Abstract
BACKGROUND: Completion of maternal health care (MHC) services during pregnancy, childbirth, and postnatal care is crucial for reducing maternal and newborn mortality. However, a low proportion of mothers achieve this continuum, especially in rural and peri-urban areas. This study aimed to determine maternal health care service utilization. METHODS: A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted over two months at an out-patient facility in Northern Uganda. A structured interviewer-administered questionnaire was used, covering individual, cultural, and family characteristics and the utilization of MHC services. Both bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed. Variables with p ≤ 0.05 in the bivariable analysis were included in the multivariable analysis to identify factors significantly associated with completion. RESULTS: In this study, only 14% of participants had completed MHC services along the care continuum, which included four or more antenatal care visits/contact with skilled health professionals, skilled delivery, and postnatal care. Factors that are significantly associated with the completion of maternal care include; age (aOR = 0.24, 95% CI: 0.09-0.61, p = 0.013), women who were 30 or less years of age nearly 70% higher chance of MHC service completion along the continuum, and participants' nationality (aOR = 2.65, 95% CI: 1.19-8.85 p = 0.05) with women from the Democratic Republic of Congo nearly three times likely to complete MHC services along the continuum. CONCLUSIONS: There is need to continuously sensitize women about the relevance maternal health services along the continuum to improve utilization and completion MHC services along the continuum. Interventions should focus on encouraging early initiation of antenatal care and possibly provide individualized and women cantered messages.