Women's Decision-making Power Research Articles

Gender differences in rice production participation among smallholder farmers in small-scale irrigation schemes in mbarali district, Tanzania

Smallholder farmers are crucial to agri-food production in sub-Saharan Africa. However, gender disparities in rice production participation persist in Tanzania. Existing research has yet to fully explore how demographic and socioeconomic factors influence gendered participation in rice production. This study assesses gender differences in rice production participation patterns among smallholder farmers and identify gender-related socio-economic and demographic factors influencing differences in participation within small-scale irrigation schemes in Mbarali District. Using cross-sectional approach, data were collected from 397 randomly selected farmers through structured questionnaire and analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics, including ordered probit regression. The results revealed significant gender differences in rice production participation (p < 0.01). Male farmers had higher participation rates in activities such as land preparation, seedbed preparation, seedling management, irrigation, herbicide, fertilizer, pesticide application, harvesting, transporting, storage, and selling, while female farmers had higher participation rates in transplanting and weeding. The overall level of participation was moderate, with 78 % of male farmers and 49 % of female farmers. However, larger proportion of females (43 %) were at a lower participation levels compared to only 1 % of male farmers, while 21 % of males and 8 % of females were at high participation levels. Factors like household size, farming management, hierarchical position within households, decision-making power, and the ability to access irrigation water positively influenced participation levels, while land size cultivated had a negative impact (p < 0.05). These were gender-related socio-economic and demographic factors that disadvantage female farmers' participation (p < 0.05). While the age of the farmer and inadequacy of irrigation water significantly affected participation levels, farm-hired labour had positive influence, however, these factors were not gender-specific. The study concludes that gender differences in participation in rice production are influenced by demographic and socio-economic factors. To address these, the study recommends for interventions that reduce gender disparities by promoting equality in resource access, enhancing women's decision-making power over resources and ability to access irrigation water, and ensure sufficient water in small-scale irrigation schemes. The government should create an enabling environment that supporting female farmers in small-scale irrigation schemes for broader gender equality in agriculture and rural development.

Women's decision-making power can influence modern contraceptive use: Evidence from Bangladesh.

It is generally believed that gender inequality and women's lack of decision-making power may restrict women's use of modern contraception, leading to high rates of unwanted pregnancies, abortions, and deaths. Evidence shows that empowered women are more likely to use modern contraception methods, but few studies have investigated this across multiple domains of empowerment. This study examined the associations between women's empowerment and modern contraception use in Bangladesh. Data from a sample of 16,834 married women aged 15-49years from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2017-2018 were analysed. Complex survey weight adjusted logistic models were fitted to evaluate the associations after adjusting for clusters, strata, and sampling weights. indicate that just over half of the married women (55.7%) had used modern contraception methods. Women's empowerment was associated with contraceptive use, especially decision-making power. Women who had medium or high autonomy of household decision making were likely to have 20% (AOR=1.20; 95% CI: 1.04-1.39) and 27% (AOR=1.27, 95% CI: 1.11-1.45) increased odds of using modern contraceptives compared to those who scored low in the decision-making domain. The findings demonstrated strong evidence of direct influence of women's decision-making power on modern contraception use. The results also found influence of several socio-demographic factors including area of residence, husband's age, wealth index andmobile phone ownership on the use of modern contraceptives. Future interventions can focus on integrating women's empowerment into family planning programming, with a particular focus on enhancing women's autonomy in decision making.

DEMOGRAPHIC TARGETING OF USERS IN MOBILE APPLICATIONS FOR LIVESTOCK DIGITAL MARKETING AMONG SMALLHOLDER CATTLE FARMERS

Several livestock diseases leading to high mortality rates among animals have raised concerns about a potential food crisis in Indonesia. To prevent further spread of these diseases, access to livestock sheds has been restricted. This situation has highlighted the importance of developing alternative marketing channels to facilitate livestock trade. The present study investigates the demographic factors that influence farmers' interest in adopting mobile applications for digital livestock marketing in the Special Region of Yogyakarta. The data for this research was collected from a stratified random sample of 968 respondents across four regions. Prior to the interviews, farmers were provided with an introduction and given the opportunity to experience the mobile applications firsthand. The data analysis employed descriptive statistics, non-parametric analysis, and a logistic regression model. The results indicated a significant (p &lt; 0.05) association between variables such as the farmer's age, educational level, women's decision-making power, farming revenue, cattle ownership, farming experience, and interest in using mobile applications for livestock digital marketing. However, no distinction in adoption interest was observed between farmers who were members of agricultural groups and those who were not. These findings have significant methodological implications, as they require independent interviewing among member farmer groups. This study suggests that developers of mobile applications for livestock digital marketing should consider the lack of digital literacy among farmers as a crucial factor influencing their interest in adopting new technologies. Addressing the digital literacy gap could increase the adoption and effective use of these applications within the farming community.

