Self-reported Preference for Delivery Place among Women Presenting for Maternal Care Health Services at a Tertiary Hospital in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa

Abstract

South Africa’s healthcare system is based on the primary care model in which women with low-risk pregnancies are encouraged to deliver in clinics, community health centres and district hospitals while women with high-risk pregnancies are encouraged to deliver in secondary and tertiary hospitals. However in the South African setting quite a significant number of women with low-risk pregnancies are still delivering in tertiary hospitals. The objectives of this study were to determine the preference of delivery place in women with low-risk pregnancies presenting for maternal healthcare services at a tertiary hospital in the Eastern Cape province, South Africa, and the associated factors. A quantitative, observational, cross-sectional analytic design was utilised. Data were collected using an administered structured questionnaire on 200 women with low-risk pregnancies presenting for maternal healthcare services at the hospital. Data were analysed using software SPSS for Windows and EPI Info StatCalc. The study revealed that the majority of the women, 80 per cent (n = 161) preferred to deliver at a hospital as opposed to 20 per cent (n = 39) who preferred the community health centre independent of their age, parity, education, employment, income, location in relation to the health facility, beliefs regarding the reliability of ambulance and public transport as well as the affordability of public transport. The women’s reasons for preferring to deliver at a hospital were largely because they felt that it was well equipped and had skilled staff. Strategies such as the allocation of adequate human and infrastructural resources and educational campaigns to promote the utilisation of the primary healthcare settings should be implemented.