| ORIGINAL ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2014 | Volume
: 58
| Issue : 1 | Page : 27-33 |
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Utilization of maternal and child health services in western rural Nepal: A cross-sectional community-based study
Vishnu Khanal1, Ramjee Bhandari2, Mandira Adhikari3, Rajendra Karkee4, Chandni Joshi5
1 MPH Candidate, School of Public Health, Curtin University, Bentley, Australia
2 MPH Candidate, Institute of Medicine, Kathmandu, Nepal
3 Population Services International, Nawalparasi, Nepal
4 School of Public Health, BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, Dharan, Nepal
5 MPH Candidate, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, The University of South Wales, Sydney, Australia
Correspondence Address:
Ramjee Bhandari
MPH Candidate, Maharajgunj Medical Campus, Institute of Medicine, Kathmandu
Nepal
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/0019-557X.128162
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Background: Considering the commitment and investment of Nepal to reduce maternal and child mortality, understanding service utilization and factors associated with a child and maternal health services is important. Objectives: This study was examined the factors associated with utilization of maternal and child health services in Kapilvastu District of Nepal. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2010 by interviewing 190 mothers having children of aged 12-23 months using the standardized questionnaire. Results: Immunization status (97.4%) and vitamin A supplementation (98.4%) was high. However, initiation of breastfeeding within an hour of birth was low (45.3%) and 63.2% had practiced exclusive breastfeeding. Majority (69.5%) of respondents delivered their child at home and 39.5% sought assistance from health workers. The mothers who did not have any education, mothers from Dalit/Janjati and the Terai origin were less likely to deliver at the health facility and to seek the assistance of health workers during childbirth. Conclusion: The immunization program coverage was high, whereas maternal health service utilization remained poor. Interventions that focus on mothers from Dalit/Janjati group and with lower education are likely to increase utilization of maternal health services. |
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