International Journal of
Nursing and Midwifery

  • Abbreviation: Int. J. Nurs. Midwifery
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 2141-2456
  • DOI: 10.5897/IJNM
  • Start Year: 2009
  • Published Articles: 213

Full Length Research Paper

Assessment of the impact of socio- demographic status and maternal age on pregnancy outcomes: Cross sectional study in a major tertiary maternity hospital in Sudan over a two-year period

Sarahdafa Alla
  • Sarahdafa Alla
  • Department of Medicine-sub-Specialty, Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Medical Science and Technology, Riyadh, Khartoum, Sudan.
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Babiker Rahamtalla
  • Babiker Rahamtalla
  • Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Qatar.
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Zuhair Sharfi
  • Zuhair Sharfi
  • Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical School, Qatar University, Qatar.
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Badreldeen Ahmed
  • Badreldeen Ahmed
  • Department of Medicine-sub-Specialty, Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Medical Science and Technology, Riyadh, Khartoum, Sudan. 2Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology, Weill Cornell Medicine, Qatar. 3Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical School, Qatar University, Qatar.
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  •  Received: 27 April 2020
  •  Accepted: 30 September 2020
  •  Published: 30 June 2024

Abstract

There is a relationship between adverse pregnancy outcome and low socio demographic status. However, maternal age alone is capable of affecting pregnancy outcome for both mothers and their newborn. The aim of this study is to assess the effect of socio- demographic status and maternal age on perinatal outcome in women who delivered in Omdurman Maternity Hospital (a major maternity unit in Sudan with over 30 thousand deliveries per year). A hospital based cross-sectional study was conducted in Omdurman Maternity Hospital. A sample of 384 pregnant women (<20, 20-30, >35 years old), attending the hospital for delivery were chosen (50% from the public section and 50% from private suites). Data were obtained by interviewing mothers using a specifically pre-coded and pre-tested designed questionnaire, and checklist for socio-demographic factors (residence, region, housing, level of education, occupation, husband’s education, husband’s occupation and family income). The association of explanatory variables with dependent variable was examined using binary logistic regression models. Mothers with low socio-demographic status and advanced maternal age had significantly higher rates of complications compared to those with high income, 3.165, CI 95% (1.249-8.022). This is statistically significant with P value of 0.015<0.05. Socio-economic status and maternal age play an important role on maternal and prenatal adverse outcomes. Improving socioeconomic factors such as having better life standards (occupation, family income and housing), attaining higher levels of education and health education, could help decrease the adverse outcomes on mothers and neonates.

Key words: Adolescent mothers, elderly mothers, socio-demographic factors, adverse outcomes.