Each year, over 500,000 women die from the complications of pregnancy
and child birth, almost all of them in the developing countries. This trend can
be addressed by increasing the rates of skilled care during childbirth. This
study therefore sought to establish the socio-cultural factors influencing
uptake of skilled childbirth care which has remained low in Kaiti Division.
The researchers applied a descriptive cross-sectional study design which
involved women of childbearing age (15-49 years). The study was conducted
in March 2010 and had a sample size of 246 women which was randomly
selected from the estimated target population of 12,077. The researchers
applied both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The tests of
significance employed included Fisher’s exact test, chi-square, test and
logistic regression. The study established that the proportion of women
attended to by the skilled attendant within various age cohorts was higher
(58.9%) amongst the youth/adolescent (15-24 years) (P-value = 0.091 0.05,

2
10.915 df 6).). Skilled attendance declined among the grand-multiparas
(para4 and above) from 7.7% in Para 4-5 to 2% in Para 6+ (P-value =
.0000.05, 
2
34.888 df 3; Para 1(p =0.000, OR 28.391), Para 2-3 (p =0.000,
OR 7.564), Para 4-5(p=0.030, OR 3.493) Further findings indicated that the
principal decision maker (46.7%) on type of assistant in the last delivery was
the woman (P-value = 0.000 0.05, 
2
56.076 df 5). However, the husband
was the leading (39.5%) decision maker in use of a skilled assistant in the
last delivery (p=0.000, OR 15.667). More than two thirds (70.7%) of the
respondents who performed a ceremony prayed for safe delivery in their last
delivery. The study concluded that women’s parity, decision making and
religion were significant in use of skilled childbirth services.