Risk Factors of Maternal Death in Jimma University Specialized Hospital: A Matched Case Control Study

Abstract

Background: Maternal death has devastating effects on the family she leaves behind and country level. Most of the literatures in our country are reviews of maternal death which are unable to determine the predictors of maternal death and do not consider change of time since there is variation in care given and did not identify timing of death. Objective: To assess risk factors of maternal death in Jimma University specialized hospital, Southwest Ethiopia from January 2010 to December 2014. Methods: A time matched case control study was conducted on 600 charts, 120 cases and 480controls. Data was collected using checklist adapted from maternal death surveillance review of Ethiopia guide line. Data were entered into epi data 3.1 and exported to Stata 13 for analysis. Conditional logistic regression was done to identify the independent predictors of maternal death. The adjusted matched odds ratio with the 95% confidence interval was reported and statistical significance was declared at p =<0.05. To ensure confidentiality only code was written on the check list. Result: More than two third (68%) of death occurred during post-partum period. Predictors of maternal death include: age group of 20 – 34 (AMOR= 0.299, 95% CI (0.113, 0.792)), being from rural area (AMOR = 2.594, 95%CI(1.001,6.726)), prolonged labour (AMOR=37.141, 95%CI(13.296, 103.750)), comorbidities (AMOR=9.631,95%CI(3.135, 29.588), referred cases from health center (AMOR=4.011, 95% CI (1.113, 14.464) and other health institution (AMOR=6.029, 95%CI(1.565, 24.626)). Conclusion: Duration of labour, age, comorbidities, residence and referral were the major factors that affect maternal death.