Pregnant Mothers' Preference of Health Professionals’ Gender for Birth Attendant and Its Associated Factors Among Women Who Visit for Antenatal Care at Selected Public Health Institutions in Debre Birhan, Ethiopia, 2024

Pregnant Mothers' Preference of Health Professionals’ Gender for Birth Attendant and Its Associated Factors Among Women Who Visit for Antenatal Care at Selected Public Health Institutions in Debre Birhan, Ethiopia, 2024 | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Pregnant Mothers' Preference of Health Professionals’ Gender for Birth Attendant and Its Associated Factors Among Women Who Visit for Antenatal Care at Selected Public Health Institutions in Debre Birhan, Ethiopia, 2024 Achashman Mosu, Deribew Awoke, Dersolign Berihun This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8577831/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 8 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background Globally, Maternal mortality is unacceptably high. About 287,000 women died during and following pregnancy and childbirth in 2020. Almost 95% of all maternal deaths occurred in low and lower-middle-income countries in 2020. Low maternal health care service utilization has been considered one of the factors that resulted in the slow progression of maternal mortality reduction in programs. Mother’s gender preference for obstetrics care is an important issue to promote maternal health care service utilization. Objective To assess pregnant mothers’ preference of health professionals’ gender for birth attendants and its associated factors among women who visit for ANC at selected public health institutions in Debre Birhan, Ethiopia, 2024. Methods An institution-based cross-sectional study design was conducted among 396 pregnant mothers attending ANC at selected public health institutions in Debre Birhan town who were selected by a systematic random sampling method from July 8 to August 8, 2024. Data was collected by face-to-face interviews with a structured questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS version 25. To identify the existence of an association between the dependent variable and independent variables, bivariate logistic regression at 95% CI and p-value < = 0.05 was used. Results Among mothers attending antenatal care, 188 (47.5) %) have a preference of gender for the birth attendant. Mothers who have no formal education were 5.5 times more likely to have a preference for gender for the birth attendant, AOR 5.503(1.806.16.767). Mothers who lived in rural areas were 2.72 times more likely to have preference AOR 2.728(1.049,7.093). Mothers who were delivered previously by SVD were 14.4 times more likely to have a preference. Mothers who were delivered by assisted delivery were 2.99 times more likely to have a preference. Mothers who had given birth before were 5.594 times more likely to have a preference, AOR 5.594(1.990, 15.724) Conclusion A high proportion of mothers have a preference for the gender of the birth attendant. Mothers who have a strong inclination to gender preference are those who have no formal education, who delivered spontaneous vaginal delivery previously, are nulliparous, and who live in rural areas. gender Preference Birth Attendant pregnant mothers Debre Birhan Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Introduction Modern medicine assumes health professionals are equally able to offer their services to all corners, no matter the genders involved( 1 , 2 ). But studies showed that they have a preference for a doctor of their own sex, and this is even stronger when female patients are seeking help for intimate health problems, including gynecological and obstetrical care ( 3 ). Client’s preferences for birth attendants have unquestionably emerged as an essential element of care giving( 4 ). Gender Preference affects health professional-patient relationships, which can change various clinical outcomes, including patient satisfaction, compliance with treatment, and follow-up appointments( 5 ). The preference for female over male service providers came out strongly as a key barrier in maternity services, which are often provided by male nurses and doctors. the presence of a male during delivery is something they perceived to go against their religious belief ( 6 , 7 ). Globally, an estimated 287,000 maternal deaths occur annually. Approximately 95% of these deaths are in low- and middle-income countries, where 43% of births are attended by TBAs, the proportion generally being higher in rural areas. These home deliveries conducted by TBAs may be responsible for an increased risk of maternal ( 8 , 9 ). The gender of the health care providers also played an important role in influencing the location of birth, as some women reported not being comfortable being attended to by a male nurse ( 10 ). The desire to have female nurses seems so entrenched that, despite knowing the benefits of health facility delivery and the awareness of the possible complications linked to home delivery, people perceived the presence of male nurses at deliveries as something that would continue keeping women away from such facilities, even at the risk of suffering obstetric complications ( 6 ). Most Studies done in African countries indicate that women mentioned they felt shy when the care providers were male, and their husbands were also not comfortable with a delivery assisted by a male professional, and were less likely to prefer institutional delivery ( 6 ),( 10 ). A study from the Kenya demographic health survey found that the sex of the health provider at ANC to significantly influences intention to deliver with a skilled birth attendant ( 11 ).A study conducted in Jigjiga, Somali region, indicated that 32.5% of women prefer to give birth at home, of which 30.7% was due to the similarity in the gender of a birth attendant, as they prefer a similar sex.( 12 ). The Ethiopian government planned to increase the proportion of skilled birth attendants (SBAs) to 90% by 2020, but has not yet achieved. Hence, home birth rates are much higher in rural parts of the country than in urban areas (urban: 29.6% vs. rural: 60%)( 13 )Many women gave birth at home with the aid of TBAs in rural areas of Ethiopia. Though there is a need to improve the utilization of health facility deliveries with SBAs, ( 14 ). The majority of pregnant women in Ethiopia do not give birth in a health institution with a skilled birth attendant. As a result, every year, many women die from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth. The purpose of providing basic maternity care is to save the life and well-being of the mothers( 15 , 16 ). Since pregnant mothers’ preference for the gender of their birth attendant was not previously documented in Debre Birhan town, this study aims to assess pregnant mothers’ preference for the gender of their health professional’s birth attendant and its associated factors. Methods The study was conducted in Debre Birhan town health institutions from July 8 to August 8, 2024. Study design An institution-based cross-sectional study design was conducted. Source population All pregnant women in Debre Birhan town attending ANC at public health facilities. Study population Pregnant mothers who received ANC service in the selected public health facilities in Debre Birhan during the study period. eligibility criteria All pregnant women who attended ANC follow-up during the study period will be included in the study, whereas pregnant mothers who were seriously ill and unable to interview, could not hear or speak, were excluded from the study. Sample size determination a) For the first objective Sample size was determined using the formula for single population proportion based on the following assumptions. Where: n = is the size of the sample Zα/2 = is the standard normal value corresponding to the desired level of confidence P = is the estimated proportion of an attribute that is present in the population (p = 36% which is the proportion of gender preference for female from previous study done in Debre markos town ( 23 ). d = Degree of precession (the margin of sampling error to be used = 0.05 q = 1-p n= (1.96) 2 0.36(0.64)/(0.5) 2 n = 355 By adding 10% of non-response rate, the final sample size is n = 390 b) For the second objective the required sample size was determined by using the double population formula and by considering two different factors that are strongly associated with gender preference( 13 ). by using the following formula n = (Z α/2 +Z β ) 2 (p 1 (1-p 1 ) + p 2 (1-p 2 )) / (p 1 -p 2 ) 2 , where Z α/2 is the critical value of the Normal distribution at α/2 (e.g. for a confidence level of 95%, α is 0.05 and the critical value is 1.96), Z β is the critical value of the Normal distribution at β (e.g. for a power of 80%, β is 0.2 and the critical value is 0.84) and p 1 and p 2 are the expected sample proportions of the two groups. from the study done in Ambo p1 husband occupation (0.08) and women educational status p2(0.14) n = 422.4 approximately the final sample size was 423 Sampling technique Systematic random sampling was employed. In Debre Birhan, there are 2 governmental hospitals and 3 health centers, all of which give ANC services for pregnant mothers. From these health institutions, 2 governmental hospitals and 1 health center were selected randomly by lottery method. This is because of the selection procedure lottery method. Data of the first quarter of pregnant mothers was obtained from the ANC registration book. Then the calculated sample size was allocated proportionally to the selected hospitals and health centers. K was calculated by dividing the average monthly ANC follow-up of the first quarter by the total sample size n = 2099/423 = 4.97 ~ 5since k = 5, the 1st participant was selected randomly between 1 &5, and then continued with every 5th interval. Proportional allocation: allocating the sample proportionally to the total population of each hospital and health center. Using the formula: ni = N i \N×n Where n = total sample size to be selected N = total population N i = total population of each strata n i = sample size from each strata(Fig. 1 ). Dependent variable Gender preference (yes/No) Independent variables Socio-demographic variable: Age Religion occupation Educational status Residence Obstetric History: Parity Mode of delivery status of pregnancy delivery outcome fetal condition Service-related factors empathy Information ANC follow up Previous health facility delivery experience Operational Definition Parity: - Total number of deliveries that occur after 28 wks of gestational age. Gender Socially constructed attributes assigned to males and females result in differences in status and roles between males and females. Gender preference pregnant women who had attended maternity wards and chose either sex of health professional. Birth attendant A person who is trained in different health-related courses and able to conduct delivery care services. Information A woman has information if she answers at least one component of birth preparedness. Empathy a person who respects and understands one’s personal problem and assists with kind. Data collection tool and techniques A structured questionnaire was used. The questionnaire was adapted and modified from different sources(( 13 ),( 5 ),( 15 , 16 , 20 )), The questionnaire was prepared in English, translated into Amharic, and retranslated back to English to check for consistency. Face-to-face interview was employed by 1BSC and 2 diploma midwives. The whole data