Associate factors of obstetric violence by health care providers during antenatal consultations and childbirth in two referral hospitals in Bafoussam (West-Cameroon)

Abstract

Objective: determine the prevalence of Obstetric Violence (OV) and its correlates in Bafoussam.

Methodology: we conducted a cross-sectional study at the Bafoussam Regional Hospital and the Mifi District Hospital from October 15th to December 15th 2023. Our sampling was consecutive and exhaustive, including women in the post-partum wards. We conducted face-to-face interviews using a pretested questionnaire and completed data using medical records. We performed chi square test of independence and, binary and multiple logistic regressions to measure associations between variables using SPSS 26.0 software (IBM, New York, NY). A p-value < 0.05 was considered significant.
Results: Five hundred and twelve women were included. The proportion of women who experienced OV during antenatal care was 8.1% (40/492). The proportion of intrapartum OV was 54.7% (274/512). The most frequent forms of OV during this period were: perineal suture without anesthesia (43.6%), no greetings nor self-introduction by the personnel (38.2%), digital vaginal examination without consent (24.6%) and the non-preservation of intimacy (21.8%). Inability to pay for healthcare services was associated to both antenatal OV (aOR: 2.87(1.31 – 6.014), p: 0.01) and intrapartum OV (aOR: 19.63 (95 %( 1.71-26.90), p: 0.010).

Conclusion: OV is common and varied in Bafoussam. Its drivers and impact should be investigated to inform effective mitigation strategies.