Investigating determinants for woman's choice to accept an epidural for labour analgesia at the delivery unit of the Tamale Teaching Hospital.

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to assess factors that influence epidural labour analgesia acceptance or refusal at the maternity unit of the Tamale Teaching Hospital. Design: Prospective cross-sectional survey, Setting: This study was carried out at the maternity unit of the Tamale Teaching Hospital Population or Sampling: We recruited 540 parturients at the maternity unit of the Tamale Teaching Hospital. Methods: A structured questionnaire was administered to each recruited parturients after childbirth. Main Outcome Measures: The primary outcomes measured were awareness and factors that affected epidural labour analgesia acceptance at the delivery unit of the Tamale Teaching Hospital Results: The data showed that 525 (97.2 %) of the participants were aware of epidural labour analgesia, out of which 503 (93.1 %) refused to accept the epidural for labour analgesia. Age, educational background, cultural or religious beliefs, attitudes of midwives and the cost of the epidural labour analgesia service were observed to be some determinants of the epidural labour analgesia use at the delivery unit of the Tamale Teaching Hospital.