collection process was carefully monitored by the principal investigator and three supervisors (BSc midwives). At the time of data collection, explanation was provided for the respondents on the Purpose of the study and the importance of their involvement. Data quality control and management Proper check and pre-testing were done. A pretest was conducted among five percent (5%) of similar respondents at Kebele 08 Health Center in Debre Birhan, which are not included in the study area. Any ambiguous and unsuitable questions were modified after the pretest. One-day training was given to the data collectors and supervisors about the data collection tool, the way of approaching the mothers, and the whole data collection procedure. The proper categorization and coding of the questionnaire were done. Throughout the course of the data collection, interviewers were supervised at each site; regular meetings were held between the data collectors and the investigator. Data processing and analysis After coding, checking, and cleaning, the data were exported to SPSS version 25 for analysis. Descriptive statistics, including frequencies, proportions, and summaries (mean, percentage, and range) were employed to characterize the study population with respect to relevant variables. a binary logistic regression model was used. Variables with a p-value of less than 0.25 in the bivariable analysis were included in to multivariable logistic regression to address potential confounding effects. In the multivariable logistic regression, a p-value of < 0.05, with a 95% confidence interval, was declared as a significant variable. The result was presented in the form of text, tables, figures, and summary statistics. Results Socio-Demographic Characteristics of ANC mothers A total of 396 study subjects participated, yielding a response rate of 93.6%. Among the total respondents, the majority were aged 21 to 30 years, 205 (51.8%), while the least were aged below 20 years, 65 (16.4%). The remaining were above 31 years, 126(31.8%). majority of respondents, 248(62.6%), were orthodox. majority of respondents were literate, 333(84.1%). Regarding occupational status majority of them are government employees, 125(31.6%), the rest, 10927.5%, are merchants,102(25.8%) are housewives, and the least 60(15.2%) are private employees. Additionally, most of them live in urban area 299(75.5%). (see Table 1 ). Table 1 Socio-demographic characteristics of participants for the study on preference of gender for birth attendant at selected public health institutions in Debre Bihan, Ethiopia,2024 (n = 396) Frequency(n) Percent (%) age group Below 20 65 16.4% 21–30 205 51.8% above 31 126 31.8% Religion Orthodox 248 62.6% Muslim 73 18.4% Protestant 75 18.9% women educational status Illiterate 63 15.9% Literate 333 84.1% woman's occupation house wife 102 25.8% government employee 125 31.6% Merchant 109 27.5% private employee 60 15.2% Residence Rural 97 24.5% Urban 299 75.5% Obstetrics History and Care of ANC Mothers The majority of respondents (94.2%) reported that their pregnancy was wanted. In terms of parity, most participants (180; 45.5%) were nulliparous. The delivery outcomes (181; 83.8%) were normal, and most newborns (196; 90.7%) were alive at birth. With respect to health facility delivery, the majority of respondents (204; 91.1%) reported having delivered in a health facility (see Table 2 ). Table 2 Obstetrics history and care of pregnant mothers for the study on preference of gender for birth attendant at selected public health institutions in Debre Birhan, Ethiopia,2024 (n = 396) Frequency(n) Percentage (%) status of pregnancy Wanted 373 94.2% un wanted 23 5.8% Parity Nuliparous 180 45.5% 1–4 167 42.2% 5 and above 49 12.4% mode of delivery spontaneous vagianal delivery 83 38.4% assisted delivery 70 32.4% caesarian section 63 29.2% fetal condition Alive 196 90.7% Dead 20 9.3% delivery outcome Normal 181 83.8% with complication 35 16.2% Do you have an ANC follow-up Yes 375 94.7% No 21 5.3% Having previous health facility delivery experience Yes 204 91.9% No 18 8.1% Have you heard about birth preparedness Yes 294 74.2% No 102 25.8% Source of information about the birth preparedness plan health extension worker 62 21.1% health professional 226 76.9% Family 101 34.4% Media 107 36.4% Do you get information about a birth preparedness plan today Yes 71 69.6% No 31 30.4% Mothers' opinions on birth preparedness plans today desire place of birth 47 46.5% preferred birth attendant 27 26.7% funds for emergency 73 72.3% birth companion 28 27.7% Preference-related characteristics of the respondent Among the total respondents, 208 (52.5%) expressed no preference regarding the gender of their birth attendant, while the remaining 188 (47.5%) indicated a preference, with a confidence interval of 42.5% to 52.5%. Among those with a preference, 101 (53.7%) preferred a female health professional, whereas 87 (46.3%) preferred a male health professional (see Fig. 2 ). The reasons for preferring a female attendant were varied: 62 respondents (71.3%) cited feelings of shame in the presence of a male, 9 (10.3%) mentioned religious beliefs, and 31 (35.6%) felt that females are more empathetic. Additionally, 31 (35.6%) noted cultural acceptance, while 7 (8%) believed that females are more skillful than males. Conversely, among those who preferred a male attendant, 59 respondents (58.4%) indicated that they want males to be more empathetic, 25 (24.8%) reported negative experiences with female attendants, and 44 (43.6%) believed that males are more skillful than their female counterparts. Regarding the preference for place of delivery, a significant majority, 365 respondents (92.2%), preferred a health institution, while 31 (7.8%) chose home delivery. When it came to encouraging a particular gender to become birth attendants, 102 respondents (54.3%) encouraged males, while 86 (45.7%) advocated for female birth attendants.(see Fig. 2 , Table 3 ) Table 3 preference-related characteristics of pregnant women for the study on preference of gender for birth attendant at selected public health institutions in Debre brihan Ethiopia,2024 (n = 396) Frequency(n) (Percentage %) whom will encourage to be birth attendant Male 102 54.3% Female 86 45.7% how do you see A man being birth attendant don’t know 8 4.3% should be encouraged 103 54.8% i don't like it 77 41.0% how was your experience when your health professional during labor was male as any other health professional 26 23.6% bad experience 12 10.9% he was very empathic 72 65.5% should males be stopped from being in labor room during labor for examining women Yes 66 35.1% No 122 64.9% how you feel if your health professional during labor was male not comfortable with him 34 30.9% comfortable with that 76 69.1% will you accept to be examined and attend by male health professional Yes 104 55.3% No 77 41.0% Don’t know 7 3.7% factors associated with the preference of gender for birth attendant The logistic regression model's overall fit was assessed using the Hosmer-Lemeshow test, yielding a p-value of 0.615, shows good model fitness. Table 4 shows that illiterate mothers were 5.5 times more likely to prefer a gender for birth attendant than their counterparts (AOR = 5.503 ,95% CI ;(1.81–16.77). Mothers who lived in rural areas were 2.72 times more likely to prefer a female birth attendant than those who lived in urban areas.(AOR = 2.728 ,CI 95%,1.05,7.09).Mothers who were delivered previously by SVD were 14.4 times more likely to have a preference of gender of the birth attendant than those who were delivered by cesarean section.(AOR = 14.416 CI 95%,5.26, 39.5) Mothers who were delivered their previous birth by assisted delivery were 2.99 times more likely to have a preference for the gender of gender for the birth attendant than those who were delivered by cesarean section.(AOR = 2.990 CI,1.18,7.56). Additionally, those mothers who had given birth before (nullipara mothers) were 5.594 times more likely to express a preference of gender for a birth attendant than those who had given birth 5 and above times (grandmultiparus). (See Table 4 ) Table 4 Factors associated with preference of gender for birth attendant on preference of gender for birth attendant and its associated factors at selected public health institutions in Debre Brihan Ethiopia,2024 (n = 396) Variable Category Preference of gender for birth attendant COR (95% CI) AOR (95%CI) Yes(n) No(n) Age below 20 21–30 Above 31 46 96 46 19 109 80 4.211(2.207,8.033) 1.532(0.972,2.414) 1 2.391(0.698,8.193) 1.361(0.626, 2.961) Religion Orthodox Muslim Protestant 103 46 39 145 27 36 0.656(0.390,1.101) 1.573(0.816,3.032) 1 0.535(0.215,1.328) 1.186(0.383,3.671) Educational status No formal education Have formal education 57 131 6 202 14.649(6.140,34.947) 1 5.503(1.806.16.767) Occupation House wife Gov , t empoy Merchant Private employ 43 57 57 31 59 68 52 29 0.682(0.359.1.294) 0.784(0.423, 1.453) 1.025(0.546, 1.927) 1 0.416(0.126, 1.379) 0.397(0.130, 1.215) 0.412(0.135, 1.259) Residence Rural Urban 69 119 28 180 3.727(2.269, 6.124) 1 2.728(1.049,7.093) Mode of del SVD Assisted delivery Cesarean section 65 27 13 18 43 50 13.889(6.22, 31.004) 2.415(1.110, 5.253) 1 14.41(5.261,39.50) 2.990(1.183,7.552) Deli out Normal With complication 84 21 97 14 0.577(0.276.1.206) 1 0.429(0.159, 1.160) Parity Nuliparus 1–4 5 and above 83 93 12 97 74 57 2.638(1.292,5.388) 3.875(1.888,7.954) 1 5.594(1.990,15.724) Hearing about Bpp Yes No 150 38 144 64 1.754(1.105, 2.785) 1 0.904(0.309,2.644) Reference category, COR: Crude odd ratio, AOR: Adjusted odd ratio, CI: Confidence interval, Bpp; birth preparedness plan, SVD; spontaneous vaginal delivery deli out; delivery outcome mode of del; mode of delivery Discussion This study was conducted to assess gender preference for birth attendants and its associated factors among pregnant mothers who came for ANC service at health facilities found in Debireihan. The studies revealed that nearly half of the respondents, 188 (47.5%) CI( 42.5%,52.5%) have a preference for gender for birth attendants. The studies revealed that nearly half of the respondents, 188(47.5%) CI( 42.5%,52.5%) have a preference for gender for birth attendants; this finding was lower than the study conducted in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa, which is 71%,82.6%, and 97%, respectively (( 17 ), ( 18 ), ( 20 , 22 )). But the finding of this study is greater than the study conducted in Israel, which is 39%( 19 ). These discrepancies underscore the influence of cultural, socioeconomic, and infrastructural factors on preference behaviors. Understanding these contextual factors is essential for tailoring interventions to promote their preference and effectively address barriers to preference in diverse populations. This requires employing a qualitative study for in-depth exploration of the issue from the perspectives of the mothers. The findings of this study show that mothers who have no formal education were 5.5 times more likely to express a preference of gender for a birth attendant than mothers who have formal education. This result is in line with the research done in Lahore, Ambo, and Debremarkos. which highlighted the strong predictive power of women's education level in determining their decline for gender preference (( 5 ),( 13 ),( 23 – 25 )), this may be explained by the fact that there is shyness about being exposed. The fact that individuals with less education were more likely to adhere to traditional and cultural norms, and that education has resulted in a