Prevalence of pregnancy-related complications and associated factors among reproductive-aged women in northwest Ethiopia: A community-based retrospective cross-sectional study

Objective To determine the Prevalence and factors associated with pregnancy-related complications among reproductive-aged women in northwest Ethiopia. Methods A community-based retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted among 2367 mothers who delivered from November 2018 to April 2019. Two-stage stratified random sampling technique was employed in clustered villages from three districts out of 10. Pretested and semi-structured interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect information on pregnancy-related complications. A binary logistic regression model was fitted to identify the associated factors. Results Overall, 2335 (98.6%) women participated in the study. Mean age of respondents was 15.4 (SD +/- 3.2) years and 1763 (75.5%) of the women were below 18 years of age. The number of pregnancy-related complications was 372 (15.9%). Severe headache and high fever were the most frequently reported complications. Having a history of known health problem (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 10.0, 95% confidence interval [CI] 7.10-14.10), history of hypertension (aOR 3.90, 95% CI 1.10-14.20), heart problems (aOR 1.90, 95% CI 1.10-3.30), and living in urban areas (aOR 1.40, 95% CI 1.10-1.81) were the factors associated with pregnancy-related complications. Conclusion The number of pregnancy-related complications was high. Having a history of a known health problem, having a hypertension problem, having a heart problem, and being an urban resident were contributing factors.

Automated summary

The study found a high prevalence of pregnancy-related complications among reproductive-aged women in northwest Ethiopia, with 15.9% of women experiencing complications. Factors associated with complications included a history of known health problems, hypertension, heart problems, and urban residency.