Abstract:
Background: Maternal continuum of care is an integrated service delivery, which a woman
receives from pregnancy to post-natal period. It is a key and effective strategy recommended by
World Health Organization to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality. Despite this fact, drop out
from maternity continuum of care is significantly high in Ethiopia. Studies done more focused on
magnitude of drop out and little is known about determinants of drop out from maternity service.
Objective: To identify determinants of drop out from maternity continuum of care among
women who gave birth in the last one year, in Toke Kutaye district, Oromia, Ethiopia, 2022.
Methods: Community based unmatched case-control study was conducted in Toke Kutaye
district. A sample of 340 (170 and 170 controls) women was taken using simple random
sampling technique. The study population was women who gave birth in the last one year in the
district. Data were collected with structured questionnaires, entered into epi info v 7.2.2.6,
exported into SPSS V 25.0 for analysis. Bi-variable binary logistic regression analysis done and
those variables with P-value of < 0.25 were taken to multi-variable binary logistic regression.
Adjusted odds ratio with 95% CI was calculated and P-value of 0.05 was used to declare
significance level.
Results: This study shows, no prior contraceptive use (AOR=4.44,95% CI; 1.88,10.44),
unplanned pregnancy (AOR=3.91,95% CI;1.67,9.14), distance more than 30 minutes
(AOR=2.58,95% CI; 1.12,5.92), late initiation of antenatal care (AOR=3.55,95% CI; 1.58,7.98),
being in lowest wealth quintile(AOR=6.11,95% CI; 2.08,17.98) and no formal
education(AOR=4.68,95% CI; 1.59,13.76) were significantly associated with drop out. In
addition, inadequate knowledge on birth preparedness and complication readiness
plan(AOR=4.9,95% CI; 2.13,11.27), inadequate respectful maternity care services(AOR=4.53,
95% CI; 1.96,10.47), and not accompanied by partners (AOR=3.91,95% CI; 1.73,8.79) were
significant predictors of drop out from maternity continuum of care
Conclusion: - The finding from this study shows that, no prior contraceptive use, unplanned
Pregnancy, distance of more than 30’, no formal education, inadequate knowledge on birth
preparedness and complication readiness plan, inadequate respectful maternity care services, not
being accompanied by partners, late initiation of antenatal care and being in lowest wealth
quintile were significant predictors of women’s drop out from maternity continuum of care
