Main Article Content

Utilization of Antenatal Care and Delivery Services in Sagamu, SouthWestern Nigeria


CA Iyaniwura
Q Yussuf

Abstract

Objective:We conducted a community based study in South Western Nigeria to determine the pattern of use of maternity services by women in a sub-urban population and assessed some factors that may influence the observed pattern among the women.
Methods: A multi-staged sampling technique was used to choose 392 women who had carried at least one pregnancy to term and information was collected from them.
Results: Majority of the women received antenatal care (84.6%) during their last pregnancy while 11.2% used other sources such as traditional herbal and spiritual healing homes. Majority of those who received ANC first attended the clinic during the second trimester (79.6%). The
places of delivery were government facilities (54.8%), private hospital (24.5%), traditional birth attendants (13.5%) and spiritual healing homes (5.6%). Higher educational status and higher level of income positively affected the pattern of use of these services (p<0.05). Perceived
quality of service at the facility was the most important factor which influenced the choice of facility for obstetric care. A considerable proportion of those who used traditional birth attendants (36.1%) used it to satisfy their husbands. Of the women who did not use government facilities for delivery, long waiting time (29.4%), poor attitude of the staff (11.3%)
and cost of care (11.3%) were the major reasons given, 31.6% gave no reason.
Conclusion: Community education, improving the socioeconomic status of women, the quality of care at government facilities and making maternity care available at none or minimal cost at public health institutions will encourage women to use the available maternity services.

Journal Identifiers


eISSN: 0189-5117