decline in religious and traditional observance so a decrease in preference. Mothers who were delivered previously by SVD were 14.4 times more likely to have a preference for the gender of gender for the birth attendant than those who were delivered by cesarean section; this result is in line with the study done in Debre Markos( 23 , 26 ). This may be explained by those women who were delivered by cesarean section fearing complications rather than their preference. This results in ignorance of their preference. Additionally, in this study, those mothers who hadn’t given birth before (nulliparous mothers) were 5.594 times more likely to express a preference of gender for a birth attendant than those who had given birth 5 times (grandmultiparus). This is explained by the fact that nulliparous women have no experience with delivery, and they have fear and shyness about exposing their bodies, so their preference increases. This result contradicts the study done in Saudi Arabia ( 21 , 27 ). This may be due to differences in the socio-demographic and cultural background of respondents. mothers who lived in rural areas were 2.72 times more likely to have a preference of gender for the birth attendant than those who lived in urban areas. This result is in line with the study done in South Africa( 22 ) this may be explained by the cultural and religious intentions of rural women’s inclination to have more preferences. Limitation While focusing solely on antenatal mothers within public health institutions offers valuable insights, the exclusion of other health centers and private hospitals may restrict the generalizability of the findings. Conclusion The preference for the gender of the birth attendant among the study participants was moderately high. Several factors were associated with this preference. Mothers who have no formal education, those who hadn’t had any deliveries before, and mothers who live in rural areas. Additionally, mothers who were delivered by SVD before showed a higher likelihood of gender preference. Declarations Ethical clearance An ethical clearance letter was obtained from the Ethical Review Board of the College of Health Science and Referral Hospital, Ambo University. All methods were carried out in accordance with the relevant guidelines and regulations of Ambo University. Informed consent was obtained from each participant after the data collectors explained the nature, purpose, and procedures of the study. Participants complete the questionnaire only if they choose to do so. Confidentiality was ensured by assigning codes instead of names during transcription and analysis. All identifiable information was removed. Competing interest None of the authors has a financial or other conflict of interest. Funding The authors did not receive any specific funding or grants for this research from public, commercial, or not-for-profit agencies. Author contribution AM played a key role in identifying the problem, designing, and writing the proposal, as well as analyzing and interpreting the data. DA gave constructive comments on the thesis and prepared the manuscript. DB contributed by providing revisions and suggestions throughout the research process. DA was a primary contributor to the manuscript writing and preparation. All authors reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript. Acknowledgment I would like to thank the Department of Public Health of the College of Health Science and Referral Hospital Ambo University, for providing me with such a research opportunity, which impacted me with knowledge and skills References Setoodefar M, Tabesh H, Tara F, Eslami S, Nabavi FH, Zare NV, et al. Measurement model of women’s preferences in obstetrician and gynecologist selection in the private sector: exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Int J community based Nurs midwifery. 2020;8(2):150. Noula M, Leontzini A, Anastasiadis A, Ifanti E. The preference of a female Greek island population in regard to the gender of their gynecologist. Health Sci J. 2010;4(1):57. Mohamed B. How physician gender shapes the communication of medical care in Saudi Arabia: the case of female patients. 2011. Kassirer JP. 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Mattar S, Nassar A, Ghulmiyyah L, Haddad S, Tamim H, Hobeika E. Factors that affect women's choice of their obstetrician and gynecologist: a survey of Lebanese women. Clin Exp Obstet Gynecol. 2019;46(3):408–12. Onyemocho A, Johnbull O, Umar AA, Ara B, Raphael AE, Pius EO, et al. Preference for health provider’s gender amongst women attending obstetrics/gynecology clinic, ABUTH, Zaria, Northwestern Nigeria. Am J Public Health Res. 2014;2(1):21–6. Shavai F, Chinamasa E. Expecting mothers’ preferences of midwife gender: Implication for midwifery deployment. Int J Adv Res Manage social Sci. 2015;4(10):169–83. Bolsoy N, Sen S, Ulas S, Durgun S. Opinions of pregnant women intended to male midwives. J Adv Med Med Res. 2019;29(10):1–8. Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Reviews received at journal 19 Mar, 2026 Reviews received at journal 24 Feb, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 20 Feb, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 20 Feb, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 18 Feb, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 14 Jan, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 14 Jan, 2026 First submitted to journal 12 Jan, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8577831","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":593338067,"identity":"3c9bc422-7705-44aa-9ba8-2dec0fd51ae1","order_by":0,"name":"Achashman Mosu","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"St. Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Achashman","middleName":"","lastName":"Mosu","suffix":""},{"id":593338068,"identity":"1f6df2ab-0163-4de9-bf9f-72fb4eeb0111","order_by":1,"name":"Deribew Awoke","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAAvElEQVRIiWNgGAWjYDCCAxBKDsx+QLyWBAZjMDuBFC2JDRCaCMB3vPeZxM8fdunzww4/BNpiJ0dQi+SZ42aSPQnJuRtvpxkAtSQbE9RicCON2YAngTl34+wEkJYDEBfi1XL/GbPhn4T6dMPZ6R+I1HKDjfExT8LhBHnpHCJtkTyTxvhYJu244QbpnIIDCQZE+IXv+DGGg29squXlZ6dv/vChgogQQ7jwAJgkXgMDg3wDKapHwSgYBaNgRAEAOwtBCa/+BuQAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"Arba Minch College of Health Science, Arba Minch","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Deribew","middleName":"","lastName":"Awoke","suffix":""},{"id":593338069,"identity":"4c4c9118-44b8-438c-994b-5489891529aa","order_by":2,"name":"Dersolign Berihun","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"St. Paul's Hospital Millennium Medical College","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Dersolign","middleName":"","lastName":"Berihun","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-01-12 06:08:52","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8577831/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8577831/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":103504625,"identity":"1910e21d-3ddf-4e81-b6cd-115999c6e372","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-26 13:20:48","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":33583,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eDiagrammatic representation of sampling procedures for assessment of pregnant mothers’ gender preference for obstetric care and associated factors, 2024.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8577831/v1/b404e6c9fa86a6f7c261208b.png"},{"id":103093972,"identity":"a4a0e68f-ec75-476d-a203-e327e2689b41","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-20 17:31:40","extension":"png","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":36275,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003emothers’ preference of gender for birth attendant for the study on preference of gender for birth attendant and its associated factors at selected public health institutions in Debre brihan Ethiopia,2024 (n=396)\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8577831/v1/86e377c154e74abfb25e81ca.png"},{"id":103509287,"identity":"e802a589-7f10-4428-bd30-ce7f7f2ce91e","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-26 13:57:55","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1155588,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8577831/v1/244d1765-b67a-4e1c-a6e8-0b8029c463fc.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Pregnant Mothers' Preference of Health Professionals’ Gender for Birth Attendant and Its Associated Factors Among Women Who Visit for Antenatal Care at Selected Public Health Institutions in Debre Birhan, Ethiopia, 2024","fulltext":[{"header":"Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eModern medicine assumes health professionals are equally able to offer their services to all corners, no matter the genders involved(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e). But studies showed that they have a preference for a doctor of their own sex, and this is even stronger when female patients are seeking help for intimate health problems, including gynecological and obstetrical care (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eClient\u0026rsquo;s preferences for birth attendants have unquestionably emerged as an essential element of care giving(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e). Gender Preference affects health professional-patient relationships, which can change various clinical outcomes, including patient satisfaction, compliance with treatment, and follow-up appointments(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e). The preference for female over male service providers came out strongly as a key barrier in maternity services, which are often provided by male nurses and doctors. the presence of a male during delivery is something they perceived to go against their religious belief (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e). Globally, an estimated 287,000 maternal deaths occur annually. Approximately 95% of these deaths are in low- and middle-income countries, where 43% of births are attended by TBAs, the proportion generally being higher in rural areas. These home deliveries conducted by TBAs may be responsible for an increased risk of maternal (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e9\u003c/span\u003e). The gender of the health care providers also played an important role in influencing the location of birth, as some women reported not being comfortable being attended to by a male nurse (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e10\u003c/span\u003e). The desire to have female nurses seems so entrenched that, despite knowing the benefits of health facility delivery and the awareness of the possible complications linked to home delivery, people perceived the presence of male nurses at deliveries as something that would continue keeping women away from such facilities, even at the risk of suffering obstetric complications (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMost Studies done in African countries indicate that women mentioned they felt shy when the care providers were male, and their husbands were also not comfortable with a delivery assisted by a male professional, and were less likely to prefer institutional delivery (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e),(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e10\u003c/span\u003e). A study from the Kenya demographic health survey found that the sex of the health provider at ANC to significantly influences intention to deliver with a skilled birth attendant (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e11\u003c/span\u003e).A study conducted in Jigjiga, Somali region, indicated that 32.5% of women prefer to give birth at home, of which 30.7% was due to the similarity in the gender of a birth attendant, as they prefer a similar sex.