Institutional delivery and postnatal care utilisation among reproductive-aged women who had completed four or more antenatal care visits in Myanmar: a secondary analysis of 2015–2016 Demographic and Health Survey

OBJECTIVES: To examine the prevalence of institutional delivery and postnatal care after home delivery and to identify their determinants in Myanmar mothers who received at least four antenatal care visits. DESIGN: The study used the Myanmar Demographic and Health Survey data (2015–2016), a nationally representative cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS: The study included women aged 15–49 years who had at least one birth within the 5 years preceding the survey and completed four or more antenatal visits. OUTCOME MEASURES: Institutional delivery and postnatal care after home delivery were used as outcomes. We used two separate samples, that is, 2099 women for institutional delivery and 380 mothers whose most recent birth was within 2 years before the survey and delivered at home for postnatal care utilisation. We used multivariable binary logistic regression analyses. SETTING: Fourteen states/regions and Nay Pyi Taw Union Territory in Myanmar. RESULTS: The prevalence of institutional delivery was 54.7% (95% CI: 51.2%, 58.2%) and postnatal care utilisation was 76% (95% CI: 70.2%, 80.9%). Women who lived in urban areas, women who had higher education, women who had higher wealth status, women who had educated husbands and women having their first childbirth were more likely to have institutional delivery than their counterparts. The institutional delivery was lower among women who live in rural areas, poor women and women with husbands who worked in agriculture than their counterparts. Postnatal care utilisation was significantly higher among women living in central plains and coastal regions, women who received all seven components of antenatal care and women who had skilled assistance at birth than their counterparts. CONCLUSIONS: Policymakers should address the identified determinants to improve the service continuum and reduce maternal mortality in Myanmar.