Utilization and determinants of maternity waiting homes among pastoralist mothers in Dire district, southern Ethiopia: a mixed-methods study

This study aims to determine the utilization of maternity waiting homes and the factors associated with their use among women who gave birth within the last year in the Dire district, Borana zone, southern Ethiopia. The prevalence of maternity waiting home use was low compared to national efforts to promote this service. Longer travel time, lack of a caretaker, good knowledge of danger signs of pregnancy, and a refusal to accept a waiting time of 2-4 weeks were associated with maternity waiting home use in this study.