A total of 624 women who had experienced at least one history of delivery were found in the selected kebeles of Dire Dawa city were included in the study, and the response rate was 100%.
Socio-demographic characteristics of study participants
Regarding the socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents, 305 (48.9%) were in the age group of 25–34. The majority of them were from urban areas (471, or 75.5%) and married (527, or 98.7%) by residence and marital status, respectively. Out of 624 participants, the majority of them (314, 50.3%) had completed secondary education and above, followed by primary education (187(30%).Concerning the average monthly income, the majority of the participants (457, or 73.2%) had less than 1500 ETB. (Table 1)
Obstetrical characteristics of study participants
More than three-fourths (525, or 84.1%) of the participants were not pregnant during the study period. More than three-fourths (519, or 83.2%) of the participants had ANC follow-up during the last pregnancy. Nearly two-thirds (388, or 62.2%) of the participants had taken 3–4 ANC visits. Nearly three-fourths (433, 70%) of the participants had PNC follow-up during the last pregnancy. During the most recent childbirth, more than three-quarters (528, or 84.6%) of the participants gave birth in a health facility.(Table 2)
Prevalence of cultural malpractice during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal period among women giving birth once in Dire Dawa, 2021
This study revealed that the overall prevalence of cultural malpractice during pregnancy, child birth, and the postnatal period was 74.4% (462). (Figure 1)
Cultural malpractices during the pregnancy period
In this study, 51.1 %( 318) of participants reported that they undertook some form of harmful cultural practice during the perinatal period. Regarding food taboos, 50 (8%) of the participants had consumed food taboos (Figure 2) Almost half of the respondents (287(46%) had drank telba during their pregnancy and about 30(4.8%) of them had practiced abdominal massage. (Table 3)
Cultural malpractices during child birth
In terms of birthplace, more than four-fifths of the participants, 96 (15.4%), were born at home. Regarding umbilical cord care, 63(65.5%) of respondents used an unclean blade to cut the umbilical cord and 89(97.2%) of them used unclean thread to tie the umbilical cord. About half of the respondents, 44(45.8%) of mothers wash their babies before 24 hours and nearly one-fourth, 23(24%) of respondents wash their babies after 24 hours. (Table 4)
Cultural malpractices during the postnatal period
In this study, nearly half of the participants, 259(41.5%), had cultural malpractice during their postnatal period. Nearly one fifth of the participants, 131(21%), applied traditional medicine to the neonate's umbilicus. Nearly three-fourths, 89(67.9%) of participants applied butter, and nearly one-third, 40(30.5%) of them applied vasline , zeyit to the neonates' umbilicus during the postnatal period. (Table 5)
Health system and social-related characteristics of study participants
Nearly one-third, 173(27.7%) of the participants responded that the maternal and child health service was not accessible. Almost three-fifths, 377(60.4%) of the participants reported the absence of home to home education. Almost three-quarters of the participants, 456 (73.5%), had husbands' support during pregnancy and the postnatal period. Regarding the culture of participants, 259(41.5%) of participants reported that their culture permits those harmful traditional practices. (Table 6)
Factors associated with cultural malpractice during pregnancy, child birth and postnatal period among women’s who give birth once at Dire Dawa city, 2021
In this study, the age of study participants was significantly associated with cultural malpractices during the perinatal period. The odds of cultural malpractices during the perinatal period were almost three [AOR 2.61, 95%CI, 1.455–4.722] times higher in women’s with ages 35 and above than in women’s with age categories 15–24 and 25–34.
This study also revealed that ANC follow-up was significantly associated with cultural malpractices during the perinatal period. Participants who had not attended ANC follow-up during the last pregnancy were almost four [AOR 3.577, 95%CI, 1.72–7.408] times more likely to commit cultural malpractices during the perinatal period than their counterparts.
Home-to-home education was another factor that was significantly associated with cultural malpractices during the perinatal period in the study area. Women who did not have home-to-home education were almost two [AOR 1.83, 95%CI, 1.25–2.67] times more likely to commit cultural malpractices than their counterparts.
Lastly, community culture was significantly associated with cultural malpractices during the perinatal period in the study area .Women whose culture (community) permits or allows harmful traditional practices were almost two [AOR 1.69, 95%CI, 1.29–2.54] times more likely to perform cultural malpractices than their counter parts. (Table 7)