Institute of Health and Care Sciences; The Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa.
Glob Health Action. 2022 Dec 31;15(1):2067397. doi: 10.1080/16549716.2022.2067397.
In Uganda, the uptake of maternal health services is very low, with only 41.1% of pregnant adolescent girls attending the eight antenatal visits that are recommended by the World Health Organisation. Uptake of maternal health services is essential in reducing the current level of adolescent pregnancies as well as its adverse effects on adolescent mothers and their babies, such as preterm deliveries, prolonged labour, death during pregnancy, and childbirth. No previous study has described pregnant adolescents' experiences with maternal health services in Uganda.
This study aimed to describe the barriers and strategies needed to improve maternal health services among pregnant adolescents in Uganda.
Data were collected in the Naguru Teenage Information and Health Centre in Uganda through individual interviews involving 31 pregnant adolescents. The transcribed interviews were inductively analysed through content analysis.
The pregnant adolescents described difficulty in reaching, as well as lack of financial support to visit, the Naguru Teenage Information and Health Centre, which is a clinic providing youth friendly services. Feelings of being discriminated against and disrespected by health workers, and lack of privacy when receiving health services was major barriers that hindered their access to maternal health services. Pregnant adolescents' access to these services can be enhanced by improving health workers' working conditions, accelerating community and health worker awareness on ways to mitigate these barriers, and developing policies that encourage men's involvement in maternal health services.
Adolescents in Uganda face considerable barriers to accessing improved and quality maternal health services. To mitigate these barriers, according to the adolescents, considerable efforts are required to tackle health workers' working conditions and sensitise the community on the importance of, as well as securing the availability of, maternal health services for pregnant adolescents. Future research should focus on pregnant adolescents who receive family support.
在乌干达，孕产妇保健服务的利用率非常低，只有 41.1%的怀孕少女接受了世界卫生组织建议的 8 次产前检查。利用孕产妇保健服务对于降低当前青少年怀孕率及其对青少年母亲及其婴儿的不良影响至关重要，例如早产、产程延长、妊娠期间死亡和分娩。以前没有研究描述过乌干达怀孕少女对孕产妇保健服务的体验。
本研究旨在描述改善乌干达怀孕少女获得孕产妇保健服务的障碍和所需策略。
在乌干达的纳古拉青少年信息和健康中心，通过对 31 名怀孕少女的个人访谈收集数据。对转录的访谈进行了归纳分析，通过内容分析。
怀孕少女描述了难以到达纳古拉青少年信息和健康中心，以及缺乏财务支持来访问该中心，该中心是一家提供青年友好服务的诊所。她们感到受到卫生工作者的歧视和不尊重，在接受卫生服务时缺乏隐私，这是阻碍她们获得孕产妇保健服务的主要障碍。可以通过改善卫生工作者的工作条件、加快社区和卫生工作者对减轻这些障碍的方法的认识，以及制定鼓励男性参与孕产妇保健服务的政策，来改善青少年获得这些服务的机会。
乌干达的青少年在获得改善和优质的孕产妇保健服务方面面临着相当大的障碍。根据青少年的说法，需要做出相当大的努力来解决卫生工作者的工作条件问题，并使社区认识到为怀孕少女提供孕产妇保健服务的重要性和可用性。未来的研究应关注获得家庭支持的怀孕青少年。