Level of optimal antenatal care utilization and its associated factors among pregnant women in Arba Minch town, southern Ethiopia: new WHO-recommended ANC 8+ model.

To fully realize the life-saving and health-promoting benefits of antenatal care (ANC), the latest World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations call for pregnant women to have at least eight contacts with skilled healthcare providers. This increased number of recommended ANC visits represents a shift toward a more comprehensive, individualized approach to prenatal care. The focus is on health promotion, disease prevention, and the early detection and management of complications during pregnancy. However, in sub-Saharan African countries, including Ethiopia, the coverage rate for this level of recommended antenatal care is only 58%. Given this relatively low utilization, identifying the key risk factors that prevent adequate antenatal care would have significant implications for increasing overall ANC uptake in these regions. The aim of the present study was to assess the level of optimal antenatal care utilization and its associated factors among pregnant women in Arba Minch town, southern Ethiopia in 2023 using the new WHO-recommended ANC 8+ model. An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 416 mothers who were enrolled between 1 December 2022 and 30 January 2023. The total sample size was allocated proportionately to the number of women who delivered at each public health facility. Thus, systematic sampling was applied. Kobo Toolbox was used for data collection and cleaning, which was then analyzed using SPSS Version 26. Statistical significance was determined at a p-value <0.05. In this study, the level of optimal antenatal care was 41% [95% confidence interval (CI): 37-45.3]. The associated factors with optimal antenatal care were the presence of pregnancy danger signs [adjusted odds ratios (AOR) = 4.1, 95% CI: 1.87-8.82], having bad obstetric history (AOR = 3.90, 95% CI: 1.94-7.83), antenatal contact at hospital (AOR = 5.11, 95% CI: 2.28-11.21), having good knowledge about antenatal care (AOR = 2.26, 95% CI: 1.15-4.44), women's high decision-making power (AOR = 3.9, 95% CI: 1.2-7.63), and male partner involvement (AOR = 2.0, 95% CI: 1.04-3.78) were positively associated with optimal antenatal care utilization. The level of optimal antenatal follow-up is still low. Therefore, it is crucial to provide more information during the antenatal contacts to lower the rate of women discontinued from antenatal care.

A microeconometrics approach to gendered perspective of empowerment through agricultural decision-making in Rural Odisha, India

Discrimination against women in agricultural decision-making is a major threat to the empowerment of women in many developing countries where agriculture is not only the major source of livelihood, at times the only source of livelihood. It hampers their socio-economic status as well as the overall economic development of the country. The objective of this paper is to understand the gendered perspective of agricultural decision-making in one of the eastern states of India, i.e., Odisha by analysing the primary data collected through a structured schedule from 996 agrarian households. This paper, by using multinomial logit model, concludes that land ownership exclusively by females raises their decision-making power with respect to all agricultural activities in the household. Joint ownership of land by both men and women and the use of modern technology in farm activities also raise the agrarian decision-making power of the females. Further, the decision-making power of women is more among the socially marginalised and economically deprived categories. This calls for institutional arrangements to ensure land ownership by the female members and their economic empowerment by providing them better wages and livelihood.

An Analysis of the Impact of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 on Female Labour Force Participation in India

The financial emancipation of women is crucial for female empowerment and economic growth. Participation of women in the labour force equips them better to combat socio-economic issues while simultaneously boosting economic activity and GDP at the macro level(Buterin et al., 2023). Despite this, even in the 21st century, women's participation in the workforce is less than 47% compared to 72% for men(The Gender Gap in Employment: What’s Holding Women Back?, n.d.). The reasons for this disparity include both demand-side (opportunities for women to work) and supply-side (availability for women to work) factors. This paper explores women's labour force participation in India and the factors influencing it. It evaluates the impact of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 as a demand-side policy intervention to improve women’s labour market participation using secondary data. The results of this research indicate that the policy has helped improve the income, employment and decision-making power of women. Yet, the research indicates that the programme faces several structural constraints in providing employment and fails to address the long-term supply-side issue of low female labour market participation.

