[Use of maternal health care services in poor regions in Sichuan]

To undertake a research into the maternal health care services and its determinants in poor regions in Sichuan province.

Stratified cluster sampling strategy was employed to select the participants who had pregnancy since 1998 to complete the interview administered "maternal health care questionnaire". A total of 462 women participated in thè study.

Of the 462 women, 387 received prenatal care services, the most common maternal health care services. Only 144 women got post-natal visits at least once. Maternal age and education had significant impacts on the use of maternal health care services including prenatal examinations and birth in hospitals (P<0.05). Low-income (< Yen 1000) women used less maternal health care services than the high-income (> Yen 5000) women (P<0.05). The women who were covered by the cooperative medical insurance scheme and poverty alleviation scheme used more prenatal care and post-natal services and were more likely to deliver babies in hospitals than those who paid the services entirely out of pocket (P<0.05).

Poor social and economical situation has a detrimental impact on the use of maternal health care services, which might be associated with poor education and low financial capacities of the women.