Knowledge and Utilization of the Partograph among Midwives in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria

This cross-sectional study assessed knowledge and utilization of the partograph among midwives in two tertiary health facilities in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria. A descriptive survey design was utilized, using a structured questionnaire administered to 165 midwives purposively selected from the Federal Medical Center (FMC) (79) and Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital (NDUTH) (86). Results revealed that 84% of midwives knew what the partograph was and 92.7% indicated that the use of the partograph reduces maternal and child mortality. About 50.6% midwives in FMC and 98.8% in NDUTH indicated that it was routinely utilized in their centers. Assessment of utilized partograph charts revealed that only 18_ (37.5%) out of 48 in FMC and 17_ (32.6%) out of 52 in NDUTH were properly filled. Factors in the utilization of the partograph were:-non-availability of the partograph (30.3%), shortage of staff (19.4%), little or no knowledge in the use of the partograph (22.2%), and 8.6 percent indicated it was time consuming. A significant relationship existed between knowledge of the partograph and its utilization (χ2 = 32.298. Df = 1; P