Sexual and reproductive health of CDC plantation camp residents: a focus on unmet need for family planning among women in union.

BACKGROUND: Sexual and reproductive health is crucial to a normal and healthy female life. However, little interest has been placed on this subject particularly in the resource-limited settings of Cameroon. The study assessed the sexual and reproductive health of women in union, resident in the Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC) plantation camps, Cameroon. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study carried out from December 2019 to February 2020 in which a multi-stage sampling was applied in two purposively selected CDC plantation camps (Tiko and Penda Mboko). Out of the 16 clusters making up the camps, 8 were randomly selected using simple balloting. The main street junctions of the sampled clusters were identified and a direction of sampling randomly chosen. All houses left to the data collectors were sampled for eligible participants (one participant per household) and data were collected using validated interviewer-administered questionnaires. The number of participants per cluster was proportionate to population size of cluster. Data was analysed using SPSS 16 and statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Regression analysis was used to determine predictors of unmet need for family planning. RESULTS: Out of the 414 participants included, primary education was the highest level of education for a majority (43.0%). Most of the participants (44.7%) earned between 44.5-89.0USD/month. Relatively high proportions of some sexual and reproductive indicators like early sexual contacts (before 15 years) [87(21.0%)], grand multiparity [41(9.9%)], and abortion ≥ 3 [8(1.9%)] were recorded in the study. Two hundred and seventy-eight (278) participants (67.1%) [95%CI:62.4-71.7] used contraceptives and 90 (21.7%) [95%CI:17.9-26.0] had an unmet need for family planning with 3 major reasons for non-use of contraception among them being fear of side effects, discouragement from the partner, and lack of sufficient information on contraception. Of the different predictors of unmet need for family planning assessed, nulliparity/primiparity were protective for unmet need, and this was statistically significant (AOR = 0.284[0.086-0.934]). CONCLUSION: The sexual and reproductive health of CDC plantation camp residents is poor, and a health intervention is needed to improve it.

Antenatal care and determinants of obstetric danger signs awareness of immediate postpartum women at Buea Regional Hospital, Cameroon.

INTRODUCTION: a significant proportion of pregnancy related deaths result from delay in decision to seek care and this often stems from failure to identify obstetric danger signs earlier. Early identification of these danger signs will therefore reduce maternal mortality. However, studies on obstetric danger signs awareness are lacking in Cameroon. The objective of this study was to assess the determinants of obstetric danger signs awareness of women at immediate postpartum period. This will inform ANC providers´ practice. METHODS: between June and September 2019, women who delivered at the Buea Regional Hospital were interviewed within 24 hours following their delivery using a researcher-administered questionnaire that covered socio-demographic and obstetric variables. Data were entered into EpiData and analysis done using SPSS 16 and OpenEpi. Statistical significance was set at p-value < 0.05. RESULTS: of the 532 participants, majority (230/532: 43.2%) were those aged 26-35; danger signs awareness rate was 73.3%. There was a statistically significant relation between age and awareness of obstetric danger signs which showed that older women were more aware than their younger counterparts (p=0.00). Other statistically significant determinants of danger sign awareness included occupation, level of education, parity, trimester of onset of antenatal visits and the number of visits before delivery (p<0.05). Multiparity (370/490: 75.5%) and grand multiparity (14/22: 63.6%) were more likely to be aware of obstetric danger signs than primiparous women (6/20: 30%). Similarly, those who started antenatal visits earlier (first or second trimester) and those who attended more visits were more likely to be aware of obstetric danger signs than their counterparts who started later or had lesser antenatal visits before delivery. The most reported danger signs were severe vaginal bleed (71.4%), fever (62.0%) and reduced fetal movement. CONCLUSION: conclusively, more focus should be placed on the sensitisation about obstetric danger signs when in contact with primiparous and younger parturient during ANC visits.

Predictors of contraceptive method mix in the Cameroon development corporation plantation camps.

INTRODUCTION: low socioeconomic status is a risk factor for maternal death and contraceptive use has been shown to reduce maternal deaths in those poor settings. Despite the tremendous benefits of contraceptives in the regulation of reproductive health indicators, its use in less developed countries continue to remain unacceptably low. The purpose of this study was primarily to assess the contraceptive method mix and then determine the predictors of contraceptive use in the Cameroon Development Corporation (CDC) plantation camps. METHODS: mix sampling was used. Firstly, two CDC camp localities (Tiko and Pena Mboko) were purposively selected. Pre-existing clusters within these localities were then randomly selected and then eligible participants within the sampled clusters systematically selected. Using the main street junction as starting point, direction of sample collection was determined by spinning a plastic bottle. From the start of street junction and moving in direction of the bottle pointer, all households left to the principal investigator were visited in search of eligible participants which were sexually active women aged 15-49 years who gave consent/assent. One participant was selected per household. We used pretested interviewer-administered questionnaires that covered information on socio-demographic characteristics, reproductive health and contraceptive use. Statistical significance was set at p-value ≤ 0.05. RESULTS: six hundred and thirty four (634) sexually active women aged 15-49 years were included in the study; majority were 25-35 years (246; 38.8%). The current contraceptive prevalence was 63.1% [59.3-66.8] (400); of which 312 participants (78%) used a single method while 88 (22%) participants used contraceptives in combination. The most common methods in use were rhythm (196; 49%), male condom (109; 27.2%) and implants (63; 15.8%). When adjusted, statistically significant determinants for contraceptive use were age range and marital status such that odds of using contraceptives was lower in women < 35 years and those cohabiting (AOR= 0.71 [0.50-1.00] and AOR=0.62 [0.44-0.87] respectively). CONCLUSION: current contraceptive practice in the CDC plantation camps is geared toward less effective traditional methods than the more effective modern methods. More health education is needed to adjust this paradigm.