Completion of maternity continuum of care among women in the post-partum period: Magnitude and associated factors in the northwest, Ethiopia

BACKGROUND: Maternity continuum of care is a model of integrated components of maternal health service from pregnancy to the post-partum period to improve maternal, neonatal and child health. In Ethiopia, the magnitude of antenatal care, skilled delivery, and post-natal care have shown improvement. However, there is limited evidence of the woman who attends continuing from antenatal care to post-partum care. OBJECTIVE: To assess completion of maternity continuum of care and its associated factors among women, in Motta town and Hulet Eji Enese district, Northwest Ethiopia. METHODS: A community based cross-sectional study with a stratified cluster sampling technique was conducted among 819 women 6week-6month post-partum period in Motta town and Hulet Eji Enese district. The data were collected from March 12, 2019 to April1, 2019 by face to face interviews, using a pretested structured questionnaire. Binary logistic regression (bi-variable and multivariable) model was done. Adjusted odds ratio with respect to 95% confidence interval was employed in the strength and direction of the association between covariates and outcome variable. Besides, a P value<0.05 was used to declare statistical significance. RESULTS: A total of 819 women with100% response rate participated and Completion of maternity continuum of care was found to be 47% (43.2%-50.2%) in the study. Educational attainment of Secondary school and above (adjusted odds ratio(AOR) = 3.5; 1.9–6.3), urban residence (AOR = 4.6; 95%CI 2.5–8.5), women reach to a health facility within 30minute(AOR = 2.1; 95%CI 1.2–3.7), a woman was the primary decision maker for attending maternity continuum of care(AOR = 3.5;95%CI 1.9–6.3), index pregnancy-related complication(AOR = 2.4;95%CI 1.1–5.3), starting antenatal care within second trimester (AOR = 3.4;95%CI 2.1–5.6) and antenatal care visit 3–4 times(AOR = 2.1;95%CI 1.2–3.8) were statistically significant with completion of maternity continuum of care. CONCLUSIONS: The completion of maternity continuum of care is low in the study area. Improving the educational status of women, engaging the rural community, physical accessibility of health facility, woman empowerment for decision making, emphasis on giving care for pregnancy-related complication, and early gestational age antenatal care at least 3 or more visits suggested to increase completion of maternity continuum of care.