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Epidemiological Aspects of Obstetric Fistula at the Northern Cameroon Lutheran Hospital, Ngaoundéré
21 Pages Posted: 9 Jan 2020
More...Abstract
Objective: To assess the epidemiological aspects of obstetric fistulas at the Ngaoundere Lutheran Hospital.
Methods: We carried out a hospital-based cross sectional analytic study comparing women with fistulas (subjects) and those without the condition (controls). We compared information from 166 files of fistula patients (2013-2016) with those of 269 parous women recruited prospectively (Feb- April 2017). We used a modified pretested questionnaire with information on socio-demographic, clinical and reproductive characteristics. Crude odds ratios (OR) and their 95% CI were obtained after bivariate analysis, to determine the factors that were associated with obstetric fistula. Variables that were statistically significant (p<0.05) were modelled into final logistic regression analysis to determine the independent association.
Findings: Variables unequally distributed among the two study populations included socio-demographic characteristics (age, occupation, marital status, region of origin, religion and level of education) as well as clinical ones (age at first childbirth, parity, prenatal care, duration of labour, weight and height), p≤ 0.001. Among women who consulted the gynaecologist / urologist, the prevalence of obstetric fistulas was 2.56% (95CI: 1.98-2.58). Factors independently associated with obstetric fistula status were, illiteracy (53% vs. 47%; A OR:7.2; 95% CI [1.8-28.2]), height <150cm (77.9% vs. 22.1%; A OR:8.7;95%CI [2.8-27.4]), inadequate prenatal care (64.9% vs. 35.1%; AOR:7.5; 95%CI [2.8-20.1]), labour duration> 24 hours (71.6% vs. 28.4%; A OR:88.2; 95% CI [21.3- 364]) and the lack of the use of preventive Foley catheter (52.4% vs.47.6%; A OR:1.7; 95% CI [0.4-3.3]).
Conclusion: Obstetric fistula is commonly associated with illiteracy, short stature, inadequate prenatal care, prolonged labour and the lack of use of preventive catheter.
Funding Statement: The research did not receive any funding for this purpose.
Declaration of Interests: The authors state: "There is no conflict of interest."
Ethics Approval Statement: This was a hospital-based cross sectional unmatched analytic study approved by the Institutional Ethical Board of the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Buea.
Keywords: Obstetric fistula; prevalence; characteristics; associated factors; comparative study
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation