203937 Providers' knowledge of emergency contraception in urban Ghana

Monday, November 9, 2009: 5:30 PM

Andreea A. Creanga, MD , Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
Hilary M. Schwandt, MHS , Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
Kwabena Danso, MBBS , School of Medical Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
Amy Tsui, PhD , Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD
Providers with different levels of qualification and experience are found offering emergency contraception (EC) in clinics and pharmacies in Ghana. This study aims to assess family planning providers' EC knowledge in two domains: theoretical and practical knowledge, and to examine whether their theoretical and practical EC knowledge are associated. This analysis uses health provider data (N=600) collected between March and June 2008 through a census of hospitals, clinics, maternity homes and pharmacies offering family planning services in Kumasi, Ghana. We fit nested linear multivariate regression models for the two knowledge domains of interest adjusting for socio-demographic, facility- and work-related characteristics, and additionally for EC theoretical knowledge when analyzing EC practical knowledge. On average, providers gave 4.1 correct answers to the 11 questions on theoretical EC knowledge and 5.6 correct answers to the 8 questions on their practical ability to provide EC pills. The health sector, providers' education, whether they have ever received EC-specific training, the number of services they offer and clients they serve are all significant correlates of both theoretical and practical EC knowledge. The two knowledge domains are significantly and positively associated. Based on our findings, there is great need to improve providers' EC knowledge through in-service training.

Learning Objectives:
To assess family planning providers’ emergency contraception (EC) knowledge in two domains: theoretical and practical knowledge, and to examine whether their theoretical and practical EC knowledge are associated.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I was involved in all aspects of this research -- I coordinated data collection, conducted the analyses and wrote this abstract.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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