Ethiopian Demographic Health Survey Research Articles

Factors Influencing Antenatal Care Service Utilization in Hadiya Zone

In Ethiopia, the levels of maternal and infant morbidity and mortality are among the highest in the world. This is attributed to, among other factors, none use of modern health care services by women in Ethiopia. According to the 2005 Ethiopian Demographic Health Survey, more than seven in ten mothers did not receive antenatal care at all. Therefore, the objective of this study was to explore factors influencing antenatal care services utilization in Southern Ethiopia. A community-based cross sectional study was conducted in Hadiya Zone of Southern Ethiopia from January to February 2009. A multi stage sampling technique was used to select the study population in one urban and five rural kebeles. Analysis was done using SPSS for windows version 16. This study revealed that antenatal care service utilization in the study area was 86.3%. However, from those who attended antenatal care service 406 (68.2%) started antenatal care visit during the second trimester of pregnancy and significant proportion 250 (42%) had less than four visits. Maternal age, husband attitude, family size, maternal education, and perceived morbidity were major predictors of antenatal care service utilization. Though the antenatal care service utilization is high in the study population, four in ten of the mothers did not have the minimum number of visits recommended by World Health Organization. Promoting information, education and communication in the community is recommended to favorably affect the major predictors of antenatal care service utilization.

Utilization of antenatal care services among teenagers in Ethiopia: A cross sectional study

Background: Teenaged women suffer from a disproportionate share of reproductive health problem. The purpose of this study was to estimate the utilization of antenatal care (ANC) services among teenagers (13-19 years) during delivery in Ethiopia.Methodology: Raw data collected from all part of the country on child bearing aged women using stratified cluster sampling method by the Ethiopian Demographic Health Survey 2005 was used. From the large dataset of women, a total of 994 teenage women at the time of their most recent childbirth five years prior to the survey was selected andanalyzed. Both bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine the differentials of ANC by explanatory variables.Result: Most (60%) of the subjects were in the age group between 18 and 19 years. The vast majority (90%) was from the rural settings and most (87%) were in marital union. Almost three out of four (72.4%) of those who had given birth has no any form of formal education. Over a quarter (27.3%) of most recent childbirths had at least one ANC service, of this, 21% had started their first antenatal visit in the first trimester of pregnancy. The majority (80.4%) of the women who attended ANC delivered at home without being assisted. The major deriving factors forthe utilization of ANC service were education level of women and their male partners, better wealth index and urban residence.Conclusion: Education of partners, rich wealth index and urban residence seemed to encourage teenagers to utilize ANC. Appropriate interventions targeting teenaged women with poor socioeconomic status is recommended with more emphasis on the rural underserved segment of population.

Determinants of adolescent fertility in Ethiopia

Background: Worldwide, adolescents suffer from a disproportionate share of reproductive health problem. Throughout the world, over 14 million adolescents aged 15-19 years give birth annually. The purpose of this study was to assess the level and identify proximate and other determinants of adolescent fertility in Ethiopia.Methods: Raw data collected from all part of the country using stratified cluster sampling method by the Ethiopian Demographic Health Survey 2005 (EDHS-2005) was used. After the data for adolescents aged from 15 to 19 years were extracted from the large data set, Multivariate logistic regression model was applied to identify sociodemographic and economic determinants whereas Bongaarts model was used to determine proximate determinants fertility.Results: Of the 3,266 adolescent women, 443 (13.6%) had given birth at least once prior to the survey and 133 (4.1%) were pregnant. Of the 443 adolescents who had at least given birth, the majority (72.7%) had one child while about a quarter (23.2%) had 2 live births and the rest 1.0% gave four live births with a mean number of child ever born of 1.33±0.6. The major factors associated with adolescent fertility were age, educational status, place of residence, employment, marriage, contraceptive use and postpartum infecundability. The odds for increased adolescent fertility was significantly higher in early adolescents (AOR=7.6; 95% CI=6.0 to 9.9), had lower education (AOR=6.7; 95%CI=4.1 to10.9), among rural teens (AOR=3.6; 95%CI=1.9 to 6.9) and currently not working (AOR=1.7; 95%CI= 1.3 to 2.2) than their counterparts. The observed fertility rate of 0.52 children per woman obtained from Bongaarts model of fertility indicated about 1.98 births per woman were averted due to non-marriage, delayed marriage, contraceptive use and postpartum infecundability.Conclusion: Since adolescent fertility is felt to be a problem, concerted efforts are needed to empower adolescents to fight early marriage, promote education and encourage the utilization of family planning targeting the rural teenagers. [Ethiop. J. Health Dev. 2010;24(1):30-38]

