Determinant Factors Affecting Utilization Of Maternal Health Care Services In Rural Ethiopia

Determinant factors affecting utilization of maternal healthcare services in rural EthiopiarnKassu MeharirnAddis Ababa University, 2012rnMaternal mortality in Ethiopia is one of the highest in the world. In 2006 the maternalrnmortality rate was 673 per 100,000 live births (CSA and ORC Macro, 2006). Maternalrnmortality ratio is one of the indicators in the MDG that is raising concern in achieving thernset target of reducing the rate by two-third by 2015. Many mothers also suffer fromrncomplications of pregnancy and delivery. In addition to that maternal healthcare servicernutilization is far below the acceptable level. The main objective of this study is to identifyrnthe determinant factors affecting utilization of maternal health care services in ruralrnEthiopia.The data for the study were taken from the 2011 Ethiopian Demographic andrnHealth Survey which is a nationally representative survey of women in the age group15-rn49 years. Mothers who had atleast one child in the five years before the survey werernincluded in the analysis. To estimate the effect of the socio-economic and demographicrnvariables on maternal health service utilization three outcome variables were considered,rnthese were: use of antenatal care (ANC), delivery care and postnatal care (PNC) services.rnThe logistic regression was used to develop models based on the outcome variables.rnUtilization of maternal healthcare services was found to be very low among non-educatedrnmothers as compared to those who have atleast primary education. In the logisticrnregression model mother‟s age at birth, educational status of the mother, sex of head ofrnhousehold, household wealth, work status of the mother, region, religion, birth order ofrnthe child and educational status of the husband were found to be indicators of utilizationrnof delivery care and PNC services in the total sample of mothers. Religion and sex ofrnhousehold head were not significantly related with ANC use. To increase mother‟srnutilization of health care services and improve maternal health in rural Ethiopia somerncrucial steps regarding educating mothers and creating job opportunity for mothersrnshould be taken. Great attention should be given to those mothers who are living in ruralrnareas of Ethiopia with no education and in the low economic status group

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