Perception and Determinants of Home Delivery among Married Women attending Antenatal Care in Soro, Bauchi State: A Cross-Sectional Empirical Study and Policy Benchmarking against WHO Guidelines

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@article{1722906,
      author = {Mohammed, F. S., Ibrahim,  A. Y.},
      title = {Perception and Determinants of Home Delivery among Married Women attending Antenatal Care in Soro, Bauchi State: A Cross-Sectional Empirical Study and Policy Benchmarking against WHO Guidelines},
      journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
      year = {2026},
      volume = {10},
      number = {3},
      pages = {1015-1022},
      issn = {2456-8880},
      url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1722906.pdf},
      abstract = {Sub-Saharan Africa bears a disproportionated share of global maternal mortality, with Nigeria contributing significantly to these preventable deaths. A major driver is the persistent preference for home delivery without skilled birth attendance. This empirical study examined the perception, prevalence, and socio-demographic determinants of home delivery among married women attending antenatal care (ANC) at the Soro Primary Health Care (PHC) Center in Ganjuwa Local Government Area, Bauchi State, Nigeria.
A cross-sectional descriptive design was implemented using a multi-stage, systematic random sampling method to evaluate n = 260 married women attending ANC. Data were collected using structured, interviewer-administered questionnaires, processed via IBM SPSS v.27, and analyzed using descriptive statistics and bivariate cross-tabulations.The prevalence of home birth among respondents was high at 61.2% (159/260), with 32.6% having delivered at home 2 to 4 times. Predominant drivers for home delivery included entrenched cultural beliefs (31.5%), severe transportation barriers (24.5%), and direct healthcare service costs (21.0%). Although 62.0% of respondents recognized critical obstetric risks (such as hemorrhage and systemic infections), structural and socio-economic hurdles constrained institutional utilization. Overall, 39.8% expressed favorable attitudes toward facility births, but cited prohibitive cost (25.0%), physical inaccessibility (36.7%), and deficient care quality (26.0%) as major constraints. High ANC attendance in rural Bauchi State does not automatically translate to facility-based delivery due to financial, physical, and socio-cultural bottlenecks. Aligning local practices with World Health Organization (WHO) Intrapartum Care Guidelines and National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) mandates requires urgent implementation of community transport networks, elimination of point-of-care delivery fees, and cultural respectful maternity care initiatives.},
      keywords = {Home delivery, Maternal mortality, Antenatal care, Skilled birth attendance, intrapartum standards},
      month = {September},
      doi = {https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV10I3-1722906}
  }