Knowledge, attitude and practices of preconception care amongst healthcare providers at kawempe national referral hospital

Abstract

Introduction: Preconception care aims to enhance a healthy physical, mental, and emotional well-being of a woman or couple before conception and has been endorsed by WHO to improve maternal outcomes. Despite acknowledged benefits, its implementation remains low, possibly due to inadequate knowledge and attitudes. This study examined medical doctors' attitudes, knowledge, and practices regarding preconception care at Kawempe National Referral Hospital, Kampala Uganda. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted at Kawempe National Referral Hospital among healthcare workers providing maternity healthcare services. A sample size of 100 healthcare workers was determined using the Kish Leslie formula. Proportional sampling followed by simple random sampling were used to select study participants. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS version 20. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression analysis were utilized for data analysis. Results: The average age of the respondents was 32 years, majority were males (77.0%), were married (39.0 %) and were senior house officers (66.0%). The average knowledge score for the participants was 69.6%; the lowest being 29.4% and the highest 100%. Less than half (44%) of the participants scored 75% and above and thus had good knowledge of PCC. Majority of the respondents (52%) were found to practice at least 50% of the Preconception Care (PCC) practices and majority (92%) were found to have good attitudes towards PCC. Conclusions: While medical doctors at KNRH exhibit commendable attitudes towards PCC, their knowledge and practice of PCC is wanting. There is a pressing need to bridge the gap between knowledge, attitudes and practice to ensure comprehensive and consistent application of PCC in clinical settings. This can be achieved through enhanced training programs offering up-to-date information, guidelines, and evidence-based interventions relevant to PCC