Quantitative Assessment of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Birth Preparedness Among Antenatal Care Attendees at Gatundu Level 5 Hospital: A Cross-Sectional KAP Survey Analysis

This project comprised the statistical processing, descriptive data synthesis, and academic reporting for Chapters 4 and 5 of a quantitative maternal health study conducted at Gatundu Level 5 Hospital, Kenya. The primary objective was to evaluate the Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) regarding Birth Preparedness and Complication Readiness (BPCR) among pregnant women attending the facility's Antenatal Care (ANC) clinic. Utilizing a structured cross-sectional survey design, primary data were collected from $N = 156$ respondents against a calculated sample size of 155, yielding a 100% response rate. The analytical workflow involved processing categorical demographic profiles, constructing percentage frequency distributions, analyzing multiple-response sets for information sources and BPCR components, evaluating 5-point Likert scale attitudinal responses, and determining the rate of practical behavioral translation.Statistical profiling of the study population revealed a predominantly young, educated, yet economically vulnerable cohort. The modal age group was 20–24 years (37.9%), with half of the respondents having completed college-level education (50.0%) and an additional 15.8% attaining university education. Despite high literacy levels, financial constraints were evident, as 39.3% reported a monthly household income of less than Ksh 10,000. From an obstetric perspective, over half of the respondents were experiencing their first pregnancy (55.4%) and were nulliparous (56.2%), highlighting the central role of ANC-based health education in guiding first-time mothers through birth planning. Geographic accessibility was generally high, with 86.1% residing within 10 km of the facility and 31.5% having achieved four or more ANC visits at the time of sampling.Assessing knowledge dimensions indicated a very strong baseline awareness of birth preparedness concepts. Overall, 92.7% of respondents had previously heard of birth preparedness, and 96.7% correctly identified a health facility as the recommended delivery site. The hospital's ANC clinic was identified as the primary source of health information (66.4%), outperforming informal networks and media channels. When evaluating specific BPCR elements, financial preparation (saving money) was the most recognized component (82.9%), whereas identifying a potential blood donor was the least recognized (52.6%). Attitudinal assessments across ten Likert-scale statements demonstrated overwhelmingly positive perceptions toward structured birth planning. The highest consensus was recorded for the general importance of birth preparedness (84.1% strongly agree, 12.6% agree), with virtually non-existent disagreement across all evaluated items ($< 1.0\%$).Crucially, the study demonstrated a high rate of translation from theoretical knowledge and positive attitudes into concrete preparatory practices. The vast majority of respondents had established an emergency contact for labor (92.0%), saved money for delivery expenses (90.0%), and identified a health facility for delivery (88.1%). However, subtle operational gaps emerged in direct clinical engagement: identifying a specific skilled birth attendant (78.7%) and formally discussing a birth plan with a healthcare provider (79.5%) lagged behind general domestic arrangements. Synthesis of these findings emphasizes that while health education at Gatundu Level 5 Hospital successfully instills foundational preparedness, targeted interventions are still required to improve emergency-specific planning—such as blood donor identification and formalized birth plan reviews—to further reduce maternal and neonatal risks in peri-urban Kenyan health systems.