FACTORS INFLUENCING ACCESS TO MATERNAL HEALTH CARE SERVICES

FACTORS INFLUENCING ACCESS TO MATERNAL HEALTH CARE SERVICES AMONG YOUNG MOTHERS IN KILIMANJARO REGION A CASE STUDY OFKCMC, MAWENZI AND KIBOSHO HOSPITALS –MOSHI 1 By : LOVENESS OBADIAH (MWECAU STUDENT) Email: lovielily 2018@gmail. com Telephone: 068 286 1402 Research Results : Loveness Obadiah TITLE: Tuesday, June 15, 2021 ANNUAL NATIONAL SOCIAL WORK CONFERENCE HELD AT MOSHI, KILIMANJARO REGION - OCT 23 -25, 2019.

Tuesday, June 15, 2021 SUMMARY OF THE KEY PRACTICES Improving maternal health care services through social Research Results : Loveness Obadiah work in hospital settings to ensure accessibility and responsive service. 2

Tuesday, June 15, 2021 THE PROBLEM There a difficulty to access to maternal health care services among Research Results : Loveness Obadiah young mothers in Kilimanjaro region The difficulty in accessing maternal health care leads to difficult labor, poor maternal and newborn outcome in terms of maternal and perinatal mortality 3

FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE ACCESS TO MATERNAL Tuesday, June 15, 2021 HEALTH CARE SERVICES AMONG YOUNG WOMEN IN KILIMANJARO General objective Research Results : Loveness Obadiah To explore the factors influencing access to maternal health care services among young mothers in Kilimanjaro region Specific objectives To identify the factors that prevent the access to maternal health care services Assessing the barriers hindered access of maternal health care services Determining socio-demographic, economic and cultural factors affecting prenatal healthcare service utilization To identify the factors influencing delivery of maternal health care services in Kilimanjaro from the health worker’s perspectives as well as women perspectives 4

Tuesday, June 15, 2021 IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PRACTICE Interviews were done by the researcher to the pregnant mothers attending antenatal clinics Interviews were done in KCMC, Kibosho, Mawenzi and St. Research Results : Loveness Obadiah Josephs hospitals in Moshi municipality between May and August 2019. Interviews were done by a university student in sociology Resources were time, travel to the hospitals, meals, stationery and tape recorder. 5

Tuesday, June 15, 2021 RESEARCH DESIGN AND SAMPLE SIZE The study adopted a case study design Research sample size was 57 Research Results : Loveness Obadiah Data collection tools Interviews, questionnaires and focus group discussion Data analysis methods Quantitative Qualitative 6

Tuesday, June 15, 2021 RESEARCH FINDINGS ON OBJECTIVE NO 1 Factors that prevent access of maternal health care services were; Perceived quality of health care provided: Societal norms, Research Results : Loveness Obadiah expectations about adolescent childbearing and knowledge about maternal health care services hinder some mothers from going to seek maternal healthcare services. Education: Educated women have advantages such as access to information unlike uneducated women. Distance from health facility : Long distances from home to the antenatal clinic hinder some mothers from going to seek maternal health care services 7

Tuesday, June 15, 2021 RESEARCH FINDINGS ON OBJECTIVE 2 Assessment on barriers that hinder access to maternal health care services. Financial constraints : Fare to the health facility is not available to all Research Results : Loveness Obadiah mothers Knowledge of the service offered during antenatal clinics: Some mothers do not know where to get what services Distance from health facility: Long distances from home to the antenatal clinic hinder some mothers from going to seek antenatal services Transport system: Some areas do not have commuter services as public transport so mothers end up not attending antenatal services 8

Tuesday, June 15, 2021 RESEARCH FINDINGS ON OBJECTIVE 3 Identification of socio-demographic, economic and cultural factors affecting prenatal healthcare service utilization were: place of living 60% spouse support 40% family size 40% Maternal education 50% and employment 33. 3%. Research Results : Loveness Obadiah Social cultural factors include: women decisions on child bearing by 50% 41. 7% women lack decisions on family planning use and ability to decide to go to hospital during labour. Findings from interview indicated that, the majority of women lack ability to make decisions. 9

Factors influencing delivery of maternal health care services from the health worker’s perspectives as well as women perspectives were: Well qualified staff ensured the good quality of the services 75% 67% shortage of staff can cause maternal health problems 58% financial issues make many women fail to access maternal services 50% lack of human resources in health facility affects maternal health care services. 60% Married women seek maternal health care services about 33. 3% pregnant related problems are much experienced in older ages. Emergency cases constitute more referrals at the hospitals. Factors identified from the focus group discussion: lack of enough finance, low Research Results : Loveness Obadiah Tuesday, June 15, 2021 RESEARCH FINDINGS ON OBJECTIVE 4 support from spouse and work barrier are the major challenges that face young women to have an access to service from the household characteristics. 10

Factors that prevent access to maternal health care services (MHCs) tend to influence women to deliver at home and others give birth before arrival to hospital hence face many complications before and Barriers to MHCs led to the delay of seeking MHCs which results to the poor maternal health putting both the mother and child at risk. Women need to have an autonomy in decision making particularly on issues related to their health. Factors such as pregnancy related complications and home delivery Research Results : Loveness Obadiah after delivery. Tuesday, June 15, 2021 CONCLUSION impact the health of mother and child which sometimes require referral to hospital and cause maternal death. 11

Recommendations to the local government Research Results : Loveness Obadiah The local government should provide the critical mass of education to the community which will provide awareness on the usefulness of maternal health care services hence to enhance their capacity in terms of knowledge and well informed minds. The local government should provide the adequate human and financial resources especially to the health services. The local government should ensure that there is equity and equality at highest level in distribution of goods and services in all areas, at all time and at all levels. Also the local government should promote equal participation and equal opportunities in decision making between men and women. With regard to the perception of maternal health care services utilization, the study recommends to the policy makers to establish policies which can help to gradually create welfare in distribution of health care services, health human resource and facilities so as to help people towards their welfare especially in seeking health care services. Tuesday, June 15, 2021 RECOMMENDATIONS 12

Recommendations to Social Workers, CBOs and NGOs Social workers in collaboration with CBOs and NGOs should educate women , men and the public in general on the importance need perception for an individual to seek health services. On women level of decision making on issues related to their health as a cultural barrier, it is recommended that, social workers and NGOs as well as CBOs should provide leadership, self Research Results : Loveness Obadiah and need of using maternal health care services to eliminate the Tuesday, June 15, 2021 RECOMMENDATIONS……CONT efficacy and self esteem training to assist women to reinforce their self- efficacy and persuade them to take decision making positions. 13

Recommendations to young women With regard to factors that prevent access to maternal health care services, the study recommends that young women should develop In relation to women’s level of decision-making on issues related to their health, it is recommended that, women organizations should ensure that there are qualified women in decision making roles through advocacy at all levels. Research Results : Loveness Obadiah the sense of self –actualization to fight for their rights. Tuesday, June 15, 2021 RECOMMENDATIONS……CONT 14

• Test what you lent in classroom • Integration Interaction with social reality Personal development • Evaluate • Develop sense of self • Get connection with different profession • Discovering of new ideas Research Results : Loveness Obadiah Professional knowledge Tuesday, June 15, 2021 THANK YOU FOR LISTENING 15