Advice on healthy pregnancy, delivery, motherhood and information on non-communicable diseases in the maternal care programme in Myanmar: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objective: Pregnancy and delivery periods offer an opportunity for counselling women to improve behavioural risk and prevent complications, including non-communicable diseases (NCDs). However, little evidence is available on counselling offered during antenatal and postnatal care (PNC) in Myanmar. This study aimed to assess the contents of advice and information received by women during antenatal and postnatal counselling and to identify factors associated with receiving those advice and information.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: A predominantly rural township in the Ayeyawady region and a predominantly urban township in the Yangon region.

Participants: 1500 women who had given birth in the last 6 weeks to 12 months prior to the survey.

Outcome measures: Receiving advice on 18 items during antenatal counselling, 10 items during postnatal counselling and information on five major NCDs during antenatal care (ANC).

Results: Nearly 52% of women received advice on 18 items during antenatal counselling, and 60% received advice on 10 items during postnatal counselling. About 28% received information on five NCDs during ANC. Women who were living in the Yangon site, who had primary school education or lower and who experienced complications were less likely to receive advice on all items during both antenatal and postnatal counselling. Women who received PNC outside of a healthcare facility and were primiparas were also less likely to receive advice on all items during postnatal counselling. Women living in the Yangon site and those who utilised a private care facility were less likely to receive information on NCDs.

Conclusions: Only 60% of women received advice on healthy pregnancy, delivery and motherhood, whereas 30% received information on NCDs. Although non-modifiable maternal factors were associated with these results, counselling practice can be improved and information on NCDs can be offered as the first step of integrated NCDs care in maternal care programme in Myanmar.

Keywords: health policy; maternal medicine; quality in health care.