Thesis:

Determinants of postnatal care utilization among women aged 18 – 49 years in Ngong ward, Kajiado county, Kenya

In spite of evidence showing that Post Natal Care (PNC) reduces mother and baby morbidity and mortality, it is the most underutilized in the essential continuum of care. In Kenya, only around 51% of women have access to postnatal care services from a trained professional. Therefore need to assess the factors that influence the frequency with which these services are utilized. The objective of the study was to investigate factors that determine the utilization of postnatal care services among women aged 18- 49 years in Ngong Ward. Specifically, the study focused on the socio-demographic and client related factors that influence postnatal care services utilization among the respondents. 354 mothers were surveyed using an analytical cross-sectional research design in the Ngong ward. Household mothers who had a child less than one year old were considered for participation. Quantitative data was examined using SPSS version 21, and information was gathered via the use of a structured questionnaire. Chi-square test and logistic regression were used to look for correlations between the variables, and those that had a p-value of 0.05 were regarded to indicate statistical significance. 55.3 percent of the respondents, or slightly more than half, were married. The majority of the women (87.0%) had less than three children, and less than half (44.3%) of the women surveyed had a secondary education. Only 15% of the women had been advised to attend PNC services by the healthcare professionals. Information regarding postnatal care services (p=0.000), place of previous birth (p=0.012), attendance at prenatal clinics during their most recent pregnancy (p=0.000), and marital status (p=0.016) were the factors that determined the use of PNC services. The factors of marital status, place of delivery, perceived information, and service knowledge all significantly contributed to the utilization of PNC services. The study therefore recommends that the county government through community health strategy advocate for increase in the use of PNC services; these initiatives could focus on those with low levels of education and socio- economic status. The healthcare providers would be encouraged to provide patients with information about PNC services as well as schedule them for appointments thus enhance PNC services uptake.