Abstract:
Introduction: Maternity waiting homes are temporary shelters for pregnant women located
near to health institutions and it has been endorsed by WHO since 1996 as one component of a
comprehensive package to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality. Maternal health is one of
the major worldwide health challenges. In Ethiopia access to comprehensive emergency obstetric
care is limited. Despite long years of existence of this maternity waiting home service in
Ethiopia, the practice has not been adequately assessed so far.
Objective: To assess predictors of intention to use maternity waiting home among pregnant
women in Gomma woreda of Jimma Zone, South West Ethiopia March 2016.
Method: Facility based cross sectional study design triangulated with qualitative study method
was conducted from March 06-30/2016. Pregnant women attending ANC clinics were taken by
using consecutive sampling technique. Single population proportion formula was used to
calculate 387 pregnant women. Face to face exit interview was used to collect data by trained
data collectors using structured and pretested questionnaire. Data was checked for completeness
and entered in epi data 3.1 versions and exported to SPSS version20.0 for analysis. Descriptive
statistics were calculated. Simple linear regression analysis was done to assess association b/n
dependent and independent variables. Multiple linear regression analysis was done to identify
predictors of intention at p-value less 0.05 with 95% confidence interval. In-depth interview was
conducted for pregnant women and HEWs to collect the qualitative data. The qualitative data
was transcribed manually and triangulated with quantitative data.
Result: The mean age of respondents was 26.45± 4.762 SD years. One hundred forty eight
(38.7%) respondents had past MWH experiences. Majority of the respondents 232(77.1%) gave
their last child birth in health institution. Direct attitude, subjective norm and perceived
behavioral control had mean score of 16.78 (SD=2.868), 15.61(SD=1.918) and 12.86
(SD=4.854) respectively. Intention has mean score of 14.52 (SD= 4.012). Attitude, subjective
norm, perceived behavioral control, giving child birth in health institutions and past MWH
experiences were associated with intention to use MWH.
Conclusion & recommendation: Attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control,
giving child birth in health institutions & having past experience on MWH were predictors of
Intention. Intervention programs targeted to increase perceived control belief on shortage of
food and caring of pregnant women family should be designed & implemented.
