Prevalence and experience of domestic violence among rural pregnant women in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

During pregnancy, the oral cavity is characterised by an acidic environment and an inflammatory response brought about by vomiting and changes in hormonal levels, respectively, thereby increasing the mother’s risk of developing caries. Although evidence exists to support an association between pregnancy-associated periodontal disease and adverse pregnancy outcomes, there is a paucity of studies which focus on the caries prevalence and other oral manifestations of pregnant women. The aim of this study was to assess the oral health status and treatment needs of pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Randomly selected mothers (n=443) attending a maternal obstetrics unit participated in the study. A questionnaire elicited demographic information about the participants, while the measurement of decayed, missing, and filled indices (DMFT) determined their caries status. Oral lesions were noted if present. Descriptive statistics for independent variables described frequencies in the various categories of race, location, pregnancy stage, etc., with the association between 2 independent variables tested by chi-square. Dependent variables such as DMFT were expressed as means and standard deviations, and ANOVA was used to examine whether independent variables significantly influenced the DMFT. The mean DMFT was 7.18 (±4.22) with significant correlations observed between DMFT, D, M, and age. F scores differed significantly between races, location, and educational levels and showed a significant correlation with pregnancy stage. Pregnancy epulis was diagnosed in 38 (8.5%), oral lesions in 65 (14.7%), and tooth mobility in 26 (5.9%) mothers. Early oral health screening during pregnancy can ensure the overall well-being of both the mother and the foetus.

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Antiretroviral initiation of pregnant women and antenatal care booking practices in eThekwini District, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine ◽

10.4102/phcfm.v10i1.1606 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Nomonde Nozulu ◽

Bernard M. Gaede

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Antenatal Care ◽

Pregnant Women ◽

Gestational Age ◽

Retrospective Chart Review ◽

Art Initiation ◽

Kwazulu Natal ◽

The Mean ◽

Study Sites ◽

Mother To Child

Background: The introduction of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in South Africa began as part of the prevention of mother-to-child transmission programme. For significant reduction of vertical transmission, early antenatal care booking and ART initiation are necessary.Aim: This study aimed to evaluate ART initiation and booking practices of women attending antenatal care in eThekwini district during financial years (FY) 2010/2011 and 2013/2014.Methods: An observational study used a retrospective chart review at four eThekwini district community health centres (CHC). From these CHCs, records of women that initiated ART in FY10/11 and FY13/14 were reviewed and compared for ART initiation delays and booking practices.Results: A total of 2749 pregnant women who attended antenatal care (ANC) at the study sites were found eligible for ART; of these, 49% (n = 1334) attended ANC in FY10/11 while 51% (n = 1414) attended in FY13/14. In FY10/11, 46% (n = 610) and 60 % (n = 855) of the womenwere initiated on ART during pregnancy. The mean gestational age at booking for FY10/11 was 20.88 (standard deviation [s.d.] = 5.6) and 18.40 (s.d. = 6.2) in FY13/14. The mean gestational age at ART initiation for women who initiated ART in FY10/11 was 26.30 (s.d. = 6.02) and in FY13/14 it was 19.06 (s.d. = 6.86).Conclusion: In FY13/14 ART initiations occurred within 4 days after booking. ANC booking before 20 weeks was found to have improved between the two years from 39% to 58%;however, on average, in both years women booked during the second trimester.

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HIV Incidence Among Non-Pregnant Women Living in Selected Rural, Semi-Rural and Urban Areas in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa

AIDS and Behavior ◽

10.1007/s10461-011-0043-7 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 16 (7) ◽

pp. 2062-2071 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

Gita Ramjee ◽

Handan Wand ◽

Claire Whitaker ◽

Sheena McCormack ◽

Nancy Padian ◽

...

