The role of distance and transportation in decision making to seek emergency obstetric care among women of reproductive age in south–South Nigeria: A mixed methods study

Abstract

Objective: To explore the role of transportation in seeking emergency obstetric care among women with obstetric complications. Methods: A mixed-methods design. The study population comprised women aged 15–49 years who had experience direct obstetric complications and were attending the health facility for care at the time of this study. A total of 318 women completed the questionnaires, and in-depth interviews were held for six women who were purposively selected from the 318 respondents. Both questionnaire and semi-structured interviews were used in collecting data for this study. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS using both inferential and bivariate analysis, and a qualitative content analysis was carried out on the qualitative data. Results: Of the 318 respondents, 290 (91.2%) accessed health facilities by motorized transport with 28 (8.8%) on foot. Mode of transportation was related to regularity at prenatal care (P = 0.003), with those who came on foot being regular attenders compared with those that came on motorized transport. Conclusion: An efficient and suitable transport system as well as distance are key factors influencing women’s role in decision making to seek care.