Decision on Place of Birth Selection: A Study of Pregnant Women's Perceptions

Abstract

The choice of place of delivery is an important decision for pregnant women that can affect the safety of the mother and baby. This study aimed to identify factors that influence pregnant women's decisions in choosing a place of delivery at the Ngariboyo Health Center, focusing on service quality, accessibility, and facilities. The method used was quantitative descriptive with purposive sampling technique, involving 175 pregnant women in the Ngariboyo Health Center work area. Data were collected through interviews using structured questionnaires and analyzed descriptively. The results showed that the majority of pregnant women (84%) did not choose the Ngariboyo Health Center because of the unfriendly service, mainly due to the lack of attention and alertness of health workers. As many as 5.7% of respondents considered the facilities inadequate because the condition of the treatment room was not clean and comfortable. In addition, 10.3% of respondents considered access to the Health Center difficult because of the distance and poor road conditions. The characteristics of the respondents were mostly high school educated (57.7%), worked as housewives (70.3%), and had an income of less than IDR 1,500,000 per month (49.1%). As conclusion, these findings indicated that improving service quality, ease of access, and improving facilities are important factors in increasing the coverage of childbirth at Ngariboyo Health Center.
Keywords: childbirth decisions; service quality; accessibility; health center