Delay in Seeking Institutional Delivery Services and Associated Factors Among Immediate Postpartum Mothers in Public Health Facilities in Gondar Town, Northwest Ethiopia, 2022.

Maternal and neonatal mortality is a global problem that is highly prevalent in low- and middle-income countries, including Ethiopia. Maternal delay in seeking institutional delivery services utilization plays a significant role in determining maternal and neonatal health outcomes. Although studies have been conducted on institutional delivery service utilization in Ethiopia, little is known about factors for delays in seeking care for institutional delivery services. This study aimed to assess the delay in seeking institutional delivery services and associated factors among immediate postpartum mothers in public health facilities in Gondar, northwest Ethiopia. A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted from July 15 to September 10, 2022. A total of 391 participants were selected using systematic random sampling. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using structured, pretested, and interviewer-administered questionnaires. Data were entered into EpiData version 4.6, and the analysis was conducted using Statistical Package for Social Science version 26. The multivariable logistic regression model was fitted and the level of significance was set at p ≤ 0.05. The prevalence of delay in seeking institutional delivery was 49.10% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 44.13, 54.08). Rural residence (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.51; 95% CI: 1.43-4.41), no antenatal care visits (AOR: 2.87; 95% CI: 1.34-6.13), unplanned pregnancy (AOR: 2.98; 95% CI: 1.78-5.01), poor decision-making autonomy in maternity care services (AOR: 1.98; 95% CI: 1.15-3.40), and poor birth preparedness plan (AOR: 4.88; 95% CI: 2.79-8.53) were significantly associated with delays in seeking institutional delivery. Delays in seeking institutional delivery services were high. It is better to promote women's decision-making power in their own health care. In addition, it is better to arrange programs that will improve maternal and child health service utilization.

Women's decision-making power and the adoption of liquefied petroleum gas for cooking in Cameroon

The low-level of women's decision-making power could be the determining cause of the minimal adoption of clean cooking fuel in Africa, needing deep exploration. This study surveys the gendered nature of household adoption of liquefied petroleum gas for cooking in Cameroon. Specifically, it assesses the effect of women's decision-making power in the household on LPG adoption. Using data from the 2018 Cameroon Demographic and Health Survey, we estimated several standard and recursive bivariate probit models. We accounted for the endogeneity of women's autonomy in the LPG adoption model by using women's control over land as an instrument. Our results show that women's participation in household decisions increases the household probability of adopting LPG for cooking. In addition, women's land rights increase women's final say on large household purchases. Therefore, policies enhancing land rights equity have the potential to increase women's decision-making power, therefore increasing adoption of LPG.

Empowering women for embracing energy-efficient appliances: Unraveling factors and driving change in Pakistan's residential sector

The residential sector's role in global energy consumption highlights the need to understand residents' energy behaviors. However, there is a significant knowledge gap regarding women's preferences for energy-efficient appliances, particularly in developing countries like Pakistan, where women have limited decision-making power within their households. Grounded in the theory of planned behavior this study establishes framework by incorporating constructs such as personal norms, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norms, along with an additional construct of place attachment. By using the data of women of Pakistan and using partial least square structural equation model (PLS-SEM), the findings reveal that place attachment and perceived behavioral control substantially influences the women's attitudes and intentions to purchase energy-saving appliances. However, personal norms and subjective norms are found to be non-significant factors. Notably, subjective norms are found to significantly influence the purchase willingness through attitudes. The insignificant findings reflect the prevailing patriarchal culture that may influence women's decision-making power towards purchasing appliances. The overall study holds significant relevance in the context of Pakistani households, where understanding the adoption of energy-efficient appliances from a gender perspective can provide an opportunity to initiate efforts towards a clean and sustainable future, as well as gender equality by assisting policymakers in establishing gender-oriented energy policies.

Why do women still give birth at home; perceptions of Pakistani women and decision-makers from marginalized communities.

