Edziah Florence Shine, Acheampong Princess Ruhama, Tawiah Philip Apraku, Amengor Cedric Dzidzor, Kpene Godsway Edem, Amponsah Grace Otobea, Baffoe Priscilla Appiah, Korankye Georgina, Deku John Gameli
Department of Health Promotion & Disability Studies, School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.
Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, School of Allied Health Sciences, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Ghana.
Front Glob Womens Health. 2025 Aug 25;6:1647140. doi: 10.3389/fgwh.2025.1647140. eCollection 2025.
Vulvovaginal Candidiasis (VVC) is a condition commonly caused by . It is the second most common infection of the female genitalia affecting many women worldwide. Studies have identified unhealthy genital care practices to be associated with the infection among women including expectant mothers. Knowledge of the various signs and symptoms is crucial for early detection, reporting, and treatment. Good knowledge may influence healthy practices, limiting the infection and its complications. This study assessed the knowledge, practices and occurrence of Vulvovaginal candidiasis among pregnant women accessing antenatal care at a teaching hospital in Ghana.
A cross-sectional study was conducted among 336 pregnant women receiving antenatal care at the Ho Teaching Hospital. A structured questionnaire was used to assess their knowledge of the infection and practices on vaginal hygiene. The hospital records of these participants were further checked to verify the occurrence of the infection. Data were analyzed using Stata version 16. Analysis to identify associations between outcome variables and risk factors as well as significance level was carried out.
Out of the 336 gestational mothers involved in the study, 27.1% were found to have been diagnosed with candidiasis at the time of the study. Pregnant women who usually use antibiotics had 2.25 increased odds of developing VVC compared to those who do not [OR:2.25 95CI:1.33-3.79; -value = 0.003]. Although, good knowledge was recorded among a greater percentage of the study participants on the various signs and symptoms including vaginal discharge and its abnormalities, there was however, a poor knowledge on the causative organism, as 77.4% indicated that the infection was caused by other agents rather than fungi.
The occurrence of VVC was elevated in the study jurisdiction. Frequent antibiotic use was found to be significantly associated with the occurrence of the infection.
外阴阴道念珠菌病（VVC）是一种常见病症，通常由……引起。它是女性生殖器第二常见的感染，影响着全球众多女性。研究已确定不健康的生殖器护理习惯与包括孕妇在内的女性感染有关。了解各种体征和症状对于早期发现、报告和治疗至关重要。良好的认知可能会影响健康行为，限制感染及其并发症。本研究评估了在加纳一家教学医院接受产前护理的孕妇对外阴阴道念珠菌病的认知、行为及发病情况。
对在霍教学医院接受产前护理的336名孕妇进行了一项横断面研究。使用结构化问卷评估她们对该感染的认知以及阴道卫生习惯。进一步检查这些参与者的医院记录以核实感染的发生情况。使用Stata 16版本对数据进行分析。进行分析以确定结果变量与风险因素之间的关联以及显著性水平。
在参与研究的336名孕妇中，27.1%在研究时被诊断患有念珠菌病。与不使用抗生素的孕妇相比，通常使用抗生素的孕妇发生VVC的几率增加了2.25倍[比值比：2.25，95%置信区间：1.33 - 3.79；P值 = 0.003]。尽管在研究参与者中，较大比例的人对包括白带及其异常等各种体征和症状有较好的认知，但对致病微生物的认知较差，77.4%的人表示感染是由其他因素而非真菌引起的。
在研究区域，VVC的发生率有所升高。发现频繁使用抗生素与感染的发生显著相关。
