Prevalence and Associated Factors with Maternal Delays in Seeking Emergency Obstetric Care in Arsi Zone, Oromiya, Ethiopia Cross-sectional Study Design

Objective: To determine the prevalence and associated factors with the maternal delay in seeking emergency obstetrics services among pregnant women, Arsi Zone, Oromiya, Ethiopia, 2016.Methods: A Facility based Cross-sectional study design using a quantitative method was conducted at public health facilities of Arsi Zone. Sample size, 847 was determined using a single population proportion formula. A total of 10 health centers which provide obstetric care selected randomly and sample size proportionally allocated to each facility. Data entered in Epi Info version 3.3.2 software and exported to SPSS version 20 for statistical analysis. p<0.05 considered to declare a statistically significant variable with a 95% confidence interval.Result: From the total 775 participants, 203 (27.2%) of the respondents reported that they faced problem in making a decision to seek emergency obstetric care. The mean time for delay was 90 minutes with a range of 30 minutes to 18 hours. Maternal age, educational level, monthly income, and ANC follow up status were significant predictors of maternal delay in seeking emergency obstetric care.Conclusion: Husbands took the lines to share in making the decision to seek obstetric care. This implies independent decision-making power of women on their own health is low. In order to address maternal delay one health extension workers along with health centers staffs, district officers and programmers should give emphasis for awareness creation, income generating mechanism and capacitating decision making the power of mothers need to be strengthened and expanded in the community.