Factors Affecting Women’s Perception Towards ANC and Institutional Delivery Service Utilization in Boditi Town, SNNPR, Ethiopia

Abstract

Background; Reduction of maternal mortality is a global priority particularly in developing countries including Ethiopia, where maternal mortality ratio is one of the highest in the world. The key to reducing maternal mortality ratio and improving maternal health is increasing attendance by skilled health personnel throughout pregnancy and delivery service. However, maternal health service utilization throughout the country is extremely low. Therefore, this study aimed to assess factors affecting maternal health service utilization associated to women’s perspective.Methods:A community based cross sectional study was conducted on 310 married women in Boditi town, SNNPR, Ethiopia which were selected by using systematic random sampling method. The study was conducted from September up to October, 2015. Mean score was calculated for each respondent and categorized by 50 quartiles.Result: The study result showed that 305(98.39%) respondents thought ANC service is important while 230(74.19%) said ID is important and 310 (100%) thought childbearing is not only women’s responsibility. Based on the mean score of the respondents 78.7% of them have good perception towards utilization of antenatal care service and 77.4% of the respondents have good perception towards institutional delivery services. Education, occupation, income and age of married women were found to have significant impact on perception of institutional delivery and ANC service utilization.Conclusion:The final conclusion of this study had revealed that the majority of women had good perception towards maternal service utilization including antenatal care and institutional delivery. Moreover educational status, income level, occupational status and age of married women has significant association with perception of maternal services both ANC and institutional delivery services. Policy makers should have to advocate formal education for women and design strategy to make women utilize the existing maternal health service including ANC follow up and institutional delivery.