Journal article
Community-based savings groups, women's agency, and maternal health service utilisation: Evidence from Mozambique
Global public health, Vol.15(8), pp.1119-1129
08/02/2020
DOI: 10.1080/17441692.2020.1751232
PMID: 32274971
Abstract
This study, using data collected as part of an ongoing programme evaluation, investigates whether participation in Saving Groups (SGs)-a community-owned microfinance intervention focused on poor households - is associated with maternal health service utilisation, and whether this association is mediated by women's agency - as measured by self-efficacy and decision-making autonomy. We compared maternal health service utilisation among SG members (n=105) and non-members (n=100) in rural Mozambique. We estimated prevalence ratios for SG membership and women's agency using Poisson regression while controlling for confounding factors. We also estimated mediation effects for women's agency. The results showed that SG membership is associated with four or more antenatal care (ANC) visits, skilled birth attendant (SBA) use, and postnatal care within 48 h of delivery. Self-efficacy mediated the relationship between SG membership and ANC vists and SBAuse, but not postnatal care; whereas women's decision-making autonomy mediated the relationship with SBA use and postnatal care, but not ANC visits. This study suggests that the impact of SG membership on use of maternal health services goes beyond improvements in household income and may operate through women's agency by giving women the ability to realize their preference for quality health care.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Community-based savings groups, women's agency, and maternal health service utilisation: Evidence from Mozambique
- Creators
- Halkeno T Tura - Department of Community and Behavioural Health, College of Public Health, University of IowaWilliam T Story - Department of Community and Behavioural Health, College of Public Health, University of IowaArmando Licoze - Oasis Mozambique
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Global public health, Vol.15(8), pp.1119-1129
- DOI
- 10.1080/17441692.2020.1751232
- PMID
- 32274971
- NLM abbreviation
- Glob Public Health
- ISSN
- 1744-1692
- eISSN
- 1744-1706
- Publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 08/02/2020
- Academic Unit
- Community and Behavioral Health
- Record Identifier
- 9984214851202771
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