Abstract:
Background: Maternal mortality continues to be a public health problem. Timely access to
skilled delivery in the health facility is a key to reduce maternal mortality. Maternity waiting
home was introduced as a strategy for pregnant women from rural and remote areas to close
to health facility in their late pregnancy. Apart from the availability of this service, pregnant
women intention to use the existing service is critical to its success. No study in the literature
addresses the association between knowledge of women about maternal waiting home and
intention to use maternal waiting home; hence, this study aims to assess intention to use
maternal waiting home and associated factors among pregnant women in Weyra district.
Methods: Community based cross-sectional study was conducted among 617 pregnant
women from April 06 to April 21, 2022. Study participants were selected by simple random
sampling technique. Data was collected using interviewer based and pretested questionnaire,
and analyzed using SPSS version 26 statistical package. Bivariate and multivariable analysis
using binary logistic regression analysis was done to identify factors associated with
intention to use maternal waiting home. Finally, significant independent associations were
declared at a P-value of<0.05 with 95% CI.
Result: In this study 45.2% of pregnant women had intention to use maternal waiting home.
Pregnant women who decide alone (AOR=2.14, 95% CI: 1.39-3.29) or together with their
husband on maternal health care services (AOR=1.68, 95% CI= 1.09-2.59), had good
knowledge about maternal waiting home (AOR =3.06, 95% CI: 2.11-4.44), had favorable
direct attitude (AOR=1.77, 95% CI: 1.23-2.55), favorable direct subjective norm
(AOR=1.73, 95% CI: 1.22-2.47) and favorable direct perceived behavior control
(AOR=2.07, 95% CI: 1.44-2.97) had higher odds of intentions to use maternal waiting home.
Conclusion: Overall, low proportion of pregnant women had intention to use maternal
waiting home. Decision maker on maternal health care service, knowledge about maternal
waiting home, direct attitude, direct subjective norm and direct perceived behavior control
were significantly associated with the intention to use maternal waiting home. Therefore,
multi-dimensional intervention programs need to be provided.
