Mohammed Osman Yimer, Erlandsson Kerstin, Seyoum Tewodros, Hailemeskel Solomon, Derseh Lemma, Lindgren Helena
Department of Women and Family Health, School of Midwifery, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
Midwifery Department, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Asrat Woldeyes Health Science Campus, Debre Berhan University, Debre Berhan, Ethiopia.
BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2025 Sep 2;25(1):926. doi: 10.1186/s12884-025-08051-8.
Respectful maternity care, as recommended by the World Health Organization, includes allowing women to give birth in the position of their choice. Dynamic birth positions, which enable women to adopt various positions during labor and delivery, are associated with improved obstetric outcomes. However, the extent of knowledge and practice regarding dynamic birth positions among Ethiopian midwives remains poorly understood.
To assess midwives' awareness and practice of dynamic birth positions and explore their perspectives and experiences.
A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was employed to evaluate midwives' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding dynamic birth positions. Quantitative data were analyzed using stepwise backward elimination logistic regression to identify key predictors, while qualitative data were examined through thematic analysis.
The study included 483 midwives, with 473 participating in the quantitative survey and 10 in the qualitative interviews. Fewer than half of the midwives demonstrated good levels of knowledge (45%) and attitude (49.5%), while only 22.6% reported regular practice of dynamic birth positions. Participation in training emerged as the strongest predictor of knowledge, attitude, and practice. Thematic analysis revealed six key themes: routine practices, awareness, clinical implementation, barriers, facilitators, and user needs.
Awareness and practice of dynamic birth positions among Ethiopian midwives are notably low. Key barriers include limited awareness and suboptimal working conditions, whereas targeted training significantly enhances all assessed domains. To promote the adoption of dynamic birth positions, efforts should focus on increasing awareness, modifying delivery equipment, and improving the clinical environment.
世界卫生组织推荐的尊重产妇护理包括允许女性选择自己喜欢的分娩姿势。动态分娩姿势能让女性在分娩过程中采用各种姿势，与改善产科结局相关。然而，埃塞俄比亚助产士对动态分娩姿势的了解程度和实践情况仍知之甚少。
评估助产士对动态分娩姿势的认知和实践情况，并探讨他们的观点和经验。
采用收敛平行混合方法设计来评估助产士对动态分娩姿势的知识、态度和实践情况。定量数据采用逐步向后消除逻辑回归分析以确定关键预测因素，而定性数据则通过主题分析进行研究。
该研究纳入了483名助产士，其中473人参与了定量调查，10人参与了定性访谈。不到一半的助产士表现出良好的知识水平（45%）和态度（49.5%），而只有22.6%的人报告经常实践动态分娩姿势。参与培训是知识、态度和实践的最强预测因素。主题分析揭示了六个关键主题：常规做法、认知、临床实施、障碍、促进因素和用户需求。
埃塞俄比亚助产士对动态分娩姿势的认知和实践水平明显较低。关键障碍包括认知有限和工作条件欠佳，而有针对性的培训能显著提高所有评估领域的水平。为促进动态分娩姿势的采用，应着力提高认知、改进分娩设备并改善临床环境。
