title: Prevalence, reasons and predictors for home births among pregnant women attending antenatal care in Birnin Kudu, North-west Nigeria.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prevalence, reasons and predictors for home birth in a rural community.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive cross sectional study which utilised a pretested interviewer administered semi-structured questionnaire to assess the place of delivery in their last childbirth among 410 pregnant women attending antenatal care in Birnin Kudu, Nigeria. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the relative effect of determinants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Of the 410 women, 248 (60.5%) delivered at home in their last childbirth. Self reported reasons: Home birth was opted for because of: lack of transportation 113 (45.6%), onset of labour was at night 104 (41.9 %), preferred birthing position 72 (29.0%), tradition 60 (24.2%), fear of surgery 42 (16.9%) and poor attitude of health workers 32 (12.9%).
  
  
  METHODS
  The odds of giving birth at home was 3.88 times higher in women with informal education (adjusted OR 3.88; 95% CI: 2.51, 6.00) and the odds of giving birth at home was 0.27 for women with less than 5 deliveries compared with women with 5 or more deliveries (adjusted OR 0.27; 95% CI: 0.15, 0.49) after controlling for confounders.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of home birth is high in Birnin Kudu and according to our respondents the main reasons for this practice are onset of labour late at night with lack of transportation and a limited choice of birthing positions. Provision of training and retraining of skilled birth attendants to assist women birthing in squatting positions would encourage women to deliver in the hospitals.
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Federal Medical Centre Birnin Kudu, Jigawa State, Nigeria. Electronic address: adewaleashimi@yahoo.com.
authors: Adewale Olufemi
authors: AO
authors: Ashimi
authors: Department of Community Medicine, Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Nigeria.
authors: Taiwo Gboluwaga
authors: TG
authors: Amole
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003469:Culture; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006700:Home Childbirth / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D009549:Nigeria; D010298:Parity; D057240:Patient Preference; D011247:Pregnancy; D012424:Rural Population; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D014186:Transportation; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Home birth; Maternal mortality; Predictor; Prevalence