In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), maternal and newborn mortality is high due to the high prevalence of home births. Understanding the reasons behind this behavior is essential for improving maternal and newborn outcomes. Therefore, a qualitative exploratory study was conducted in a peri-urban community in Karachi, Pakistan to understand the perceptions of pregnant women who delivered at home despite receiving antenatal care and the perceptions of their decision-makers regarding this behavior. In-depth interviews were conducted with 15 randomly sampled women who chose to deliver at home after receiving antenatal care at a health facility, as well as 15 family members who were purposively identified as decision-makers by the women themselves. Thematic analysis was performed to explore the perceptions, myths, and cultural beliefs about homebirths as well as women's decision-making power related to childbirth. The three main themes identified showed that traditional beliefs and practices, poverty and gender inequality, and poor healthcare systems significantly influence the preference for childbirth. Traditional beliefs and practices, including religious and cultural beliefs, played a role in perceiving childbirth as a natural process best managed at home. The presence of traditional birth attendants who provide personalized care and emotional support further reinforced this preference. Gender inequalities, including limited access to mobile phones and women's caregiving roles, were identified as barriers to seeking formal healthcare at the time of delivery. Additionally, poor experiences with the formal healthcare system, such as the poor attitude of formal healthcare workers and fear of medical interventions, also contributed to the decision to deliver at home. The study highlighted the complex interplay between traditional/religious beliefs, gender inequalities, and healthcare experiences in shaping the decision to deliver at home despite receiving ANC services in marginalized settings. Addressing these factors is necessary for promoting facility-based delivery and improving maternal and neonatal outcomes in LMICs.

Unintended Pregnancy and Associated Factors among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Care Unit in Public Health Facilities of Dire Dawa City, Eastern Ethiopia, 2021.

Unintended pregnancy refers to a pregnancy that is either mistimed or unwanted. Unintended pregnancy has been a troubling public health and reproductive health issue, which imposes appreciable adverse consequences on the mother, child, and the public in general. Globally 121 million unplanned pregnancies occurred from 2015 to 2019. A significant proportion (61%) of these pregnancies ended in abortions each year. In Ethiopia, the challenges of unintended pregnancy and its related complications still exist because of the high rate of unmet need for contraceptives. In addition, no research has been conducted on unintended pregnancy among pregnant women in Dire Dawa city administration. To determine the prevalence of unintended pregnancy and associated factors among pregnant women attending antenatal care public health facilities in Dire Dawa in 2021. A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted. After being chosen randomly, 382 pregnant women were interviewed at 9 urban public health facilities. A pretested questionnaire was used to collect data, entered into Epi Info 7, and exported into SPSS version 25 for analysis. The variables, which were significant at P ≤ 0.25 in bivariate analysis, were included in multivariable analysis. Statistical significance was declared at a P value <0.05 and a 95% CI. In this study, the prevalence of unintended pregnancy was 23.8% at 95% CI (19.8-28.3). The following factors were associated with unintended pregnancy: single women (AOR = 10.93, 95% CI 3.65-32.74), low family income (2000 ETB) (AOR = 4.01, 95% CI 1.73-9.28), parity 3 (AOR = 10.3, 95% CI 4.07-25.84), no history of family planning use (AOR = 5.91, 95% CI 2.46-14.21), and husband decision-making role on reproductive health (AOR = 2.956, 95% CI 1.048-8.340). Conclusion and Recommendations. The prevalence of unintended pregnancy was relatively high in this study. Efforts should be made to scale up women's decision-making power on family planning services and give support to empower women economically. There is the need to promote family planning services to minimize unintended pregnancy and to decrease parity and family size.

