To what extent do community characteristics drive health facility delivery? Findings among Women who had recent live births in Nigeria

Health Soc Care Community. 2021 Jul;29(4):992-1000. doi: 10.1111/hsc.13133. Epub 2020 Aug 11.

Abstract

Existing studies have established several individual drivers of health facility delivery in many developing countries. However, the community characteristics that drive health facility delivery have been less studied across developing countries. This study thus examines the extent to which community characteristics drives health facility delivery among women who had recent live births in Nigeria based on data from the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS). A weighted sample size of 7,342 women was analysed. The outcome variable was health facility delivery. The explanatory variables were selected individual and community characteristics. Results show 39.7% prevalence of health facility delivery among the women. Findings further reveals that the community characteristics have significant effects on the variations in health facility delivery across the communities. Community characteristics significantly drive health facility delivery in Nigeria. More community-based priority actions are required to improve demand for health facility delivery in the country.

Keywords: Health facility delivery; Nigeria; Women; community characteristics.

MeSH terms

  • Delivery, Obstetric
  • Female
  • Health Facilities
  • Humans
  • Live Birth
  • Maternal Health Services*
  • Nigeria
  • Pregnancy
  • Prevalence