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Pregnant Women ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Hiv Incidence ◽

Rural And Urban Areas ◽

Rural And Urban ◽

Kwazulu Natal

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Decadal epidemiology of malaria in KwaZulu-Natal, a province in South Africa targeting elimination

Malaria Journal ◽

10.1186/s12936-019-3001-x ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Rajendra Maharaj ◽

Ishen Seocharan ◽

Bheki Qwabe ◽

Moses Mkhabela ◽

Sunitha Kissoon ◽

...

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Pregnant Women ◽

Indoor Residual Spraying ◽

The Past ◽

Department Of Health ◽

Control Intervention ◽

Kwazulu Natal ◽

Vector Control Intervention ◽

Imported Cases ◽

Key Indicators

Abstract Background Although malaria remains a noteworthy disease in South Africa, the provinces are at differing stages of the malaria elimination continuum. KwaZulu-Natal has consistently reported the lowest number of cases over the past 5 years and it is expected that the goal of elimination will be achieved in this province over the next few years. The study reports on few key indicators that realistically represents the provinces progress over the past decade. Local and imported morbidity and mortality is seen as the key indicator as is malaria in children under the age of five and pregnant women. The only vector control intervention in the province is indoor residual spraying (IRS) and this gives an estimate of the population protected by this intervention. Methods Trend analysis was used to examine the changing epidemiology in KwaZulu-Natal over the past decade from 2008 to 2018. The data used in this decadal analysis was obtained from the provincial Department of Health. Since malaria is a medically notifiable disease, all malaria cases diagnosed in the province are reported from health facilities and are captured in the malaria information system in the province. Results The results have shown that imported cases are on the increase whilst local cases are decreasing, in keeping with an elimination objective. Preventing secondary cases is the key to reaching elimination. Only 10% of the cases reported occur in children under 5 years whereas the cases in pregnant women account for about 1% of the reported cases. Over 85% of the houses receive IRS and this is also the same proportion of the population protected by the intervention. Conclusion Several challenges to elimination have been identified but these are not insurmountable. Although there are major impediments to achieving elimination, the changing epidemiology suggests that major strides have been made in the past 10 years and KwaZulu-Natal is on track to achieving this milestone in the next few years.

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Facilitators and barriers to detection and treatment of depression, anxiety and experiences of domestic violence in pregnant women attending Midwife Obstetric Units (MOUs) in Cape Town, South Africa: A qualitative study

10.21203/rs.3.rs-512424/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Zulfa Abrahams ◽

Sonet Boisits ◽

Marguerite Schneider ◽

Simone Honikman ◽

Crick Lund

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

South Africa ◽

Domestic Violence ◽

Antenatal Care ◽

Pregnant Women ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Service Providers ◽

Qualitative Interviews ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Facilitators And Barriers

Abstract Background In South Africa, symptoms of common mental disorders (CMDs) such as depression and anxiety are highly prevalent during the perinatal period and linked to experiences of domestic violence. However, limited routine detection and treatment is available to pregnant women with these problems. We investigated facilitators and barriers of service-providers and -users in detecting and treating pregnant women with symptoms of CMDs and experiences of domestic violence. Methods Service-provider perspectives were informed by qualitative interviews with 37 healthcare workers providing care to pregnant women attending four midwife obstetric units (MOUs) in Cape Town. Qualitative interviews with 38 pregnant women attending the same MOUs for their first antenatal care visit provided service-user perspectives. Results Facilitators identified included the availability of a mental health screening questionnaire and the perceived importance of detection and treatment. Barriers included service providers’ heavy workload and discomfort with discussing mental health issues; lack of standardised referral pathways and poor uptake of referrals; lack of confidentiality and feelings of shame related to experiences of domestic violence. Limitations: Difficulty in linking perceptions of care with specific healthcare providers; social desirability bias - pregnant women’s responses to questions on domestic violence, and service providers’ responses to their role in providing care. Conclusion The facilitators and barriers identified indicate the need to strengthen health systems by training antenatal care nurses to detect symptoms of CMDs and experiences of domestic violence in pregnant women, developing standardised referral pathways and training lay healthcare workers to provide treatment for mild symptoms of depression and anxiety.

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