Economic Empowerment of Women and Utilization of Maternal Delivery Care in Bangladesh

Abstract

Objective: Maternal mortality is a major public health problem in low-income countries, such as Bangladesh. Women’s empowerment in relation to enhanced utilization of delivery care is underexplored. This study investigates the associations between women’s economic empowerment and their utilization of maternal health care services in Bangladesh.

Methods: In total, 4925 women (15–49 years of age) with at least one child from whole Bangladesh constituted the study sample. Home delivery without skilled birth attendant and use of institutional delivery services were the main outcome variables used for the analyses. Economic empowerment, neighborhood socioeconomic status, household economic status, and demographic factors were considered as explanatory variables. The chi square test and unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression analyses were applied at the collected data.

Results: In the adjusted model, respondent’s and husband’s education, household economic status, and residency emerged as important predictors for utilization of delivery care services. In the unadjusted model, economically empowered working and microfinanced women displayed more home delivery.

Conclusion: The current study shows that use of delivery care services is associated with socioeconomic development and can be enhanced by societies that focus on general issues such as schooling, economic wellbeing, and gender-based discrimination.

Key words: Empowerment, home delivery, maternal mortality, neighborhood socioeconomic status