Barriers to the utilization of maternal health care in Cambodia

Current maternal mortality and morbidity rates in developing countries represent a serious obstacle for achieving the Millennium Development Goal of improving maternal health by 2015. In the world poorest regions, pregnancy related complications remain the leading cause of death and disability for women of childbearing years. Appropriate maternal care, including antenatal care and delivery care is crucial to the prevention and management of diseases and pregnancy related complications. However, despite the importance of maternal health services in improving maternal and child health, women in developing countries still attend antenatal care at low rates and very few deliver at health facilities. Cambodia is no exception; maternal mortality continues to be a major public health concern. Yet little is known about the factors associated with the use of maternal heath care in Cambodia. Using the 2005 Cambodia Demographic and Health Surveys, we first explore the distribution of sociodemographic characteristics of the sample and then we estimate multivariable logistic regression models of the use of antenatal and delivery care. Findings of this study show that parity, education, household wealth and place of residence are significantly associated with the odds of antenatal care and delivery care in Cambodia. The Results of this study emphasize the need to reduce financial barriers while improving geographical accessibility to maternal care services.