title: Predictors of skilled assistance seeking behavior to pregnancy complications among women at southwest Ethiopia: a cross-sectional community based study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In Ethiopia, about 20,000 women die each year from complications of pregnancy and child birth with many more maternal morbidities occurring for each maternal deaths. This makes Ethiopia one of the highest countries for maternal deaths in the developing world. This study attempted to assess women's skilled assistance seeking behaviour for pregnancy complications among those who gave birth.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional community based study was conducted among women who gave birth within one year regardless of their delivery place. The study was carried out in fifteen randomly selected villages at Arba Minch Zuria district, south west Ethiopia. Data was collected house-to-house using a pretested Amharic questionnaire. During the survey, 798 women were interviewed. Logistic regression model was applied to control confounders.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of the total sample, 344 (43.1 %) respondents reported at least any one of the pregnancy complications faced in the recent pregnancy. The most common complications reported were malaria (57 %), nausea/vomiting (47.1 %) and severe head ache (29.1 %). of those women who faced complications, around 254 (73.8 %) sought assistance from a skilled provider. Ninety (26.2 %) of the respondents sought assistance either from unskilled provider or home based self-care. Unable to understand the seriousness of the complications, thought as unnecessary, and family disapproval were the major reasons for not seeking care from skilled providers. Belonging to monthly household income $US25- 100 (AOR = 3.4, 95 % CI; 1.04, 11.4), getting antenatal care from a skilled provider (AOR = 10.6, 95 % CI; 3.3, 34.5), Women in the age 20-34 years old (AOR = 3.8; 95 % CI, 1.2, 12.3), Availability of transport access (AOR = 72.2; 95 % CI; 17.2, 303.5) were significantly associated with seeking assistance from a skilled provider.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nearly half (43.1 %) of the women had faced pregnancy complications to the recent birth of last one year. Majority (2/3(rd)) of the women who reported complications sought skilled assistance. Family, income, transport issue and antenatal care use were independent predictors for skilled assistance from skilled provider.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing and Midwifery, Arba Minch College of Health Sciences, Arba Minch, South West Ethiopia. lserawit@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Serawit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lakew
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing and Midwifery, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. erdawt@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Erdaw
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tachbele
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Addis Ababa Science and Technology University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. mammater.1986@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Terefe
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gelibo
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003657:Decision Making; D005002:Ethiopia; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008427:Maternal Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors