Risk Deciphering Pathways from Women's Autonomy to Perinatal Deaths in Bangladesh

The level of perinatal mortality in Bangladesh is one of the highest in the world. Certain childbearing practices and low use of antenatal care make Bangladeshi women vulnerable to adverse birth outcomes. Women in Bangladesh also remain considerably subordinate to men in almost all aspects of their lives, from education and paid work to healthcare utilisation. Lack of these opportunities contributes to the low status of women within family and society, and to generally poor health outcomes for women and their children.

This study investigates the risk factors of perinatal deaths in light of the low level of women's autonomy, and the relative role of childbearing practices and antenatal care in influencing the relationship between autonomy and perinatal deaths.

The relevant data was extracted from the 2014 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey. Causal mediation analysis was undertaken to investigate the effects of mediators on the associations between women's autonomy and perinatal deaths.

The risk of perinatal deaths was greater by about 44% and 39% respectively for high-risk maternal age and birth interval. Those who had received sufficient antenatal care had a much lower risk of perinatal deaths compared to those who had not received sufficient care. No significant direct relationship between women's autonomy and perinatal deaths was evident. However, the influence of women's autonomy was mediated through maternal age, birth interval and antenatal care, and the average amount of mediation was approximately 9.7%, 25.6% and 9.9% respectively.

In Bangladesh, although women's autonomy did not exert any significant direct influence on perinatal deaths, the influence was transmitted through the pathways of childbearing practices and use of antenatal care.