Determinants and spatial differential of maternal healthcare utilization in Bangladesh

Maternal morbidity and mortality is worse in Bangladesh because of low usage of maternal healthcare. An attempt, based on Andersen’s health seeking behavior model and Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey-2007 data, has been made to investigate maternal healthcare utilization by ever married women in Bangladesh. For showing geographic variation and pattern of maternal healthcare utilization across districts several maps have been made by using GIS. For finding significant determinants of maternal healthcare utilization, four dependent variables (antenatal care, place of delivery, assistance during delivery and postnatal care) were considered; and logistic regression models were estimated for those four dependent variables. Results reveal that education level, household wealth index and place of residence are significant determinant for raising utilization of all four types of maternal healthcare. In addition, age at childbirth has statistically significant impact on antenatal care. For bringing up utilization of maternal healthcare, some long term interventions, such as providing education to girls, should be emphasized. Also, short term intervention as community education for married women, about symptoms of complications during pregnancy and at delivery, about importance of treatment should be implemented. For raising mat