Background: Nausea and vomiting are minor disorders affect up to 75% of pregnancies. Although they are categorised among the minor disorders of pregnancy, they have the potential to yield negative results impacting the health of both the mother and the fetus if not adequately well managed. Thus, the researchers in this study believed that expectant women who have sufficient knowledge on self-care management of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy could alleviate many adverse health problems such as mental instability, intra-uterine growth restrictions and reduce healthcare system burdens of hospitalizations and the use of medication. Therefore, for the purpose of this study was to systematically determine if expectant women attending antenatal care service at a referral Hospital in Namibia have adequate knowledge regarding self-care management of common minor disorders, specifically nausea and vomiting. Methods: A quantitative descriptive design was employed. A self-administered questionnaire was developed and used in this study. The total population of was 343 expectant women, however, 150 women between 13 and 42 weeks of gestation who were simple randomly sampled participated in the study and completed the questionnaire in front of the researcher as competence was tested. Results: For the purpose of this study competence was based on a knowledge score of ≥50%. The study found the majority of participants 132 (88%) competent in self-managing nausea and vomiting in pregnancy by obtaining a knowledge score ˂50%. However, 18 (12%) participants were found incompetent in self-managing nausea and vomiting in pregnancy by obtaining a knowledge score > 50%. Conclusion: The study found the majority of participants 88% competent in self-managing nausea and vomiting in pregnancy. However, consistent health education at ANC on areas that were poorly answered that worsened the conditions such as adoption of relaxation techniques must still be done to attenuate consequences.
A Wed, study studied this question.