Effects of continuity of maternal health services on immediate newborn care practices, Northwestern Ethiopia: multilevel and propensity score matching (PSM) modeling

BACKGROUND: Despite priority being given to maternal and child health programs in Ethiopia, the reduction of neonatal mortality rate is stagnant, which is more than double the national target. Immediate newborn care and continuity of maternal health services are comprehensive, wide-ranging, and core strategies to overcome neonatal mortality and morbidity. However, the evidence of immediate newborn care practices and the effectiveness of continuity of maternal health services on immediate newborn care practices are scarce. Hence, this study aimed to fill this gap. METHODS: A prospective follow-up study was conducted from March 2020 to January 2021, among 2198 pregnant women screened from the study areas. The data were collected using pretested semi-structured questionnaires and a registration logbook. Data were coded, entered, cleaned, and analyzed using STATA software 14. Descriptive statistics, multilevel regression, and propensity score matching (PSM) models were computed. Finally, ICC (ρ), AOR, and coefficient (β) along with 95%CI were calculated and statistical significance was considered at a p-value < 0.05. RESULTS: The magnitude of immediate newborn care practice was 50.9% (95%CI: 50.5%, 51.3%). Partner attended primary cycle school (AOR = 2.32), women attended ANC visit ≥4 (AOR = 2.69), initiated 1st ANC visit between 4–6 months of GA (AOR = 0.47), IFA supplementation (AOR = 2.99), women who make a decision (AOR = 2.25), women whose husband make a decision (AOR = 1.66) and immunizing the newborn (AOR = 2.46) were determinant factors of immediate newborn care practices. As treatment effect, completion of COC in MHS via time dimension (β = 0.31; 95%CI: 0.27, 0.35); whole key service MHS (β = 0.43; 95%CI: 0.39, 0.48) and COC via space dimension (β = 0.17; 95%CI: 0.12, 0.21) were significantly increased the likelihood of immediate newborn care practices. CONCLUSION: The magnitude of optimal immediate newborn care practices was low. Different enabling factors were discovered in the study. Therefore, strengthening those enabling factors such as partner education, immunization program, IFA supplementation, early initiation and receiving ANC services, the decision-making power of women and partners, as well as scaling up a continuum of care in maternal health services are strongly recommended.