Factors associated with the utilization of institutional and home birth services among women in Ethiopia: A scoping review

Objective: To examine the factors associated with the use of institutional delivery and home birth services among women in Ethiopia.

Methods: Fifteen peer-reviewed, primary research articles published between 2011 and 2015 were selected for this scoping review. The articles included case-control, cross-sectional, and retrospective follow-up studies conducted in Ethiopia.

Results: Findings were categorized with use of content and factorial analysis. The data in this scoping review revealed a significant inequality in skilled care use among Ethiopian women with differences in economic status, education, residence, autonomy in decision making, parity, and antenatal care attendance.

Conclusion: Sociodemographic, accessibility, and obstetric factors are key determinants of skilled care utilization. Strategies and policy changes to address maternal health service use should aim to improve economic status, facilitate higher education, increase access to care, promote the empowerment of women, and enhance antenatal care initiatives. Additional research should be conducted to evaluate the influence of the media and culture on skilled care utilization, since few studies have examined these factors.