Impact of social networks on the choice of place of delivery among ethnic women in Bangladesh

OBJECTIVES

This study aims at exploring the present situation of the delivery place and the impact of social networks on the choice of delivery place among the ethnic women in Bangladesh.

METHODS

Data were collected through face to face interviews using a structured questionnaire from a sample of 205 married ethnic - Garo and Mandai - women in Madhupur Upazilla of Tangail district. A stepwise binary logistic regression analysis is run to explain the impact of social networks on the choice of delivery place (the place where the women actually did deliver a baby) of ethnic women in Bangladesh.

RESULTS

Descriptive statistics show that of the total deliveries 37.7% among Garo- and 13% among Mandai women take place in institutions (hospitals and clinics). The regression model reveals that next to ethnicity and husband's occupation, network size has a significant positive relationship, while reproductive health-related constraints have a significant negative relationship with the choice of delivery place of ethnic women. Based on these, this study suggests that if the social networks of ethnic women increase, the probability of their institutional delivery may increase.

CONCLUSION

The personal social networks of ethnic women may motivate them on their choice of institutional delivery in Bangladesh. This finding may contribute to the development of pathways to stimulate ethnic women's reproductive health behaviour in the developing countries context.