RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Choice of birth place among antenatal clinic attendees in rural mission hospitals in Ebonyi State, South-East Nigeria JF bioRxiv FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory SP 520213 DO 10.1101/520213 A1 Leonard O. Ajah A1 Fidelis A. Onu A1 Oliver C. Ogbuinya A1 Monique I. Ajah A1 Benjamin C. Ozumba A1 Anthony T. Agbata A1 Robinson C. Onoh A1 Kenneth C. Ekwedigwe YR 2019 UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2019/01/14/520213.abstract AB Background Low utilization of health facilities for delivery by pregnant women poses a public health challenge in Nigeria.Aim To determine the factors that influence the choice of birth place among antenatal clinic attendees.Methodology This was a cross-sectional study of the eligible antenatal clinic attendees at Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Afikpo and Saint Vincent Hospital, Ndubia in Ebonyi State from February 1, 2016 to June 30, 2016. Analysis was done using EPI Info 7.21 software (CDC Atlanta Georgia).Results A total of 397(99.3%) completely filled questionnaires were collated and analysed. Approximately 71% of the health facilities closest to the respondents had maternity services. It took at least 1 hour for 80.9% of the respondents to access health facilities with maternity services. Most (60.2%) of the respondents had antenatal care attendance and majority of them did so at public hospitals. Approximately 43.8% of the respondents were delivered by the skilled birth attendants. The common determinants of birth place were nearness of the health facilities, familiarity of healthcare providers, improved services, sudden labour onset and cost. Also 61.7% of the respondents chose to deliver in public health facilities due to favourable reasons but this could be hampered by the rudeness of some healthcare providers at such facilities. A significant proportion of private health facilities had unskilled manpower and shortage of drugs.Conclusion A greater proportion of women will prefer to deliver in health facilities. However there are barriers to utilization of these facilities hence the need for reversal of this ugly trend.