Impact of Socio-Economic and Demographic Factors on Women Decision Making while making the household Purchasing - Evidence from Pakistan

This research aims to identify the critical socio-economic and demographic factors influencing women's decision-making power within households. Utilizing data from the Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey (PDHS) 2017-2018, the study focuses on currently married women aged 15-49 years (n = 11,831). The investigation examines four categories of decision-making by women at the household level: own healthcare, major household purchases, utilization of husband's income, and visits to family or relatives. Various socio-economic and demographic variables are analyzed to assess their impact on the four decision-making types. The findings reveal that women's age, employment status, education, place of residence, and number of living children significantly influence their decision-making capacity. Notably, women residing in rural areas demonstrate lower decision-making power across all four domains, highlighting the necessity for targeted empowerment programs to enhance their roles in household decision-making. Moreover, women's education is found to have a positive correlation with decision-making in all four categories (p &lt; 0.01), underscoring its pivotal role in empowering women within the household context. Arguably, the study uncovers that wealthier women have a lower likelihood of holding decision-making power compared to those living in poorer or middle-class households. Addressing this discrepancy necessitates a comprehensive government-level strategy to enhance women's socio-economic status, thereby fostering their authority in household decision-making.&#x0D; &#x0D;

Women's agency and childbirth: The effect of transition to motherhood and subsequent births on women's agency in Egypt

Objective: This study investigates whether women’s agency changes with birth transitions in Egypt and if this change differs by education or rural vs. urban residence. Background: In the patriarchal context of Egypt, childbearing is almost universal and essential for women’s social position; therefore, it is a potentially relevant factor for agency. However, research on the relationship between childbirth and agency is rare, and little is known about the circumstances under which childbirth might increase agency. Method: Drawing on longitudinal data from the Egypt Labor Market Panel Survey (2006, 2012, 2018), this study uses fixed effects regression models to estimate the link between birth transitions and women’s agency. Results: The results show that the transition from having one child to having at least two children is positively associated with women's decision-making power but not their financial autonomy or freedom of movement. This positive relationship is stronger for low-educated women and those living in rural areas than for women with at least an intermediate education and those living in urban areas. Indeed, women living in urban areas have less agency after childbirth. Conclusion: Overall, the results indicate that birth transitions might affect agency, although not across all dimensions, and that the potential positive impact on agency is substantial only for women who are more restricted to the mother role and live in more patriarchal contexts.

Perspectives of women on availing antenatal services in urban poor areas of Rishikesh, Uttarakhand.

Background Antenatal care (ANC) is the essential regular care of women that prevents potential health problems during pregnancy. In India, the proportion of women who received four or more antenatal visits was only 51% (National Family Health Survey, 2015-2016). An even worse situation prevails in urban areas where women from poor communities face greater health risks. We assessed various barriers women residing in these areas come across in availing ANC services. Methods This study is a part of a mixed-methods, community-based study, and we report its qualitative component. We conducted the study at the residence of the study participants in September-October 2019. The study participants were women who had less than four antenatal visits throughout the pregnancy. Twelve in-depth interviews were conducted based on data saturation. Data were transcribed and themes were drawn concerning the gender analysis framework. Results Through this study, we found how gender relations affect the utilization of antenatal services concerning access to resources, division of labour, social norms including the belief of husband and other family members towards pregnancy and decision-making power of women. Conclusion Our findings underline the importance of making the urban health system gender-sensitive and responsive to the needs of women during pregnancy. There is a need to educate men regarding maternal health so as to allay such social norms that label pregnancy as a woman's responsibility and encouraging them to accompany their wives during pregnancy visits, thus making men a part of antenatal services.

Intrahousehold power inequalities and cooperation: Unpacking household responses to nutrition-sensitive agriculture interventions in rural India.

Nutrition-sensitive agriculture (NSA) interventions offer a means to improve the dietary quality of rural, undernourished populations. Their effectiveness could be further increased by understanding how household dynamics enable or inhibit the uptake of NSA behaviours. We used a convergent parallel mixed-methods design to describe the links between household dynamics-specifically intrahousehold power inequalities and intrahousehold cooperation-and dietary quality and to explore whether household dynamics mediated or modified the effects of NSA interventions tested in a cluster-randomized trial, Upscaling Participatory Action and Videos for Agriculture and Nutrition(UPAVAN). We use quantitative data from cross-sectional surveys in 148 village clusters at UPAVAN's baseline and 32 months afterwards (endline), and qualitative data from family case studies and focus group discussions with intervention participants and facilitators. We found that households cooperated to grow and buy nutritious foods, and gendered power inequalities were associated with women's dietary quality, but cooperation and women's use of power was inhibited by several interlinked factors. UPAVAN interventions were more successful in more supportive, cooperative households, and in some cases, the interventions increased women's decision-making power. However, women's decisions to enter into negotiations with family members depended on whether women deemed the practices promoted by UPAVAN interventions to be feasible, as well as women's confidenceand previous cultivation success. We conclude that interventions may be more effective if they can elicit cooperation from the whole household. This will require a move towards more family-centric intervention models that empower women while involving other family members and accounting for the varied ways that families cooperate and negotiate.

