Socioeconomic Status and Educational Level as a Barrier to Accessing Maternal Healthcare in Abbottabad, Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

In low- and middle-income countries, such as Pakistan, maternal health outcomes remain a significant public health concern. Decreased access to prenatal, intranatal, and postnatal care is strongly linked to socioeconomic inequality and female educational levels. To design equitable healthcare interventions, it is necessary to understand the barriers to healthcare access. This was a hospital-based cross-sectional survey with a sample size of 349 undergoing maternity treatment at Women and Children Hospital, Jinnah International Hospital, and Ayub Medical Complex in Abbottabad, and convenience sampling was used. A self-structured questionnaire was designed to collect the required information on the variables. SPSS version 20 was used to analyze the data to determine how these factors related to one another, and Chi-square tests were used; p-values <0.05 were considered statistically significant. Most of the participants were from rural areas, joint households, and were aged between 25 and 29 years. About 28.9% of them were uneducated, while 71.6% were from low-income families. Only 36.7% of women completed the four antenatal care visits, while 16.6% attended at least one visit. In addition, 93.2% of the women gave birth in government and private clinics. Only 38% of them received postnatal check-ups after six weeks. There is a strong association between a woman's educational level and her use of maternal health services. Women with higher educational levels are likely to seek prenatal health care at an earlier gestational age. In addition, we established a strong association between women's chances of receiving postnatal check-ups and household income. Women are likely to face financial constraints due to a lack of funds (67.9%) and the distance to health facilities (14.9%). In Abbottabad, socioeconomic status and educational level are key barriers to maternal health care, and this is evident through our research. These are the fundamental issues that need to be addressed to effectively improve maternal and child health.