AUTHOR=Shanto Hasibul Hasan , Al-Zubayer Md. Akib , Ahammed Benojir , Sarder Md. Alamgir , Keramat Syed Afroz , Hashmi Rubayyat , Haque Rezwanul , Alam Khorshed 

TITLE=Maternal Healthcare Services Utilisation and Its Associated Risk Factors: A Pooled Study of 37 Low- and Middle-Income Countries

JOURNAL=International Journal of Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 68 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.ssph-journal.org/journals/international-journal-of-public-health/articles/10.3389/ijph.2023.1606288

DOI=10.3389/ijph.2023.1606288

ISSN=1661-8564

ABSTRACT=Objectives
The utilisation of maternal healthcare services (MHS) can play an essential role in reducing maternal deaths. Thus, this study examines the prevalence and factors associated with MHS utilisation in 37 low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs). 

Methods
A total of 259,745264,123 women were obtained from the Demographic and Health Surveys of 37 LMICs. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify the factors associated with maternal healthcare services utilisation. 

Results
Around one-third (33.7%) of the respondents properly utilise MHS among women of childbearing age. In the pooled sample, the odds of MHS utilisation were significantly higher with the increase in wealth index, women’s age, age at the first birth, and husband’s/partner’s education. Urban residence (AOR [adjusted odds ratio]= 1.56; 95% CI [confidence interval]: 1.49-1.64), women’s autonomy in health care decision-making (AOR= 1.19; 95% CI: 1.15-1.24) and media exposure (AOR= 1.70; 95% CI: 1.58-1.83) were found to be the strongest positive factors associated with utilization of MHS. In contrast, larger family (AOR= 0.93; 95% CI: 0.91-0.96), and families with 7 or more children (AOR=0.72; 95% CI: 0.68-0.77) were significantly negatively associated with MHS utilisation.