Assessment of Data Quality and Reporting Consistency in Maternal Health Services at Rural Sub-Saharan Africa: The Challenges in Decision-Making
Ebiakpor Bainkpo Agbedi, Mordecai Oweibia.
Background: Maternal health remains a critical public health issue, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, with sub-Saharan Africa experiencing disproportionately high maternal mortality rates. Bayelsa State, Nigeria, faces significant challenges in maternal health service delivery, including inadequate infrastructure and poor data management systems, which hinder effective decision-making and resource allocation.
Objective: This study aimed to assess the quality and reporting consistency of maternal health data at primary health centres in Bayelsa State, utilizing DHIS2, primary healthcare registers, and structured key informant interviews to generate evidence-based recommendations for improving data practices.
Method: A convergent mixed-methods design was employed, combining quantitative analysis of maternal health data from DHIS2 and primary healthcare registers over a 24-month period with qualitative data from structured questionnaires administered to health workers and stakeholders. The study sampled 83 primary health centres and 308 health workers across selected Local Government Areas to ensure representation of diverse contexts.
Results: The findings revealed significant gaps in data quality, characterized by issues of completeness, accuracy, timeliness, and consistency. For instance, discrepancies were noted between DHIS2 and primary healthcare registers, with a Cohen’s kappa value of 0.1036 indicating poor agreement on data verification. Additionally, logistic regression analysis identified the role of health workers and experience in data management as significant factors influencing data entry compliance.
Conclusions: The study highlighted critical deficiencies in maternal health data quality and reporting practices in Bayelsa State, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions to enhance data accuracy, completeness, and timeliness. Strengthening training and supervision, along with improving data management systems, was essential for achieving better maternal health outcomes and effective health service delivery.
