Spatial distribution and determinants of newborn care within 2 days of postpartum period among women with at least one antenatal care visit in Ethiopia: Mixed effect multilevel analysis

INTRODUCTION: Neonatal mortality is pervasive in developing countries like Ethiopia. Though the risk of neonatal mortality is preventable through consolidating simple, low-cost, and less time-consuming essential care, there is a scarcity of evidence about the spatial distribution of newborn care in Ethiopia. OBJECTIVE: The current study aimed to demonstrate spatial distribution and determinants of newborn care within 2 days of the postpartum period in Ethiopia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was employed based on Ethiopian demographic and health survey 2016 data and 2796 post-partum period women were included. Arc GIS version 10.7 and SaTScan version 9.6 software were used. Mixed effect analysis was done by STATA version 14 software. Bivariate analysis was done and variables with a p value<0.2 were taken as a candidate for multilevel multivariable logistic regression. Intra Class Correlation Coefficient (ICC), Proportion Change in Variance (PCV), and Median Odds Ratio (MOR) were used for model comparison and an Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) with respect to a 95% confidence interval was used for declaring statistical significance. In the multivariable analysis, a p-value≤0.05 was considered as a cut point of statistical significance with the outcome variable. RESULTS: The spatial distribution of newborn care was not random and the overall prevalence was 48.39%. Secondary educational level (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR = 1.5;95% CI 1.06,2.62), college and above (AOR = 2.47; 95% CI 1.22,5.01), number of antenatal cares three (AOR = 1.5; 95% CI 1.10, 2.04), antenatal care four and above (AOR = 1.6; 95% CI 1.22; 2.19), place of delivery (AOR = 9.67; 7.44, 12.57) and child is a twin (AOR = 3.33; 95% CI 1.23, 9.00) were variables significantly associated with newborn care. CONCLUSIONS: Newborn care practice in Ethiopia is below half per hundred participants. Even the distribution was not random. There is a need to pay attention to those cold spot areas and factors significantly associated with newborn care. Improving women’s educational levels secondary and above, and consolidating the continuation of antenatal care and health facility delivery were the priority areas to improve newborn care in Ethiopia. Maternal and neonatal health program managers and policymakers should pay attention to those cold spots of newborn care to achieve the sustainable development goal.