IOSR Journal of Dental and Medical Sciences (IOSR-JDMS) e-ISSN: 2279-0853, p-ISSN: 2279-0861.Volume 17, Issue 10 Ver. 8 (October. 2018), PP 59-66 www.iosrjournals.org DOI: 10.9790/0853-1710085966 www.iosrjournals.org 59 | Page Utilization of Health Facility Delivery Services And Associated Factors Among Pregnant Women In Sokoto State, Nigeria Umar M Ango 1* , Mansur O Oche 1 , Abubakar S Isah 2 , Kehinde J Awosan 1 , Aminu U Kaoje 1 , Edzu U Yunusa 1 1 Department of Community Health, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Nigeria. 2 Department of Community Medicine, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria. Corresponding Author: Umar M Ango Abstract: Background: Utilization of maternal care health services is associated with improved maternal and neonatal health outcomes. Therefore, understanding the factors affecting utilization of maternal health services is crucial to its promotion. This study aimed to assess the utilization of health facility delivery services and associated factors by pregnant women in Sokoto state, Nigeria. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 232 pregnant women selected by multistage sampling technique. A set of pre-tested, interviewer-administered, semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect information on the research variables and data were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 20 statistical package. Results: The mean age of the respondents was 27.23 ± 6.27 years. Most of the respondents (98.3%) were married, and a larger proportion had Qur’anic education (47.8%). Most of the respondents had good knowledge of the various aspects of the danger signs of pregnancy (96.6%), and showed positive attitude towards utilization of hospital delivery services (90.5%). About half of respondents (51.3%) reside more than5km from a health facility, and only 89 (38.4%) delivered their last pregnancies at a health facility. The factors that were significantly associated with utilization of maternal delivery services were education level of the respondents and respondents’ husbands, occupation of the respondents’ husbands, attitude of the respondents and distance from a health facility. Conclusion: Enlightenment of the public on the benefits of utilizing health facilities delivery services and establishment of more health facilities within 5 km radius of where people live to enhance accessibility and utilization are hereby suggested. Key words: Knowledge, attitude, utilization, pregnant women, health facility delivery services --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date of Submission: 09-10-2018 Date of acceptance: 24-10-2018 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I. Introduction Utilization of maternal health care services is an important health issue with regards to the wellbeing and survival of both the mother and her child during childbirth, and this has implications on the maternal and child mortality rate in human society. 1 The very key to reducing maternal mortality ratio and improving maternal health is increasing attendance by skilled health personnel throughout pregnancy and delivery. 2 In fact, skilled attendance at birth has been identified as the single most important factor in preventing maternal deaths and most important element in reducing neonatal death. 3, 4 The very low maternal/infant mortality and morbidity rates reported in developed countries compared to developing countries have been attributed to the higher utilization of modern obstetrics services in the developed countries. 5 An estimated 99% of pregnant women in developed countries use skilled obstetric care, compared to 53% of their developing countries counterparts. 6 In Nigeria only 34% of pregnant women have access to skilled attendance during delivery. 7 However, in most developing countries and Nigeria in particular there are certain factors that inhibit pregnant women from patronizing maternal health care services during childbirth; such factors include availability of the services, socio-economic, demographic and cultural factors, and the health beliefs of the community. 8, 9 Despite the various national and international initiatives to improve maternal health, more than half a million women from developing countries die each year as a result of complications related to pregnancy and childbirth and sub-Saharan Africa shares nearly half of the toll. 10 Nigeria has approximately 2% of the world's population but contributes almost 10% of the world's maternal deaths. 11