Gurmu, Eshetu (PhD)Asrat, Woldesenbet2018-09-192023-11-182018-09-192023-11-182012-06http://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/12345678/11992Each year, more than 358,000 women worldwide die from childbirth related complications. Utilization of maternal health care services could save some of the unnecessary severe complications and death among women during pregnancy, delivery and after child birth. Numerous factors contributed to maternal mortality such as characteristics of the women and the husband in which she is living, the type of illness that she encounters as well as effectiveness of the health care system available in the surrounding. The purpose of thi s study is to investi gate the social, economic and demographic factors that affect women's use of maternal health care services in Bolososore woreda, Wolaita zone of SNNPR. The survey was cross-sectional in des ign and conducted from January 20 to February 5, 201 2. A total of 633 women aged 15-49 who have had at least one live birth in the five years preceding the survey were selected using systematic random sampling. Bivariate and multivariate analytical techniques are used assess the relationship between social, economic and demographic factors and the maternal health care service utilization. The result of the study showed that about 59%, 93% and 81 % of women did not receive antenatal care (ANC), del ivery care (DC) and skilled ass istance during delivery, respectively. Skill of HEWs in respondent opinion, women's work status, women's and husbands ' education and Women's exposure to media had a statically significant relationship wi th the utilization of antenatal care, modern delivery care and skilled assistance during delivery. Except Birth order other socio-economic and demographic variables are signi ficantly associated with all fo rms of maternal health care. The results of logistic regression indicate that Skill of HEWs in respondent opinion, women's work status, women' s and husband's education and Women's exposure to media remain the most significant variables affecting all forms of antenatal and delivery care utilization. Finding of the study, in general, showed that, improving the quality/skill of HEWs in respondent opinion, providing long term education of women and their husbands' as well as mass media campaigns promoting health education would enhance low utilization level and coverage of maternal health care service in the area.enSocio-Economic and Demograpi-Iic DeterminantsThesis