Institutional delivery service utilisation and associated factors among mothers of childbearing age in Delgi District, Northwest Ethiopia: a community-based cross-sectional study design

Objective This study aimed to assess the use of institutional delivery services and associated factors among Delgi District mothers of childbearing age. Design A community-based cross-sectional study design. Setting At five Kebeles in Delgi District, Northwest Ethiopia. Participants The study was performed on 403 childbearing age mothers using a structured questionnaire and a face-to-face interview. We used a systematic random sampling method to select the study participants. Methods The data were analysed using descriptive analysis, binary logistic regression analysis, and multivariable logistic regression analysis. Outcome Institutional delivery service utilisation. Results In the present study, 75.9% (95% CI: 71.7% to 80.1%) of respondents used health facilities for their last delivery. After adjusting for covariates, diploma holders (adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=5.63; 95% CI: 3.77 to 8.39), maternal age at 23-27 years (AOR=6.47; 95% CI: 2.74 to 15.32), divorced women (AOR=0.30; 95% CI: 0.12 to 0.75), husband's primary education (AOR=0.38; 95% CI: 0.18 to 0.82), the distance required above 10 km to reach the health facility (AOR=0.17; 95% CI: 0.04 to 0.72) and the time required above 4 hours to reach the health facility (AOR=0.30; 95% CI: 0.12 to 0.73) were significantly associated with institutional delivery service utilisation. Conclusions The majority of respondents utilised institutional delivery services in this study. High-level maternal education, younger maternal age, divorce marital status, low-level husband education, long distances to reach a health facility and prolonged time to reach a health facility were all independently linked to the use of institutional delivery services. One of the foundations for increasing institutional delivery service use is improving mother-waiting centres for delivery services, infrastructure and transportation services and awareness about institutional delivery services. Providing counselling services for mothers during antenatal care visits or house-to-house health education on institutional delivery services for rural residents will improve institutional delivery service use even more.