COMPASSIONATE AND RESPECTFUL CARE AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG MOTHERS WHO DELIVERED IN PUBLIC HEALTH FACILITIES IN GERESSIE DISTRICT, SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA, 2023.

Abstract

Background: Compassionate and respectful maternity care is a crucial component of the health care service in the continuum of care which ranges from pre-pregnancy to pregnancy, intra partum, and the postnatal period with an enabling environment and a well-functioning health system. However, the provision of compassionate and respectful maternity care continues to be low, and contributing factors were also diverse in features. Objective: To determine the prevalence of compassionate and respectful maternity care during facility -based childbirth in Geressie district. Method: Facility- based cross-sectional study was conducted from June 01-July 30, 2023. A total of 419 mothers who had delivered in public health facilities were participated. Systematic sampling method was used to select the study participats. Data were collected using a pretested structured and interviewer administered questionnaire. Data were entered into Epi info version 7.1 and exported to SPSS version 26.0 for cleaning and analysis. Both bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis was undertaken and statistical significance was declared at a P-value of < 0.05. Rseult: In this study, compassionate and respectful maternity care was 27.9% (95% CI (23.7, 32.5)) and 29.1% (95% CI (24.8, 33.7)) of mothers who gave birth in the public health facilities in the study area, respectively. Maternal age of 25-29 (AOR=3.86, 95% CI (1.82, 8.16)) and 30- 34 years (AOR=4.57, 95% CI (1.75, 11.89)), currently employed (AOR=5.28, 95% CI (2.62, 10.67)), wealth index of 2 nd (AOR=3.70, 95% CI (1.34, 10.21)), 3 rd (AOR=3.64, 95% CI (1.31, 10.10)) and 4th quintile (AOR=9.54, 95% CI (3.217, 28.31)), grand multiparous (AOR=3.89, 95% CI (1.02, 14.80)), planned pregnancy (AOR=10.44, 95% CI (3.14, 34.70), number of providers during delivery(≤2) (AOR=2.80, 95% CI (1.52, 5.18)), type of health facility(public hospital) (AOR=2.01, 95% CI (1.02, 3.94)), and institutional level RMC index available (AOR=5.19, 95% CI (2.22, 12.10)) were found to be detrimental factors for receiving compassionate maternity care. Furthermore, likelihood of reciving respectful maternity care was found to be higher among currently employed (AOR=4.69, 95% CI (2.34, 9.42)), wealth status 2 nd (AOR=4.64, 95% CI (1.74, 12.38)), 3rd (AOR=5.09, 95% CI (1.76, 14.76)), and 4th quintile (AOR=11.88, 95% CI (3.92, 35.98)), grand multiparous (AOR=4.60, 95% CI (1.09, 19.27)), planned pregnancy (AOR=14.48, 95% CI (4.18, 50.11), mode of delivery (SVD) (AOR=2.94, viii 95% CI (1.24, 6.98)), previous facility delivery (AOR=2.36, 95% CI (1.01, 5.52)), number of providers during delivery(≤2) (AOR=2.44, 95% CI (1.30, 4.57)), and institutional level RMC index available (AOR=4.44, 95% CI (1.92, 10.24)) in the current study. Wheras, mothers’ age of <25 years and longer duration at health facility were found to decrease the likelihood of reciving respectful maternity by 82% (95% CI (.05, .67)) and 61% (95% CI (.17, .88)), respectively. Conclusion: This study highlighted that compassionate and respectful maternity care was at its low level, where less than 3 out of ten mothers who gave birth in the public health facilities in the study area received such care. Therefore, this low level of care in this community can be considered as an early warning and calls for strengthening the health systems to improve the quality of maternal health care, with a strong focus on compastinate and respectful care as an essential component of quality care.