Assessment of Postnatal Care Utilization and Associated factors in Asella town, Regional State of Oromia, Ethiopia
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Date
2015-05
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Addis Abeba Universty
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Most maternal and neonatal deaths occur during the first 24 hours after
childbirth. Utilization of postnatal care prevents the maternal mortality and morbidity.
OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study is to assess the postnatal care utilization and associated
factors in Asella town, Regional State of Oromia, Ethiopia.
METHODS: A community based cross-sectional study supported by a qualitative study conducted
from March-April, 2015 in Asella town to assess the utilization of postnatal care services and
associated factors among women who had given birth in the last one year prior to the study. A
multistage sampling technique was used to select participants in the study. The total sample size in
this study was 630 mothers. A structured questionnaires and focus group discussions were used to
collect the data. Data were entered, cleaned and coded into EPI info and exported to SPSS version
20 for the quantitative study. Thematic framework analysis was implemented manually for the
qualitative type of study.
RESULTS: Results of this study revealed that majority of mothers were sought ANC visit during
their recent pregnancy and 98.6% of the respondents were delivered at health facilities. However
65% of women did not received PNC services. The most frequent reasons for not obtaining PNC
services were due to lack of awareness, apparently healthy, shortage of money and cultural barriers.
In this study the following factors were identified as having an important predictors in the utilization
of PNC services Husband’s occupation (self employed husbands) with (AOR=6.433, 95% CI=1.72-
24.03), number of ANC visit (four times and above) (AOR=2.614, 95%CI= 1.71-9.57), and decision
making power of the mother (AOR=13.828, 95%CI= 1.39-137.28) were statistically significant
associations with the utilization of PNC service. Another important reason which was indicated by
FGD participants was lack of willingness and unfriendly approach by some health professionals in
government health facilities may hinder mothers from utilization of PNC services.
Conclusion: This study revealed that utilization of PNC in Asella town is low compared to other
studies previously done in Ethiopia. To increase utilization of PNC coverage and reduce maternal
and neonatal mortality mothers should obtain more appropriate education and quality ANC, delivery
and PNC services. The results of this study may be useful for policy makers to develop appropriate
strategies to improve utilization of PNC services.
Key words: PNC services. Utilization. ANC visit. Asella town.
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Keywords
PNC services. Utilization. ANC visit. Asella town.