Family planning practice and related factors of married women in Ethiopia

The family planning (FP) practice rate of Ethiopian women of reproductive age is lower than in most other sub-Saharan African countries. To examine the status of FP practice and identify intrapersonal, interpersonal and community factors associated with FP practice among married Ethiopian women in a rural area. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with a convenient sample of 193 married women of reproductive age. A structured questionnaire, which was modified based on the Ethiopian Demographic Health Survey, was used. Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with FP practice at three levels: intrapersonal, interpersonal and community. Almost 67% of women were currently using at least one FP method and most women obtained FP methods from the public health sector. Short-term methods such as pills and injections were most commonly used. FP practice was significantly associated with willingness to use long-term or permanent FP methods in future and spousal discussion about FP. Both intrapersonal and interpersonal factors were related to FP practice. Community factors, however, need to be further assessed using various methods to plan a comprehensive and more culturally acceptable community-based FP program. Caution is needed to generalize the findings because of the convenient sample, but community-based FP programs emphasizing long-term or permanent methods and male involvement in FP counseling would be successful strategies to increase FP practice. Nurses and midwives need to be trained to provide knowledge and skills for long-term or permanent FP methods for service quality.

Determinants of exclusive breastfeeding practices in Ethiopia

Background: Despite the demonstrated benefits of breast milk, the prevalence of breastfeeding, in-particular exclusive breastfeeding (EBF), in many developing countries including Ethiopia is lower than the international recommendation of EBF for the first six months of life Objective: To assess the practice of EBF and explore its determinants in Ethiopia and provide policy makers and NGOs with relevant information for future planning and interventions. Methods: Raw data collected from nine regions and two city administrations using stratified cluster sampling method by the Ethiopian Demographic Health Survey (EDHS) 2005 were used to study the practice and determinants of EBF countrywide. Analysis was based on children whose age was less than six months and alive at the time of interview that was extracted from the women’s database. Results: The overall rates of exclusive and full breastfeeding were 49.0% and 68.2% respectively. Maternal education, marital status, wealth index and age of the child were closely associated with EBF practices, nonetheless, in the hierarchical analysis; being not married, middle/ richer/ richest wealth index, and child age 0-1and 2-3 month were retained as the predictors of EBF (P Conclusion: A range of maternal and child health attributes such as marital status, economical status and child age were found to influence the practice of EBF in Ethiopia. Actions to empower women and promotion of EBF campaign are recommended to achieve the fourth millennium development goal.

Transition into first intercourse, marriage, and childbearing among Ethiopian women.

This study uses the 2000 and 2005 Ethiopia Demographic Health Surveys to explore inter-cohort changes in women’s age at first sexual intercourse, marriage, and first birth; and to link those changes to theories of role competition, human capital, and social dislocation. We find that in Ethiopia, higher education is associated with a delay in marriage and childbearing, as well as a delay in the onset of sexual activity. While the likelihood of intercourse prior to marriage is increasing among more recent cohorts of women, sexual initiation remains closely linked with marriage. Approximately two-thirds of women who have first sex before marriage enter into marriage within one year. We suggest that the central importance of marriage for providing women with social recognition, economic security, and social honor is essential for understanding the relationship between education and premarital sexual behavior in Ethiopian society. David P. LINDSTROM , Professor of Sociology, Population Studies and Training Center, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA. Corresponding author, e-mail: David_Lindstrom@brown.edu Gebre-Egziabher KIROS , Associate Professor of Public Health, Institute of Public Health, Florida A&M University, Tallahassee, Florida, USA. Dennis HOGAN , Professor of Sociology, Population Studies and Training Center, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA.