Assess the Knowledge, Utilization & Barrier of Non-Utilization Regarding Maternal Health Services

Abstract

Background: Maternal health services refer to the promotive, preventive, curative and rehabilitative care
of mothers. Antenatal care is the care of women during pregnancy the main aim of care is to achieve at the
end a healthy baby from healthy mother. Antenatal mothers should be educated regarding regular antenatal
checkups, diet, personal hygiene, adequate rest, sleep, exercise, immunization, warning signs of pregnancy
and child care.
Methods: Descriptive study to assess the knowledge, barriers of non- utilization regarding Maternal Health
services. The data was collected using structured knowledge questionnaire and utilization and barriers to
non-utilization checklist from 60 postnatal mothers up to 3 months after delivery.
Result: The study result showed that women 78.34% had average knowledge and 21.66% had good
knowledge regarding maternal health services. Social barriers for non-utilization were family pressure,
shyness, poor transportation and illiteracy. Economic barriers for non-utilization were health expenditure
perceived as waste, unemployment, low socio economic status and large family size respectively. Cultural
barriers for non-utilization were lack of formal education and religious practices respectively, family
members disapproved superstition. There was no significant association between knowledge, utilization and
barrier on non-utilization of maternal health services and selected demographic variables.
Conclusion: The study concluded that postnatal mothers had average knowledge and there is need to create
awareness on maternal health services launched by the government of India. Low socioeconomic condition,
early marriage and pregnancy, inappropriate antenatal health check-up, and cultural taboos were significant
factors affecting the satisfactory utilization of services among mothers. Hence, there is a need to emphasize
on utilization and eradicate barriers related to non-utilization of maternal health services