Alcohol consumption in relation to maternal deaths from induced-abortions in Ghana

Table 1 Prevalence of induced abortion, other causes of maternal death, alcohol consumption, and socio-demographic characteristics among 605 women who died from pregnancy-related causes in Ghana between 2000 and 2005

Variables	Number	%
Induced abortion
Yes	83	13.7
No	522	86.3
Haemorrhage	138	22.8
Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy	54	8.9
Sepsis	42	6.9
Obstructed labour	27	4.5
Miscarriage	20	3.3
Other infectious diseases^a	84	13.9
Other non-infectious diseases^b	75	12.4
Miscellaneous^c	82	13.6
Total	605	100
Ever Consumed alcohol
Yes	85	14.3
No	509	85.7
Total	594	100
Missing	11
Consumed alcohol within 12 months of death
Yes	81	13.6
No	513	86.4
Total	594	100
Missing	11
Level of alcohol consumption
Frequent consumer	25	4.2
Occasional consumer	59	9.9
Abstainer	510	85.9
Total	594	100
Missing	11
History of alcohol consumption
<Year	7	10.4^d
≥Year	60	89.6^d
Educational level
Never attended	208	34.4
Basic Education	332	54.9
Senior secondary	52	8.6
Tertiary/Higher education	13	2.1
Age
18 years and below	44	7.3
Above 18 years	561	92.7
Age
12-14 years	3	0.5
15-19 years	62	10.2
20-24 years	115	19.0
25-29 years	133	22.0
30-34 years	116	19.2
35-39 years	106	17.5
40-44 years	55	9.1
45-49 years	15	2.5
Residence
Rural	389	64.3
Urban	216	35.7
Marital status
Single	99	16.4
Married	506	83.6

^a The major infectious diseases were malaria 53.6%, viral hepatitis 13.1%, unspecified infections 7.1% and tuberculosis 2.4%.
^b The major cause of death in the category of non-infectious diseases was Anaemia 41.3%; followed by diseases of blood and blood-forming organs 17.3%; respiratory diseases 14.6%; and circulatory diseases 12.0%.
^c Miscellaneous causes comprised mainly obstetric deaths of unspecified causes 26.8%, rupture of uterus 17.1%, complications of obstetric surgery 14.6%, embolism 9.8%, complications of anaesthesia 4.8% and other complications of pregnancy, labour and puerperium.
^d Only analyzed among individuals who drank alcohol.

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