ArticleReproductive health2023
Comparison of inequality in utilization of maternal healthcare services between Bangladesh and Pakistan: evidence from the demographic health survey 2017-2018.
Article in Reproductive health, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
19 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Utilization of maternal healthcare services in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Systematic reviews · 2025Pooled it
- Socioeconomic inequalities in access to maternal healthcare in South-Asian countries: A systematic review.PloS one · 2025Pooled it
- Trends, determinants and inequality of utilization of maternal healthcare services in Bangladesh: an analysis of demographic and health surveys from 2004 to 2022.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2026Article
- Determinants of antenatal care and skilled birth attendance utilization in Bangladesh: evidence from the 2022 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2026Article
- Comparison of urban-rural inequality in quality antenatal care among women in Bangladesh and Pakistan: a multivariable decomposition analysis.Reproductive health · 2026Article
- Trends and Inequities Related to Antenatal Care Utilization Among Pakistani Women From 1990 to 2019: An Insight From Demographic and Health Surveys.Journal of pregnancy · 2026Review
- Mapping Geographic Disparities in Healthcare Access Barriers Among Married Women in Pakistan: Evidence from a Nationally Representative Survey.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Inequality in Utilization of Maternal Healthcare Services in Low‑ and Middle‑Income Countries: A Scoping Review of the Literature.Maternal and child health journal · 2025Article
- Decomposing socioeconomic inequality in skilled birth attendant utilization in Ethiopia: A secondary data analysis.PloS one · 2025Article
- Wealth disparities in maternal health service utilization among women of reproductive age in Ethiopia: findings from the mini-EDHS 2019.BMC health services research · 2024Article
- Health insurance, social safety net and maternal health service utilisation in Pakistan: a population based cross-sectional study.BMJ open · 2024Article
- Article
- Maternal and child health care access to skilled delivery services among Ghanaian rural mothers.Research in health services & regions · 2024Article
- Predictors of maternal health services uptake in West African region: a multilevel multinomial regression analysis of demographic health survey reports.Reproductive health · 2024Article
- Trends and determinants of caesarean section in South Asian countries: Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan.PloS one · 2024Article
- Sociodemographic disparities in postnatal care coverage at comprehensive health centers in Hamedan City.Frontiers in public health · 2024Article
- Maternal Health Care Service Utilization in the Post-Conflict Democratic Republic of Congo: An Analysis of Health Inequalities over Time.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- How equitable is utilization of maternal health services in Uganda? Implications for achieving universal health coverage.BMC health services research · 2023Article
- Comparison of inequality in utilization of postnatal care services between Bangladesh and Pakistan: Evidence from the Demographic and Health Survey 2017-2018.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2023Article
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Abstract
backgroundInequality in maternal health has remained a challenge in many low-income countries, like Bangladesh and Pakistan. The study examines within-country and between-country inequality in utilization of maternal healthcare services for Bangladesh and Pakistan.
methodsThe study used the latest Demographic Health Surveys (DHS, 2017-2018) datasets of Bangladesh and Pakistan for women aged 15-49 years who had given at least one live birth in three years preceding the survey. Equity strata were identified from the literature and conformed by binary logistic regressions. For ordered equity strata with more than two categories, the relative concentration index (RCI), absolute concentration index (ACI) and the slope index of inequality (SII) were calculated to measure inequalities in the utilization of four maternal healthcare services. For two-categories equity strata, rate ratio (RR), and rate difference (RD) were calculated. Concentration curves and equiplots were constructed to visually demonstrate inequality in maternal healthcare services.
resultsIn Bangladesh, there was greater inequality in skilled birth attendance (SBA) based on wealth (RCI: 0.424, ACI: 0.423, and SII: 0.612), women's education (RCI: 0.380, ACI: 0.379 and SII: 0.591), husband's education (RCI: 0.375, ACI: 0.373 and SII: 0.554) and birth order (RCI: - 0.242, ACI: - 0.241, and SII: -0.393). According to RCI, ACI, and SII, there was inequality in Pakistan for at least four ANC visits by the skilled provider based on wealth (RCI: 0.516, ACI: 0.516 and SII: 0.738), women's education (RCI: 0.470, ACI: 0.470 and SII: 0.757), and husband's education (RCI: 0.380, ACI: 0.379 and SII: 0.572). For Bangladesh, the RR (1.422) and RD (0.201) imply more significant urban-rural inequality in SBA. In Pakistan, urban-rural inequality was greater for at least four ANC visits by the skilled provider (RR: 1.650 and RD 0.279).
conclusionInequality in maternal healthcare is greater among the underprivileged group in Pakistan than in Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, the SBA is the most inequitable maternal healthcare, while for Pakistan it is at least four ANC visits by the skilled provider. Customized policies based on country context would be more effective in bridging the gap between the privileged and underprivileged groups.
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