Background: Delay to timely healthcare contributes to high maternal mortality and morbidity in developing countries. The “three delay model” has been used extensively to investigate factors relating to maternal mortality. In developing countries, 1 in 16 dies, compared to one in 2800 in the developed countries due to pregnancy-related complications. This study aimed to determine the predictors of delays in Emergency Obstetric Care to contribute to a reduction in maternal and infant mortality.
Methods: This was a community-based cross-sectional study. The participants were women of reproductive age selected from four villages of the Tubah Health District. Sampling was done using a multistage sampling technique in which reproductive-age women at Tubah Health District were administered a structured questionnaire. Delay was considered at three levels which included: delay in deciding to seek care (first delay), delay in reaching the health facility (second delay) and delay in receiving care at the level of the Health facility (third delay). Univariate and multivariate regressions were used to determine the predictors of delay at each level of delay.
Results: Out of 420 participants, 226(53.8%) delayed in deciding to go to the Health facility and had: Maternal age (p= 0.002), Household income (p= 0.003), decision maker for obstetric care (p= 0.042) and antenatal care (p= 0.022) as significant predictors. For the second delay, 124 (29.5%) were delayed, maternal age (p=0.022) being the main predictor. 246 participants (58.6%) were delayed in receiving care at the level of the health facility and the significant predictor was low maternal age (p=0.018).
Conclusion: Predictors of the first delay were: maternal age, household income, decision maker for obstetric care, and antenatal care. The main predictor of the second delay was young maternal age; for the third delay, the significant predictor was still maternal age. Young maternal was found to be a major predictor at all levels of delay.
Emergency Obstetric Care, Maternal Mortality, Three Delays Model, Access to Healthcare.