title: Dimensions of women's empowerment and their influence on the utilization of maternal health services in an Egyptian village: a multivariate analysis.
abstract: This study investigated the association between women's empowerment and the utilization of maternal health services by women in Egypt and analyzed the dimensions of women's empowerment that are associated with increased health service utilization. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in a village in Egypt in November 2007. A total of 189 women, who had ever been married and had at least one child, were interviewed to collect data on the utilization of maternal health services, such as the number of antenatal care (ANC) visits during their pregnancies and whether delivery of their child was attended by skilled health personnel. Proxy variables on five different dimensions of women's empowerment were obtained by principal component analysis, and were tested for an association with the utilization of maternal health services, using logistic regression models. The five dimensions extracted from the data were freedom of movement, economic security and stability, support by family and freedom from domination, decision-making in daily life, and relationship with the community/participation in society. Among these dimensions, support by family and freedom from domination was the only factor that was positively associated with maternal health service utilization (regular ANC: OR = 1.38, P = 0.05; deliveries assisted by skilled health personnel: OR = 1.71, P = 0.01). Current age was also associated with the latter, possibly influenced by the recent rapid increase in the provision of health services in the village studied. Furthermore, this study revealed that a relatively high proportion of younger women still only limited access to maternal health services in Egypt.
authors.forename: Leo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kawaguchi
authors.forename: Nawal Abdel Moneim
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Fouad
authors.forename: Chifa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chiang
authors.forename: Inass Helmy Hassan
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Elshair
authors.forename: Nagah Mahmoud
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Abdou
authors.forename: Saneya Rizk
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: El Banna
authors.forename: Atsuko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aoyama
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004534:Egypt; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D017533:Marital Status; D008427:Maternal Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D011209:Power, Psychological; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012737:Sex Factors; D058992:Social Participation; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014930:Women / Q000523:psychology*; D014932:Women's Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult