Demographic characteristics of women that use traditional birth attendants in Bongo District, Ghana

INTRODUCTION: Over the last decade, the government of Ghana has implemented several interventions aimed at increasing access to skilled birth-care services from trained professionals. Despite these efforts, there is a wide gap between antenatal care attendance and skilled delivery attendance, particularly in rural areas. Evidence shows that many women in rural and deprived communities in Ghana rely on traditional birth attendant (TBA) delivery services. This has created a gap where antenatal attendance is high while skilled delivery is relatively low. The purpose of this study is to identify and analyse the sociodemographic characteristics of women who use the services of TBAs in Bongo District, Ghana. METHODS: Using a descriptive study design, a survey was conducted involving 330 mothers randomly selected from 1685 mothers who delivered at home by 2014 in Bongo District. The questionnaire for mothers who delivered at home by a TBA comprised 28 questions. RESULTS: The results show that women who used TBA were older, without formal education, married, predominantly farmers, married to spouses who were farmers without formal education. Most of the sampled women were co-currently covered by the national health insurance. CONCLUSIONS: This study describes the demographic characteristics of women who use a TBA. Therefore, ongoing efforts aimed at increasing access to and use of professional antenatal services should incorporate sociodemographic factors in the rural context.