Factors Associated with Woman in Child Bearing Age Not Wanting to Deliver in a Health Facility Despite Antenatal Care Attendance, in Kakamega Central Sub-County

Abstract

Background

Despite a large proportion of women attending ANC during pregnancy, a significant percentage still avoid delivering at the health facility thus increasing the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes and death. Knowledge of factors associated with the women`s decision against health facility delivery is limited. The main objective of this study is to examine factors associated with women`s decision against health facility delivery despite ANC attendance in Kakamega Central Sub-County, Kakamega county, Kenya.

Methodology

Design: A community based cross sectional study.

Sample size: 302 women who attended ANC but did not deliver in a health facility.

Sampling. Simple random sampling

Analysis. Analyzed using SPSS V19. The statistical significance level was set at p<0.05. Descriptive statistics and associations-using chi-square was utilized.

Results: Significant associations between education level of the women and poor staff availability and unfriendliness (P=0.049), Marital status and high cost of delivery (p=0.050), parity with poor preparatory service (p=0.000), long distance (p=0.000), high cost of delivery (p=0.000) and poor staff availability and unfriendliness (p=0.000) and other costs and health facility delivery (p=0.0063) were found to be some of the factors discouraging women from Kakamega Central sub-county from delivering in a healthy facility.

Conclusion and recommendation

Women need to be empowered economically, mentally and socially in order for them to make sound decisions when it comes to delivery.

Keywords: Antenatal care attendance, Health facility delivery, Kakamega Central Sub-County.