MEDIA EXPOSURE AND SAFE MOTHERHOOD AWARENESS AMONG WOMEN OF REPRODUCTIVE AGE IN OTA SETTLEMENT

Angie Osarieme Igbinoba¹*, Olujide Adekeye², David Imhonopi³ , Emmanuel Olagunju Amoo⁴ , Ebenezer Oludayo Soola⁵ , Oladokun Omojola⁶

 

¹Ms., Lecturer II, Covenant University, NIGERIA, angie.igbinoba@covenantuniversity.edu.ng, angie.osarieme@gmail.com

² Dr., Associate Professor, Covenant University, NIGERIA, jide.adekeye@covenantuniversity.edu.ng

³Dr., Associate Professor,Covenant University, NIGERIA, davidimhonopi@gmail.com

⁴Dr., Senior Lecturer, Covenant University, NIGERIA, emma.amoo@covenantuniversity.edu.ng

⁵Prof., Professor, University of Ibadan, NIGERIA, eosoola@yahoo.com

⁶ Dr., Associate Professor, Covenant University, NIGERIA, oladokun.omojola@covenantuniversity.edu.ng

*Corresponding Author

Abstract

Maternal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa has been on the increase and therefore, continues to raise cause for global concern. The rate at which Nigeria loses her women on a daily basis, as a result of pregnancy-related issues, is alarming. No less than 50,000 Nigerian women die annually as a result of pregnancy and delivery complications, thus accounting for ten per cent (10%) of estimated global maternal deaths. The Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of decreasing the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) by three quarters between 1990 and 2015 is subsumed under the third Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages.

This study set out to generate additional research evidence on women’s knowledge of and attitude to safe motherhood enlightenment from the mass media. It sought to achieve the following objectives: Finding out the degree of mass media exposure among women in Ota settlement; determining the level of awareness of safe motherhood practices among women in Ota settlement; and ascertaining if there is a significant difference in the attitude of women in Ota settlement towards safe motherhood practice on the basis of mass media usage. Survey was the research design adopted and the questionnaire served as the research instrument. 

The sample size of the study comprised of 100 women in Ota settlement (within the reproductive age range of 15-49 years). A larger proportion of the sample size acknowledged that the mass media influenced their safe motherhood knowledge and attitude. Similarly, the messages of the mass media were adjudged to be as credible as those from health institutions; majority of respondents obtained from the study sample viewed the mass media as very credible sources of enlightenment on maternal health issues. It is recommended that mass media messages need not be limited to news and adverts/campaigns alone but can take diversified forms to meet the diversified health needs of women in rural and urban settlements.

Keywords: Mass Media, Maternal Health, Maternal Mortality, Respondents, Safe Motherhood, Women.