Abstract:
Many women in low- and middle-income countries face the challenges of inaccessibility of
obstetric care in rural and urban areas including facility birth by skilled birth attendants which
contributes to maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality. Pregnant mothers who stay in
Maternity Waiting Homes (MWHs) usually give birth by a skilled birth attendant. This contributes
to reduction of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. Despite this, use of Maternity
Waiting Homes (MWHs) by pregnant women, however, is very low in Senan District, East Gojjam
Zone. Besides, there had no previous study conducted on intention and factors to use MWHs
among pregnant women in the district. The purpose of the current study is to assess intention &
identify determinant factors to use maternity waiting home among pregnant women in the district.
Quantitative cross sectional study design was conducted among 332 pregnant women from
February-March 2021. Proportional to size and systematic random sampling was used to select the
sample size. After collection of primary data through face-to-face interview, the data were entered
by epi data version 3.1 and analyzed using SPSS version 21. Binary logistic regression analysis
to assess the association between independent and dependent variables and identify the
independent predictors of intention to use MWHs was employed. Significant independent
predictor was declared at 95% confidence interval and P-value of less than 0.05 as cut off point.
More than half of the study participants (61.1%) had intention to use maternity home. In the binary
logistic regression, knowledge about maternal healthcare and obstetric complications, perceive
behavioral control towards MWH utilization, subjective norm towards MWH utilization, and
attitude towards MWH utilization were factors associated with intention to use MWHs. To
increase intention and the resulting actual use of MWHs, focus on community mobilization, health
promotion and education targeting the pregnant women and their referents including husbands,
appropriate counseling of pregnant women coming to health facilities need to be given focus.
Keywords: maternity waiting home, intention, Senan district, pregnant women