Abstract
BackgroundDespite postnatal care services significant role in improving maternal and new-born health, services are underutilized in most developing countries including Ethiopia. Hence, it is important to identify factors that facilitate or impede postnatal care services utilization. The aim of this study was to assess postnatal care services utilization and associated factors among reproductive age women who gave live birth in 2015 at Halaba kulito town, Southern Ethiopia.MethodsA community-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 401 reproductive age women who gave live birth a year prior to the survey. Data were collected by using structured questionnaire. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis were carried out to identify factors associated with postnatal care services utilization. A significant association was declared when p-value is less than 0.05. The strength of association was determined by calculating odds ratio at 95% confidence interval.ResultIn this study, postnatal care services utilization by reproductive age women was 47.9%. Multivariable analysis revealed that government employed (AOR = 3.01, 95%CI = 1.36, 6.67), have three ANC visits (AOR = 4.29, 95% CI = 1.59, 11.55), have four ANC visits (AOR = 9.55, 95% CI = (3.46, 26.39), gave last birth at Health Centre (AOR = 10.76, 95% CI = 3.26, 35.57), gave last birth at Hospital (AOR = 13.15, 95% CI = (3.64, 47.50), didn’t aware of at least one postpartum danger signs (AOR = 0.06, 95% CI = (0.01, 0.37), didn’t know child care and had three ANC visits (AOR =0 .14, 95% CI (0.02, 0.8), and didn’t know child care and had four or more ANC visits (AOR =0 .13, 95% CI (0.02, 0.79) were significantly associated with postnatal care services utilization.ConclusionThis study assessed PNC services utilization and associated factors among reproductive age women. The study results provided a basic understanding of factors that associated with PNC services utilization by reproductive age women. The findings of this study showed direct association between postnatal care utilization and maternal employment, awareness to postpartum danger signs, frequency of ANC and attending birth at health institution. Therefore, the results suggested context-specific evidence which might be taken into consideration when rethinking policies to increase PNC utilization.
Highlights
Despite postnatal care services significant role in improving maternal and new-born health, services are underutilized in most developing countries including Ethiopia
The study results provided a basic understanding of factors that associated with Postnatal care (PNC) services utilization by reproductive age women
The findings of this study showed direct association between postnatal care utilization and maternal employment, awareness to postpartum danger signs, frequency of ANC and attending birth at health institution
Summary
Despite postnatal care services significant role in improving maternal and new-born health, services are underutilized in most developing countries including Ethiopia. Postnatal period is the time period from birth to 42 days after birth It is a period where most of the maternal and new-born death occur. Most maternal and newborn deaths are avoidable because healthcare solutions to prevent or manage complications related to pregnancy and birth are well known. All these maternal and neonatal problems could be reduced if women receive appropriate postnatal care [1]. Postnatal care (PNC) is one of the recommended strategies to reduce the maternal and new-born deaths during the postpartum period [3, 4]. In Africa, most of mothers and newborns did not visit the health institution following birth, indicating that postnatal care programs are among the weakest of all reproductive and child health programs [5]
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