Abstract:
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.
