Women's preference for traditional birth attendants and modern health care practitioners in Akpabuyo community of Cross River State, Nigeria
Akpabio, I.I.; Edet, O.B.; Etifit, R.E.; Robinson-Bassey, G.C.
Health Care for Women International 35(1): 100-109
2014
ISSN/ISBN: 0739-9332 PMID: 23980707 DOI: 10.1080/07399332.2013.815751Document Number: 579045
The proportion of women who patronized traditional birth attendants (TBAs) or modern health care practitioners (MHCPs) was compared, including reasons for their choices. A comparative design was adopted to study 300 respondents selected through a multistage systematic random sampling technique. The instrument for data collection was a validated 21-item structured questionnaire. We observed that 75 (25%) patronized and 80 (27%) preferred TBAs, and 206 (69%) patronized and 220 (75%) preferred MHCPs, while 19 (6%) patronized both. The view that TBAs prayed before conducting deliveries was supported by a majority 75 (94%) of the respondents who preferred them. Factors associated with preference for TBAs should be addressed.