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BMC Women's Health
Published in: BMC Women's Health 1/2016

Open Access 01-12-2016 | Research article

Barriers to essential surgical care experienced by women in the two northernmost regions of Ghana: a cross-sectional survey

Authors: Adam Gyedu, Francis Abantanga, Godfred Boakye, Shailvi Gupta, Easmon Otupiri, Anita Eseenam Agbeko, Adam Kushner, Barclay Stewart

Published in: BMC Women's Health | Issue 1/2016

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Abstract

Background

Women in developing countries might experience certain barriers to care more frequently than men. We aimed to describe barriers to essential surgical care that women face in five communities in Ghana.

Methods

Questions regarding potential barriers were asked during surgical outreaches to five communities in the northernmost regions of Ghana. Responses were scored in three dimensions from 0 to 18 (i.e., ‘acceptability,’ ‘affordability,’ and ‘accessibility’; 18 implied no barriers). A barrier to care index out of 10 was derived (10 implied no barriers). An open-ended question to elicit gender-specific barriers was also asked.

Results

Of the 320 participants approached, 315 responded (response rate 98 %); 149 were women (47 %). Women had a slightly lower barriers to surgical care index (median index 7.4; IQR 3.9–9.1) than men (7.9; IQR 3.9–9.4; p = 0.002). Compared with men, women had lower accessibility and acceptability dimension scores (14.4/18 vs 14.4/18; p = 0.001 and 13.5/18 vs 14/18; p = 0.05, respectively), but similar affordability scores (13.5/18 vs 13.5/18; p = 0.13). Factors contributing to low dimension scores among women included fear of anesthesia, lack of social support, and difficulty navigating healthcare, as well as lack of hospital privacy and confidentiality.

Conclusion

Women had a slightly lower barriers to surgical care index than men, which may indicate greater barriers to surgical care. However, the actual significance of this difference is not yet known. Community-level education regarding the safety and benefits of essential surgical care is needed. Additionally, healthcare facilities must ensure a private and confidential care environment. These interventions might ameliorate some barriers to essential surgical care for women in Ghana, as well as other LMICs more broadly.
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Metadata
Title
Barriers to essential surgical care experienced by women in the two northernmost regions of Ghana: a cross-sectional survey
Authors
Adam Gyedu
Francis Abantanga
Godfred Boakye
Shailvi Gupta
Easmon Otupiri
Anita Eseenam Agbeko
Adam Kushner
Barclay Stewart
Publication date
01-12-2016
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Women's Health / Issue 1/2016
Electronic ISSN: 1472-6874
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12905-016-0308-4

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