Lenka Be?ová|Oona M. R. Campbell|George B. Ploubidis
A mediation approach to understanding socio-economic inequalities in maternal health-seeking behaviours in Egypt
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine|University of London|London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine|University of London
levels origins socioeconomic inequalities healthseeking behaviours egypt poorly understood paper assesses levels healthseeking behaviours related maternal care antenatal care anc facility delivery accumulation pregnancy childbirth secondly explores mechanisms underlying association socioeconomic position sep maternal healthseeking behaviours thirdly examines effectiveness targeting free public anc delivery caredata 2008 demographic health survey used capture two latent constructs sep individual sociocultural capital householdlevel economic capital variables entered adjusted mediation model predicting twelve dimensions maternal healthseeking including anc private anc first anc visit first trimester regular anc four visits pregnancy facility delivery private delivery anc delivery care costs examined separately provider type public privatewhile 742 women birth 5year recall period obtained anc 724 delivered facility 488 obtained complete maternal care package timely regular facilitybased anc well facility delivery recent live birth sociocultural capital economic capital independently positively associated receiving anc delivering facility strongest direct effect sociocultural capital seen models predicting private provider use anc delivery despite substantial proportions women using public providers reporting receipt free care anc 38 delivery 24 freeofcharge public care effectively targeted women lowest economic resourcessociocultural capital primary mechanism leading inequalities maternal healthseeking egypt future studies therefore examine objective perceived quality care different types providers improvements targeting free public care could help reduce existing sepbased inequalities maternal care coverage short term