Publications

Postnatal Care (PNC) is known to significantly reduce maternal and infant morbidities andmortalities, yet its utilization remains suboptimal. Recent data shows that only 54.3% ofwomen in Uganda receive PNC services from skilled healthcare providers. Factorsinfluencing this underutilization have not been extensively investigated. This study aimedto identify the factors affecting the utilization of PNC services at Timagi Health Center III inOyam District. A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted, involving 200 motherswith children under 1 year of age, randomly selected from those attending Timagi HealthCenter III. Data was collected through structured questionnaires and analyzed using SPSSversion 25.0. Relationships between variables were assessed using the chi-square test, withstatistical significance set at p<0.05. The study found that the average age of participantswas 23.9 years (standard deviation 5.5). The majority were married (83.5%), engaged infarming (83.0%), and only 6.0% had tertiary education. Utilization of PNC care was low at41.5% and was influenced by marital status (X2=11.19; P=0.004) and the place of delivery(X2=12.65; P=0.002). A significant proportion (73.5%) of women who received PNC weremarried, while 74.4% of those who did not attend PNC had delivered in private healthfacilities. In conclusion, the study revealed a low utilization of postnatal care services inthe area, with only 41.5% of women attending PNC at least twice. Predictive factors for PNCservice utilization in this study were being married and delivering at a governmenthospital. The study recommends collaborative efforts between the Ministry of Health,Oyam District Health Team, and Timagi Health Center III to raise community awarenessabout the importance of PNC services. Healthcare workers should also actively informclients about PNC services and schedule appointments. Further, a larger-scale study isneeded to validate the determinants of PNC service utilization.