Psychosocial determinants of preferring home births

Despite the tremendous advancement in Reproductive Health Services in Pakistan, Child birth at home is still preferred by a part of Pakistani population. This study was planned to find out the psychosocial determinants associated with preferring home deliveries. It is a case controlled study. The study was conducted in Gawalmandi, an urban community of central Lahore from August-December 2007. Our study population consisted of 100 mothers. The criteria for selection of cases were that they were married females between the age of 15 and 49 years and a mother of at least one child and preferred home birth. Fifty controls were also selected in the same socioeconomic class that did not prefer home births. After informed consent a pre tested questionnaire was distributed among the study population. They were interrogated. Information was compiled and analysed on the basis of SPSS version 13 and Epi info 2000. Chisquare test was applied. In a study population of 100 females we found that cheaper and trained midwives, privacy and comfort at home, fear of surgery, babies being kidnapped in hospitals, transport problem, negligence of doctors and family influence are significantly associated with the trend of preferring home deliveries [p < 0.05]. It was concluded that factors leading to preference of home births in our community so that adequate measurements should be taken by the inter-sectoral collaboration, participation of civil society, private sector, government and non-government organizations to decrease MMR and IMR due to home births