Determinants of continued maternal care seeking during pregnancy, birth and postnatal and associated neonatal survival outcomes in Kenya and Uganda: analysis of cross-sectional, demographic and health surveys data

Objectives To examine how maternal and sociodemographic factors determine continued care-seeking behaviour from pregnancy to postnatal period in Kenya and Uganda and to determine associated neonatal survival outcomes.Design A population-based analysis of cross-sectional data using multinomial and bi...

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Main Authors: Benedict Oppong Asamoah, Anette Agardh, Malachi Ochieng Arunda
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2021-12-01
Series:BMJ Open
Online Access:https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/12/e054136.full
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author Benedict Oppong Asamoah
Anette Agardh
Malachi Ochieng Arunda
author_facet Benedict Oppong Asamoah
Anette Agardh
Malachi Ochieng Arunda
author_sort Benedict Oppong Asamoah
collection DOAJ
description Objectives To examine how maternal and sociodemographic factors determine continued care-seeking behaviour from pregnancy to postnatal period in Kenya and Uganda and to determine associated neonatal survival outcomes.Design A population-based analysis of cross-sectional data using multinomial and binary logistic regressions.Setting Countrywide, Kenya and Uganda.Participants Most recent live births of 24 502 mothers within 1–59 months prior to the 2014–2016 Demographic and Health Surveys.Outcomes Care-seeking continuum and neonatal mortality.Results Overall, 57% of the mothers had four or more antenatal care (ANC) contacts, of which 73% and 41% had facility births and postnatal care (PNC), respectively. Maternal/paternal education versus no education was associated with continued care seeking in majority of care-seeking classes; relative risk ratios (RRRs) ranged from 2.1 to 8.0 (95% CI 1.1 to 16.3). Similarly, exposure to mass media was generally associated with continued care seekin; RRRs ranged from 1.8 to 3.2 (95% CI 1.2 to 5.4). Care-seeking tendency reduced if a husband made major maternal care-seeking decisions. Transportation problems and living in rural versus urban were largely associated with lower continued care use; RRR ranged from 0.4 to 0.7 (95% CI 0.3 to 0.9). The two lowest care-seeking categories with no ANC and no PNC indicated the highest odds for neonatal mortality (adjusted OR 4.2, 95% CI 1.6 to 10.9). 23% neonatal deaths were attributable to inadequate maternal care attendance.Conclusion Strategies such as mobile health specifically for promoting continued maternal care use up to postnatal could be integrated in the existing structures. Another strategy would be to develop and employ a brief standard questionnaire to determine a mother’s continued care-seeking level during the first ANC visit and to use the information to close the care-seeking gaps. Strengthening the community health workers system to be an integral part of promoting continued care seeking could enhance care seeking as a stand-alone strategy or as a component of aforementioned suggested strategies.
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spelling doaj-art-4b3bc108974a43bea7281dacb7d256cc2025-08-20T01:59:16ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552021-12-01111210.1136/bmjopen-2021-054136Determinants of continued maternal care seeking during pregnancy, birth and postnatal and associated neonatal survival outcomes in Kenya and Uganda: analysis of cross-sectional, demographic and health surveys dataBenedict Oppong Asamoah0Anette Agardh1Malachi Ochieng Arunda2Dept of Clinical Sciences, Social Medicine and Global Health, Lund University, Malmö, SwedenSocial Medicine and Global Health, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Malmö, SwedenSocial Medicine and Global Health, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Malmö, SwedenObjectives To examine how maternal and sociodemographic factors determine continued care-seeking behaviour from pregnancy to postnatal period in Kenya and Uganda and to determine associated neonatal survival outcomes.Design A population-based analysis of cross-sectional data using multinomial and binary logistic regressions.Setting Countrywide, Kenya and Uganda.Participants Most recent live births of 24 502 mothers within 1–59 months prior to the 2014–2016 Demographic and Health Surveys.Outcomes Care-seeking continuum and neonatal mortality.Results Overall, 57% of the mothers had four or more antenatal care (ANC) contacts, of which 73% and 41% had facility births and postnatal care (PNC), respectively. Maternal/paternal education versus no education was associated with continued care seeking in majority of care-seeking classes; relative risk ratios (RRRs) ranged from 2.1 to 8.0 (95% CI 1.1 to 16.3). Similarly, exposure to mass media was generally associated with continued care seekin; RRRs ranged from 1.8 to 3.2 (95% CI 1.2 to 5.4). Care-seeking tendency reduced if a husband made major maternal care-seeking decisions. Transportation problems and living in rural versus urban were largely associated with lower continued care use; RRR ranged from 0.4 to 0.7 (95% CI 0.3 to 0.9). The two lowest care-seeking categories with no ANC and no PNC indicated the highest odds for neonatal mortality (adjusted OR 4.2, 95% CI 1.6 to 10.9). 23% neonatal deaths were attributable to inadequate maternal care attendance.Conclusion Strategies such as mobile health specifically for promoting continued maternal care use up to postnatal could be integrated in the existing structures. Another strategy would be to develop and employ a brief standard questionnaire to determine a mother’s continued care-seeking level during the first ANC visit and to use the information to close the care-seeking gaps. Strengthening the community health workers system to be an integral part of promoting continued care seeking could enhance care seeking as a stand-alone strategy or as a component of aforementioned suggested strategies.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/12/e054136.full
spellingShingle Benedict Oppong Asamoah
Anette Agardh
Malachi Ochieng Arunda
Determinants of continued maternal care seeking during pregnancy, birth and postnatal and associated neonatal survival outcomes in Kenya and Uganda: analysis of cross-sectional, demographic and health surveys data
BMJ Open
title Determinants of continued maternal care seeking during pregnancy, birth and postnatal and associated neonatal survival outcomes in Kenya and Uganda: analysis of cross-sectional, demographic and health surveys data
title_full Determinants of continued maternal care seeking during pregnancy, birth and postnatal and associated neonatal survival outcomes in Kenya and Uganda: analysis of cross-sectional, demographic and health surveys data
title_fullStr Determinants of continued maternal care seeking during pregnancy, birth and postnatal and associated neonatal survival outcomes in Kenya and Uganda: analysis of cross-sectional, demographic and health surveys data
title_full_unstemmed Determinants of continued maternal care seeking during pregnancy, birth and postnatal and associated neonatal survival outcomes in Kenya and Uganda: analysis of cross-sectional, demographic and health surveys data
title_short Determinants of continued maternal care seeking during pregnancy, birth and postnatal and associated neonatal survival outcomes in Kenya and Uganda: analysis of cross-sectional, demographic and health surveys data
title_sort determinants of continued maternal care seeking during pregnancy birth and postnatal and associated neonatal survival outcomes in kenya and uganda analysis of cross sectional demographic and health surveys data
url https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/12/e054136.full
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