Determinants of Maternal Healthcare Utilization in Zimbabwe

International Journal of Economic Sciences and Applied Research, Volume 5, Issue 2, pp. 145-162

18 Pages Posted: 4 Oct 2012

See all articles by Lazarus Muchabaiwa

Lazarus Muchabaiwa

Bindura University of Science Education - Faculty of Commerce

D. Mazambani

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Lloyd Chigusiwa

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Samuel Bindu

Bindura University of Science Education

V. Mudavanhu

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Date Written: October 2, 2012

Abstract

Zimbabwe and other developing countries struggle to achieve millennium development goals originally set for 2015. To assist health policy making, there was an investigation of how demographic, socioeconomic and cultural factors determine maternal healthcare services use in Zimbabwe. A logistic model for four different maternal healthcare services using data from the 2005/6 Zimbabwe Demographic Health Survey was estimated. Secondary education increases the odds of use of maternal health services by at least 2 times at 1 percent level of significance whilst access to information increases the odds by 1.52 at the 5 percent level of significance. Women in urban areas are more likely to give birth at healthcare facilities or 3.49 compared to their rural counterparts at 1 percent significance level. Women from highest income households are more likely to give birth at health facilities than those from poorest households or 6.44 at 1 percent level of significance whilst the pattern is consistent for other services as well. Other important determinants are age, education, wealth, polygamy and religious affiliation. Generally, policy makers have to appreciate that these factors affect different maternal health services differently. Consequently, strategies to improve the uptake of maternal healthcare like mass media and health workers, particularly for disadvantaged sections of the population like rural areas and the uneducated, should be targeted at specific components rather than planning umbrella strategies.

Keywords: Utilisation, Maternal healthcare, Millennium Development Goals, Zimbabwe

JEL Classification: I10, I18, I19

Suggested Citation

Muchabaiwa, Lazarus and Mazambani, D. and Chigusiwa, Lloyd and Bindu, Samuel and Mudavanhu, V., Determinants of Maternal Healthcare Utilization in Zimbabwe (October 2, 2012). International Journal of Economic Sciences and Applied Research, Volume 5, Issue 2, pp. 145-162, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2155627

Lazarus Muchabaiwa (Contact Author)

Bindura University of Science Education - Faculty of Commerce ( email )

P.Bag 1020
Bindura, Mashonaland Central Province
Zimbabwe

D. Mazambani

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Lloyd Chigusiwa

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Samuel Bindu

Bindura University of Science Education ( email )

Bindura
Zimbabwe

V. Mudavanhu

affiliation not provided to SSRN

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