Determinants of nutritional status among pregnant women in East Shoa zone, Central Ethiopia.

Undernutrition is an insufficient intake of energy and nutrients to meet an individual's needs to maintain good health. Undernutrition during pregnancy severely affects the health of mothers and her baby. Globally it contributes directly or indirectly to 3.5 million maternal deaths annually. This study aimed to determine the level of undernutrition and identify factors associated with undernutrition among pregnant women attending public health facilities in the East Shoa Zone, Central Ethiopia. Institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 472 randomly selected pregnant women from June to August 2021. Sociodemographic, obstetrics, and knowledge related data were collected using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire, and maternal nutritional status was measured using the Mid Upper Arm Circumference (MUAC). The collected data were entered to EPI-info version 3.5.4 and then exported to SPSS for windows version 26.0 software for analysis. Multivariable regression analysis was fitted to identify determinants of undernutrition. An adjusted odds ratio with 95% confidence intervals and a p-value < 0.05 was considered a statistically significant. The prevalence of undernutrition among pregnant women was 13.9% [95% CI: 11.0-17.4]. On multivariable logistic regression model after adjusting background variables, wealth (AOR: 4.9, 95% CI 1.34-18.20), women's decision making power (AOR: 3.31, 95% CI 1.18-7.79), and nutritional counseling (AOR: 3.53, 95% CI 1.29-9.60) were independently associated with nutritional status of pregnant women. Findings indicated that significant number of pregnant women in the study were undernourished. Higher wealth index, nutritional counseling, and women's decision-making power were inversely associated with undernutrition. The findings imply the need for economic empowerment of women, enhancing decision-making ability of women and routine and consistent nutritional counseling to decrease undernutrition among pregnant women.

Unmet need for family planning and related difficulties among married women of childbearing age in Bandung Slum, Indonesia.

This study was conducted to assess what factors cause women of childbearing age (15-49 years) who live in slums in Bandung City, Indonesia to experience unmet need for family planning. Unmet need for family planning is a phenomenon in the population sector that requires serious and immediate treatment because it can inhibit the increase in Contraceptive Prevalence Rate (CPR) and decrease in Total Fertility Rate (TFR). A cross-sectional survey was conducted from February to July 2021. 304 women were selected as respondents using a purposive sampling technique. Univariate and multivariate regression analysis was performed using STATA 16. The result is 29.3% of women have unmet need for family planning, while the factors that influence the occurrence of unmet need for family planning include marital age, family income, experienced a child's death, number of children living, women's decision-making power, and media exposure. Increasing access to information and free family planning services for married couples is important, especially for low-income families with many children.

Effects of continuity of maternal health services on immediate newborn care practices, Northwestern Ethiopia: multilevel and propensity score matching (PSM) modeling

BackgroundDespite priority being given to maternal and child health programs in Ethiopia, the reduction of neonatal mortality rate is stagnant, which is more than double the national target. Immediate newborn care and continuity of maternal health services are comprehensive, wide-ranging, and core strategies to overcome neonatal mortality and morbidity. However, the evidence of immediate newborn care practices and the effectiveness of continuity of maternal health services on immediate newborn care practices are scarce. Hence, this study aimed to fill this gap. MethodsA prospective follow-up study was conducted from March 2020 to January 2021, among 2198 pregnant women screened from the study areas. The data were collected using pretested semi-structured questionnaires and a registration logbook. Data were coded, entered, cleaned, and analyzed using STATA software 14. Descriptive statistics, multilevel regression, and propensity score matching (PSM) models were computed. Finally, ICC (ρ), AOR, and coefficient (β) along with 95%CI were calculated and statistical significance was considered at a p-value < 0.05. ResultsThe magnitude of immediate newborn care practice was 50.9% (95%CI: 50.5%, 51.3%). Partner attended primary cycle school (AOR = 2.32), women attended ANC visit ≥4 (AOR = 2.69), initiated 1st ANC visit between 4–6 months of GA (AOR = 0.47), IFA supplementation (AOR = 2.99), women who make a decision (AOR = 2.25), women whose husband make a decision (AOR = 1.66) and immunizing the newborn (AOR = 2.46) were determinant factors of immediate newborn care practices. As treatment effect, completion of COC in MHS via time dimension (β = 0.31; 95%CI: 0.27, 0.35); whole key service MHS (β = 0.43; 95%CI: 0.39, 0.48) and COC via space dimension (β = 0.17; 95%CI: 0.12, 0.21) were significantly increased the likelihood of immediate newborn care practices. ConclusionThe magnitude of optimal immediate newborn care practices was low. Different enabling factors were discovered in the study. Therefore, strengthening those enabling factors such as partner education, immunization program, IFA supplementation, early initiation and receiving ANC services, the decision-making power of women and partners, as well as scaling up a continuum of care in maternal health services are strongly recommended.

