Saturday, February 18, 2012
Exhibit Hall A-B1 (VCC West Building)
One of the most significant risks faced by poor families occurs at the time of childbirth with the possibility of complications or death for mother and child. Indonesia is one of several countries in Asia that continues to suffer from high maternal mortality. Poor services and a lack of access to these services contribute to this mortality. In spite of years of supply side interventions, Indonesia is at risk of not reaching the Millennium Development Goal 5 target to reduce maternal mortality by 3/4. In particular, the province of West Java, where culture plays an important role in childbirth, especially for poor families, maternal mortality rates remain relatively high during and after childbirth. Many women choose to give birth at home where a skilled birth attendant may not be present, rather than in a health facility. In parallel with the WHO’s movement to ensure skilled care at every birth, current efforts are promoting birth delivery in health facilities for West Java families. Using the most recent data from the Demographic and Health Survey in Indonesia (2007), this study looks at the factors that influence the choice of place for childbirth among Indonesian mothers, particularly those in West Java. Logistic regression was used to analyze how factors influence the choice of place of delivery. Public and Private health facility comparisons are made as well as provincial comparisons for the island of Java. Factors included in the analysis include maternl age and education, birth order, place of residence, number of antenatal visits, preganancy complications, paternal education, and a wealth index. By understanding the most significant factors that influence a mother’s choice of birthplace, it is hoped that interventions will more accurately target those women that continue to lack access to skilled care.