Barriers and facilitators to health care seeking behaviours in pregnancy in rural communities of southern Mozambique.

CONCLUSIONS: Women do seek antenatal care at health facilities, despite the presence of other health care providers in the community. There are important factors that prevent timely care-seeking for obstetric emergencies and delivery. Unfamiliarity with warning signs, especially among partners, discouragement from revealing pregnancy early in gestation, complex and untimely decision-making processes, fear of mistreatment by health-care providers, lack of transport and financial constraints were the most commonly cited barriers. Women of reproductive age would benefit from community saving schemes for transport and medication, which in turn would improve their birth preparedness and emergency readiness; in addition, pregnancy follow-up should include key family members, and community-based health care providers should encourage prompt referrals to health facilities, when appropriate.
TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT01911494.
PMID: 27356968 [PubMed - in process]

Source: Rural Remote Health - July 2, 2016 Category: Rural Health Authors: Munguambe K, Boene H, Vidler M, Bique C, Sawchuck D, Firoz T, Makanga PT, Qureshi R, Macete E, Menéndez C, von Dadelszen P, Sevene E Tags: Reprod Health Source Type: research