Maternal Morbidity in a Context of Social Vulnerability: The Case of the Province of Essaouira, Morocco

Aims: The main aim of this study is to assess the prevalence of maternal morbidity among childbearing women and to determine the associated factors in a context of social vulnerability.

Study Design: This is a quantitative analytical cross-sectional study.

Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in 18 health centers in the province of Essaouira, Morocco from January 2020 to January 2021.

Methodology: We conducted a structured interview survey. Simple: We included 1184 married women aged 18 to 49.

Results: The prevalence of maternal morbidity was 64.8%. The main morbidities were sexually transmitted infections (50.1%) and anemia (45.8%). Multivariate analysis showed that frequency of postnatal visits, socioeconomic level, knowledge of pregnancy risks, and couple literacy, were statistically associated with maternal morbidity.

Conclusion: The use of postnatal care, the improvement of the socio-economic level of households, health education programs, and the fight against illiteracy are factors that would reduce maternal morbidity.