Level of Prevalence of Disrespect and Abuse of Women during Child Birth in Selected Health Care Facilities in Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria

Background: The prevalence of disrespect and abuse of women during childbirth in health facilities in Nigeria and lack of quality care render during childbirth is of great concern to both providers and consumers of maternal care. This study assesses the disrespect and abuse of women during childbirth in selected health facilities in Nsukka local government area, Enugu state. The specific objectives were to determine the prevalence of disrespect and abuse, determine the factors that contribute to the disrespect and abuse, and finally determine the forms of disrespect and abuse. Methods: A descriptive research design was adopted for the study while a convenience technique was used to select respondents for the study. The study was carried out in three health facilities, university of Nigeria medical center Nsukka, General hospital Nsukka and Primary health care centre Nuskka in Enugu state. A total population of 101 respondents including post-natal mothers from the above hospitals was sampled. Data was collected using the Level of Disrespect and Abuse of Women during Childbirth Scale (LDAWCS) questionnaire. Data were collected after oral consent from the respondents was granted and were analysed with use of SPSS/IBM version 23. Results: The major findings of the study revealed prevalence of disrespect and abuse during childbirth in selected hospitals was high with 61(60.4%) of women experiencing at least one form. The foremost forms of abuse and disrespect were: that the health care provider used harsh words on them with mean score of (3.37±1.55); scolded by the health care provider (3.36±1.56), women left naked in the view of many staff (3.27±1.25); and been rude on them with mean score of (3.28±1.56). Conclusion: The study recommends healthcare institutions should implement comprehensive training programme for healthcare providers, emphasizing respectful care and communication, and clear guidelines and protocols should be established for obtaining informed consent for medical procedures.