Effect of Socio-demographic Status, Knowledge, and Attitude on Utilisation of Safe Delivery Practices among Mothers of Children attending Child Welfare Clinics in Osogbo, Nigeria

Background: Previous studies on attendance at delivery by skilled personnel have neglected childbearing women’s knowledge and attitude towards safe delivery practices. This study assessed factors influencing utilisation of safe delivery services among mothers of under-five children attending child welfare clinics in Osogbo. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study conducted at child welfare clinics in Osogbo, Nigeria. Respondents were selected using a multistage sampling technique. Data was collected using a semi-structured, interviewer-administered questionnaire and analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 23. Statistical association between safe delivery practices and socio-demographic factors, knowledge of and attitude towards safe delivery practices were determined using logistic regression and p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Four hundred out of the 420 eligible respondents completed the questionnaire giving a response rate of 95.2%. More than half of the respondents; 223 (55.8%) were < 30 years old. Many respondents; 193 (48.3%) and their spouses; 229 (57.2%) had attained tertiary education. Almost all respondents; 389 (97.3%) attended antenatal care during their last pregnancies. Utilisation of skilled birth attendants was associated with antenatal clinic attendance in last pregnancy (p<0.001). Conclusion: The factors associated with utilisation of safe delivery services were respondent’s ages, educational attainment of the respondents and their spouses, and respondents’ attendance at antenatal clinic in last pregnancy. Implementation research on measures to promote antenatal and delivery services by skilled birth attendants is needed in order to increase utilisation of safe delivery practices by mothers.