Determinants for the Utilization of Partograph in the Management of Labour amongst the Midwives in Selected Hospitals in Akure, Ondo State

Abstract

Regular use of Partograph in monitoring of labour prevents related deaths which contribute greatly to maternal mortality and morbidity in Sub-Saharan Africa. The study assessed the determinants for the utilization of partograph in management of labour amongst midwives in selected hospitals in Akure, Ondo State. A cross-sectional descriptive survey design was used. Two hundred respondents were selected using multistage sampling technique. A self-structured questionnaire was developed and validated with a reliability score of 0.89. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics of frequency, means and percentages while inferential statistics of Chi-square ANOVA was used to test hypotheses at significance of P ≤ 0.05. The result of this study revealed that the utilization level of Partograph in the management of labour amongst midwives in selected hospitals in Akure, Ondo State is average (54.4%.) Findings also reveals that the utilization level of partograph in UNIMEDTH which is a tertiary facility and MCHA which is a secondary facility are high 62(62%), 46(59%) respectively while that of CHCA a primary facility is low 0(0%). This study noted that the factors affecting the utilization of partograph among midwives include lack of confidence (M = 3.55), shortage of staff (M = 3.37), inappropriate supervision (M = 3.25), inadequate supply of partograph form (M = 3.47) and managerial policies (M = 3.02), Managerial policy affects (M 3.02), Inadequate training on the use of partograph (M 3.66), Fully dilated cervix and head on perineum conditions of labour (M 3.54) Precipitate labour (M 3.51). Hypothesis showed that there is no significant difference in the utilization level of partograph among midwives in the three selected hospitals in Akure, Ondo State .The result of Post Hoc Tukey HSD showed that there is a significant difference in the utilization of partograph in the management of labour between midwives in MCHA and CHCA (p = 0.007). Also, between the midwives in UNIMEDTH and CHCA (p= 0.01). But there is no significant difference between midwives in MCHA and UNIMEDTH (p =0.93). Conclusively, although the respondents in CHCA had good knowledge of partograph, its utilization level was low, hence practical skills, training and retraining programmes for midwives should be instituted to enhance the level of utilization of partograph in the primary health care facilities. Further study for midwives intervention on the use of partograph in the PHC should be done at a wider scope.