title: Family characteristics and the use of maternal health services: a population-based survey in Eastern China.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Despite the benefits of maternal health services, these services are often underutilized, especially in the developing countries. The aim of the present study is to provide insight regarding factors affecting maternal health services use from the family perspective.
  
  
  METHODS
  We use data from the fourth National Health Services Survey in Jiangsu province of Eastern China to investigate the effect of family characteristics on the use of maternal health services. Family characteristics included whether or not living with parents, age of husband, husband's education, and husband's work status as well as family economic status. Demographic variables, social and environmental factors, and previous reproductive history were taken as potential confounders. Multiple logistic regression models were used to examine the independent effects of the family characteristic variables on maternal health service utilization.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The data indicate that the percentages of prenatal care, postnatal visits and hospital delivery were 85.44, 65.12 and 99.59 % respectively. Living with parents was associated with less use of prenatal care and husband's age, education and employment status had no effect on the use of prenatal care after adjusting for potential confounding variables.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that maternal health education (especially the role of prenatal care) needs to be extended beyond the expectant mothers themselves to their parents and husbands. The difference of health care delivery as a result of traditional family culture may highlight the differences in factors influencing the use of postnatal visits and those influencing the use of prenatal care; which may be worthy of further study.
authors: Family Planning Research Institute, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.
authors: Ling
authors: L
authors: Zhang
authors: Health Statistic and Data Center of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing, China.
authors: Chengbing
authors: C
authors: Xue
authors: Public Health School, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hangkong Road 13, Wuhan, Hubei China.
authors: Youjie
authors: Y
authors: Wang
authors: Public Health School, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hangkong Road 13, Wuhan, Hubei China.
authors: Liuyi
authors: L
authors: Zhang
authors: Public Health School, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Hangkong Road 13, Wuhan, Hubei China.
authors: Yuan
authors: Y
authors: Liang
keywords: Family characteristics; Maternal health care use; Postnatal visits; Pregnant women; Prenatal care