Perceptions and practice of labor pain-relief methods and its perceived barriers among Obstetric Care Providers in Public Health Facilities of Gedeo Zone, Southern Ethiopia: Mixed Study, 2021

Abstract Background: It is obvious that most laboring mothers experience moderate-to-severe pain during child birth. In developing countries like Ethiopia, managing labor pain is regularly ignored. Health care professionals in Ethiopia recognize and agree that labor is painful. However, in practice, health care workers do not provide women with options for the management of pain during labor rather than support from families. The aim of this study was to Perceptions and practice of labor pain-relief methods and its perceived barriers among Obstetric Care Providers in Public Health Facilities of Gedeo Zone, Southern Ethiopia: Mixed Study, 2021. Materials Methods: Explanatory sequential design was employed. 421 obstetric care givers from 16 health facilities were enrolled by a simple random sampling technique. Data was collected by self-administered structured questionnaires and in-depth interviews. Quantitative data was entered into Epidata version 3.1 and analyzed by using SPSS version 25. Manual thematic analysis was used for qualitative data. Bi-variable and multivariable logistic regression analysis was done for quantitative data. A P-value of < 0.05 was used as the criterion for statistical significance. Results: The overall obstetric pain management practice in Gedeo Zone is 37%. Multivariable logistic regression showed profession (AOR=4.35, 95% CI =1.25-15), work experience (AOR=0.19, 95% CI=0.046-0.83), attitude (AOR=3, 95% CI= 1.33-6.9), availability of medicines (AOR=2.17, 95% CI=1.39-3.39) and place of storage of the medicines (AOR=0.3, 95% CI=0.09-0.9) were statistically significant with obstetric pain management practice. According to the interviewees, knowledge gap, being free of charge of medicine, negligence, and shortage of resources were the reasons for the low magnitude of obstetric pain management practice. Conclusion: The practice of obstetric pain management practice is very low at Gedeo Zone. Profession, work experience, and attitude of the professionals, availability, and place of storage of medicines are significantly associated factors that affect the practice of obstetric pain management practice for mothers during child birth.