Factors Affecting the Selection of Institutional Delivery among Tribal Women in Bangladesh

Abstract

Background: Safe maternity is a global issue with the ongoing discussion of ways to reduce mortality. This problem is prevalent among women from low-income countries such as Bangladesh. Hence, this study evaluated the factors affecting delivery practices among tribal women in Bangladesh Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT). Method: This is an analysis of cross-sectional research.  To achieve the sample size of 556 married women, a convenient sampling technique was used. In a semi-structured questionnaire, data were collected. Associations were tested using Chi-square ( ) tests, and multivariate regression analysis was applied to elicit results from the data. Result: Result from the present study shows that most deliveries (66%) occur at home. Of this quantity, 50% of births were facilitated by untrained traditional midwives, 12% by trained conventional birth caregivers, and 4% by relatives and neighbors. Wealth index, place of dwelling, women’s educational level, age at first childbirth, range to health care, and profession of the husband have all significantly contributed to the approach to delivery. Conclusion: This study concludes that institutional delivery (34%) is poor among tribal women of Bangladesh. Factors limiting the adoption of institutional delivery by these tribal women should be managed adequately via awareness campaigns and improving the socio-economic status of the tribal people of CHT. Keywords: Delivery care; Institutional delivery; Choice of the birthplace; Skilled birth attendant (SBA); Traditional birth attendants (TBA); Trained birth attendants (TTBA); Home delivery