Nursing interventions in preventing obstetric fistula in adolescents in East Africa

Women in developing countries, particularly young girls experience difficult childbirth which results in the loss of their babies and a significant injury to their sexual and reproductive organs, a condition called obstetric fistula. According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 2 million women in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, the Arab region, and Latin America and the Caribbean are living with this injury, and some 50,000 to 100,000 new cases develop each year. Statistics from United Nations Population Funds (UNFPA) presents that nine out of ten births are from adolescent girls and these births occur with a marriage or a union. Cultural practices of early marriages and early deliveries present a major risk factor for the development of obstetric fistula (OF) as a result of obstructed labour. Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest prevalence of teenage pregnancies in the world. Births to teenage mothers account for more than half of all the births in the region with an estimate of 101 births per 1000 women aged 15 to 19. The purpose of this thesis was to describe nursing interventions that have been and could be used in the prevention of obstetric fistula in adolescents in East Africa. Literature review methodology was used. 16 articles were retrieved from EBSCOHOST and PROQUEST databases by use of inclusive and exclusive criteria. Inductive content analysis was used to analyse the data which gave rise to several sub-categories and further narrowed to two main categories for interventions which have been done and two main categories for interventions which could be used to prevent OF in adolescents. The results showed that although there has been efforts to prevent obstetric fistula, more resources are aimed at treatment and management of obstetric fistula among women, not adolescents as a high-risk group. Findings also indicate that there is need to educate more nurses and midwives specialized in fistula prevention. There were also recommendations of what should be done in the prevention of obstetric fistula. Preventive measures for obstetric fistula should aim for root causes which provide long-term and sustainable solutions. Further research is recommended on obstetric fistula prevention in adolescents, defining the role of nursing intervention as an important component