Publication year: 2011
Source: Social Science & Medicine, In Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available online 29 July 2011
Atsumi, Hirose , Matthias, Borchert , Homa, Niksear , Ahmad Shah, Alkozai , Jonathan, Cox , …
This study used an analytical cross-sectional design to identify risk factors associated with delays in care seeking among women admitted in life-threatening conditions to a maternity hospital in Herat, Afghanistan, from February 2007 to January 2008. Disease-specific criteria of ‘near-miss’ were used to identify women in life-threatening conditions. Among 472 eligible women and their husbands, 411 paired interviews were conducted, and information on socio-demographic factors; the woman’s status and social resources; the husband’s social networks; health care accessibility and utilization; care-seeking costs; and community characteristics were obtained. Decision and departure delays were assessed quantitatively from reported timings of symptom recognition,…
Highlights: ► Analyzes care-seeking delays among women in life-threatening conditions admitted to a maternity hospital in Afghanistan. ► Stratifies care-seeking durations by exposure to risk factors and examines the interactions with illness characteristics. ► Identifies antenatal care and the planning of a facility-based birth as factors associated with prompt care seeking. ► Discusses how improving women’s social resources may help them obtain emergency obstetric care more quickly. ► Suggests introducing a financial mechanism to help residents in remote areas access obstetric facilities.