(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e12\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Ethiopian government planned to increase the proportion of skilled birth attendants (SBAs) to 90% by 2020, but has not yet achieved. Hence, home birth rates are much higher in rural parts of the country than in urban areas (urban: 29.6% vs. rural: 60%)(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e)Many women gave birth at home with the aid of TBAs in rural areas of Ethiopia. Though there is a need to improve the utilization of health facility deliveries with SBAs, (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e14\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe majority of pregnant women in Ethiopia do not give birth in a health institution with a skilled birth attendant. As a result, every year, many women die from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth. The purpose of providing basic maternity care is to save the life and well-being of the mothers(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e16\u003c/span\u003e). Since pregnant mothers\u0026rsquo; preference for the gender of their birth attendant was not previously documented in Debre Birhan town, this study aims to assess pregnant mothers\u0026rsquo; preference for the gender of their health professional\u0026rsquo;s birth attendant and its associated factors.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Methods","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe study was conducted in Debre Birhan town health institutions from July 8 to August 8, 2024.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eStudy design\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eAn institution-based cross-sectional study design was conducted.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSource population\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll pregnant women in Debre Birhan town attending ANC at public health facilities.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eStudy population\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePregnant mothers who received ANC service in the selected public health facilities in Debre Birhan during the study period.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eeligibility criteria\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAll pregnant women who attended ANC follow-up during the study period will be included in the study, whereas pregnant mothers who were seriously ill and unable to interview, could not hear or speak, were excluded from the study.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eSample size determination\u003c/b\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ea) For the first objective Sample size was determined using the formula for single population proportion based on the following assumptions.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cimg 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width=\"205\" height=\"118\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhere: \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003en\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;is the size of the sample\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eZα/2\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;is the standard normal value corresponding to the desired level of confidence\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eP\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;is the estimated proportion of an attribute that is present in the population (p\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;36% which is the proportion of gender preference for female from previous study done in Debre markos town (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ed\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;Degree of precession (the margin of sampling error to be used\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.05\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eq\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;1-p\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003en= (1.96)\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e 0.36(0.64)/(0.5)\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003en\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;355\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBy adding 10% of non-response rate, the final sample size is n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;390\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eb) For the second objective the required sample size was determined by using the double population formula and by considering two different factors that are strongly associated with gender preference(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e). by using the following formula\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003en = (Z\u003csub\u003eα/2\u003c/sub\u003e+Z\u003csub\u003eβ\u003c/sub\u003e) \u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e (p\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e (1-p\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e)\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;p\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e (1-p\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e)) / (p\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e-p\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e)\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e,\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ewhere Z\u003csub\u003eα/2\u003c/sub\u003e is the critical value of the Normal distribution at α/2 (e.g. for a confidence level of 95%, α is 0.05 and the critical value is 1.96), Z\u003csub\u003eβ\u003c/sub\u003e is the critical value of the Normal distribution at β (e.g. for a power of 80%, β is 0.2 and the critical value is 0.84) and p\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e and p\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e are the expected sample proportions of the two groups. from the study done in Ambo p1 husband occupation (0.08) and women educational status p2(0.14) n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;422.4 approximately the final sample size was 423\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSampling technique\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSystematic random sampling was employed. In Debre Birhan, there are 2 governmental hospitals and 3 health centers, all of which give ANC services for pregnant mothers. From these health institutions, 2 governmental hospitals and 1 health center were selected randomly by lottery method. This is because of the selection procedure lottery method. Data of the first quarter of pregnant mothers was obtained from the ANC registration book. Then the calculated sample size was allocated proportionally to the selected hospitals and health centers. K was calculated by dividing the average monthly ANC follow-up of the first quarter by the total sample size n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;2099/423\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;4.97\u0026thinsp;~\u0026thinsp;5since k\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;5, the 1st participant was selected randomly between 1 \u0026amp;5, and then continued with every 5th interval.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eProportional allocation: allocating the sample proportionally to the total population of each hospital and health center. Using the formula: ni\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;N i \\N\u0026times;n\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhere n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;total sample size to be selected N\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;total population N i\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;total population of each strata n i\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;sample size from each strata(Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eDependent variable\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eGender preference (yes/No)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eIndependent variables\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"Sec10\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eSocio-demographic variable:\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eAge\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eReligion\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eoccupation\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eEducational status\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eResidence\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec11\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eObstetric History:\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eParity\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMode of delivery\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003estatus of pregnancy\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003edelivery outcome\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003efetal condition\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec12\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eService-related factors\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eempathy\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eInformation\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eANC follow up\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePrevious health facility delivery experience\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec13\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eOperational Definition\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eParity: -\u003c/b\u003eTotal number of deliveries that occur after 28 wks of gestational age.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eGender\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003eSocially constructed attributes assigned to males and females result in differences in status and roles between males and females.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eGender preference\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003epregnant women who had attended maternity wards and chose either sex of health professional.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eBirth attendant\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003eA person who is trained in different health-related courses and able to conduct delivery care services.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eInformation\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003eA woman has information if she answers at least one component of birth preparedness.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eEmpathy\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003ea person who respects and understands one\u0026rsquo;s personal problem and assists with kind.