Maternal satisfaction among vaginal and cesarean section delivery care services in Bahir Dar city health facilities, Northwest Ethiopia: a facility-based comparative cross-sectional study

Mothers’ delivery care satisfaction is one of the indicators to monitor the quality of health care provision. However, there is only limited information in this regard in Ethiopia, particularly in the study area. Therefore, the study aimed to determine the level of maternal satisfaction and the determinants among vaginal and cesarean section delivery care in Bahir Dar city health facilities.

Facility-based comparative cross-sectional study was conducted from April to May 2018. Using systematic random sampling, a total of 896 recently delivered mothers were interviewed. The collected data were entered into the Epi-Data soft and then exported to SPSS Version 20.0 for analysis. Descriptive statistics were computed and Logistic regression model was used to identify the association between explanatory and outcome variables. Adjusted Odds Ratio with 95% CI was used to measure the strength of the association between these variables. The model fitness was checked using Hosmer and Lemeshow goodness of fit (P > 0.05). A p-value < 0.2 at bivariate analysis was considered for variables to be candidates for multivariable logistic regression analysis. Variables with a p-value of < 0.05 at multivariate analysis were considered as statistically significant predictors of mothers’ satisfaction.

A total of 894 recently delivered mothers participated in the study yielded a response of 99.8%. 448 (50.1%) mothers delivered vaginally whereas 446 (25.8%) via cesarean section. The overall mean age of respondents was 26.60 (± 4.88) years. The total maternal delivery care service satisfaction level was 61.4%. More mothers were satisfied with vaginal delivery care, 65.6% (95% CI: 56.97, 74.22%) than cesarean section, 57.2% (95% CI: 48.19, 66.2%). Maternal education, residence, current delivery care planned, maternal HIV status, the gender of health care provider and gave birth in a private health facility were significantly associated with vaginal delivery care satisfaction. Whereas, maternal education, residence, current delivery care planned, antenatal care attended, gender of health care provider was significantly associated with cesarean section delivery care satisfaction.

The overall maternal delivery care service satisfaction level was low as, per the national standard, and there is a great discrepancy in maternal satisfaction level between vaginal and cesarean section delivery care services.