article · Health Science Reports
A study in Debre Birhan, Ethiopia, investigated pregnant women's knowledge about preventing mother-to-child HIV transmission (PMTCT) and related factors. Researchers conducted a community-based cross-sectional survey with 803 pregnant women. The findings revealed that only 35.87% of the participants had good knowledge of PMTCT. Key factors associated with this knowledge included the women's residence, educational status, occupation, and whether they received health information from healthcare providers. The study concludes that there is a significant gap in PMTCT knowledge among pregnant women in the area, highlighting the need for focused public health interventions to improve understanding and support HIV prevention goals.
Understanding how much pregnant women know about preventing HIV transmission to their children is vital. Low knowledge can hinder the effectiveness of prevention programmes, potentially leading to more paediatric HIV infections. Improving this understanding is crucial for public health and achieving HIV elimination goals.
This research provides evidence for the design and implementation of public health programmes aimed at improving health literacy. It suggests a need for developing targeted educational materials and training programmes for health extension workers, as well as integrating PMTCT education into routine antenatal care. This is applied research informing public health strategy and programme development.
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Background and Aims: Vertical transmission of HIV accounts for over 90% of pediatric HIV infections worldwide, making it a major public health concern. Maternal knowledge of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and its prevention is essential for the uptake of preventive measures and the success of elimination strategies. This study aimed to assess knowledge of prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV and associated factors among pregnant women in Debre Birhan, Ethiopia. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted from June 2 to July 8, 2022 in Debre Birhan town. Participants were selected using a simple random sampling technique. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire, entered into Epi Data version 4.6, and exported to Stata version 17 for analysis. Prevalence ratios with 95% confidence intervals were estimated using Poisson regression with robust variance to identify factors associated with knowledge of PMTCT. Results: Of 816 pregnant women, 803 provided complete information (response rate of 98%). Only 35.87% (95%CI = 32.62-39.25) of pregnant women demonstrated good knowledge of PMTCT. Factors associated with knowledge of PMTCT included residence, educational status, occupation, and receiving health information from healthcare providers. Conclusion: Only 35% of pregnant women in Debre Birhan demonstrated good knowledge of PMTCT. Knowledge was significantly associated with residence, occupation, education, and receipt of health information from providers. These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions, including strengthened behavioral change communication through health extension workers and integration of PMTCT education into routine antenatal care, to support Ethiopia's HIV prevention goals.
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DOI: 10.1002/hsr2.73164
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