An assessment of the teenagers’ maternal health care knowledge and their involvement in reduction of maternal mortality risk factors in Tanzania: a case of Tanga city in Tanga region

Pregnancy and childbirth are important stages in life because they are associated with social problems, mortality and morbidity of both mother and the child in low income countries. The study assessed teenagers‟ maternal healthcare knowledge and their involvement in reduction of maternal mortality risk factors, the focus was Tanga City Council in Tanga Region, Tanzania. The study was a cross-sectional household survey, which involved 147 teenagers of 13 to 19 years, both men and women married, cohabiting or never married but experienced several pregnancies. A cluster and simple random sampling were used to select wards. Also snow ball sampling was used to get the households to be involved in the study. Data were collected through questionnaires, interview and FGD as well as documentary review. Then analyzed through SPSS version 20.0 computer program and content analysis for qualitative data later incorporated in the report according to set objectives. Findings from the study revealed that, to a large extent, teenagers had little knowledge on maternal health care and maternal mortality risk factors since respondents were able to mention obstetric complications and parity among risk factors an expectant mother may get during maternity period. Also the study found that respondents were aware with only severe bleeding and swelling on legs as the danger signs in case a teenage mother had got the risk factors. Moreover, the teenagers were aware of involvement in maternal health care and maternal mortality risk factors reduction but their implementation was quite low. It was affirmed that majority of the teenagers agreed with the necessity of going with their partners to the health facility for ANC and PTC but, to a large extent, teenage women had gone with their in-laws and their mothers. Furthermore, the study found that occupation and traditions as well as customs were the major determinants of involvement of teenage men in maternal healthcare in which the study revealed that peasantry hindered teenage men to provide fees for paying treatment and fare for accessing the health facility on time, while employed work hindered teenage men to go with their partners to the health facilities. In addition, traditions and customs made teenage men to have negative perception in involvement in reduction of maternal mortality risk factors. The study recommends that there is need for inculcating maternal health matters in primary education and secondary education curricular in order to educate youth and teenagers on maternal health care and risk factors as well as danger signs encountered by expectant mothers and result to poor maternal outcomes.