Unintended pregnancies and the use of maternal health services in southwestern Ethiopia

Abstract

BackgroundThe benefits of maternal health care to maternal and neonatal health outcomes have been well documented. Antenatal care attendance, institutional delivery and skilled attendance at delivery all help to improve maternal and neonatal health. However, use of maternal health services is still very low in developing countries with high maternal mortality including Ethiopia. This study examines the association of unintended Pregnancy with the use of maternal health services in Southwestern Ethiopia.MethodsData for this study come from a survey conducted among 1370 women with a recent birth in a Health and Demographic Surveillance Site (HDSS) in southwestern Ethiopia. An interviewer administered questionnaire was used to gather data on maternal health care, pregnancy intention and other explanatory variables. Data were analyzed using STATA 11, and both bivariate and multivariate analyses were done. Multivariate logistic regression was used to assess the association of pregnancy intention with the use of antenatal and delivery care services. Unadjusted and adjusted odds ratio and their 95% confidence intervals are reported.ResultsMore than one third (35%) of women reported that their most recent pregnancy was unintended. With regards to maternal health care, only 42% of women made at least one antenatal care visit during pregnancy, while 17% had four or more visits. Institutional delivery was only 12%. Unintended pregnancy was significantly (OR: 0.75, 95% CI, 0.58-0.97) associated with use of antenatal care services and receiving adequate antenatal care (OR: 0.67, 95% CI, 0.46-0.96), even after adjusting for other socio-demographic factors. However, for delivery care, the association with pregnancy intention was attenuated after adjustment. Other factors associated with antenatal care and delivery care include women’s education, urban residence, wealth and distance from health facility.ConclusionsWomen with unintended pregnancies were less likely to access or receive adequate antenatal care. Interventions are needed to reduce unintended pregnancy such as improving access to family planning information and services. Moreover, improving access to maternal health services and understanding women’s pregnancy intention at the time of first antenatal care visit is important to encourage women with unintended pregnancies to complete antenatal care.

Prevalence of Unplanned Pregnancy and Factor Among Pregnant Women, Ethiopia 2018 GC

“…In this study unplanned pregnancy was 29.9% among the study participants. This findings is in agreements with the findings from other studies in Ethiopia [36] and Kenya [18] but it is lower than the other studies that were conducted in Jimma 35% [37] and Hosana 34% [19], this might be due to the increased availability and accessibility of maternal health services, including access to modern family planning with time. More over this finding were much lower than the findings of studies conducted in Tanzania 45.9% [38] and Nepal 41.1% [35].…”

High prevalence of unwanted pregnancies and induced abortions among HIV-infected women from Western India: need to emphasize dual method use?

“…Significantly higher rates of unwanted pregnancies in urban areas were reported among HIV uninfected women in India (Dixit et al, 2012) but not elsewhere (Kassa et al, 2012;Wado, Afework, & Hindin, 2013) suggesting similarity in the vulnerabilities and constraints among Indian urban women irrespective of their HIV status.…”

Effects of planned, mistimed and unwanted pregnancies on the use of prenatal health services in sub‐Saharan Africa: a multicountry analysis of Demographic and Health Survey data

“…Regarding both timing and number, the influence of female education was relatively stronger than wealth. Apart from the established fact that educated women are better informed about the colossal health benefits of first trimester and optimum ANC coverage and also inclined to comply with other health recommendations , they stand a better chance of being able to detect pregnancy early and subsequently avail themselves of early prenatal health services .…”

“…Much progress has been made globally towards increasing access to, and use of, ANC, although the overall proportion of women obtaining the WHO‐recommended minimum of four visits is still small . Similarly, it has been observed that women who seek antenatal care mostly do so later than within the recommended first 3 months of pregnancy (Central Statistical Authority Ethiopia and International, 2012, .…”