Sociodemographic Factors Affecting the Choice of Home for Childbirth in Pakistani Women

Objectives:The study aimed to find prevalence of childbirth at home and sociodemographic factors affecting this choice.Materials and methods: Data was obtained from latest Demographic and Health Survey dataset of Pakistan (2017-2018).All women, aged 15-49 years, who gave birth to at least one child, were included.Independent variables included were province, age, education, work status, mobile phone, watching television (TV), wealth, toilet, urban/rural residence, number of children, husband's education and occupation, and availability of transport.Chi-squared tests and regression analyses were done.Statistical package for the social sciences version 22 was used.Results: Home delivery was common in Baluchistan province, whereas facility delivery was higher in Punjab and Sindh province.Better education levels of both women and their husbands, owning a mobile, and watching TV positively affected facility delivery.Having more than 3 children negatively affected facility delivery.Women's work status did not affect the place of delivery; however, professional husband favored facility delivery while agriculture workers favored home delivery.Availability of transport, better wealth status, and older age at first delivery positively affected the facility delivery, while sharing of toilets favored home delivery.Conclusion: Living in rural areas, living in Baluchistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, older age at first delivery, lower education of woman and husband, husband in agriculture, not owning a mobile, not watching TV, being from a poor household, having more than 3 children, having shared toilets, and not having transport to medical facility resulted in childbirth at home.Woman's work status did not affect facility delivery in urban or rural areas.