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Use of maternal healthcare services in 10 provinces of rural western China
Author(s) -
Liu Xiaoning,
Zhou Xiaoyan,
Yan Hong,
Wang Duolao
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
international journal of gynecology and obstetrics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.895
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1879-3479
pISSN - 0020-7292
DOI - 10.1016/j.ijgo.2011.04.005
Subject(s) - medicine , prenatal care , socioeconomic status , demography , logistic regression , odds ratio , pregnancy , china , postnatal care , health care , environmental health , rural area , population , geography , economic growth , archaeology , pathology , sociology , biology , economics , genetics
Objective To explore maternal healthcare utilization in rural western China, and to analyze the socioeconomic and demographic determinants associated with use of maternal health services. Methods Between July and August 2005, 14 112 women from 45 counties in 10 western provinces of China were enrolled in a cross‐sectional study by a multi‐stage probability sampling method. The women completed a structured questionnaire, and a 2‐level logistic regression model was used to examine the data. Results The proportion of women who had prenatal care was 95%. The average number of prenatal visits was 4.94. The proportion of women who had more than 4 prenatal visits was 52.9%, and 66.9% of these had their first prenatal visit within 12 weeks of gestation. The hospital delivery rate was 86.3%. The frequency of postnatal visits was 84.8%, and the average number of postnatal visits was 2.19. Han ethnicity, higher education, lower parity, higher wealth index, and lower altitude of county had a higher odds ratio for more than 4 prenatal visits, hospital delivery, and postnatal visits. Conclusion Maternal healthcare utilization seems to be associated with socio‐economic and regional factors. The Chinese government should focus on the supply, funding, and quality of maternity services in rural areas.