Socio-demographic and obstetric factors influencing choice of facility for delivery among pregnant women at Kasangati Health Center IV. A cross-sectional study.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51168/ysn25061Keywords:
Socio-demographic and obstetric factors, choice of facility for delivery, pregnant women, Kasangati Health Center IVAbstract
Background:
The study aimed at determining the socio-demographic and obstetric factors affecting choice of facility for delivery among pregnant women attending antenatal care at Kasangati Health Center IV, Wakiso District.
Methodology:
A descriptive cross-sectional design was used, and a questionnaire was used to collect data from 32 mothers attending antenatal care at Kasangati Health Center IV who were randomly selected. Collected data were analysed using descriptive statistics with the aid of SPSS 27, and results were presented in the form of frequencies and percentages using tables, graphs, and charts.
Results:
Findings show that most of the respondents, 17(42.5%), were between 26-35 years of age, and the least, 3(7.5%), were above 45 years of age. The majority of the participants, 19(47.5%), had a secondary education level, and 18 (45%) were running a small business as their occupation. Slightly above half of the participants, 21(52.5%), indicated that the distance from their home to the delivery health facility was more than 5km, suggesting long distances. The majority, 32(80%) of respondents, agreed that a history of adverse pregnancy outcomes pushes women towards facility-based deliveries, while 23(57.5%) indicated that their household income was between 500,000-1,000,000/=, whereas 24(60%) indicated that they had ever experienced malpresentation. This implies a fear of an increased risk of complications.
Conclusion:
While higher education, income, and previous obstetric complications positively drive the selection of a delivery center, physical distance remains a persistent negative barrier to care access.
Recommendations:
The administration of Kasangati Health Center IV should improve its delivery services to be competitive. Pregnant mothers residing more than 5km to delivery health facility choose a nearby clinic, which may not have good service, or delivery from home.
References
1. Aanyu, C., Apolot, R. R., Bachani, A. M., Ekirapa-Kiracho, E., Kajungu, D., Morgan, R., Nakatabira, M., Tan, H.-L., & Zia, N. (2025). Improving access to skilled maternal health services among pregnant women with disabilities in Uganda: What are disability-responsive maternal health services? SSM - Health Systems, 5, 100087. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmhs.2025.100087
2. Agaba, E., Atukunda, E. C., Matthews, L. T., Mugyenyi, G. R., Obua, C., Musiimenta, A., Najjuma, J. N., & Ware, N. C. (2020). Women’s Choice to Deliver at Home: Understanding the Psychosocial and Cultural Factors Influencing Birthing Choices for Unskilled Home Delivery among Women in Southwestern Uganda. Journal of Pregnancy, 2020, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/6596394
3. Agboyo, G., Asamoah, A., Ganle, J., & Kumah, A. (2024). Factors Associated with Use of Traditional Birth Attendants for Child Delivery: A Cross-Sectional Study. Global Journal on Quality and Safety in Healthcare, 7(2), 42–49. https://doi.org/10.36401/JQSH-23-27
4. Amanuel, T., Dache, A., & Dona, A. (2021). Postpartum Hemorrhage and its Associated Factors Among Women who Gave Birth at Yirgalem General Hospital, Sidama Regional State, Ethiopia. Health Services Research and Managerial Epidemiology, 8. https://doi.org/10.1177/23333928211062777
5. Amwonya, D., Kigosa, N., & Kizza, J. (2022). Female education and maternal health care utilization: evidence from Uganda. Reproductive Health, 19(1), 142. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-022-01432-8
6. Anguzu, R., Babikako, H. M., Beyer, K. M. M., Cassidy, L. D., Dickson-Gomez, J., Walker, R. J., & Zhou, Y. (2023). Spatial accessibility to health facilities among pregnant women with and without exposure to intimate partner violence in Uganda. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 23(1), 767. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-023-06084-5
7. Arrowsmith, S. (2023). Multiple pregnancies, the myometrium and the role of mechanical factors in the timing of labour. Current Research in Physiology, 6, 100105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crphys.2023.100105
8. Balaba, D., Bennett, C., Felker-Kantor, E., Kaula, H., Keller, B., Mugerwa, Y., Magunda, A., Okello, D., Ononge, S., & Waiswa, P. (2023). Maternal and newborn healthcare utilization in Kampala urban slums: perspectives of women, their spouses, and healthcare providers. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 23(1), 321. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-023-05643-0
9. Barrowclough, J., Crowther, C. & Kool, B. (2022). Fetal malposition in labour and health outcomes for women and their newborn infants: A retrospective cohort study. PLOS ONE, 17(10), e0276406. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0276406
10. Baud, D., Diezi, A.-S., Horsch, A, Robert, M., Schaad, B. & Vanetti, M. (2023). Informing about childbirth without increasing anxiety: a qualitative study of first-time pregnant women and partners’ perceptions and needs. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 23(1), 797. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-023-06105-3
11. Bwire, C., Halage, A. A., Isunju, J. B., Kasasa, S., McGriff, J. A., & Moe, C. L., Mugambe, R. K., Ssekamatte, T., Osuret, J., Ssempebwa, J. C., Wafula, S. T., Wang, Y., Yakubu, H. (2021). Factors associated with health facility deliveries among mothers living in hospital catchment areas in Rukungiri and Kanungu districts, Uganda. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 21(1), 329. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-021-03789-3
12. Kabahinda, A., Atwine, D., & Nuwaha, F. (2022). Factors influencing health facility-based delivery choices among young first-time mothers in Uganda: The role of antenatal care and healthcare providers. Ugandan Journal of Public Health and Maternal Care, 14(2), 112–125.
13. Lee, H., Lin, C.-C. C. & Snyder, J. E. (2022). Rural–Urban Differences in the Utilization of Hospital-Based Care for Women of Reproductive Age. Women’s Health Reports, 3(1), 20–30. https://doi.org/10.1089/whr.2021.0061
14. Oryema, J. B., Turyamureba, M., & Yawe, B. L. (2023). Factors influencing public and private healthcare utilisation in Uganda. African Health Sciences, 23(3). https://doi.org/10.4314/ahs.v23i3.83
15. Shen, H., Wang, Y., Wu, N. (2021). A Review of Research Progress on Pregnancy with Twins with Preeclampsia. Risk Management and Healthcare Policy, Volume 14, 1999– 2010. https://doi.org/10.2147/RMHP.S304040
16. Yamane, T. (1967). Statistics: An introductory analysis (2nd ed.). Harper and Row.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Suzan Oyesigye, Doreen Agabamukama, Mrs. Grace Denise Akwang, Ms. Kamiat Nabibuga (Author)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
