SKILLED BIRTH CARE UPTAKE AMONG WOMEN FROM SOCIALLY MARGINALIZED MINORITIES IN THE KAMBATA-TAMBARO ZONE, SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Globally in 2019, it was reported that 295,000 women die during pregnancy and childbirth every year. Women from disadvantaged minorties were vulnerable to poor health care and skilled birth care service uptake was low. Thus, this study aimed to assess the prevalence of skilled birth care uptake, and associated factors among women from socially disadvantaged minorities in the Kambeta-Temabaro Zone, Southern Ethiopia. A multistage sampling procedure was employed to enroll 521 study participants. Data were entered using EPI- INFO and SPSS-21 for analysis. Both bivariate and multiple variable logistic regression analyses were applied to determine the association of independent variables with skilled birth care uptake. Those variables with p<0.25 at bivariate logistic regression were booked into the multiple variable logistic regression model. The degree of association between independents and outcome variable was assessed using odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals and variables with a p-value <0.05 were declared statistically significant. The prevalence of skilled birth care service uptake among women from socially disadvantaged minorities was 19%. Maternal education, occupation, awareness of skilled birth care, pregnancy plan, number of births, mothers’ lifestyle, and social subordination were significantly associated with skilled birth care service uptake in the study area. The prevalence of skilled birth service utilization among women from socially disadvantaged minorities was low [19%]. Thus, awareness creation on skilled birth, improving access to education for women, increasing the employability of women, and conducting community forums to avoid social discrimination against minorities are highly recommended.