An Assessment Of Maternal Knowledge About Health In Pregnancy And Early Childhood In Rural Tanzania: Case Study Of Lindi Rural District - Tanzania

ABSTRACT

This research was conducted to describe maternal knowledge about health in pregnancy

and early childhood in rural Tanzania. It was also discovered that perceptions of risk

during pregnancy shape behaviours in pregnancy and at childbirth, and influence

pregnancy outcomes as well as neonatal health and survival. Identifying local

understandings of obstetric risk is a key strategy for the development of appropriate

behaviour change communication strategies to improve pregnancy and birth outcomes at

the community level. I qualitatively analyzed the primary data from the field including

interviews and focus group discussion I conducted with pregnant women, women with

young children, community respected persons (CORPs) professional health workers from

local communities and traditional birth attendants in Lindi rural district of southern

Tanzania to explain local understandings of risks women face during pregnancy and

behaviours traditionally practiced to minimize these risks. Women's understandings of

biomedical risk corresponded closely to common danger signs; however, social and

spiritual factors were also perceived to place women and their developing babies at risk,

and elaborate strategies were reportedly employed to preserve social harmony and protect

against harm from malicious spirits or individuals. Using these findings, I identified

opportunities for behaviour change communication strategies to improve maternal and

neonatal health outcomes. Qualitative research such as this supports the development of

behaviour change messages that link communities and health facilities to improve

prenatal and obstetric care.

Generally, I would recommend that different bodies should combine efforts in order to

make concrete policies, and any other effort needed to eliminate the problem of maternal and newborns mortality.