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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Glob. Women’s Health

Sec. Maternal Health

Volume 6 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fgwh.2025.1547599

Knowledge of obstetrical fistula and its associated factors among reproductive age women in Ejere Woreda, West Shewa zone, Oromia region, Ethiopia: a community-based study

Provisionally accepted
  • 1Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
  • 2College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Arba Minch University, Arba Minch, Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region, Ethiopia
  • 3Institute of Health, Jimma University, Jimma, Oromia Region, Ethiopia
  • 4Menelik II Medical and Health Science College, Addis Ababa, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
  • 5Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

Introduction: Obstetric fistula is a serious and tragic childbirth injury that mainly affects women in areas with limited resources, often leading to social isolation and stigma. While optimal knowledge among women about prevention, contributing factors, and available treatments for obstetric fistula is crucial to reducing its overall burden, many women in Ethiopia continue to be affected and endure its consequences because of a persistent knowledge gap. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the level of knowledge of obstetric fistula and its associated factors among women of reproductive age in Ejere Woreda, West Shewa zone, Oromia region, Ethiopia.Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among reproductive-age women in Ejere Woreda, West Shewa Zone, Ethiopia from June 1-30, 2024. A systematic random sampling technique was employed to recruiting 770 participants. Data were collected using a pretested structured questionnaire, which was then coded and analyzed with SPSS version 27. Variables with a p-value <0.25 in bivariate logistic regression were included in a multivariable logistic regression to identify significant predictors of women's knowledge about obstetric fistula, with a significance threshold set at p <0.05, at a 95% confidence interval was used to determine statistically significant associations.The study found that 46.6% (95% CI: 43.1-50.3) of women had good knowledge about obstetric fistula. Being an urban resident (AOR=4.12, 95% CI: 2.36-7.19), access to TV/Radio at home (AOR=2.51, 95% CI: 1.19-5.25), proximity to health facilities (AOR=4.88, 95% CI: 2.37-10.04), giving birth at health institutions (AOR=4.62, 95% CI: 2.56-8.33), attending pregnant women's conferences (AOR=3.42, 95% CI: 1.88-6.22), and a history of modern contraceptive use (AOR=4.82, 95% CI: 2.77-8.37) were significantly associated with the knowledge level of obstetric fistula.nearly one in two childbearing women are knowledgeable about obstetric fistula. The study underscores the need to address the urban-rural disparity in healthcare access and information, enhancing media access and promoting women's participation in pregnancy conferences to enhance knowledge of obstetric fistula.

Keywords: knowledge, Reproductive age women, Obstetric fistula, Ejere, Ethiopia

Received: 19 Dec 2024; Accepted: 04 Aug 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Kejela, Gultie, Dira, Goshu and Tiruye. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Getahun Tiruye, Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia

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