A Woman’S Status and Prenatal Care Utilization in Patrilocal Households of Post-Soviet Countries

Abstract

Women’s household autonomy is associated with maternal healthcare utilization in developing countries, but its effects are not consistently positive. In the current study, the researchers test prenatal care utilization in Armenia and Azerbaijan (N = 2,159). After controlling for socioeconomic factors, we find that women’s autonomy seems to be a mixed blessing. For instance, participating in daily purchases delays the start of prenatal care, but results in more prenatal care visits. Additionally, a woman’s household position as a daughter-in-law has significant negative associations with accessing prenatal care during the first trimester of pregnancy.