Abstract
BackgroundThe use of reproductive health (RH) services is important to promote RH. However, little is known about RH services in rural areas, especially in low- and middle-income countries. China is the most populous country in the world, and 40.4% of its population is rural. Our study determined the utilization of and factors associated with RH services in rural China.MethodsA cross-sectional study of 978 20- to 39-year-old women was performed in four villages of four cities in Hunan Province. A researcher-created structured questionnaire was used to collect the data. The data were entered into EpiData v3.0 and analysed using SPSS v18.0. Statistical significance was defined as a two-sided P-value of less than 0.05. Descriptive statistics were used to examine the socio-demographic factors and the use of RH services by the sample population. Chi-square tests were used to assess associations between categorical variables. Logistic regression analyses were performed to examine factors that correlated with the use of RH services.ResultsThe top three services used were antenatal examinations (90.2%), postpartum visits (73.0%) and free folic acid supplements (71.6%). Age, monthly household income, employment, spousal education level, and artificial abortion history were associated with RH service utilization (P < 0.05). The most desired RH service was cervical/breast cancer prevention services (58.9%). The most preferred method participants used to obtain information on RH services was the internet.ConclusionsThe utilization rate for RH services in rural China needs improvement. Future efforts should target high-risk populations of women by providing them with RH-related information and cultivating positive attitudes towards RH services.
Highlights
The use of reproductive health (RH) services is important to promote Reproductive health (RH)
Yue et al Reprod Health (2021) 18:134 study investigated the utilization of and factors associated with RH services in rural China
Monthly household income, employment, spousal education level, and artificial abortion history were associated with RH service utilization
Summary
The use of reproductive health (RH) services is important to promote RH. little is known about RH services in rural areas, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Our study determined the utilization of and factors associated with RH services in rural China. Descriptive statistics were used to examine the socio-demographic factors and the use of RH services by the sample population. Logistic regression analyses were performed to examine factors that correlated with the use of RH services. Conclusions: The utilization rate for RH services in rural China needs improvement. China is the most populous country in the world, and the rural population accounts for 40.4% of its total population. One study in rural China showed that 53% of the respondents had a low RH knowledge score, and 39% of respondents with gynecopathy-related discomfort did not seek professional help [7]. Women between 20 and 39 years old are likely to experience more RH problems related to childbirth. Identifying the uses of RH services and the factors influencing their use are urgently needed
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