Abstract:
Background: Obstetric ultrasonography has become an essential part of antenatal care globally,
helping reduce maternal and infant mortality by early detection of complications. Despite limited
evidence on the practice and associated factors of obstetric ultrasound in parts of Ethiopia, gaps
remain in understanding its practice among pregnant women.
Objective: This study aimed to assess the practice of and factors associated with obstetric
ultrasound scans among mothers who delivered in the last 12 months in Arba Minch Zuria
district, Southern Ethiopia.
Method: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 606 mothers who
delivered in the last 12 months. A pretested and structured face to face interviewer questionnaire
was used and Data collection took place from May 10 to June 10, 2024. A simple random
sampling method was employed to select participants. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and
bivariate and multivariable analyses were performed using binary logistic regression to identify
factors associated with the practice of obstetric ultrasound scans. Statistical significance was
declared at p-values < 0.05 with 95% CI.
Results: Of the 606 mothers, 591 participated (97.5% response rate). The study found that the
proportion of obstetric ultrasound scan practice of mothers is 40.6% in their recent pregnancy
with (95% CI: 37%-45%) and distance to a health facility offering ultrasound scans was ≤10
kilometers (AOR = 4.575, 95% CI: 2.648, 7.907), history of exposure to obstetric ultrasound
scan (AOR=1.891, 95% CI: 1.252-2.856), bad obstetric history (AOR=2.096, 95% CI: 1.072
4.098), history of congenital anomaly birth (AOR=4.396, 95% CI: 2.138-9.038), awareness
(AOR=2.455, 95% CI: 1.644-3.666), and attitude (AOR=1.732, 95% CI: 1.150-2.609) are
significantly associated factors.
Conclusion: This study highlights a concerning gap in the practice of obstetric ultrasound scans
among mothers in the Arba Minch Zuria district. This study finding also reveal that distance of
health facility that offers obstetric ultrasound scan, previous exposure to obstetric ultrasound
scan, having bad obstetric history, having history of congenital anomalies birth, and mothers'
awareness and attitudes significantly associated with practice of ultrasound scans.
