FACTORS INFLUENCING PREGNANT WOMEN’S CHOICE OF PLACE OF DELIVERY IN RURAL COMMUNITIES WITHIN SAGNARIGU MUNICIPALITY OF NORTHERN REGION, GHANA

Abstract

In 2004, the World Health Organization recommended that every child delivery should be carried out under the auspice of skilled/trained birth attendants i.e., Midwives, Doctors, Nurses et cetera to ensure prompt remediation of obstetric cum clinical complications that pose a high risk for bad maternal and perinatal outcomes. This study assessed factors that determined pregnant women’s choice of place of delivery in rural Sagnarigu Municipality. In a cross-sectional analytical fashion, employing a questionnaire-administered survey and key informant interviews, data were collected from 306 mothers with ≤ 2 𝑦𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑠 since their most recent delivery using PNC and growth monitoring sessions as data collection points. The results showed that the average age of pregnant women was 29 years (29.5 ± 4.89). Most of them were married (65%), Muslims, and native Dagomba (53%). Also, onethird lacked any formal education and 56% had less than SHS education. The majority of spouses of pregnant women had up to tertiary education and were engaged in civil service. The prevalence of facility delivery was 82% and as a result, that of home delivery was 18%. The factors that affected the choice of place of delivery were socio-cultural (pleasantness of delivery experience, husbands’ preferences), obstetric (ANC service use, history of difficulty conceiving, mode of delivery and birth order), favourable attitude of health professionals, spousal antenatal deaccessioning (inter-couple consensus and the person-in-charge of decisions) as well as cost concerns related to transportation and the significance of NHIS registration. There are multiple dimensions to pregnant women’s choice of place of delivery and it is believed that multi-sectoral and integrated approaches with male spousal involvement would contribute to positive strides in facility-based deliveries and holistic maternal and perinatal health.