Ibadan Journal of the Social Sciences
Volume 14, No. 1, 2016
DOI: 10.36108/ijss/6102.41.0190
Socio-Demographic Factors Affecting the Use of Maternal Health Services In Rural Ondo State
‘Monica Ewomazino Akokuwebe’ & Micheal O Olasoju’
Department of Demography and Social Statistics, College of Social Sciences, Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Ikeji-Arakeji, Osun State
Abstract
One of the goals of the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) was to reduce maternal mortality rate (MMR) by an average of 5.4 percent every yea!: Most sue-Saharan African countries are not all track for meeting the targets pertaining to MMR in 2015. However; Nigeria has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. Global maternal deaths reduced by 35%from 526,300 in 1980 to 342,900 in 2010. In Nigeria, the MMR in 2008 was reported to be 608 deaths per 100,000 live births. Reasons for the predisposition of women to maternal mortality include the use of prenatal care, incidence of delay in clinical management, poorer socio-economic status, planned and unplanned pregnancies, induced hypertension, cardiac diseases, pulmonary diseases, and the low use of maternal health services. Therefore, . this study examined the impact of socio-demographic factors on the reported low use of maternal health services. The study utilized social action theory by Max Weber as theoretical framework Using the determination of sample size formula by Lemeshow et al. (1990), 246 copies of a structured questionnaire were administered to women of childbearing age (15-49) years in Ondo West Local Government Area, Ondo state, Nigeria. Additional data were collected through qualitative method such as in-depth interviews and key informant interviews. Results showed that respondent s age at first birth revealed that the rate of teenage pregnancy is high with 57.3% of them reporting to have had their first birth between the ages of 15 and 19 years. A majority of the respondents (65.4%) had their antenatal checks with traditional birth attendants (TBAs). Socio-demographic factors, such as age, marital status, ethnicity, number of children, age at first birth and place of antenatal services were found to be responsible for the low use of maternal health service. The implication of this finding is that relevant government and stakeholders will need to focus more attention on socio-demographic factors on the maternal health care services which will make direct and positive progress on nation s development and health care system.
Keywords: MDGs, maternal health, mortality, socio-demographic factors