Utilization of obstetric analgesia for labor pain management and associated factors among obstetric care providers working in hospitals of South East and South Central Ethiopia, 2023

INTRODUCTION: The pain a woman feels during labor and delivery is unique to her, and obstetric analgesia should be provided upon request by mothers. In low-income countries, most women continue to endure painful labor despite the availability of methods. The factor for utilization remains inconsistent in previous studies, and they did not assess client factors as a reason for the nonuse of obstetric analgesia, and the majority of them excluded private hospitals. The study aimed to assess the magnitude of utilizations of obstetrics analgesia and associated factors among Obstetrics care providers. METHODS: A facility-based - cross-sectional study was conducted from March 10 to April 20, 2023, among obstetric care providers in hospitals in the West Arsi and Arsi zones. A structured self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data. The data were entered into Epi data statistical software version 3.1 and exported to SPSS window version 26 for analysis. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to identify factors associated with the use of obstetric analgesia. A P- value < 0.05 with a 95% CI was considered to indicate an association. RESULTS: Out of the 421 participants enrolled in the study, 52.3% (95% CI: 47.46, 57.14) reported using obstetric analgesia in the previous month. Factors such as sex [AOR: 1.86 (95% CI: 1.14, 3.04)], working in a general hospital [AOR: 2.86 (95% CI: 1.41, 5.80)], working in a primary hospital [AOR: 3.89 (95% CI: 1.85, 8.17)], having adequate knowledge [AOR: 1.94 (95% CI: 1.05, 3.57)], and having a favorable attitude [AOR: 6.92 (95% CI: 3.97, 12.06)] were significantly associated the use of obstetric analgesia. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION: The use of obstetric analgesia in this study was low compared to previous studies. Creating a suitable environment by increasing health professionals' knowledge and attitudes regarding labor management methods is necessary.