Maternal continuum of care completion and associated factors in Myanmar: A secondary analysis of the 2015-2016 Myanmar Demographic and Health Survey

<ns3:p>Introduction Access to maternity care services from qualified health care professionals during pregnancy, labor, and the postnatal period is crucial for the survival and health of the mother and baby. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and factors associated with maternal continuum of care completion in Myanmar. Methods This study used secondary data from the 2015-2016 Myanmar Demographic and Health Survey. The study included 1455 women aged &lt; 2 years. Bivariate analysis was conducted using one-way ANOVA and chi-square test of independence to explore the unadjusted association between the dependent variable and each independent variable. Multivariable analysis was conducted with ordinal logistic regression to explore the factors associated with the maternity continuum of care completion. Statistical significance was set at p &lt; 0.05. Results The prevalence of complete maternity continuum of care was 55.2% (n = 803), partial maternity continuum of care was 31.9% (n = 464), and no maternity continuum of care was 12.9% (n = 188) respectively. After adjusting for covariates, maternal education, region, place of residence, total parity, husband’s education, husband’s occupation, money needed for treatment, timing of first antenatal check, tetanus injection, blood pressure, urine sample taken, blood sample taken, given or bought iron tablets/syrup, and drugs for intestinal parasites during pregnancy were significantly associated with maternal continuum of care. Conclusion The prevalence of a complete maternity continuum of care in Myanmar was suboptimal. Important factors include maternal education, urban residency, region, total parity, husbands’ education, and occupation. Improving outcomes in the area requires addressing obstacles such as financial limitations, access to quality health services, and distance. Improving access to maternal healthcare services should be the main goal of policy initiatives, especially for rural areas, lower education levels, and low-income families.</ns3:p>