TABLE 4.
Prevalence of Women’s Experiences of Supportive and Respectful Maternity Care
| Characteristics | Baseline, a No. (%) (n=313) | Endline, No. (%) (n=314) | Relative Change, % | P Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Respectful care | ||||
| Any physical abuse | 79 (26.3) | 22 (7.7) | 70.7 | .000 |
| Slapped/punched | 10 (3.5) | 2 (0.7) | 80.0 | .039 |
| Fundal pressure applied | 62 (20.7) | 19 (6.7) | 67.6 | <.001 |
| Forced into woman’s nonpreferred birthing position | 18 (5.9) | 3 (1.1) | 81.4 | <.001 |
| Verbal abuse | 76 (24.6) | 30 (9.4) | 61.8 | <.001 |
| Screamed, shouted, or hissed at | 50 (15.9) | 12 (3.9) | 75.5 | <.001 |
| Scolded | 49 (15.7) | 15 (4.8) | 69.4 | .000 |
| Threatened with medical procedure, physical violence, poor outcome, or withholding care | 43 (14.6) | 10 (3.4) | 76.7 | <.001 |
| Sexual abuse | 10 (3.4) | 0 (0) | 100.0 | NC |
| Stared at inappropriately by male staff | 8 (2.7) | 0 (0) | 100.0 | NC |
| Lack of professional standards | 290 (92.0) | 300 (95.3) | -3.3 | .381 |
| Abandoned for any reason during examination | 86 (28.9) | 66 (19.9) | 31.1 | .092 |
| Permission not sought before vaginal examination | 112 (36.5) | 53 (16.5) | 54.8 | .002 |
| Ineffective communication | 257 (82.1) | 149 (47.2) | 42.1 | <.001 |
| No orientation about care processes at the facility | 153 (49.0) | 66 (20.8) | 57.6 | <.001 |
| Failure to regularly share progress of labor with woman | 107 (34.3) | 30 (9.5) | 72.3 | <.001 |
| No explanation offered of what to expect during labor and childbirth | 170 (54.4) | 77 (24.4) | 54.9 | <.001 |
| Nonconfidential care | 313 (100) | 135 (43) | 57.0 | NC |
| No privacy for vaginal examinations | 144 (46.9) | 27 (8.3) | 82.3 | <.001 |
| Health system culture and constraints | 313 (100) | 313 (99.7) | 0.3 | .318 |
| Women forcefully asked for a bribe, informal payment, or gift for any reason | 189 (61.0) | 106 (33.0) | 45.9 | <.001 |
| Women not told where to lodge a complaint | 308 (98.5) | 304 (96.6) | 1.9 | .289 |
| Inclusive care | ||||
| Stigma and discrimination | 32 (10.6) | 6 (2.1) | 80.2 | <.001 |
| Negative comment regarding economic circumstances | 27 (8.8) | 3 (1.1) | 87.5 | <.001 |
| Overall mean score for mistreatment among women with 1 or more disabilityb | 30.8 (1.7) | 16.3 (1.1) | 47.1 | <.001 |
| Supportive care | ||||
| Lack of supportive care | 276 (88.5) | 185 (58.0) | 34.5 | <.001 |
| No encouragement/advice to breathe in and out to ease or hasten labor | 131 (42.4) | 72 (22.4) | 47.2 | <.001 |
| No praise and reassurance when the woman abides by instructions | 96 (31.2) | 44 (13.7) | 56.1 | <.001 |
| Companion not permitted to stay in labor room during childbirth | 67 (22.2) | 48 (14.5) | 34.7 | .048 |
Abbreviation: NC, not calculated.
a
The percentages at baseline and endline are estimated after adjusting for woman’s age, primigravida, native language, education, household poverty, involvement in household decision-making, mode of birth, antenatal care for index birth, and sex of index baby.
b
Denominator includes only women with 1 or more disability (baseline: n=107 and endline: n=68).