Usage of Maternal Health Services in Bangladesh
Countless married adolescent women, in Bangladesh experience life threatening complications during pregnancy and childbirth and also after childbirth. However, utilization of health services is far under conventional standard. The situation of pregnancy and childbirth related morbidity and mortality is worse in Bangladesh because of low utilization of maternal health services. In this paper, four dependent variables were considered in order to estimate the effects of individual’s characteristics on maternal health services utilization. These four dependent variables are- antenatal care, place of delivery, assistance during delivery and postnatal care. The analysis of this paper shows that education level is the most significant determinant for increasing utilization of antenatal care, of place of delivery at health facilities, and of assistance at delivery. Type of family has significant impact on place of delivery, and on assistance at delivery. Household wealth index and place of residence are also the significant determinants for antenatal care. Only age at childbirth has statistically significant impact on postnatal care. For raising maternal health services utilization, some long term interventions such as providing education to girls should be emphasized. Short term intervention as community education for adult members of extended families and for ever married adolescent women should be implemented.
Reference:
M Haque. Individual’s Characteristics Affecting Maternal Health Services Utilization: Married Adolescents And Their Use Of Maternal Health Services In Bangladesh. The Internet Journal of Health. 2008 Volume 8 Number 2.