title: Knowledge, attitudes and use of labour analgesia among women at a low-income country antenatal clinic.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Childbirth is one of the most painful experiences of a woman's life. Authorities in the fields of obstetrics and anaesthesia encourage use of labour analgesia. Unlike in high-income countries, pain relief in labour in Africa is not a well established service, especially in the low-income countries like Uganda. Little is known about whether parturients would be amenable to labour analgesia. We sought to determine knowledge, attitudes and use of labour analgesia among women attending the antenatal clinic at Mulago National Referral Hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Upon obtaining institutional approval, we conducted a cross-sectional descriptive study. Women were requested to complete the researcher-administered survey following informed consent. The study was conducted in the general antenatal clinic at the Mulago National Referral Hospital.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 1293 participants interviewed, only 7 % of the participants had knowledge of labour analgesia. Of the multiparous mothers 87.9 % did not have labour analgesia in their previous deliveries, although 79.2 % of them had delivered in a national referral hospital. The commonest reason for refusal of labour analgesia was to experience natural childbirth. 87.7 % of the participants wanted labour analgesia for their next delivery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a wide gap between the desire for labour analgesia and its availability. Obstetricians and anaesthesiologists have a role to educate the women, and to provide this much desired service.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia and Critical Care, Makerere University and Mulago National Refferal Hospital, Kampala, Uganda. marietessie@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Mary T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Nabukenya
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia and Critical Care, Makerere University and Mulago National Refferal Hospital, Kampala, Uganda. kintuug2012@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kintu
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia and Critical Care, Makerere University and Mulago National Refferal Hospital, Kampala, Uganda. aggiewabule2000@yahoo.co.uk.
authors.forename: Agnes
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wabule
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda. muyingom@chs.mak.ac.ug.
authors.forename: Mark T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Muyingo
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia and Critical Care, Makerere University and Mulago National Refferal Hospital, Kampala, Uganda. akwizera@chs.mak.ac.ug.
authors.forename: Arthur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kwizera
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016362:Analgesia, Obstetrical / Q000379:methods*; D000700:Analgesics / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007630:Kenya; D048949:Labor Pain / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000379:methods; D014454:Uganda; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics