Monitoring socioeconomic inequity in maternal health indicators in Egypt: 1995-2005

Zeinab Khadr

doi:10.1186/1475-9276-8-38

Abstract

BackgroundEgypt's longstanding commitment to safe motherhood and maternal health has paid off in substantial declines in maternal mortality ratio and significant improvement in the levels of many maternal health indicators. The current study aims to monitor trends of maternal health indicators and their socioeconomic inequities among Egyptian women over ten-year period (1995-2005). It poses the question "to what extent have the recent maternal health improvements been shared among the various socioeconomic categories of women?"MethodsThe current paper uses data on maternal health available in three consecutive Demographic and Health Surveys (1995-2000-2005). Concentration index is used to assess the levels of health inequity over the ten year period.ResultsAlthough previous efforts in maternal health have contributed to substantial improvements in the general levels of maternal health indicators, these improvements were not enjoyed equally by women in various social groups. Indicators that have long been the focus of health policy such as fertility and contraceptive use showed some declines in disparities but they are far behind from achieving equity. Other indicators which relate to unmet need, prenatal care, delivery, postnatal care still loaded with high levels of inequity and call for more comprehensive policy interventions.

Highlights

Heightened concerns for health equity and social determinants of health have contributed to the burgeoning of evidence-based research that directs policy-makers' attention to the significance of health inequities and promotes policies and actions to tackle their structural and social determinants
In the area of maternal health research, examination of socioeconomic maternal health inequities and disparities has received significant attention among researchers and numerous studies in the international literature have investigated various dimensions of maternal health inequities by women's socioeconomic indicators. These studies have repeatedly confirmed the strong association between women's socioeconomic status and their maternal health indicators, in which low socioeconomic status is significantly associated with low maternal health status and under utilization of maternal health care services [1,2,3,4]
Disparities by educational attainment and wealth index reveal that early marriage was still much more prevalent among the least educated and poor women and that the gap between these categories and the better off has increased over the ten years

Summary

Introduction

Heightened concerns for health equity and social determinants of health have contributed to the burgeoning of evidence-based research that directs policy-makers' attention to the significance of health inequities and promotes policies and actions to tackle their structural and social determinants. In the area of maternal health research, examination of socioeconomic maternal health inequities and disparities has received significant attention among researchers and numerous studies in the international literature have investigated various dimensions of maternal health inequities by women's socioeconomic indicators. These studies have repeatedly confirmed the strong association between women's socioeconomic status and their maternal health indicators, in which low socioeconomic status is significantly associated with low maternal health status and under utilization of maternal health care services [1,2,3,4]. The current study aims to monitor trends of maternal health indicators and their socioeconomic inequities among Egyptian women over ten-year period (19952005) It poses the question "to what extent have the recent maternal health improvements been shared among the various socioeconomic categories of women?"

Results

Discussion

Conclusion