LAUSR

Background Maternal mortality and adverse pregnancy outcomes are still challenges in developing countries. In Ethiopia, long distances and lack of transportation are the main geographic barriers for pregnant women to utilize a skilled birth attendant. To alleviate this problem, maternity waiting homes are a gateway for women to deliver at the health facilities, thereby helping towards the reduction of the alarming maternal mortality trend and negative pregnancy outcomes. However, there is a paucity of evidence regarding the utilization of maternity waiting homes in the study area. Therefore, this study aimed to assess utilization of maternity waiting home services and associated factors among mothers who gave birth in the last year in Dabat district, northwest Ethiopia. Methods A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from January 5 to February 30, 2019. A total of 402 eligible women were selected using a simple random sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured, pre-tested, and interviewer-administered questionnaire through face-to-face interviews. Data were entered into EPI info version 7.1.2 and exported to SPSS version 20 for analysis. Both bivariable and multivariable logistic regression models were fitted. Statistically significant associations between variables were determined based on the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with its 95% confidence interval and p-value of ≤ 0.05. Results Maternity waiting home utilization by pregnant women was found to be 16.2% (95% CI: 13, 20). The mothers’ age (26–30 years) (AOR = 0.24; 95% CI: 0.08,0.69), primary level of education (AOR = 9.05; 95% CI: 3.83, 21.43), accepted length of stay in maternity waiting homes (AOR = 3.15; 95% CI: 1.54, 6.43), adequate knowledge of pregnancy danger signs (AOR = 7.88; 95% CI: 3.72,16.69), jointly decision on the mother’s health (AOR = 2.76; 95% CI: 1.08,7.05), and getting people for household activities (AOR = 2.59, 95% CI: 1.21, 5.52) had significant association with maternity waiting home utilization. Conclusion In this study, maternity waiting home utilization was low. Thus, expanding a strategy to improve women’s educational status, health education communication regarding danger signs of pregnancy, empowering women’s decision-making power, and shortening the length of stay at maternity waiting homes may enhance maternity waiting home utilization.