Abstract:
Background: -Postnatal care is a care provided to women and their babies within 42 days after
delivery. This period is dangerous for both the mother and the child because most maternal and
neonatal deaths occur within the period. Despite the importance of postnatal care, postnatal
period is generally the most neglected in developing countries and most mothers and newborn
babies do not receive postnatal care services from a skilled health care provider during the
critical first few days after delivery. In Ethiopia, where the largest proportions of births take
place at home, postnatal given by health professionals is extremely low and uncommon.
Objective: - To assess the level of postnatal care service utilization and associated factors among
mothers who give birth in the last one year in Damboya district, Kambata tembaro Zone, South
Region, Ethiopia, 2019/ 2020.
Methods: - A Quantitative community based cross-sectional study was undertaken to investigate
the level of postnatal care service utilization and associated factors in the study area. Stratified
sampling technique was used to classify urban and rural kebeles in the district to get the
calculated sample size. Then, data were entered into EpiData Version 3.1, then, for analysis
exported to SPSS version 20. All variables with p-value less than 0.25 during bivariable analyses
were entered to multivariable logistic regression model to control all possible con founders and
to identify factors associated with postnatal care utilization. Level of statistical significance was
declared at p-value less than or equal to 0.05.
Result: The over all magnitude of postnatal care service utilization in damboya district
kembata tembaro was 51.9 % (47.8-56.1). Mothers having formal education 95 % CI: AOR
=4.0 (1.71- 7.12)], gave birth at health facility [(95% CI: AOR=3.8(2.03-7.17)] ,primparous
mothers [95% CI: AOR= 3.5(1.71–7.17)] , havingknowledge on post partum complication[95%
CI AOR=2.7(1.53– 4.95] , counseling on danger signs by the health care provider [95% CI
AOR= 3.4(2.00– 5.7)]were positively associted with PNC utilization.
Conclusion: Educational status of mother, place of delivery, parity, previous experience of PNC
utilization, information/counseling on PNC utilization and danger signs by the health care
provider had showed statistical significant association with current PNC service Utilization.
