Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Preconceptional care and associated factors among Physicians working at Saint Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Abstract

<p><strong>Background:</strong> Preconceptional care is comprehensive care given before pregnancy with the aim to reduce the incidences of both short term and long term adverse pregnancy outcomes. It is usually neglected but critical component during treatment of reproductive age women with chronic medical illness. Therefore this study aimed to explore and describe knowledge, attitude and practice of physicians on preconception care of reproductive aged women (15-49years) with chronic medical illness.</p> <p><strong>Methods</strong>: Institutional based cross sectional study was conducted to comprise all residents and consultants from internal medicine, psychiatric and obstetrics and gynecology department of St. Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College through pre- tested, self-administered questionnaire. SPSS version 23 software was used for data entry and analysis. Descriptive statistic were used to report frequencies while bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to described association between dependent and independent variables. Statistical significance was declared at P-value of 0.05.</p> <p><strong>Results:</strong> The findings from the study showed among 272 respondents, 30.9% had poor practice despite of 85.7% of the respondent have good knowledge and 83.1% had positive attitude.<strong> </strong>Having prior training on PCC (AOR=3.3; 95% CI = (1.08-10.6); p=0.036) and having prior exposure to PCC guideline or protocol (AOR=8.1; 95% CI = (2.3-28); p=0.001) had significant association with physicians level of knowledge on PCC. It also showed that having prior training on PCC (AOR=8.6; 95% CI = (2.5-30); p=0.001) significantly affected the level of attitude within the group. There was no association between physicians’ level of PCC practice and variables like working department, level of profession, work experience, having prior PCC training and having prior exposure to PCC guideline or protocol.</p> <strong>Conclusion</strong>: This study reveled that physician’s practice of preconceptional care is low despite of having good knowledge and positive attitude about preconceptional care. The hospital administration and respective departments should facilitate on establishing of preconception care clinic and work together on strengthening multidisciplinary approach. The need for creating community awareness about preconception care, preparing of preconceptional guideline and provision of practical training (simulation) for physicians is also highly important for improving preconceptional care practice.