Determinants of perinatal health problems in Kisumu district, Kenya
International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance
ISSN: 0952-6862
Article publication date: 1 September 2001
Abstract
Perinatal health is a good indicator of both maternal health status and the level of socioeconomic status attained in any community. This article presents part of the findings of a research project conducted in 1997 by the author to look at the determinants of maternal and perinatal health in Kisumu district of Kenya. Data were collected from four health facilities within the district which were selected through purposive sampling to act as sentinel centres. In total, 1,455 obstetric cases were enumerated and those with perinatal complications were isolated. Perinatal health status was measured by the frequency of low birth weights, neonatal deaths, still‐births, and early neonatal morbidity. Cross‐tabulations and multivariate analysis have been used to identify the major risk factors of the perinatal health problems identified in the study area. Among other things, the study reveals that the risk of most perinatal complications is significantly increased by maternal and environmental factors. These include poor pregnancy care, malaria and anaemia during pregnancy, poor socioeconomic conditions of the mother and poor sanitary conditions in the household. Any policy measure aimed at promoting perinatal health should seek to address all these factors.
Keywords
Citation
Nyabuti Ondimu, K. (2001), "Determinants of perinatal health problems in Kisumu district, Kenya", International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Vol. 14 No. 5, pp. 200-211. https://doi.org/10.1108/EUM0000000005640
Publisher
:MCB UP Ltd
Copyright © 2001, MCB UP Limited