Provision and Utilization of Maternal and Child Health Care Services among Women of Child-Bearing Age in Benue State
Provision and Utilization of Maternal and Child Health Care Services among Women of Child-Bearing Age in Benue State.
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to assess the provision and utilization of maternal and child health care (MCH) services among women of child-bearing age in Benue State. The ex-post facto research design was used to study 368 subjects drawn from six Local Government Areas in Benue State.
The subjects were drawn through stratified random sampling and convenient sampling techniques. A close-ended questionnaire was used to obtain responses from the subjects.
Data collected for this study were analyzed using descriptive statistics of frequency, percentage, mean and standard deviation; and inferential statistics of t-test at 0.05 level of significance was used for all tests of significance.
The findings showed that provision of maternal and child health care services to women of child-bearing age in Benue State is not significantly adequate, utilization of maternal and child health care services among women of child-bearing age in Benue State is not significantly influenced by location, by their educational status, by attitude of the health care personnel at service centres, and by cultural belief.
Based on the findings, the following recommendations were made: The Primary Health Care authorities should ensure that adequate provision of MCH services is a priority in view of its importance in minimizing maternal and infant morbidity and mortality.
Maternal and child health care centres should be located as close as possible to the communities where the people live to encourage women of child-bearing age to go for regular antenatal and postnatal care.
Health promotion programmes that centre on women with little or no education should be given at MCH centres/via the mass media with a view to enhancing their use of MCH services.
The health care personnel at MCH service centres should improve their social relationship with clients to make the services user- friendly. This will boost mothers’ use of the services.
The State Ministry of Health and other organizations concerned with health care should intensify their effort in public enlightenment on the importance of MCH services to help overcome existing cultural barriers in the use of the services among women of child bearing age.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page … … … … … i
Declaration … … … … … iii
Certification … … … … … iv
Dedication … … … … … v
Acknowledgements … … … … vi
Abstract … … … … … vii
Table of Contents … … … … viii
List of Tables … … … … … xi
List of Appendices … … … … xiii
Abbreviations … … … … … xiv
Operational Definition of Terms … … … xv
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study … … … 1
1.2 State of the Problem … … … … 4
1.3 Research Questions … … … … 6
1.4 Purpose of the Study … … … … 6
1.5 Significance of the Study … … … 7
1.6 Hypotheses … … … … 8
1.6.1 Major Hypothesis … … … … 8
1.6.2 Sub-hypotheses … … … … 8
1.7 Basic Assumptions … … … … 9
1.8 Delimitation of the Study … … … 9
1.9 Limitation of the Study … … … 10
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.0 Introduction … … … … 11
2.1 The Concept of Maternal and Child HealthCare … … 11
2.2 History of Maternal and Child Health Care in Nigeria … 15
2.3 Components of Maternal and Child Health Care Services … 17
2.4 Provision of Maternal and Child HealthCare Services … 22
2.5 Utilization of Maternal and child Health Care Services … 24
2.6 Summary … … … … 30
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY
3.0 Introduction … … … … 33
3.1 Research Design … … … … 33
3.2 Population of the Study … … … 34
3.3 Sample and Sampling Technique … … … 34
3.4 Instrument for Data Collection … … … 35
3.5 Validity of Instrument … … … 35
3.6 Procedure for Data Collection … … … 35
3.7 Statistical Analysis … … … … 36
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
4.1 Introduction … … … … 37
4.2 Presentation of Demographic Variables … … 38
4.3 Test of Hypothesis … … … … 47
4.3.1 Major Hypothesis … … … … 48
4.3.2 Sub-hypothesis 1 … … … … 48
4.3.3 Sub-hypothesis 2 … … … … 49
4.3.4 Sub-hypothesis 3 … … … … 49
4.3.5 Sub-hypothesis 4 … … … … 50
4.3.6 Sub-hypothesis 5 … … … … 51
4.4 Discussion … … … … 52
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Summary … … … … 56
5.2 Conclusion … … … … 57
5.3 Recommendations … … … … 58
5.4 Suggestion for Further Studies … … … 59
REFERENCES … … … … 60
APPENDICES
Request to Vet Questionnaire … … … … 68
Questionnaire … … … … … 69
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
Maternal and child health has emerged as the most important issue that determined global and national wellbeing. This is because every individual, family and community is at some point intimately involved in pregnancy and the success of childbirth (WHO, 2006).
Despite the honour bestowed on womanhood and the appreciation of the birth of a new born baby, pregnancy and childbirth is still considered a perilous journey.
The situation of maternal and child health in Nigeria is among the worst in Africa and has not improved substantially and in some areas of the country, has worsened over the past decade (Ladipo, 2009).
The maternal mortality ratio ranges between 800-15000 per 100,000 live births (Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey, 2003), with marked variation between geo-political zones – 165 in South West compared with 1,549 in the North-East and between urban and rural areas (Ladipo, 2009).
Total fertility rate is 5.7 births per woman and it is estimated that approximately 59,000 of maternal deaths take place annually in Nigeria as a result of pregnancy, delivery and post-delivery complications (WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, 2007).
Research (Ladipo, 2009) indicated close link between the health of the new born with the health of their mothers. About 30-40% of neonatal and infant deaths result from poor maternal health and inadequate care during pregnancy, delivery and the critical immediate postpartum period (Ladipo, 2009).
In Nigeria 340,000 infants die every year during delivery and shortly afterwards especially if the mother dies in childbirth (WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, 2007).
REFERENCES
Adebayo, B. (2010). Maternal and Child Health Status in Nigeria: A speech at a News Conference Organized by the State Ministry of Health on the First Round of the 2010 Maternal Newborn and Child Health Week in Lagos on Thursday 20th May, 2010.
Annet, N. (2004). Factors Influencing Utilization of Postnatal Services in Mulaga and Mengo Hospitals, Kampala, Uganda. Unpublished Thesis University of the Western Cape.
Audu, M.H. (2009). Constraints in the Utilization of Primary Health Care Services in Taraba State. Unpublished Thesis, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
Bamanah, H. (2004). Maternal and Child Health Project, Bangladesh Association for Maternal and Neonatal Health, Bangladesh.
Bichi, M.S. (2007). Factors responsible for the underutilization of Maternal and Child Health Services Among Childbearing Mothers in Selected Local Governments of Kano State. Unpublished Thesis, Bayero University Kano.
