Counseling Practice towards Folic Acid use among Health Care Provider’s in Selected Public Hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Tikur AnbessaSpecialized Hospital, College of Health Science, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

2 School of Nursing and Midwifery, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: Periconceptional folic acid supplementation is an effective way to prevent neural tube defects (NTDs) and other congenital anomalies. It is shown that 9.7% of healthcare providers practiced periconceptional folic acid supplements in Ethiopia. Fewer than 50% of women receive information on folic acid before or only during pregnancy. This study was conducted to assess folic acid supplementation counseling practices among health care providers.
Methods: This institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 421 healthcare providers in selected public hospitals, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The hospitals were selected using a lottery sampling method, and a systematic random method was used to enroll participants. A structured self-administered instrument was used to gather information from participants. Data were checked for completeness and entered into Epi-Data software (version 3.1) and exported to SPSS software (version 25) for analysis. Descriptive statistics were used to describe participants' characteristics, and logistic regression, such as bivariate and multivariable analysis, were tested for associations. The level of significance was determined at a p-value of Results: In this study,periconceptional folic acid supplementation counseling practice wasfound in 51% of participants. Profession,salary, work load, patient flow, and assisted birth of a neonate with NTD were the factors associated with counseling practice (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=3.215, 95% CI:1.085-9.523,  AOR=0.213, 95% CI:0.95-0.487, AOR= 0.427 95% CI:0.213-0.859, AOR=0.223, 95% CI: 0.1-0.498, and AOR=15.107 95% CI:8.157-27.979, respectively).
Conclusion: Health care providers demonstrated a good level of knowledge and counseling practice about the folic acid supplement in this study. Medical doctor, salary, workload, patient flow, assisted birth of a neonate with NTD were found predictors for counseling practice.
 
 

Keywords


  1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Global initiative to eliminate folic acid-preventable neural tube defects.Georgia:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 2011.
  2. Ventura SJ, Martin JA, Curtin SC, Mathews TJ, Park MM. National vital statistics reports. Montana. 2002;46:23-6.
  3. Salih MA, Murshid WR, Mohamed AG, Ignacio LC, de Jesus JE, Baabbad R, et al. Risk factors for neural tube defects in Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia: case-control study. Sudanese J Paediatr. 2014;14(2):49.
  4. Kominiarek MA, Rajan P. Nutrition recommendations in pregnancy and lactation. Med Clin. 2016;
    100(6):1199-215.
  5. Muchowski K, Paladine H. An ounce of prevention: the evidence supporting periconception health care. J Fam Pract. 2004;53(2):126.
  6. Sorri G, Mesfin E. Patterns of neural tube defects at two teaching hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia a three years retrospective study. Ethiop Med J. 2015;53(3):119-26.
  7. Mohammed MA, Workicho Bushra A, Aljadhey HS, Ahmed JH. Supplement use among pregnant women in ethiopia: prevalence and predictors. Ther Innovat Regulat Sci. 2013;47(4):416-23.
  8. Taye M, Afework M, Fantaye W, Diro E, Worku A. Magnitude of birth defects in central and Northwest Ethiopia from 2010-2014: a descriptive retrospective study. PloS One. 2016;11(10):e0161998.
  9. Williams JL, Abelman SM, Fassett EM, Stone CE, Petrini JR, Damus K, et al. Health care provider knowledge and practices regarding folic acid, United States, 2002–2003. Maternal Child Health J. 2006;10(1):67-72.

10. Maraschini A, D'Aloja P, Lega I, Buoncristiano M, Kirchmayer U, Ventura M, et al. Do Italian pregnant women use periconceptional folate supplementation? Ann Ist Super Sanita. 2017;53(2):118-24.

11. Nations U. World population prospects: the current metro area population of Addis Ababa. Available
at: URL: http://wwwmacrotrendsnet/cities/20921/
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; 2020.

12. Ababa A. Federal democratic republic of Ethiopia Central statistical agency population projection of Ethiopia for all regions at wereda level from 2014–2017. Addis Ababa: Central Statistical Agency; 2014.

13. Demilew YM, Asres Nigussie A. Knowledge of health professionals on folic acid use and their prescribing practice in Bahir Dar city administration, Northwest Ethiopia: cross-sectional study. PloS One. 2017;
12(1):e0170116.

14. Zeković M, Krajnović D, Nikolić M, Stojković T, Gurinović M, Glibetić M. Periconceptional folic acid supplementation: Knowledge, attitudes and counselling practice of Serbian pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. Vojnosanitetski Pregled. 2019;76(11):1127-38.

15. Saxena V, Naithani M, Kumari R, Singh R, Das P. Peri-conceptional supplementation of folic acid-knowledge and practices of pregnant women and health providers. J Fam Med Prim Care. 2016;
5(2):387