Community survey on awareness and use of obstetric ultrasonography in rural Sarlahi District, Nepal

Objective To assess levels of awareness and use of obstetric ultrasonography in rural Nepal. Methods Between March 2014 and March 2015, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among married women aged 15–40 years residing in rural Sarlahi District, Nepal, regarding their knowledge and use of obstetric ultrasonography during their most recent pregnancy. Regression analyses were conducted to identify reproductive health, socioeconomic, and other characteristics that increased the likelihood of undergoing an obstetric ultrasonographic examination. Results Among 6182 women, 1630 (26.4%) had undergone obstetric ultrasonography during their most recent pregnancy, of whom 1011 (62.0%) received only one examination. Odds of receiving an ultrasonographic examination were higher among women with post-secondary education than among those with none (≥ 11 years’ education: adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 10.28, 95% confidence interval [CI] 5.55–19.04), and among women whose husbands had post-secondary education than among those with husbands with none (≥ 11 years’ education: aOR 1.99, 95% CI 1.47–2.69). Odds were lower among women younger than 18 years than among those aged 18–34 years (aOR 0.72, 95% confidence interval 0.59–0.90). Conclusion Utilization of obstetric ultrasonography in rural Nepal was very limited. Further research is necessary to assess the potential health impact of obstetric ultrasonography in low-resource settings, while addressing limitations such as cost and misuse.