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec14\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eData collection tool and techniques\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eA structured questionnaire was used. The questionnaire was adapted and modified from different sources((\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e),(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e),(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e15\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e16\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e20\u003c/span\u003e)), The questionnaire was prepared in English, translated into Amharic, and retranslated back to English to check for consistency. Face-to-face interview was employed by 1BSC and 2 diploma midwives. The whole data collection process was carefully monitored by the principal investigator and three supervisors (BSc midwives). At the time of data collection, explanation was provided for the respondents on the Purpose of the study and the importance of their involvement.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec15\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eData quality control and management\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eProper check and pre-testing were done. A pretest was conducted among five percent (5%) of similar respondents at Kebele 08 Health Center in Debre Birhan, which are not included in the study area. Any ambiguous and unsuitable questions were modified after the pretest. One-day training was given to the data collectors and supervisors about the data collection tool, the way of approaching the mothers, and the whole data collection procedure. The proper categorization and coding of the questionnaire were done. Throughout the course of the data collection, interviewers were supervised at each site; regular meetings were held between the data collectors and the investigator.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec16\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eData processing and analysis\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eAfter coding, checking, and cleaning, the data were exported to SPSS version 25 for analysis. Descriptive statistics, including frequencies, proportions, and summaries (mean, percentage, and range) were employed to characterize the study population with respect to relevant variables. a binary logistic regression model was used. Variables with a p-value of less than 0.25 in the bivariable analysis were included in to multivariable logistic regression to address potential confounding effects. In the multivariable logistic regression, a p-value of \u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.05, with a 95% confidence interval, was declared as a significant variable. The result was presented in the form of text, tables, figures, and summary statistics.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e "},{"header":"Results","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec17\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec18\" class=\"Section3\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eSocio-Demographic Characteristics of ANC mothers\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eA total of 396 study subjects participated, yielding a response rate of 93.6%. Among the total respondents, the majority were aged 21 to 30 years, 205 (51.8%), while the least were aged below 20 years, 65 (16.4%). The remaining were above 31 years, 126(31.8%). majority of respondents, 248(62.6%), were orthodox. majority of respondents were literate, 333(84.1%). Regarding occupational status majority of them are government employees, 125(31.6%), the rest, 10927.5%, are merchants,102(25.8%) are housewives, and the least 60(15.2%) are private employees. Additionally, most of them live in urban area 299(75.5%). (see Table\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSocio-demographic characteristics of participants for the study on preference of gender for birth attendant at selected public health institutions in Debre Bihan, Ethiopia,2024 (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;396)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"4\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFrequency(n)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePercent (%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eage group\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eBelow 20\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e65\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16.4%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e21\u0026ndash;30\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e205\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e51.8%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eabove 31\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e126\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e31.8%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eReligion\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eOrthodox\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e248\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e62.6%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMuslim\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e73\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e18.4%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eProtestant\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e75\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e18.9%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ewomen educational status\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIlliterate\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e63\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15.9%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLiterate\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e333\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e84.1%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"3\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ewoman's occupation\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ehouse wife\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e102\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e25.8%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003egovernment employee\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e125\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e31.6%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMerchant\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e109\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e27.5%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eprivate employee\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e60\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15.2%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eResidence\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eRural\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e97\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e24.5%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUrban\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e299\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e75.5%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec19\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eObstetrics History and Care of ANC Mothers\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe majority of respondents (94.2%) reported that their pregnancy was wanted. In terms of parity, most participants (180; 45.5%) were nulliparous. The delivery outcomes (181; 83.8%) were normal, and most newborns (196; 90.7%) were alive at birth. With respect to health facility delivery, the majority of respondents (204; 91.1%) reported having delivered in a health facility (see Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eObstetrics history and care of pregnant mothers for the study on preference of gender for birth attendant at selected public health institutions in Debre Birhan, Ethiopia,2024 (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;396)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"4\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFrequency(n)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePercentage (%)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003estatus of pregnancy\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWanted\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e373\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e94.2%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eun wanted\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e23\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.8%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eParity\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNuliparous\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e180\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e45.5%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u0026ndash;4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e167\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e42.2%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5 and above\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e49\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12.4%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003emode of delivery\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003espontaneous vagianal delivery\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e83\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e38.4%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eassisted delivery\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e70\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e32.4%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ecaesarian section\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e63\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e29.2%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003efetal condition\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAlive\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e196\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e90.7%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDead\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9.3%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003edelivery outcome\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNormal\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e181\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e83.8%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ewith complication\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e35\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16.2%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDo you have an ANC follow-up\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e375\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e94.7%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e21\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.3%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHaving previous health facility delivery experience\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e204\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e91.9%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e18\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.1%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHave you heard about birth preparedness\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e294\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e74.2%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e102\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e25.8%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"3\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSource