Maternal education level and maternal healthcare utilization in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: an analysis of the multiple indicator cluster survey 2017/18
Abstract Background Understanding how socioeconomic factors influence maternal health services utilization is crucial to reducing preventable maternal deaths in the DRC. Maternal education is considered an important associate of maternal health service utilization. This study aims to investigate the...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2021-08-01
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| Series: | BMC Health Services Research |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-021-06854-x |
| _version_ | 1818366694267027456 |
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| author | Hanyu Wang Eric Frasco Rie Takesue Kun Tang |
| author_facet | Hanyu Wang Eric Frasco Rie Takesue Kun Tang |
| author_sort | Hanyu Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Understanding how socioeconomic factors influence maternal health services utilization is crucial to reducing preventable maternal deaths in the DRC. Maternal education is considered an important associate of maternal health service utilization. This study aims to investigate the association between maternal education and the utilization of maternal health services, as well as present geographical and socio-economic disparities in the utilization. Methods The MICS survey was employed as the data source, which is a nationally representative survey conducted from 2017 to 2018 in the DRC. The exposure for this study was the maternal education level, which was categorized into three groups: (1) below primary and none, (2) primary and (3) secondary and above. Prenatal care indicators included: if the mother ever received prenatal care, if the mother had antenatal checks no less than four times, and if a skilled attendant was present at birth. Postnatal care indicators included: if the mother received postnatal care and if the baby was checked after birth. Emergency obstetric interventions were indicted by cesarean sections. Descriptive analyses and logistic regressions were used as analytical methods. Results Of all 8,560 participants included, 21.88 % had below primary school or no education, 39.81 % had primary school education, and 38.31 % had secondary education or above. The majority of participants were from rural areas, except for Kinshasa. Overall, a better education was associated with higher utilization of antenatal care. A dose-response effect was also observed. Compared to women with below primary or no education, women with secondary and above education were more likely to receive cesarean sections. Wealth status, as well as rural and urban division, modified the associations. Conclusions Mothers’ education level is an important associate for utilizing appropriate maternal healthcare, with wealth and region as modifying factors. Educational levels should be considered when designing public health interventions and women’s empowerment programs in the DRC. For example, relevant programs need to stratify the interventions according to educational attainment. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T22:40:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c08563c2b7524677b5a2d7c606c7ab41 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1472-6963 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T22:40:14Z |
| publishDate | 2021-08-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Health Services Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-c08563c2b7524677b5a2d7c606c7ab412022-12-21T23:28:52ZengBMCBMC Health Services Research1472-69632021-08-0121111310.1186/s12913-021-06854-xMaternal education level and maternal healthcare utilization in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: an analysis of the multiple indicator cluster survey 2017/18Hanyu Wang0Eric Frasco1Rie Takesue2Kun Tang3Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua UniversityInstitute for Global Health, University College LondonHealth Section Programme Division, UNICEF HeadquartersVanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua UniversityAbstract Background Understanding how socioeconomic factors influence maternal health services utilization is crucial to reducing preventable maternal deaths in the DRC. Maternal education is considered an important associate of maternal health service utilization. This study aims to investigate the association between maternal education and the utilization of maternal health services, as well as present geographical and socio-economic disparities in the utilization. Methods The MICS survey was employed as the data source, which is a nationally representative survey conducted from 2017 to 2018 in the DRC. The exposure for this study was the maternal education level, which was categorized into three groups: (1) below primary and none, (2) primary and (3) secondary and above. Prenatal care indicators included: if the mother ever received prenatal care, if the mother had antenatal checks no less than four times, and if a skilled attendant was present at birth. Postnatal care indicators included: if the mother received postnatal care and if the baby was checked after birth. Emergency obstetric interventions were indicted by cesarean sections. Descriptive analyses and logistic regressions were used as analytical methods. Results Of all 8,560 participants included, 21.88 % had below primary school or no education, 39.81 % had primary school education, and 38.31 % had secondary education or above. The majority of participants were from rural areas, except for Kinshasa. Overall, a better education was associated with higher utilization of antenatal care. A dose-response effect was also observed. Compared to women with below primary or no education, women with secondary and above education were more likely to receive cesarean sections. Wealth status, as well as rural and urban division, modified the associations. Conclusions Mothers’ education level is an important associate for utilizing appropriate maternal healthcare, with wealth and region as modifying factors. Educational levels should be considered when designing public health interventions and women’s empowerment programs in the DRC. For example, relevant programs need to stratify the interventions according to educational attainment.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-021-06854-xMaternal EducationMaternal Health UtilizationThe Democratic Republic of the CongoSocial Determinants of Health |
| spellingShingle | Hanyu Wang Eric Frasco Rie Takesue Kun Tang Maternal education level and maternal healthcare utilization in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: an analysis of the multiple indicator cluster survey 2017/18 BMC Health Services Research Maternal Education Maternal Health Utilization The Democratic Republic of the Congo Social Determinants of Health |
| title | Maternal education level and maternal healthcare utilization in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: an analysis of the multiple indicator cluster survey 2017/18 |
| title_full | Maternal education level and maternal healthcare utilization in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: an analysis of the multiple indicator cluster survey 2017/18 |
| title_fullStr | Maternal education level and maternal healthcare utilization in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: an analysis of the multiple indicator cluster survey 2017/18 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Maternal education level and maternal healthcare utilization in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: an analysis of the multiple indicator cluster survey 2017/18 |
| title_short | Maternal education level and maternal healthcare utilization in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: an analysis of the multiple indicator cluster survey 2017/18 |
| title_sort | maternal education level and maternal healthcare utilization in the democratic republic of the congo an analysis of the multiple indicator cluster survey 2017 18 |
| topic | Maternal Education Maternal Health Utilization The Democratic Republic of the Congo Social Determinants of Health |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-021-06854-x |
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