Relevance of medical education and knowledge in utilization of emergency contraceptives among female undergraduates in Abakaliki South-East Nigeria
Background: Despite the availability of highly effective emergency contraceptives, the risk of unintended pregnancy remains a major challenge to the reproductive wellbeing of young women. Aims: To evaluate and compare the knowledge, usage and practice of emergency contraception (EC) among medical an...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
2016-01-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Medicine and Health Development |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.ijmhdev.com/article.asp?issn=2635-3695;year=2016;volume=21;issue=1;spage=27;epage=35;aulast=Onyebuchi;type=0 |
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| author | Azubuike K Onyebuchi Lucky O Lawani Chukwuemeka A Iyoke Robinson C Onoh Chukwuemeka I Ukaegbe Christian M Nwafor |
| author_facet | Azubuike K Onyebuchi Lucky O Lawani Chukwuemeka A Iyoke Robinson C Onoh Chukwuemeka I Ukaegbe Christian M Nwafor |
| author_sort | Azubuike K Onyebuchi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Despite the availability of highly effective emergency contraceptives, the risk of unintended pregnancy remains a major challenge to the reproductive wellbeing of young women.
Aims: To evaluate and compare the knowledge, usage and practice of emergency contraception (EC) among medical and non-medical undergraduates and the risk of unintended pregnancy between the two groups.
Method: A cross sectional comparative study of female medical and non-medical students was conducted among female undergraduates at a University in Abakaliki, Nigeria. Four hundred and twenty four (424) female undergraduates were interviewed with pre-tested self administered semistructured and confidential questionnaires. Data was analyzed with SPSS package version 20. The level of statistical significance was set at p-value < 0.05.
Results: There were 424 respondents; made up of 214 medical and 210 non-medical undergraduates. The response rate was 85.6%. Over two-thirdof medical students (153/214; 71.5%) and more than half of non-medical students (115/210; 54.8%) were aware of emergency contraception [OR= 0.52: 95% CI =0.33-0.82; p=0.002]. The commonest sources of information were lectures (20.0%; 43/214), and books (9.4%; 20/214) for medical students, and peers (27.1%; 57/210) for non-medical students. More medical students (92.1%; 197/214) had accurate knowledge of conventional EC than non-medical students (60.3%; 129/210), [OR=1.31; CI (0.75-4.08), p=0.01]. Over one-quarter (27.8%; 118/424) of respondents used Levonorgestrel as EC. The risk of unintended pregnancy was higher among nonmedical students 46(62.2%) than medical students 28(37.8%): [OR= 1.04, CI (0.37-2.96), p=0.03]. Unsafe abortion was also higher among non-medical students (41%) than their medical peers (11%): [OR=1.71; CI (1.03-2.83), p=0.02].
Conclusion: Medical undergraduates were found to have greater knowledge and usage of emergency contraception, with less risk of unintended pregnancy and unsafe abortion than their non-medical counterpart. Creation of widespread awareness of effective EC is recommended to ensure proper utilization. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T06:45:22Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-012b120a758145efa2e48ef2182a2ae0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2635-3695 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T06:45:22Z |
| publishDate | 2016-01-01 |
| publisher | Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Medicine and Health Development |
| spelling | doaj.art-012b120a758145efa2e48ef2182a2ae02022-12-22T04:39:22ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsInternational Journal of Medicine and Health Development2635-36952016-01-01211273510.4314/jcm.v21i1.4Relevance of medical education and knowledge in utilization of emergency contraceptives among female undergraduates in Abakaliki South-East NigeriaAzubuike K OnyebuchiLucky O LawaniChukwuemeka A IyokeRobinson C OnohChukwuemeka I UkaegbeChristian M NwaforBackground: Despite the availability of highly effective emergency contraceptives, the risk of unintended pregnancy remains a major challenge to the reproductive wellbeing of young women. Aims: To evaluate and compare the knowledge, usage and practice of emergency contraception (EC) among medical and non-medical undergraduates and the risk of unintended pregnancy between the two groups. Method: A cross sectional comparative study of female medical and non-medical students was conducted among female undergraduates at a University in Abakaliki, Nigeria. Four hundred and twenty four (424) female undergraduates were interviewed with pre-tested self administered semistructured and confidential questionnaires. Data was analyzed with SPSS package version 20. The level of statistical significance was set at p-value < 0.05. Results: There were 424 respondents; made up of 214 medical and 210 non-medical undergraduates. The response rate was 85.6%. Over two-thirdof medical students (153/214; 71.5%) and more than half of non-medical students (115/210; 54.8%) were aware of emergency contraception [OR= 0.52: 95% CI =0.33-0.82; p=0.002]. The commonest sources of information were lectures (20.0%; 43/214), and books (9.4%; 20/214) for medical students, and peers (27.1%; 57/210) for non-medical students. More medical students (92.1%; 197/214) had accurate knowledge of conventional EC than non-medical students (60.3%; 129/210), [OR=1.31; CI (0.75-4.08), p=0.01]. Over one-quarter (27.8%; 118/424) of respondents used Levonorgestrel as EC. The risk of unintended pregnancy was higher among nonmedical students 46(62.2%) than medical students 28(37.8%): [OR= 1.04, CI (0.37-2.96), p=0.03]. Unsafe abortion was also higher among non-medical students (41%) than their medical peers (11%): [OR=1.71; CI (1.03-2.83), p=0.02]. Conclusion: Medical undergraduates were found to have greater knowledge and usage of emergency contraception, with less risk of unintended pregnancy and unsafe abortion than their non-medical counterpart. Creation of widespread awareness of effective EC is recommended to ensure proper utilization.http://www.ijmhdev.com/article.asp?issn=2635-3695;year=2016;volume=21;issue=1;spage=27;epage=35;aulast=Onyebuchi;type=0medical education; emergency contraception; adolescentsutilization; unintended pregnancy; nigeria |
| spellingShingle | Azubuike K Onyebuchi Lucky O Lawani Chukwuemeka A Iyoke Robinson C Onoh Chukwuemeka I Ukaegbe Christian M Nwafor Relevance of medical education and knowledge in utilization of emergency contraceptives among female undergraduates in Abakaliki South-East Nigeria International Journal of Medicine and Health Development medical education; emergency contraception; adolescents utilization; unintended pregnancy; nigeria |
| title | Relevance of medical education and knowledge in utilization of emergency contraceptives among female undergraduates in Abakaliki South-East Nigeria |
| title_full | Relevance of medical education and knowledge in utilization of emergency contraceptives among female undergraduates in Abakaliki South-East Nigeria |
| title_fullStr | Relevance of medical education and knowledge in utilization of emergency contraceptives among female undergraduates in Abakaliki South-East Nigeria |
| title_full_unstemmed | Relevance of medical education and knowledge in utilization of emergency contraceptives among female undergraduates in Abakaliki South-East Nigeria |
| title_short | Relevance of medical education and knowledge in utilization of emergency contraceptives among female undergraduates in Abakaliki South-East Nigeria |
| title_sort | relevance of medical education and knowledge in utilization of emergency contraceptives among female undergraduates in abakaliki south east nigeria |
| topic | medical education; emergency contraception; adolescents utilization; unintended pregnancy; nigeria |
| url | http://www.ijmhdev.com/article.asp?issn=2635-3695;year=2016;volume=21;issue=1;spage=27;epage=35;aulast=Onyebuchi;type=0 |
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