Mother’s knowledge on prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, Ethiopia: A cross sectional study

OBJECTIVE: To identify proportion of and factors for comprehensive knowledge on prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV in pregnant women attending antenatal care in Northern Ethiopia. METHODS: A total of 416 pregnant women were interviewed between October 2012 and May 2013. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors for comprehensive knowledge on prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. RESULTS: The proportion of pregnant women, who have comprehensive knowledge on prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, was 52%. The odds of having comprehensive knowledge on prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV were higher among pregnant women who were younger (16 to 24 years old) (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 2.95; 95%CI: 1.20, 7.26), urban residents (AOR = 2.45; 95%CI: 1.39, 4.32), attending secondary education and above (AOR = 4.43; 95%CI: 2.40, 8.20), employed (AOR = 4.99;95%CI: 2.45, 10.16), have five children or more (AOR = 9.34; 95%CI:3.78, 23.07), have favored attitude towards HIV positive living (AOR = 2.53; 95%CI: 1.43, 4.44) and have perceived susceptibility to HIV (AOR = 10.72; 95%CI: 3.90, 29.39). CONCLUSION: The proportion of women who have comprehensive knowledge on prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV in this study setting was low. Measures which will escalate mother's knowledge on prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV should be emphasized. Efforts to improve mother's knowledge on prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV should target women who were older age (> = 35years), rural residents, unemployed, not attending formal education, primigravids, have no favored attitude towards HIV positive living and have not perceived susceptibility to HIV.