Utilization of skilled birth attendant in Bonga town, Kafa zone, Southwest Ethiopia

Abstract

Background Ethiopia with maternal mortality ratio of 676 per 100,000 live births, the majority of births are delivered at home and the proportion of deliveries assisted by skilled attendant is very low, among the total urban births 51% are used skilled delivery, in EDHS 2011. Implementing and assuring utilization of skilled delivery services is potentially one of the most effective maternal health interventions for preventing maternal morbidity and mortality. Objective To assess utilization of skilled birth attendant among mothers who gave birth the last one year prior to the data collection period in Bonga town. Methodology Community based cross-sectional study employing quantitative methods was conducted from June 1 to July 25, 2013. Stratified random sampling technique was employed to select a sample of 296 participants, by using list of mothers who gave birth in the last one year in each kebele of the Bonga town as strata. Kebele health extension workers registration book was used as a sampling frame. The total sample size was allocated according to the proportion of total mothers who gave birth in each kebeles. Data were collected by using structured questionnaire. And then the collected data was cleaned, and analyzed using stastical package for social sciences version 16.0 soft ware. Odds ratio and 95% Confidence interval were calculated. P< 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The aim of this study filling the gaps, by attempting to explore the extent of the problem and factors attributed to poor skilled delivery service utilization and can help for program planners, policy makers and health care providers to focus on the factors and the disadvantaged women in Bonga town, Kafa zone, Southwest Ethiopia. Result: A total of 296 women were included in the study yielding a response rate of 100%. From the total deliveries 78.6% of the women utilize skilled birth attendant during delivery. If women have secondary education and more they are more likely to utilize skilled delivery attendant, OR=8.06 with 95%CI of (1.75, 37.12) and OR=4.82 with 95%CI of (1.03, 22.52) respectively. Women who had ANC visits were more likely to utilize skilled delivery attendant when compared to those who did not have antenatal visit, OR=9.87 95%CI of (1.79, 54.40). Women who know about pregnancy and delivery complication are about twelve times, OR = 12.45 and 95%CI of (3.15, 49.26) more likely to utilize skilled delivery attendant when compared to those who had no information about pregnancy and delivery complication. Women who decided to deliver at health facility by themselves were twice more likely to utilize skilled delivery attendant than others. Conclusion Women’s educational status, their number of pregnancy, ANC visit, knowledge about risk factors related to pregnancy and women’s power to make the decision in terms of getting skilled delivery are important predictors for their utilization of skilled birth attendant. Interventional IEC activities focusing on pregnancy complications and benefits of ANC for reproductive age women will be helpful in utilizing skilled delivery attendant so that their influences can be directed in the line of encouraging women to utilize skilled delivery services.