Assessent of Stress and Coping Strategies Among Women with Problem of Obstetric Fistula in Addis Ababa Ethiopia
Creators: name: Mengesha, Mesfin
Publisher: name: National Academic Digital Repository of Ethiopia
Year: 2008

description: Background: An obstetric fistula is a hole in the wall of the vagina connecting to the bladder or rectum that is caused by prolonged and obstructed labor. As a result the girl or woman is left with uncontrollable leaking of urine and/or feces from her vagina, and constant and humiliating odor and wetness. Compounding this catastrophic physical trauma, in almost all cases, the woman suffers the loss of her baby. Without treatment women are frequently ostracized from their communities out of shame. Some are rejected or abandoned by husbands and families. Many are unable to work or earn a living, driving them deeper into poverty (21). Coping responses are a dynamic series of transactions between the individual and the environment, the purpose of which is to regulate internal states and/or alter the person-environment relations. The theory postulates that stressful emotions and coping are due to cognitions associated with the way a person appraises or perceives his/her relationship with the environment 22. This study is conducted to determine the levels of stress and coping mechanisms used by women living with obstetric fistula admitted at Fistula hospital in Addis Ababa. Objective: To determine the sources and levels of stress, and coping mechanisms of women living with obstetric fistula. Methodology: Institution based retrospective cross sectional study was conducted at Addis Ababa fistula hospital from April 2009 to June 2009. Valid and reliable questionnaire administered to all eligible women admitted to the facility during the study period. Participants were surveyed with a demographic data sheet, stress, and ways of coping questionnaire and in-depth semi-structured interviews and then processed and analyzed using SPSS software version 17. Results: Finding of this study showed that, the most frequently encountered sources of stress are internal stressors with highest mean and standard deviation 61.81(11.35) followed by external stressors 27.01 mean and 7.09 SD. The least sources of stressors among these women were, situational stressors having Mean and SD 26.280(8.06). The coping strategy used most frequently among these study subjects was Planful problem solving, Mean and SD 20.341(3.856) and escape- avoidance 15.522 Mean and 3.841 SD. The less common utilized coping strategy among theses women was Confrontive coping having 3.806 Mean and 1.503 standard deviation. Conclusions: Women with obstetric fistula are exposed to many stressful situations as a result of their problem, and these stressful situations are occurring with differing degree. Women utilize different coping mechanisms in order to avert their problem, identification of the type of stressor and it's level and coping strategy has a paramount importance. Recommendation: The care that we provide to mothers must be an understanding and of holistic type which encompasses education, literacy training, the development of social networks, and the provision of skills with which to earn an adequate livelihood