of information about the birth preparedness plan\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ehealth extension worker\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e62\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e21.1%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ehealth professional\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e226\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e76.9%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFamily\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e101\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e34.4%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMedia\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e107\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e36.4%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDo you get information about a birth preparedness plan today\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e71\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e69.6%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e31\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30.4%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"3\" rowspan=\"4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMothers' opinions on birth preparedness plans today\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003edesire place of birth\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e47\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e46.5%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003epreferred birth attendant\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e27\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e26.7%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003efunds for emergency\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e73\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e72.3%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ebirth companion\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e28\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e27.7%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec20\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003ePreference-related characteristics of the respondent\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eAmong the total respondents, 208 (52.5%) expressed no preference regarding the gender of their birth attendant, while the remaining 188 (47.5%) indicated a preference, with a confidence interval of 42.5% to 52.5%. Among those with a preference, 101 (53.7%) preferred a female health professional, whereas 87 (46.3%) preferred a male health professional (see Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe reasons for preferring a female attendant were varied: 62 respondents (71.3%) cited feelings of shame in the presence of a male, 9 (10.3%) mentioned religious beliefs, and 31 (35.6%) felt that females are more empathetic. Additionally, 31 (35.6%) noted cultural acceptance, while 7 (8%) believed that females are more skillful than males. Conversely, among those who preferred a male attendant, 59 respondents (58.4%) indicated that they want males to be more empathetic, 25 (24.8%) reported negative experiences with female attendants, and 44 (43.6%) believed that males are more skillful than their female counterparts. Regarding the preference for place of delivery, a significant majority, 365 respondents (92.2%), preferred a health institution, while 31 (7.8%) chose home delivery. When it came to encouraging a particular gender to become birth attendants, 102 respondents (54.3%) encouraged males, while 86 (45.7%) advocated for female birth attendants.(see Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e, Table \u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003epreference-related characteristics of pregnant women for the study on preference of gender for birth attendant at selected public health institutions in Debre brihan Ethiopia,2024 (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;396)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"4\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFrequency(n)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e(Percentage %)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ewhom will encourage to be birth attendant\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMale\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e102\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e54.3%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFemale\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e86\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e45.7%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ehow do you see A man being birth attendant\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003edon\u0026rsquo;t know\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.3%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eshould be encouraged\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e103\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e54.8%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ei don't like it\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e77\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e41.0%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ehow was your experience when your health professional during labor was male\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eas any other health professional\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e26\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e23.6%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ebad experience\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10.9%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ehe was very empathic\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e72\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e65.5%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eshould males be stopped from being in labor room during labor for examining women\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e66\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e35.1%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e122\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e64.9%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ehow you feel if your health professional during labor was male\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003enot comfortable with him\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e34\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30.9%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ecomfortable with that\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e76\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e69.1%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ewill you accept to be examined and attend by male health professional\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e104\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e55.3%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e77\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e41.0%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDon\u0026rsquo;t know\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.7%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec21\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003efactors associated with the preference of gender for birth attendant\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe logistic regression model's overall fit was assessed using the Hosmer-Lemeshow test, yielding a p-value of 0.615, shows good model fitness.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTable\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e shows that illiterate mothers were 5.5 times more likely to prefer a gender for birth attendant than their counterparts (AOR\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;5.503 ,95% CI ;(1.81\u0026ndash;16.77). Mothers who lived in rural areas were 2.72 times more likely to prefer a female birth attendant than those who lived in urban areas.(AOR\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;2.728 ,CI 95%,1.05,7.09).Mothers who were delivered previously by SVD were 14.4 times more likely to have a preference of gender of the birth attendant than those who were delivered by cesarean section.(AOR\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;14.416 CI 95%,5.26, 39.5) Mothers who were delivered their previous birth by assisted delivery were 2.99 times more likely to have a preference for the gender of gender for the birth attendant than those who were delivered by cesarean section.(AOR\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;2.990 CI,1.18,7.56). Additionally, those mothers who had given birth before (nullipara mothers) were 5.594 times more likely to express a preference of gender for a birth attendant than those who had given birth 5 and above times (grandmultiparus). (See Table \u003cspan refid=\"Tab4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab4\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 4\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eFactors\u003c/b\u003e associated with preference of gender for birth attendant on preference of gender for birth attendant and its associated factors at selected public health institutions in Debre Brihan Ethiopia,2024 (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;396)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"6\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eVariable\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCategory\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c4\" namest=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePreference of gender for birth attendant\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCOR (95% CI)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAOR (95%CI)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes(n)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo(n)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAge\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ebelow 20\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e21\u0026ndash;30\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAbove 31\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e46\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e96\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e46\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e19\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e109\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e80\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.211(2.207,8.033)\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.532(0.972,2.414)\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.391(0.698,8.193)\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.361(0.626, 2.961)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eReligion\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eOrthodox\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMuslim\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eProtestant\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e103\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e46\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e39\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e145\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e27\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e36\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.656(0.390,1.101)\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.573(0.816,3.032)\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.535(0.215,1.328)\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.186(0.383,3.671)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEducational