Determinants of Health Facility Utilization at Birth in South Sudan

Justin Bruno Tongun, David Mukunya, Thorkild Tylleskar, Mohamedi Boy Sebit, James K Tumwine and Grace Ndeezi
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Justin Bruno Tongun: Centre for International Health, University of Bergen, 7804 Bergen, Norway
David Mukunya: Centre for International Health, University of Bergen, 7804 Bergen, Norway
Thorkild Tylleskar: Centre for International Health, University of Bergen, 7804 Bergen, Norway
Mohamedi Boy Sebit: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Juba, Juba P.O. Box 82, South Sudan
James K Tumwine: Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala P.O. Box 7072, Uganda
Grace Ndeezi: Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala P.O. Box 7072, Uganda

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 13, 1-9

Abstract: South Sudan has a high maternal mortality ratio estimated at 800 deaths per 100,000 live births. Birth in health facilities with skilled attendants can lower this mortality. In this cross-sectional study, we determined the level and determinants of health facility utilization and skilled birth attendance in Jubek State, South Sudan. Mothers of children aged less than two years were interviewed in their homes. Multivariable regression analysis was performed to determine factors associated with health facility births. Only a quarter of the mothers had given birth at health facilities, 209/810 (25.8%; 95% CI 18.2–35.3) and 207/810 had a skilled birth attendant (defined as either nurse, midwife, clinical officer, or doctor). Factors positively associated with health facility births were four or more antenatal visits (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 19; 95% CI 6.2, 61), secondary or higher education (AOR 7.9; 95% CI 3, 21), high socio-economic status (AOR 4.5; 95% CI 2.2, 9.4), and being primipara (AOR 2.9; 95% CI 1.5, 5.4). These findings highlight the need for efforts to increase health facility births in South Sudan.

Keywords: childbirth; health-facility-births; skilled birth attendant; reproductive health; South-Sudan (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
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