Socioeconomic Determinants of Maternal Healthcare Utilization: A Logistic Regression Approach for the Case of Gombe Metropolis in Gombe State, Nigeria

Abstract

The main objective of this study was to examine the major determinants of maternal healthcare utilization among pregnant women who also gave birth to at least one child before the study in the metropolis of Gombe State. A cross-sectional data set was collected from a sample of 399 women in 11 wards of Gombe Metropolis using well structured questionnaires. Within the theoretical framework of Anderson’s Behavioral Model of healthcare services utilization, the study employed Logistic Regression Model (LRM) to empirically examine the influence of socioeconomic factors on the utilization of maternal healthcare services among women. On the whole, the results obtained revealed that mothers’ age, educational attainment, employment status, household economic status and accessibility to healthcare facility have significant impact on women utilization of maternal healthcare services. Furthermore, the findings showed that birth order has significant negative effect on maternal healthcare utilization, while cultural practices, child sex and desire to have a child were found to have no influence on utilization of maternal healthcare services among women. The study, therefore, recommends programmes such as women empowerment via skills acquisitions, establishing more healthcare centers, organization of literacy programmes and compulsory child education, particularly female by both government and healthcare organization.