status\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo formal education\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHave formal education\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e57\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e131\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e202\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14.649(6.140,34.947)\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e5.503(1.806.16.767)\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eOccupation\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHouse wife\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eGov\u003csup\u003e,\u003c/sup\u003et empoy\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eMerchant\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePrivate employ\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e43\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e57\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e57\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e31\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e59\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e68\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e52\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e29\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.682(0.359.1.294)\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.784(0.423, 1.453)\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.025(0.546, 1.927)\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.416(0.126, 1.379)\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.397(0.130, 1.215)\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.412(0.135, 1.259)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eResidence\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eRural\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eUrban\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e69\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e119\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e28\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e180\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.727(2.269, 6.124)\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e2.728(1.049,7.093)\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMode of del\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSVD\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAssisted delivery\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eCesarean section\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e65\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e27\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e13\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e18\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e43\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13.889(6.22, 31.004)\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.415(1.110, 5.253)\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e14.41(5.261,39.50)\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e2.990(1.183,7.552)\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDeli out\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNormal\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWith complication\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e84\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e21\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e97\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e14\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.577(0.276.1.206)\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.429(0.159, 1.160)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eParity\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNuliparus\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u0026ndash;4\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e5 and above\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e83\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e93\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e12\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e97\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e74\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e57\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.638(1.292,5.388)\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.875(1.888,7.954)\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e5.594(1.990,15.724)\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHearing about Bpp\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eYes\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e150\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e38\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e144\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e64\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1.754(1.105, 2.785)\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e0.904(0.309,2.644)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003ctfoot\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd colspan=\"6\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eReference category, COR: Crude odd ratio, AOR: Adjusted odd ratio, CI: Confidence interval, Bpp; birth preparedness plan, SVD; spontaneous vaginal delivery deli out; delivery outcome mode of del; mode of delivery\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tfoot\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study was conducted to assess gender preference for birth attendants and its associated factors among pregnant mothers who came for ANC service at health facilities found in Debireihan. The studies revealed that nearly half of the respondents, 188 (47.5%) CI( 42.5%,52.5%) have a preference for gender for birth attendants. The studies revealed that nearly half of the respondents, 188(47.5%) CI( 42.5%,52.5%) have a preference for gender for birth attendants; this finding was lower than the study conducted in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa, which is 71%,82.6%, and 97%, respectively ((\u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e17\u003c/span\u003e), (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e18\u003c/span\u003e), (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e20\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e22\u003c/span\u003e)). But the finding of this study is greater than the study conducted in Israel, which is 39%(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e19\u003c/span\u003e). These discrepancies underscore the influence of cultural, socioeconomic, and infrastructural factors on preference behaviors. Understanding these contextual factors is essential for tailoring interventions to promote their preference and effectively address barriers to preference in diverse populations. This requires employing a qualitative study for in-depth exploration of the issue from the perspectives of the mothers. The findings of this study show that mothers who have no formal education were 5.5 times more likely to express a preference of gender for a birth attendant than mothers who have formal education. This result is in line with the research done in Lahore, Ambo, and Debremarkos. which highlighted the strong predictive power of women's education level in determining their decline for gender preference ((\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e),(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e13\u003c/span\u003e),(\u003cspan additionalcitationids=\"CR24\" citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e\u0026ndash;\u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e25\u003c/span\u003e)), this may be explained by the fact that there is shyness about being exposed. The fact that individuals with less education were more likely to adhere to traditional and cultural norms, and that education has resulted in a decline in religious and traditional observance so a decrease in preference. Mothers who were delivered previously by SVD were 14.4 times more likely to have a preference for the gender of gender for the birth attendant than those who were delivered by cesarean section; this result is in line with the study done in Debre Markos(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e23\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e26\u003c/span\u003e). This may be explained by those women who were delivered by cesarean section fearing complications rather than their preference. This results in ignorance of their preference. Additionally, in this study, those mothers who hadn\u0026rsquo;t given birth before (nulliparous mothers) were 5.594 times more likely to express a preference of gender for a birth attendant than those who had given birth 5 times (grandmultiparus). This is explained by the fact that nulliparous women have no experience with delivery, and they have fear and shyness about exposing their bodies, so their preference increases. This result contradicts the study done in Saudi Arabia (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e21\u003c/span\u003e, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR27\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e27\u003c/span\u003e). This may be due to differences in the socio-demographic and cultural background of respondents.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003emothers who lived in rural areas were 2.72 times more likely to have a preference of gender for the birth attendant than those who lived in urban areas. This result is in line with the study done in South Africa(\u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e22\u003c/span\u003e) this may be explained by the cultural and religious intentions of rural women\u0026rsquo;s inclination to have more preferences.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec23\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003eLimitation\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhile focusing solely on antenatal mothers within public health institutions offers valuable insights, the exclusion of other health centers and private hospitals may restrict the generalizability of the findings.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe preference for the gender of the birth attendant among the study participants was moderately high. Several factors were associated with this preference. Mothers who have no formal education, those who hadn\u0026rsquo;t had any deliveries before, and mothers who live in rural areas. Additionally, mothers who were delivered by SVD before showed a higher likelihood of gender preference.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthical clearance\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn ethical clearance letter was obtained from the Ethical Review Board of the College of Health Science and Referral Hospital, Ambo University. All methods were carried out in accordance with the relevant guidelines and regulations of Ambo University. Informed consent was obtained from each participant after the data collectors explained the nature, purpose, and procedures of the study. Participants complete the questionnaire only if they choose to do so.