title: Socioeconomic position as a determinant of maternal healthcare utilization: a population-based study in Namibia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Improving maternal health is one of the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) aimed at improving maternal healthcare and reducing maternal mortality. The utilization of maternal health services is influenced by several factors that need to be better understood. The objective of this study was to estimate the role of socio-economic position as a determinant of the utilization of maternal health care in Namibia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected from the Namibia Demographic and Health Survey in 2006-2007, based on survey responses from 9,804 female respondents aged 15-49 years. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed accounting for socio-economic factors associated with the use of maternal health care services.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results from both bivariate and multivariate analyses confirmed the importance of education, wealth index, place of residence and marital status in explaining the utilization of maternal health care services. Wealth index was the only consistently significant predictor of all indicators of maternal health services; with other factors being significantly associated with one or more of the indicators. Women's age and occupation showed inconclusive results in relation to access to maternal health care services.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Several socio-economic factors significantly influence the three indicators of maternal health services utilization. Effective interventions need to take these factors into consideration and to explore means that increase maternal health service utilization especially among lowly educated and poor women in rural areas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Sciences, Division of Public Health Epidemiology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. mamunur.rashid.epi@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Mamunur
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rashid
authors.affiliation: City University London, School of Health Sciences, Centre for Public Health Research, Northampton Square, London, UK.
authors.forename: Diddy
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Antai
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D004522:Educational Status; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D017533:Marital Status; D008427:Maternal Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009276:Namibia; D011247:Pregnancy; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Determinants; Maternal Healthcare Utilization; Maternal Mortality Rate; Namibia; Socio-Economic Position