-off = 0.89). CONCLUSION: Models using continuous values of sFlt-1 only or sFlt-1/PIGF ratio had better predictive performance compared to a PIGF only or the model with sFlt-1/PIGF ratio as a cut-off at 38. Further studies based on a larger sample size are warranted to substantiate this finding

Health facility or home delivery? Factors influencing the choice of delivery place among mothers living in rural communities of Eritrea

Abstract Background In Eritrea, despite high antenatal care (ANC) use, utilization of health facilities for child birth is still low and with marked variations between urban and rural areas. Understanding the reasons behind the poor use of these services in a rural setting is important to design targeted strategies and address the challenge contextually. This study aimed to determine factors that influence women’s choice of delivery place in selected rural communities in Eritrea. Methods A cross-sectional survey of 309 women aged 15–49 years with a delivery in the last 1–2 years prior to the survey was conducted in a randomly selected villages of Hadish Adi, Serea, Genseba, Kelay Bealtat, Dirko, Mai Leham, Kudo Abour, Adi Koho, and Leayten. Data were collected using an interviewer administered questionnaire. Chi-square tests were used to explore association between variables. Using odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals with p < 0.05 taken as statically significant association, bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to identify factors that affect the choice of delivery place. Results Overall, 75.4% of the respondents delivered their last child at home while 24.6% delivered in health facility. Women whose husband’s had no formal education were less likely [AOR = 0.02; 95% CI 0.01–0.54] to deliver in health facility. Women who had joint decision-making with husbands on delivery place [AOR = 5.42; 95% CI 1.78–16.49] and women whose husbands choose health facility delivery [AOR = 2.32; 95% CI 1.24–5.11] were more likely to have health facility delivery. Respondents who had medium wealth status [AOR = 3.78; 95% CI 1.38–10.37] have access to health facility within 2 km distance [AOR = 14.67; 95% CI 2.30–93.45] and women with traditional means of transport [AOR = 9.78; 95% CI 1.23–77.26] were also more likely to deliver in health facility. Women who read newspaper daily or infrequently had three [AOR = 3.77; 95% CI 1.12–4.04] and almost three times [AOR = 2.95; 95% CI 1.01–8.59] higher odds of delivering in health facility. Similarly, women who have knowledge about complications during delivery [AOR = 4.39; 95% CI 1.63–11.83], good perception on the quality of care they received [AOR = 9.52; 95% CI 1.91–47.50], had previous facility delivery [AOR = 2.69; 95% CI 0.94–7.68], have negative experiences of delivery outcomes in her community [AOR = 1.31; 95% CI 1.00–4.96], and women who perceive home delivery as life threatening [AOR = 1.84; 95% CI 1.46–3.38] were more likely to deliver in health facility. Conclusion To increase health facility delivery, raising women’s awareness on the benefits of delivering in health facility, male involvement in the use of maternal health services, increasing women decision-making power, addressing common barriers of lack of transport, and compensations for transport expenses to alleviate the cost of transport are recommended. Efforts to shorten distance to reach health facility and health education focusing on the potential threats of delivering at home at the individual and community level can have substantial contribution to increase health facility delivery in rural communities of Eritrea

Factors influencing adherence to tuberculosis treatment in Asmara, Eritrea: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND: Non-adherence to tuberculosis (TB) treatment is an important barrier for TB prevention and control. Poor adherence may result in prolonged disease infectiousness, drug resistance, relapse and death. The aim of this study was to assess factors influencing adherence to tuberculosis treatment in selected health facilities in Asmara, Eritrea. METHODS: A qualitative study which included in-depth interviews with 12 TB patients, three focus group discussions in selected health facilities in which one group comprised eight patients and key informant interviews with three health workers. Data analysis was done by translating and transcribing the verbatim of the interviews and focus group discussions. Transcribed data was then analysed using thematic framework procedure. RESULTS: This study found that patients lacked knowledge about the cause, transmission and duration of treatment of TB. The most common reason mentioned for discontinuing treatment was the patient “felt cured”. Almost half of the respondents did not know the standard treatment duration and the consequences they face if they halt treatment. Patients reported losing their job when their diagnosis was known, were too ill to continue working or unable to find daily work due to time-consuming treatment arrangements. With few exceptions, the majority of patients reported that the short distance to the clinic encouraged them to attend regular treatment follow-up. Most of the respondents were unable to get enough food, leading to stress and feelings of hopelessness. Lack of social support for most of the patients was a critical factor for adherence as were stigma, medication side effects and long treatment duration. Recognized as an enabler to treatment adherence, health workers had good communication and positive attitude towards their patients. CONCLUSION: Lack of knowledge, loss of income, stigma and lack of social support, drug side effects and long treatment duration emerged as important barriers for treatment adherence. Short distances to health facilities, good communication and accepting attitude of health care providers emerged as enablers for treatment adherence. For better treatment adherence, comprehensive health education at treatment sites, patient’s family members and the community at large and strengthening of social support structures need to be addressed

Malaria Risk Stratification and Modeling the Effect of Rainfall on Malaria Incidence in Eritrea

Background. Malaria risk stratification is essential to differentiate areas with distinct malaria intensity and seasonality patterns. The development of a simple prediction model to forecast malaria incidence by rainfall offers an opportunity for early detection of malaria epidemics. Objectives. To construct a national malaria stratification map, develop prediction models and forecast monthly malaria incidences based on rainfall data. Methods. Using monthly malaria incidence data from 2012 to 2016, the district level malaria stratification was constructed by nonhierarchical clustering. Cluster validity was examined by the maximum absolute coordinate change and analysis of variance (ANOVA) with a conservative post hoc test (Bonferroni) as the multiple comparison test. Autocorrelation and cross-correlation analyses were performed to detect the autocorrelation of malaria incidence and the lagged effect of rainfall on malaria incidence. The effect of rainfall on malaria incidence was assessed using seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (SARIMA) models. Ljung–Box statistics for model diagnosis and stationary R-squared and Normalized Bayesian Information Criteria for model fit were used. Model validity was assessed by analyzing the observed and predicted incidences using the spearman correlation coefficient and paired samples t-test. Results. A four cluster map (high risk, moderate risk, low risk, and very low risk) was the most valid stratification system for the reported malaria incidence in Eritrea. Monthly incidences were influenced by incidence rates in the previous months. Monthly incidence of malaria in the constructed clusters was associated with 1, 2, 3, and 4 lagged months of rainfall. The constructed models had acceptable accuracy as 73.1%, 46.3%, 53.4%, and 50.7% of the variance in malaria transmission were explained by rainfall in the high-risk, moderate-risk, low-risk, and very low-risk clusters, respectively. Conclusion. Change in rainfall patterns affect malaria incidence in Eritrea. Using routine malaria case reports and rainfall data, malaria incidences can be forecasted with acceptable accuracy. Further research should consider a village or health facility level modeling of malaria incidence by including other climatic factors like temperature and relative humidity

Validation of the WHO self-reporting questionnaire-20 (SRQ-20) item in primary health care settings in Eritrea

Abstract Background In Eritrea, highly centralized mental health care services and lack of trained psychiatric personnel at primary health care units remain a challenge to the mental health care system. These problems can be minimized by introducing screening programs with a simple screening tool for mental disorders in the primary health care settings. Thus, this study aimed to assess the validity of the WHO self-reporting questionnaire 20 (SRQ-20) in Tigrigna version for use in Eritrean primary health care setting. Methods The SRQ-20 was translated into a local language (Tigrinya) in a process of forward and backward translation. SRQ-20 data were collected in a primary health care setting on 266 respondents. Internal reliability was tested using Cronbach’s alpha. Factorial validity was done using principal component analysis with varimax rotation to investigate whether SRQ-20 items properly measure the underlying dimensions of mental illness. Criterion validity was analyzed by looking at the relationship between the SRQ-20 and Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale using Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Sensitivity, specificity and the predictive values of the screening instrument were used to assess how well the results of SRQ-20 correspond with the criterion instrument. Results The SRQ-20 had good internal reliability (α = 0.78). Factor analysis yielded two factors, explaining 31.2% of the total variance. The instrument performed well in detecting common mental disorders, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.879 (SE = 0.23, 95% CI 0.83–0.92) to the overall sample and with optimal cut-off score at 5/6 with sensitivity 78.6% and specificity 81.5%. Cut-off scores were different for women (5/6) and men (4/5). For male participants, the AUC statistic was 0.877 (SE = 0.04, 95% CI 0.79–0.96) and 0.871 (SE = 0.02 95% CI 0.81–0.92) for female participants. Conclusion The Tigrinya version of the SRQ-20 can be used for screening probable common mental disorders in Eritrean primary health care setting, but cut-off scores need to be adjusted for men and women separately