Pregnant women’s knowledge of obstetric violence and related factors: baseline evidence from an implementation study in the central zone, Tanzania

Abstract

Background: Obstetric violence is globally acknowledged as a significant public health concern, with women in many countries reporting different types of mistreatment during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period, that negatively affect their physical and emotional health. Many women are vulnerable to obstetric violenceand without knowledge about their rights, do not identify specific manifestations of violence. Aim: This baseline study aimed to assess the current knowledge on obstetric violence in pregnant women and to determine possible associated factors in the central zone, Tanzania. Methods: The baseline cross-sectional study was conducted on 349 randomly selected pregnant women between February and April 2025. A standard semi-structured questionnaire in a kobo tool box software was used to collect data on knowledge of obstetric violence and associated factors. Both descriptive and inferential analyses were conducted using SPSS software version 29. Results: Overall, only 120(34.4%) of pregnant women had adequate knowledge of obstetric violence. The most commonly known components of obstetric violence were verbal 216(61.9%) and physical violence 211(60.5%). High levels of education, gravidity, and mobile phone usage for health-related issues were significantly associated with knowledge of obstetric violence. In addition, none of the pregnant woman reported being counselled about obstetric violence during their antenatal care. Conclusion: This baseline assessment offers essential information regarding the current state of knowledge about obstetric violence among pregnant women. The absence of reported counseling about obstetric violence during antenatal care highlights a critical gap. The results highlight the necessity for selective educational initiatives to enhance women's knowledge and their rights during pregnancy, childbirth and after childbirth in promoting respectful maternity care.