Influence of socio-economic background and antenatal care programmes on maternal mortality in Surabaya, Indonesia

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To determine the risk factors, such as socio-economic background, quality of antenatal care and availability of family planning, responsible for high maternal mortality in Surabaya, Indonesia. METHODS: The study used a case-control design. Descriptive, bivariate and multivariate analyses were carried out, comparing 59 maternal deaths and 177 women survivors in the referral hospital, from 1996 to 1999. RESULTS: The risk factors for maternal mortality were: living outside of Surabaya [odds ratio (OR) = 11.7, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 5.0-29.2], unemployment (OR = 4.4, 95% CI = 1.7-13.8), unavailability of toilet facilities (OR = 2.9, 95% CI = 1.0-7.7), <4 antenatal visits (OR = 2.5, 95% CI = 1.1-5.5) and initial visit to antenatal care facilities after the fourth month of pregnancy (OR = 3.0, 95% CI = 1.3-7.0). There was no significant association between maternal mortality and the availability of family planning. CONCLUSION: Low socio-economic background and the availability of antenatal care have a significant influence on maternal mortality in Surabaya, Indonesia.