Maternal Education and Mortality in Health Care Institutions
Author Information
Author(s): Karlsen Saffron, Say Lale, Souza João-Paulo, Hogue Carol J, Calles Dinorah L, Gülmezoglu A Metin, Raine Rosalind
Hypothesis
The statistical relationship between maternal education and mortality would not be attenuated by adjusting for the effects of the services available in the institutions where women give birth.
Conclusion
Lower levels of maternal education were associated with higher maternal mortality even among women able to access facilities providing intrapartum care.
Supporting Evidence
- Women with no education had 2.7 times the risk of maternal mortality compared to those with more than 12 years of education.
- Those not married or cohabiting had almost twice the risk of death compared to those who were.
- Maternal age over 35 was associated with a significantly higher risk of death.
Takeaway
Women with less education are more likely to die during childbirth, even if they go to hospitals for help.
Methodology
Cross-sectional data was collected from 287,035 women giving birth in 373 health care institutions across 24 countries.
Potential Biases
Potential bias may arise from differences in motivation for attending health facilities based on educational level.
Limitations
The study only included maternal deaths during the intrapartum period and could not account for antepartum deaths or other potential biases.
Participant Demographics
Women giving birth in health care institutions from 24 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Confidence Interval
95% CI: 2.60, 5.92
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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