Determinants of Facility-Based Delivery Among Pregnant Women Attending the Tertiary Hospital in Ondo State, South West, Nigeria.

Abstract

Background: A significant number of pregnant women in developing countries like Nigeria do not have the opportunity of giving birth in health facilities where their delivery can be supervised by skilled birth attendants, which is a major factor contributing to maternal mortality.

Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the determinants of institutional births among pregnant women in Ondo State.

Methods: This study was a cross- sectional study conducted at the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital Complex located in Akure and Ondo town between July and September 2023. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to obtain information by trained research assistants and the data collected were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Science Version 22. Descriptive statistics were computed for all relevant variables and Chi-Square test was used to derive factors responsible for institutional births with the level of significance set at p <0.05.  

Results: A total of 205 pregnant women were recruited into the study. A larger proportion of them; 193(94.1%) attended antenatal clinic (ANC) and 184(89.7%) had their last delivery in health facilities. Determinants of health facility were age: younger women (61.4%) had facility delivery compared to older women (31.5%) (P=0.722). Married women (P=0.261), living in urban area and religion had association but were not statistically significant (P>0.05) while occupation (traders, civil servants and artisans) had significant association (P=0.002) in addition education. The client’s partner’s age,  tertiary level of education, family resources, health insurance and monogamous family setting had association but were also not statistically significant( P>0.05). Others were being able to deliver in a friendly environment that allows labour companionship.

Conclusion: Most of the pregnant women had facility delivery which could be due to government’s policy on user fee removal and improved lifestyle. The determinants for this were; having tertiary level of education, living in urban areas, having high family income, health insurance coverage, having antenatal care and being able to deliver in a friendly environment that allows labour companionship. Efforts need to be intensified to encourage women to deliver at health facilities.

Key words: Determinants, Facility delivery, Pregnant women, Ondo State.