Maternal Health Services Utilization and Associated Factors in Bishoftu Town, central Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: Maternal mortality remains a major challenge to health systems worldwide. Some developing countries have made very limited or insufficient progress in achieving the Millennium Development Goal 5. Ethiopia has one of the highest maternal mortality ratios in the world. Utilization of maternal health care services such as antenatal care, institutional delivery and postnatal care services are key maternal health care services used to improve the health outcomes of women and children. However, the magnitude of utilization of maternal health care services and associated factors were not investigated in Bishoftu town. Objective: To assess utilization of maternal health care services and associated factors in Bishoftu town, Oromia Region, central Ethiopia. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was employed to assess utilization of maternal health care services and associated factors among 714 women who had given birth in the last one year prior to the survey in Bishoftu town. Sample size was calculated using single population proportion formula. A stratified multi-stage simple random sampling technique was employed to identify the study participants. A pre-tested interviewer administered questionnaire was used for data collection. Data was collected by trained female data collectors and a face- to-face interview technique was used to collect data.Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS version 20.0 software. Statistical significance was considered at p < 0.05 and the strength of statistical association was determined by adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% Confidence intervals. Result: A total of 707 women were interviewed making a response rate of 99%. More than 95% women had atleast one antenatal care visit during their last pregnancy. Place of residence, religion, marital status, planning for pregnancy, and presence of husband approval were the independent predictors of antenatal care utilization. The study also revealed that 85.3% of women had gave birth in health institutions. In the multivariate analysis, place of residence, education, income, birth order, planning for pregnancy and antenatal care utilization were the independent predictors of institutional delivery care utilization. About 71.4% of women utilized postnatal care after delivery. Antenatal care attendance, place of delivery and history of delivery by cesarean section were the independent predictors of postnatal care utilization. Conclusion: This study indicated that the utilization of maternal health care services in Bishoftu town is very satisfactory.Place of residence, education, income, planning for pregnancy, religion, marital status; husband approval, birth order and history of delivery by cesarean section were the independent predictors of utilization of maternal healthcare services. Inorder to improve the utilization of maternal health care services; strategies should aim at improving educational level and economic status of women, efforts should be made to improve husbands or partners attitude, focus should be given for high birth order and semi-urban women.