Maternal health care services utilization amidstCOVID-19 pandemic in West Shoa zone, central Ethiopia

Abstract

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus. Despite strong efforts that have been taking place to control the pandemic globally, the virus is on the rise in many countries. Hence, this study assessed the maternal health care services utilization amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in West Shoa zone, Central Ethiopia. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 844 pregnant women or those who gave birth in the last 6 months before the study. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select the study participants. The data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a semi-structured questionnaire. Logistic regressions were performed to identify the presence of significant associations, and an adjusted odds ratio with 95%CI was employed for the strength and directions of association between the independent and outcome variables. A P-value of <0.05 was used to declare statistical significance. The prevalence of maternal health service utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic was 64.8%. The odds of maternal health service utilization was higher among mothers who had primary (AOR = 2.16, 95%CI: 1.29–3.60), secondary (AOR = 1.97, 95%CI: 1.13–3.44), and college and above education (AOR = 2.89, 95%CI: 1.34–6.22) than those who could not read and write. Besides, mothers who did travel 30–60 minutes (AOR = 0.37, 95%CI: 0.23–0.59) and 60-90minutes (AOR = 0.10, 95%CI: 0.05–0.19) to reach the health facility had a lower odds of maternal health service utilization than those who did travel <30 minutes. Moreover, mothers who earn 1000–2000 (AOR = 3.10, 95%CI: 1.73–5.55) and > 2000 birrs (AOR = 2.66 95%CI: 1.52–4.64) had higher odds of maternal health service utilization than those who earn <500 birrs. Similarly, the odds of utilizing maternal health service were higher among mothers who did not fear COVID-19 infection (AOR = 2.79, 95%CI: 1.85–4.20), who had not had to request permission from husband to visit the health facility (AOR = 7.24, 95%CI: 2.65–19.75), who had practicedCOVID-19 prevention measure (AOR = 5.82, 95%CI: 3.87–8.75), and used face mask (AOR = 2.06, 95% CI: 1.28–3.31) than their counterpart. Empowering mothers and creating awareness on COVID-19 preventionis recommended to improve maternal health service utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Indirect effects of COVID-19 on maternal, neonatal, child, sexual and reproductive health services in Kampala, Uganda

“…The impacts of such public health measures must also be considered as to how they impact within different socioeconomic contexts, as changes to service use during the pandemic have not been universal, impacting more on those in lower socioeconomic circumstances. 43 While the number of ANC visits decreased, our delivery rate did not decline by the same amount. Kawempe hospital caters for a population of 2 million people, yet the number of women attending four ANC visits remains below 90%, although the majority of women in Kampala still deliver in hospital (94%).…”

“…The impacts of such public health measures must also be considered as to how they impact within different socioeconomic contexts, as changes to service use during the pandemic have not been universal, impacting more on those in lower socioeconomic circumstances. 43 …”

Obstetric challenges during COVID-19 pandemic: A narrative review

“…This restriction affected access to elective antenatal visits [ 13 ]. The level of maternal education, distance from maternal health clinics, and monthly income were directly related to the reduced utilisation of maternal healthcare clinics during the COVID-19 pandemic [ 14 ].…”

Assessment of Maternal and Child Health Care Services Performance in The Context of COVID-19 Pandemic in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Evidence From Routine Service Data

“…Several studies from different countries around the world showed the negative impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on MCH services [17][18][19][20][21]. In Ethiopia, some studies from various regions showed reductions in MCH services during the early period of the COVID-19 pandemic [6,11,[22][23][24]. However, trends in the MCH care services performance during and after national lockdown have not been adequately assessed, particularly in Addis Ababa, the capital city where most COVID-19 cases were detected.…”