Factors influencing the use of maternal healthcare services in Ethiopia

Abstract

This study examined the factors that influence the use of maternal healthcare services in Ethiopia and particularly assessed the use of antenatal and delivery-care services. Data for the study were drawn from the 2000 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was employed to explore the relative importance of a number of demographic and sociocultural variables in the likelihood of using these services. Results of the study showed that the coverage of maternity-care services was very low in Ethiopia, i.e. about 27% and 6% of women, respectively, received professionally-assisted antenatal and delivery-care services in the five years preceding the survey. The study also revealed that demographic and sociocultural factors were the most important aspects that influenced the use of maternal healthcare services in Ethiopia. The independent factors influencing the use of maternal healthcare services included education of mothers, marital status, place of residence, parity, and religion. However, this cannot detract from the relevance of service-related factors, especially in the rural areas of the country.