RETRACTED ARTICLE: Factors associated with decision-making power on family planning utilization among HIV-positive women attending public health facilities in Eastern Ethiopia

BackgroundFamily planning for HIV-positive women has numerous advantages. However, the need of family planning utilization is challenged by women’s nonautonomous decision-making power. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the level and associated factors of decision-making power to utilize family planning among HIV-positive married women.MethodsA facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted from March to June 2020 among 363 HIV-positive married women on ART, using systematic random sampling technique. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify variables that affect women’s decision-making power on family planning utilization. Statistical significance was declared at p-value < 0.05 with 95% confidence interval and strength of association was reported by adjusted odds ratio.ResultsOverall 55.2% (95% CI: 49.9–60.5) of the women had decision-making power on family planning utilization. Women’s having good knowledge (AOR: 2.87, 95% CI: 1.52–5.40), favorable attitude (AOR: 1.96, 95% CI: 1.13–3.38), women’s getting family planning counseling in ART clinics (AOR: 2.04, 95% CI: 1.16–3.59), women who get integration service of FP and ART (AOR: 1.83, 95% CI:1.07–3.12) were factors independently associated with women decision-making power on family planning utilization.ConclusionDecision-making power to utilize family planning among married HIV-positive women was low. Factors like poor knowledge about family planning, dissatisfaction with family planning service, not getting counseling about family planning in ART clinics, and not receiving family planning service in ART clinics were independently associated with women's decision-making power on family planning. Infrastructure linked with the health facility, knowledge, and attitudinal factors should all be combined in future family planning programs.

Desire for Birth Companionship Among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Care in Debremarkos City, Northwest Ethiopia: Magnitude and Associated Factors.

BackgroundBirth companionship is one of the components of the respectful maternity continuum of care recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). Women's desire for birth companionship needs to be given attention during the antenatal care period to make them ready during labor and delivery. There is a dearth of study about the status of women's desire for birth companionship and associated factors.ObjectiveThis study aimed to assess the prevalence of desire for birth companionship and associated factors among pregnant women in Debremarkos city, northwest Ethiopia.MethodsInstitution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from February 1, 2021 to March 30, 2021 in Debremarkos city, northwest Ethiopia. A total of 423 participants were accessed by systematic random sampling. A face-to-face interviewer-administered questionnaire was employed. The data were entered into Epi data version 4.6 and transformed to SPSS version 25. Binary logistic regression analysis was done, and variables with a p-value ≤ 0.2 on bivariable analysis were taken for multivariable analysis. Adjusted odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval was used to detect the association, and a p-value of <0.05 in the multivariable analysis was used to declare statistical significance.ResultsThe prevalence of desire for birth companionship was 57.45% (52.6–62.2%). Women who were the primary decision-maker for maternal health care services [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) =3.0; 95% CI 1.7–5.6], women with planned pregnancy (AOR = 2.0; 95% CI 1.0–3.9), women who have no bad obstetric history (AOR = 2.3; 95% CI 1.2–4.4), and women whose 1st antenatal care visit starts within the second trimester (AOR = 2.6; 1.6–4.4) were statistically significant with desire on birth companionship.ConclusionsDesire of pregnant women for birth companionship was high in this study. Improving women's decision-making power, emphasis on the type of pregnancy, obstetrical history, and early initiation of antenatal care visit were the suggested areas to increase the desire of women for birth companionship.