2021, Vol. 6, Issue 6, Part A

Materials and Methods:The information collected from women who had a live birth in the five years preceding the survey. The study used bivariate analysis and logistic regression to examine the individual and household characteristics of women utilizing institutional delivery.

Results: Findings reveal that 70 percent of women go for institutional delivery in Uttar Pradesh. Women’s education, parity, exposure of mass media, ANC visits, wealth index and place of residence were found to be most significant predictor of institutional delivery. Highly educated women were 3.85 times and lower parity women were 2.38 times significantly more likely to prefer institutional delivery. Urban women were slightly in better position to prefer (1.23 times) to deliver child at institution than rural women.

Conclusions: The logistic regression results reveal that utilization of institutional delivery is influenced by maternal age, women’s educational level, birth order, mass media exposure, ANC visits, religion, caste, wealth index and type of residence. This study specified the need for an adequate health strategy for the target population and policy implementation to improve maternal healthcare.