Problems with accessing healthcare and associated factors among reproductive-aged women in the Gambia using Gambia Demographic and Health Survey 2019/2020: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVES: To assess problems with accessing healthcare and its associated factors among reproductived-age women in the Gambia using the Gambia Demographic and Health Survey 2019/2020. DESIGN: A community-based cross-sectional study. SETTING: This study was based on a large, community-based cross-sectional survey, conducted from 2019 to 2020 in the Gambia. The survey employed a stratified two-stage cluster sampling technique to recruit study participants. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression models were used to summarise descriptive data and identify factors associated with problems of accessing healthcare, respectively. A p value of less than 0.05 and 95% CI were used to determine statistical significance. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 11 865 reproductive-aged women (15–49 years) were included in the study. The mean age of the women was 28.21 with an SD of 9.33 and ranges 15–49 years. Regarding marital status, 7526 (63.43%) were married. RESULTS: The magnitude of problems with accessing healthcare among reproductive-aged women in the Gambia was 45.5% (95% CI: 44.6%, 46.4%). Age (adjusted OR (AOR)=1.48, 95% CI: 1.12, 1.95), being from rural residence (AOR=1.28, 95% CI: 1.07, 1.53), parity (AOR=1.07, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.12), middle (AOR=0.54, 95% CI: 0.46, 0.64) and greater wealth (AOR=0.30, 95% CI: 0.25, 0.37), giving birth at health institutions (AOR=0.69, 95% CI: 0.58, 0.80), currently working (AOR=0.77, 95% CI: 0.68, 0.86) and geographical region were significantly associated with problems of accessing healthcare. CONCLUSION: Problems of accessing healthcare among women of reproductive age were high in the Gambia. Age, region, working status, parity, residence, wealth and place of delivery were the identified factors associated with problems of accessing healthcare. Policymakers and public health experts should consider those factors while designing maternal healthcare programmes. Affordable healthcare service programmes should be designed to increase healthcare access in the Gambia.