Quality of antenatal care and household wealth as determinants of institutional delivery in Pakistan: Results of a cross-sectional household survey

Publish Date: July 2016
Author: Sohail Agha and Emma Williams
Language: English

This article, published in the journal Reproductive Health, highlights the results of a household survey of 4,000 married women who had given birth in the two years before the survey was conducted in Sindh province, Pakistan. The survey collected data on socio-economic and demographic variables, the quality of antenatal care provided during a woman’s last pregnancy, and whether she delivered at a health facility.

The authors conclude that the quality of antenatal care provided to a woman during her pregnancy is more strongly associated with institutional delivery than household wealth. Therefore, improving the quality of care at health facilities in Sindh should be the foremost priority, as improving the quality of antenatal care services is likely to contribute to rapid increases in skilled birth attendance and better health outcomes for women and children.

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