Knowledge and Utilization Levels of Partograph in Management of Labour Amongst Midwives in Selected Health Facilities in Akure, Ondo State

Routine use of Partograph prevents labour related deaths which contributes hugely to maternal mortality in Sub-Saharan Africa (WHO, 2015).The study assessed knowledge and utilization levels of partograph in management of labour amongst midwives in selected health facilities in Akure, Ondo State. A cross-sectional descriptive survey design was adopted. Two hundred respondents were selected using a multistage sampling method. A validated self-structured questionnaire was used for data collection after a test retest for reliability. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics of frequency, means and percentages while inferential statistics of Chi-square ANOVA was used to test hypothesis at significance of P ≤ 0.05. The result showed that the majority of the midwives 119 (59.5%) had good knowledge of partograph. Also, on levels of utilization, 62(62%) of respondents from UNIMEDTH and 46 (59%) in MCHA had good utilization of partograph, while all the 22(100%) respondents in CHCA had poor utilization. There was a significant relationship between years of work experience and midwives’ level of knowledge of partograph (p = 0.01). Annual partograph utilization rate was highest in the tertiary facility (UNIMEDTH (63%), followed by secondary (MCHA 51.8%) and primary (CHCA 41.3%). In conclusion, although the respondents had good knowledge of partograph, its utilization level was low at CHCA, therefore practical skills, training and retraining programs for midwives should be instituted to enhance the level of utilization of partograph in the primary health care facilities. Further study for midwife-led intervention on the utilization of partograph among midwives in the PHC should be done at a wider scope.