Practices of pregnant women regarding tobacco and alcohol use during pregnancy at one primary health care clinic in Southern Namibia

Abstract

Introduction: Tobacco and alcohol use during pregnancy has negative consequences, to the fetus , and may lead to complications such as an increased risk of psychiatric disorders, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and poor school performance in children. The  study purpose was to investigate the practices of pregnant women regarding the use of tobacco and alcohol during pregnancy. Methods: A quantitative research approach with a descriptive, cross-sectional, analytical design was used. The study population were all pregnant women aged 18 years and above attending antenatal care at Mariental clinic during the study period. Written informed consent was obtained from all respondents prior to data collection. Data was collected from 211 respondents  selected through a systematic sampling method .Data was analysed using Statistical Package of the Social Sciences version 27. Descriptive statistics were used for frequencies and percentages. Fisher’s Exact test at 0.05 alpha level was used to determine the association between variables. Results: The mean age was 28.8 with a standard deviation of 6.9 years. Most participants, 92 (43.6%) were aged between 18 and 24 years. Majority,  186 (88.15%) were in third trimester of pregnancy and  154 (73%) were single . A total of  148 (70.14%) respondents were classified as having good practices towards alcohol use during pregnancy. Moreover, 190(90 %) of the respondents were classified as having good practices towards tobacco use in pregnancy .  Educational levels showed a significant association with practices towards tobacco smoking (p=0.042). Conclusion. The study concluded  good practices among pregnant women on alcohol and tobacco smoking during pregnancy. It is recommended that  health facilities should introduce awareness campaign  on the dangers of alcohol and tobacco use during pregnancy. Moreover, educational materials should be developed in local languages and  distributed at the health facilities.