Maternal Health Care Utilization of Married Young Women in Bangladesh

Abstract

Abstract
The study attempts to investigate the health care utilization among married young women during childbirth and postpartum in Bangladesh. The nationwide data of Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey-2007 is used to focus on births that occurred in the five years preceding the survey period. The study revealed that during childbirth about 19 percent of respondent received assistance and above 21 percent of mother received postnatal Care (PNC) from medically trained health provider. It is found that about 16 percent of respondent have taken place their delivery at health facility during last live birth. The study adopted various statistical techniques viz., univariate, bivariate and logistic regression analysis. In Bivariate analysis, it was found that almost all the selected socio-cultural, program related and demographic variables have significant association with maternal health care utilization except the characteristic age difference between spouses. Logistic regression analysis revealed that education and wealth index are positively related with delivery care and PNC of young married women around the time of birth. The study suggests it is important that programs aimed at improving maternal health include targeting young women, especially those from rural areas with low levels of education and from poor household, given their high risk around the time of birth.

Keywords: Last live birth, maternal health, postnatal care, program related variable, young married women