The study to determine the relationship between perceptions of PMTCT and PMTCT uptake among antenatal women aged 18 – 40 years attending Highfield polyclinic.

Abstract

The Zimbabwe MOHCH Annual Report (2007) highlighted that despite achievements in PMTCT, the national uptake remained fluctuating and low due to social-cultural and economic challenges, lower social status of women, increasing levels of poverty leading to sex work, ignorance and stigmatization. The same Annual Report highlighted that the national PMTCT uptake for Zimbabwe was 71% whilst that of Highfield Clinic was 65%. This is an area of grave concern for the nursing midwifery practice. The purpose of this study is to examine the perceptions of PMTCT and PMTCT uptake among antenatal women aged 18 to 40 years. The study was guided by King’s Goal Attainment Theory (1981). A descriptive correlational study was used to examine the relationship between dependent and independent variables. Probability, simple, random sampling of 86 subjects were recruited for quantitative data. Data was collected through face to face interview using a structured questionnaire developed by the investigator. The research instruments comprised of demographic, PMTCT uptake and perceptions of PMTCT prograrmme sections. Data analysis was done using descriptive and inferential statistics of Pearson Correlation coefficient for quantitative data. The findings reflected high PMTCT uptake for 75 (87.2%) respondents. The respondents’ perceptions of PMTCT were high,54 (62.8%). Pearson correlation analysis showed a statistical positive significant weak correlation (r = .242* p <0.05) of perceptions of PMTCT and PMTCT uptake among antenatal women indicating that when perceptions of PMTCT increase, PMTCT uptake increases. The regression coefficient was .059 showing that the importance of the perceptions of PMTCT is 5.9% in terms of contribution to the PMTCT uptake. This shows that perception of PMTCT had some effect to a little extent, on positively affecting PMTCT uptake. Further research needs to be done to find out the variance of the effect of perceptions of PMTCT on PMTCT uptake