The Influence of Midwifery-led Care on Women’s Autonomy and Reproductive Health Outcomes in Rivers State

This study examined the influence of midwifery-led care on women’s autonomy and reproductive health outcomes in Rivers State. Two objectives and two research questions guided the study. Two hypotheses were also tested. The study adopted cross-sectional mixed methods design. The population of this study consisted 799,792 women of reproductive age living in Rivers State during the study. A sample of 400 women of reproductive age living in the state provided data for the study. The instruments used to collect data were a validated questionnaire and an interview guide. The reliability coefficients of the questionnaire were established at 0.82, 0.81, 0.76, 0.86, 0.77 and 0.80. The quantitative data collected were analysed using percentage, mean, standard deviation and Chi-square, while qualitative data were analysed thematically and textually. The findings of the study revealed that 71.47% of women in Rivers State had a high level of awareness about midwifery-led interventions (x̄ = 2.92), and 55.71% rated the psychometric properties of the interventions highly (x̄ = 2.78). Furthermore, the participation of women in the interventions was substantial (x̄ = 2.90; 64.94%), resulting in a significant improvement in their reproductive health outcomes (x̄ = 2.85; 57.88%; χ² = 43.287, p = .000). The study recommended that midwifery training institutions should integrate cultural competence into their curricula to ensure that midwives are well-equipped with relevant skills to handle diverse cultural norms. Local governments should collaborate with community leaders in addressing cultural barriers that often limit women’s participation in interventions.