Influence of Women's Knowledge on Maternal Health Care Utilization in Southern Laos

Abstract

This study aims to clarify women's knowledge on obstetric care and to analyse the situation of maternal health care (MHC) utilization in southern Laos. Face to face structured questionnaire and focus group discussions were carried out for 205 mothers aged 29.6 ± 6.7 who had children under the age of five. Three measurements of MHC utilization comprised: 1) antenatal care (ANC), 2) tetanus toxoid (TT) inoculation, and 3) attendance delivery by health professional. Women's knowledge on obstetric care was scored. Women's knowledge was positively correlated with ANC and TT inoculation. It was found that the women with strong superstitious belief were less likely to utilize all three types of MHC than the others. Accessibility to health care facilities strongly affected ANC and attendance delivery. Enhancing women's knowledge on obstetric care and reducing barriers related with sociocultural beliefs are essential to improving maternal health in southern Laos. Asia Pac J Public Health 2001;13(1):13-19

Keywords

Women knowledge behaviour maternal health care utilization Laos.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Unicef. Dying in Childbirth. UNICEF Programming for Reduction of Maternal Mortality. Vientiane: UNICEF, 1996.

Unicef. The State of the World's Children. Education, Vientiane: UNICEF, 1999.

Fauveau VA The Lao People's Democratic Republic: maternal mortality and female mortality: determining causes of deaths. World Health Stat Q 1995; 48:144-6.

Institute of Maternal and Child Health. A Reproductive Health Needs Assessment in Lao PDR Vientiane : Ministry of Health, Lao PDR, 1999 .

Martey JO , Djan JO , Twum S. , Opoku SA Utilization of Maternal Health Services in Ejisu District, Ghana. West Afr J Med 1995;14: 24-8.

Perry H. , Weierbach R, Hossain I, Islam R. Tetanus Toxoid immunization coverage among women in zone 3 of Dhaka city: the challenge of reaching all women of reproductive age in urban Bangladesh. Bull WHO 1998; 76: 449- 57.

Ellencweig AY , Palti H. , Neumark Y. , Donchin M. Factors affecting the utilization of prenatal health care services in Jerusalem. J Community Health 1993; 18: 109-20.

Toan NV , Trong PV , Hojer B. , Persson LA , Sundstrom K.

Utilization of reproductive health services in rural Vietnam; are there equal opportunities to plan and protect pregnancies?

J Epidemiol Community Health 1996; 50: 451-5.

Wong EL , Popkin BM , Guilkey DK , Akin JS Accessibility, quality of care and prenatal care use in the Philippines. Soc Sci Med 1987; 24: 927-44.

10.

Zhang X. , Wang L. , Zhu X. , Wang K. Knowledge attitudes and practice in immunization in China. Soc Sci Med 1999; 49: 1125-7.

11.

New Internationalist. The World Guide; A view from the south. Institutodel-Tercer Mundo, UK, 1997/ 98.

12.

Unicef. Children and their Families in the Lao People's Democratic Republic: A Situation Analysis. Vientiane: UNICEF, 1996.

13.

Boupha B. , Dalaloy P. Health Transition and Health Sector Reform in Lao PDR. Proceedings of International Symposium on Health transition and health sector Reform in Asia, June 27-28, 1997, Tokyo, Japan

14.

Spring MA , Ross PJ , Etkin NL , Deinard AS Sociocultural factors in the Use of Prenatal Care by Hmong Women, Minneapolis . Am J Public Health 1995; 85: 1015-7.

15.

Doangmala S. National Institute of Health and Epidemiology: Immunization in Practice: Ministry of Health, Lao PDR, 1997.

16.

Institute of Maternal and Child Health. Country Report on Reproductive Health and Birth Spacing Program in Lao PDR, Vientiane: Ministry of Health, Lao PDR , 1997.

17.

Chiwuzie J. , Okolocha C. , Okojie O. , Onoguwe B. Sociocultural aspects of haemorrhage in pregnancy . World Health Forum 1997; 18: 185-93.

18.

Brieger WR , Luchok KJ , Eng E. , Earp JA Use of maternity services by pregnant women in a small Nigerian community . Health Care Women Intl 1994;15: 101-10.

19.

Oosterbaan MM , da Costa MV. Guinea-Bissau: what women know about the risks-an anthropological. World Health Stat Quart 1995; 48: 39-43.

20.

Raghupathy S. Education and the use of maternal health care in Thailand. Soc Sci Med 1996; 43: 459-71.

21.

Backe B. , Nakling J. Effectiveness of antenatal care: a population based study. Br J Obstet Gynaecol 1993; 100: 727-32.

22.

Hall MH , Chng PK , MacGillivray I.

Is routine antenatal care worthwhile?

Lancet 1980; 2: 78-80.

23.

DeleveyA, Sauerbom R , Diesfeld HJ Utilization of health care in an African urban areas: result from a household survey in Ouagadougou, Burkina-Faso . Soc Sci Med 1996; 43: 1611-9.