Factors influencing the receiving of postpartum care among the reproductive aged group (15-49 years) women in Rakhine state, Myanmar

Abstract

Rakhine state is located on the western most part of Myanmar which is also one of the states with highest maternal mortality ratio in Myanmar. Most of the women from that state think that the pregnancy and the delivery of the child is the natural process and there will be no problem during the process. Although they received the antenatal care from the health care providers, they tended to deliver their baby at home by the traditional birth attendants. Therefore, home delivery rate (80.00%) and the unskilled birth attendant rate (66.70%) were still high and consequently, most of the maternal death were occurring at the post-partum period. Only (30.20%) of the mothers took post-partum care from the health care providers. Therefore, the general objective of the study is to study the postpartum care status of the women from Rakhine State and the specific objectives are to identify the proportion of mothers who took postpartum care from health care providers after child birth at home in last five years ago. Also to determine the factors that influence upon the mothers to take postpartum care in that state. 278 women sample of Rakhine state (15-49 years aged group) from Myanmar Demographic and Health Survey (2015-16) were used for secondary data analysis. Binary logistic regression was used to study about the probability of women for postpartum care receiving behavior. As results, the women labor forced participation, knowledge about the danger signs for antenatal, intrapartum care and postpartum care of the women, knowledge providing persons means skilled health care providers and the delivery places are the influencing factors for the postpartum care status of the women. Providing the health knowledge with the effective way, promoting both the quality and quantity of the health staff and health facility and creating the job opportunity for the women should be planned for promotion of the care status. IMPLICATION OF THESIS. This study can point out that the health system factors are the necessary factors for reducing the maternal death and for planning the successful maternal health program.