Knowledge and prevention practices regarding cytomegalovirus among pregnant women in Gondar city a multicenter cross-sectional study

Cytomegalovirus (CMV), a herpesvirus, poses a significant teratogenic risk during pregnancy, particularly in low- and middle-income countries such as Ethiopia. As no effective vaccine currently exists, pregnant women should adopt preventive measures and develop a good understanding of the various aspects of CMV infection to reduce the rate of seroconversion. Due to the scarcity of data in Ethiopia, this study aimed to assess the knowledge and prevention practices of pregnant women regarding CMV in Gondar city, Northwest Ethiopia. A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among pregnant women aged 18 years and above in six randomly selected health settings from August 1st to October 30th, 2024. Using a single population proportion formula, the sample size was determined to be 616, and study participants were enrolled through stratified random sampling. Data were then collected via face-to-face interviews using a pretested questionnaire adapted from previously published studies. The collected data were entered and analyzed using SPSS version 26. To assess knowledge and preventive practices regarding CMV, both binary and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed, with p-values < 0.25 and < 0.05 considered as the criteria for inclusion in multivariate analysis and statistical significance, respectively. Additionally, adjusted odds ratios (AOR) with 95% confidence intervals were computed to express the strength of association between independent and dependent variables. Of the 616 study subjects, 575 responded, resulting in a response rate of 93.34%. The study showed that 26.6% and 34% of pregnant women demonstrated good knowledge and prevention practices for CMV. Based on the multivariable analysis, it was found that pregnant women aged 38 and above (AOR = 1.775, CI = 1.196-3.198, p = 0.016), having higher educational attainment (AOR = 2.244, 95% CI = 1.177-4.280, p = 0.002) and being diagnosed with CMV (AOR = 1.848, 95% CI: 1.026-3.687, p = 0.018) were independently associated with good knowledge. Similarly, married individuals had 1.197 times higher odds of having good prevention practices (AOR = 1.197, 95% CI = 1.025-2.713, p = 0.02). Additionally, pregnant women in their third trimester of pregnancy had 1.259 times higher odds of having good prevention practices (AOR = 1.259, 95% CI = 1.010-3.879, p = 0.039). In general, the level of knowledge and preventative practices regarding CMV infection was low among the studied population. To address the low levels of knowledge and prevention practices regarding CMV infection, several contributing factors were identified to guide interventional activities. This finding should prompt policymakers and health care providers to collaborate and provide health initiatives. It is also essential that pregnant women are actively engaged in health education and encouraged to stay informed about this teratogenic virus to improve these outcomes.