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

Abstract

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.