Satisfaction of Mothers in the Puerperium Period With the Quality of Inpatient Stay: A Cross-Sectional Study in Mogadishu Public Hospitals.

Aim: To evaluate the satisfaction of mothers in the puerperium with the quality of their inpatient stay and determine the associated factors.

Design: A cross-sectional descriptive hospital-based study.

Methods: The study was conducted from May to December 2022. We stratified major hospitals in the city based on location, bed capacity and service delivery and surveyed 611 inpatient mothers using a convenience sampling method. Pretested structured questionnaires adapted from similar literature were used. Respondents' characteristics were summarised descriptively. We used a t-test to examine the level of maternal satisfaction and multivariate logistic regression at a 5% (p < 0.05) significant level to determine the associated factors. We employed the STROBE checklist for manuscript reporting.

Results: Three-quarters (74.3%) of the mothers were satisfied with the quality of the inpatient stay. The item with the highest mean rating was 'hospital choice' (M = 4.21, p = 0.002), while 'attitudes of care providers' (M = 3.92, p < 0.001) remained the lowest, 5.00 being the maximum score. In multivariate analysis, marital status, educational level, monthly income, residence, frequency of visits and hospital ward were associated with decreased odds of satisfaction. On the contrary, fewer days in hospital (AOR: 1.58, 95% CI: 1.03-2.43) were associated with increased odds of maternal satisfaction.

Conclusion: Mothers were satisfied with their inpatient stay. Mothers with no formal education and living in rural areas experience the lowest satisfaction with the quality of their inpatient stay. Other predictors include monthly income, frequency of visits and hospital ward. Nurses need to place more emphasis on providing a holistic care to mothers who are not formally educated and come from long distances for care, thereby enhancing overall satisfaction with the care they receive.

Patient or public contribution: The patients give viewpoints about the quality of their inpatient stay in the hospitals.

Impact: Little is known about maternal satisfaction in Somalia. Mothers were satisfied with the quality of their inpatient stay. The findings will provide valuable insights for hospital authorities and medical staff on maintaining a woman-friendly care environment.