DETERMINANTS OF MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTHCARE SERVICE UTILIZATION AMONG RECENTLY PREGNANT MOTHERS IN UBULU-OKITI, DELTA STATE NIGERIA

• Published in: International journal of sociology of the family Vol. 39; no. 1/2; pp. 115 - 127
• Main Authors: SALAMI, KABIRU K., DUMBILI, EMEKA, EZEAH, PETER
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Serials Publications 01-04-2013
• Subjects: Child Mortality; Childbirth; Children; Communities; Health care delivery; Health care facilities; Health Care Services; Health care utilization; Health Problems; Husbands; Infants; Knowledge; Medical personnel; Mothers; Nigeria; Pregnancy; Research Note
• ISSN: 0020-7667; 0973-2039; 0020-7667

Maternal and child health problems accounted for about a quarter mortality rate globally due to inadequate healthcare services. This study documents the utilization of the maternal and child health (MCH) services and traditional birth attendants (TBAs) among recently pregnant mothers in Ubulu-Okiti, Delta State of Nigeria. By triangulating qualitative and quantitative techniques, data was generated through 12 in-depth interviews, four focus group discussions and 226 survey questionnaires administered. Findings revealed a link between socio-cultural factors and care for pregnancy, implicating quality of service as resonated tangible in the choice of MCH services, which is dependent on the authority of the husband. TBA's medicine was perceived by mothers as helping to avoid delayed labour yet low knowledge of causes of complication was a major revelation among the TBAs. There is urgent need to further investigate the underlining factors informing mothers' perception of delayed labour as this facilitates TBAs' patronage.