Determinants of postnatal care utilization in Ethiopia: a multilevel analysis

The expansion of primary health care services in Ethiopia made basic health services available and accessible. The Last Ten Kilometers (L10K) project has strengthened the primary health care system through implementing innovative strategies to engage local communities to improve maternal and newborn health care behavior and practices in Amhara, Oromia, Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples [SNNP], and Tigray regions over a decade. Despite the efforts of the government and its partners to improve the use of maternal health services, the coverage of postnatal care is persistently low in the country. This study examined the individual and community level determinants for the persistently low uptake of postnatal care in the project areas.

The study used a cross-sectional population-based survey that measured maternal and newborn health care practices among women who had live births in the last 12 months preceding the survey in Amhara, Oromia, SNNP, and Tigray regions. Multilevel random effects binary logistic regression analysis was used to assess the independent effects of community-and individual-level factors and moderating effects on the uptake of postnatal care.

This study identified region of residence, obstetric factors, and health service-related factors to be significant determinants for use of postnatal care. Obstetric factors include knowledge of obstetric danger signs (AOR: 1.30; 95% CI: 1.05-1.60), cesarean section mode of delivery (AOR: 1.96; 95% CI: 1.28-3.00), and institutional delivery (AOR: 10.29; 95% CI: 7.57-13.98). While the health service-related factors include attended family conversation during pregnancy (AOR: 1.48; 95% CI: 1.04-2.12), birth notification (AOR: 2.66; 95% CI: 2.15-3.29), home visits by community health workers (AOR: 1.98; 95% CI: 1.58-2.50), and being recognized as a model family (AOR: 1.27; 95% CI: 1.03-1.57).

This study demonstrated that community-level interactions and promotive health services including antepartum home visits by community health workers, family conversation, birth notification, and model family, are important determinants to seek postnatal care. The findings also highlight the need for expansion of health facilities or design appropriate strategies to reach the disadvantaged communities. Program managers are recommended to strengthen community-based interventions to improve postnatal care utilization.