AUTHOR=Bado Aristide Romaric , Badolo Hermann , Johnson Ermel , Komboigo Evelyne Bewendin , Padonou Sètondji Géraud R. , Diawara Fatou 

TITLE=Factors Associated With Home Births in Benin and Mali: Evidence From the Recent Demographic and Health Surveys

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Reproductive Health

VOLUME=Volume 4 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/reproductive-health/articles/10.3389/frph.2022.808070

DOI=10.3389/frph.2022.808070

ISSN=2673-3153

ABSTRACT=Introduction: Identifying and understanding the factors associated with homebirths can contribute to improving maternal and child health and achieving the SDGs. The objective of this study was to conduct a comparative analysis of the factors associated with homebirths in Benin and Mali. 
Method: This study is based on the most recent data from the Demographic Health Surveys conducted in Mali and Benin in 2018. The dependent variable was homebirth, and the explanatory variables were the individual characteristics of the woman, distance to the health centre, place of residence, number of prenatal consultations had, frequency of media exposure, and the use of the Internet. The primary survey unit (PSU) was considered in the analysis to measure the effect of context on the choice of place of delivery. Descriptive statistics and multilevel logistic regression analysis were used in the study.
Results: Educational level was associated with homebirth in Benin and Mali; women with either no education or primary education are more likely to give birth at home. Women who didn’t live close to a health facility were more likely to give birth at home than those who didn’t face this problem in both countries. Not making visits for antenatal care (ANC) increases the odds of having a homebirth by 31.3 times (CI = 24.10–40.70) in Benin and 12.91 times (CI = 10.21–16.33) in Mali. Similarly, women who went on 1–2 ANC visits  were more likely to give birth at home compared with women who made five or more ANC visits in both countries. The number of children per woman was a significant factor in both countries. Women who often or regularly paid attention to the media messages were less likely to give birth at home compared with those who did not follow relevant media inputs (aOR = 0.42 [CI = 0.26–0.67] in Benin and aOR = 0.65 [CI = 0.50–0.85] in Mali). 
Conclusion: Increasing the demand and uptake of women’s health services by improving the availability and quality of services and establishing community health centres could help reduce the incidence of homebirths and, thus, combat maternal and infant mortality.