KNOWLEDGE OF MATERNAL MORTALITY AMONG WOMEN OF CHILDBEARING AGE IN NSUKKA HEALTH DISTRICT, ENUGU STATE

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to determine the level of knowledge of maternal mortality among women of childbearing age (WCA) in Nsukka health district of Enugu state. Four research questions were posed and two hypotheses postulated .Descriptive survey research design was used for the study. The population was 3,600 from which a sample of 360 was draw for the study using multi stage sampling procedure. The research instrument used for the study was questionnaire administered to WCA .The research questions were analyzed using means and percentages while null hypotheses were tested using ANOVA. The result showed that WCA in Nsukka health district possessed high level of knowledge regarding all the dimensions of maternal mortality. WCA with secondary and tertiary education had high level knowledge while those with no formal and primary education had low and average level of knowledge in all the dimensions of maternal mortality. Also, the result indicated that independent variables of level of education and age had significant difference on the knowledge of all the dimensions of maternal mortality among WCA. The study recommended that seminars and workshops should be organized in health facilities, churches and town halls to enlighten women, provision of free and compulsory education for every female child to tertiary level, to enact laws prohibiting child marriages and to strengthen the free maternal health care policy.