Determinants of maternal choice of place of delivery in the Nkoranza District of the Brong/Ahafo Region
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Date
2005-11-10
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Abstract
A greater proportion of women attend antenatal clinic yet only a few get quality of care during delivery. In Nkoranza, the coverage of antenatal clinic is 90% yet about 40% of deliveries occur at home. When complications do occur it would be very difficult to provide appropriate emergency obstetric care when a woman gives birth at home.This makes child bearing in the Nkoranza district one of the most dangerous moments in a woman’s life.
This study set out to establish the key determinants which expectant mothers in Nkoranza district consider vital in their choice of place of delivery and also recommend intervention measures to bring quality of care that will eventually reduce maternal mortality in rural Ghana. The study was typically descriptive and cross sectional with both quantitative and qualitative components. A sample of 120 women from the reproductive age group in the district is used for the study. Chi squared is used for the analysis of the relationship between the independent variables and place of delivery.
Results show that the attitude of health personnel, cost of the use of facility family influence and the attitude of men towards pregnancy and childbirth are the determinants of their choice of home delivery. Proper management of delivery complications and first time of delivery are the determinants of women choice of health facility for delivery.
Majority of women have knowledge about delivery complications and the benefits of delivering in a hospital environment. Education is found to be insignificant in maternal choice of place of delivery. The cost of delivering in a health facility is round to be significantly different from the cost involved in delivering at home.
Women should be empowered through increased access to sustainable income opportunities. Ghana Health Service should organize educational workshop for health personnel to have an attitudinal change and to show empathy towards women. The theme for the workshop should be “pregnant woman centered’.
Description
A thesis submitted to the Board of Postgraduate Studies, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Health Education and Promotion, 2005
Keywords
Choice, Delivery, Determinants, Maternal, Mortality