Publication:

Primary maternal healthcare service utilization among pregnant women in the oil producing Nchia-Eleme community in Nigeria

Background Skilled maternal healthcare services in primary healthcare centres (PHCs) are aimed at preventing childbirth complications. This study examined the primary maternal healthcare service utilization among pregnant women in the oil-producing Nchia-Eleme community in Nigeria.

Methods A cross-sectional survey design was applied to a purposive sample of 250 pregnant women in Nchia-Eleme from February to April 2022 during an oil spill clean-up exercise. Data were collected using a novel semi-structured questionnaire. Data description and analysis were done with frequency, percentage, and odds ratio at a 5% level of significance.

Results More than half (58.4%) of the respondents completed four focused antenatal visits in a PHC in their previous pregnancy. Less than half (34%) of them gave birth in a PHC. Apart from the PHC, the other places the respondents gave birth were the trained midwife’s home (32%) and the traditional birth attendant’s facility (19.6%) among others. The most cited reason for the non-utilization of birth services in the PHC was that labour began at night and the chosen birthplace was closer to home (32.4%). Respondents with at most a secondary school education had 2.7 times greater odds of not giving birth in a PHC compared to those with at least a diploma (p<0.001).

Conclusions The utilization of maternal healthcare services in PHCs is poor in Nchia-Eleme and lower educational attainment is associated with the poor utilization. More targeted interventions to reduce the gap in ANC and birth care utilization are recommended.