\u0026nbsp;Confidentiality was ensured by assigning codes instead of names during transcription and analysis. All identifiable information was removed.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCompeting interest\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNone of the authors has a financial or other conflict of interest.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors did not receive any specific funding or grants for this research from public, commercial, or not-for-profit agencies.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor contribution\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAM played a key role in identifying the problem, designing, and writing the proposal, as well as analyzing and interpreting the data. DA gave constructive comments on the thesis and prepared the manuscript. DB contributed by providing revisions and suggestions throughout the research process. DA was a primary contributor to the manuscript writing and preparation. All authors reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp id=\"_Toc198714239\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcknowledgment\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI would like to thank the Department of Public Health of the College of Health Science and Referral Hospital Ambo University, for providing me with such a research opportunity, which impacted me with knowledge and skills\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSetoodefar M, Tabesh H, Tara F, Eslami S, Nabavi FH, Zare NV, et al. Measurement model of women\u0026rsquo;s preferences in obstetrician and gynecologist selection in the private sector: exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Int J community based Nurs midwifery. 2020;8(2):150.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNoula M, Leontzini A, Anastasiadis A, Ifanti E. The preference of a female Greek island population in regard to the gender of their gynecologist. Health Sci J. 2010;4(1):57.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMohamed B. How physician gender shapes the communication of medical care in Saudi Arabia: the case of female patients. 2011.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKassirer JP. Incorporating patients' preferences into medical decisions. Mass Medical Soc; 1994. pp. 1895\u0026ndash;6.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eRiaz B, Sherwani NZF, Inam SHA, Rafiq MY, Tanveer S, Arif A et al. Physician gender preference amongst females attending obstetrics/gynecology clinics. Cureus. 2021;13(5).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eN'Gbichi C, Ziraba AK, Wambui DW, Bakibinga P, Kisiangani I, Njoroge P, et al. If there are no female nurses to attend to me, I will just go and deliver at home: a qualitative study in Garissa, Kenya. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2019;19(1):332.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eH\u0026ouml;ne K, editor. What quality and whose assessment: The role of education diplomacy in the SDG process\u0026ndash;A new diplomacy for a new development agenda? 3rd Nordic Conference on Development Research, Gothenburg, Sweden; 2015.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBongaarts J, WHO, UNICEF, World Bank Group, and United Nations Population Division Trends in Maternal Mortality. 1990 to 2015 Geneva: World Health Organization, 2015. Wiley Online Library; 2016.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMother ME, Count C. The World Health Report. WORLD Health. 2005;11(5).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eKaranja S, Gichuki R, Igunza P, Muhula S, Ofware P, Lesiamon J, et al. Factors influencing deliveries at health facilities in a rural Maasai Community in Magadi sub-County, Kenya. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2018;18:1\u0026ndash;11.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eXu X, Hall JJ, Nyongesa C, Macharia WM, Yego F, Hall B. Factors influencing choice of skilled birth attendance at ANC: evidence from the Kenya demographic health survey. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2018;18(1).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMohamud M. Preference Place of Delivery, Birth Attendants and Associated Factors among Women of Child Bearing Age in Jigjiga City. Somali Region, Ethiopia: A Cross Sectional Study; 2020.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMuleta R. Pregnant mothers preference of midwife gender for birth attendant and associated factors at health institution in ambo town, Oromia region, Ethiopia. Addis Ababa University; 2018.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTaye BT, Zerihun MS, Kitaw TM, Demisse TL, Worku SA, Fitie GW, et al. Women\u0026rsquo;s traditional birth attendant utilization at birth and its associated factors in Angolella Tara, Ethiopia. PLoS ONE. 2022;17(11):e0277504.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eShamrani H. A cross-sectional survey of women\u0026rsquo;s provider gender preferences for gynecology and obstetrics care at King Abdulaziz University Hospital. J Women\u0026rsquo;s Health Care. 2016;5(347):2167\u0026ndash;04201000347.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBal MD, Yılmaz SD, Beji NK, Uludağ S. Muslim women choice for gender of obstetricians and gynecologist in Turkey. J Hum Sci. 2014;11(2):64\u0026ndash;73.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAl-Juhani SA, Murshid G, Dashash N, Abdulrasheed O, Ibrahim A. The Prevalence and Determinants of Food Addiction Among Family Medicine Residents in Jeddah\u0026rsquo;s Joint Program 2019. Am J Psychol. 2020;2(1):1\u0026ndash;16.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAkkour K, Alkhamis WH, AlJumah MM, Dahy LT, Alhalal H, Alayed N, et al. Preferences and attitudes of Saudi female patients toward the gender of obstetricians and gynecologists. Science. 2021;25(108):353\u0026ndash;62.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGroutz A, Amir H, Caspi R, Sharon E, Levy YA, Shimonov M. Do women prefer a female breast surgeon? Isr J health policy Res. 2016;5:1\u0026ndash;6.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNachinab GT-E, Yakong VN, Asumah MN, Ziba FA, Antwi-Adjei H, Benewaa MA et al. Experiences of women receiving reproductive health services from male midwives: a qualitative study in Bole District, Savannah Region of Ghana, West Africa. PAMJ-One Health. 2022;7(30).\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDel Mastro NI, Tejada-Llacsa PJ, Reinders S, P\u0026eacute;rez R, Sol\u0026iacute;s Y, Alva I, et al. Home birth preference, childbirth, and newborn care practices in rural Peruvian Amazon. PLoS ONE. 2021;16(5):e0250702.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMthombeni CS, Maputle MS, Khoza LB. Perceptions of postpartum mothers towards the care provided by male student midwives at labour units in Limpopo Province, South Africa. Afr J Reprod Health. 2018;22(2):60\u0026ndash;7.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNegash Dechasa A, Mulaw Endale Z, Sertsu Gerbi A, Bekele Sime H, Ayanaw Kassie B. Preference of birth attendant gender and associated factors among antenatal care attendants at Debre Markos town public health facilities, Northwest Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study design 2021. SAGE Open Med. 2022;10:20503121221135024.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMattar S, Nassar A, Ghulmiyyah L, Haddad S, Tamim H, Hobeika E. Factors that affect women's choice of their obstetrician and gynecologist: a survey of Lebanese women. Clin Exp Obstet Gynecol. 2019;46(3):408\u0026ndash;12.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOnyemocho A, Johnbull O, Umar AA, Ara B, Raphael AE, Pius EO, et al. Preference for health provider\u0026rsquo;s gender amongst women attending obstetrics/gynecology clinic, ABUTH, Zaria, Northwestern Nigeria. Am J Public Health Res. 2014;2(1):21\u0026ndash;6.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eShavai F, Chinamasa E. Expecting mothers\u0026rsquo; preferences of midwife gender: Implication for midwifery deployment. Int J Adv Res Manage social Sci. 2015;4(10):169\u0026ndash;83.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBolsoy N, Sen S, Ulas S, Durgun S. Opinions of pregnant women intended to male midwives. J Adv Med Med Res. 2019;29(10):1\u0026ndash;8.\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"bmc-pregnancy-and-childbirth","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"prch","sideBox":"Learn more about [BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth](http://bmcpregnancychildbirth.biomedcentral.com/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/prch/default.aspx","title":"BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth","twitterHandle":"@BMC_series","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"BMC Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"gender Preference, Birth Attendant, pregnant mothers, Debre Birhan","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8577831/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8577831/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBackground\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGlobally, Maternal mortality is unacceptably high. About 287,000 women died during and following pregnancy and childbirth in 2020. Almost 95% of all maternal deaths occurred in low and lower-middle-income countries in 2020. Low maternal health care service utilization has been considered one of the factors that resulted in the slow progression of maternal mortality reduction in programs. Mother’s gender preference for obstetrics care is an important issue to promote maternal health care service utilization.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eObjective\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo assess pregnant mothers’ preference of health professionals’ gender for birth attendants and its associated factors among women who visit for ANC at selected public health institutions in Debre Birhan, Ethiopia, 2024.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMethods\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn institution-based cross-sectional study design was conducted among 396 pregnant mothers attending ANC at selected public health institutions in Debre Birhan town who were selected by a systematic random sampling method from July 8 to August 8, 2024. Data was collected by face-to-face interviews with a structured questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS version 25. To identify the existence of an association between the dependent variable and independent variables, bivariate logistic regression at 95% CI and p-value \u0026lt; = 0.05 was used.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eResults\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAmong mothers attending antenatal care, 188 (47.5) %) have a preference of gender for the birth attendant. Mothers who have no formal education were 5.5 times more likely to have a preference for gender for the birth attendant, AOR 5.503(1.806.16.767). Mothers who lived in rural areas were 2.72 times more likely to have preference AOR 2.728(1.049,7.093). Mothers who were delivered previously by SVD were 14.4 times more likely to have a preference. Mothers who were delivered by assisted delivery were 2.99 times more likely to have a preference. Mothers who had given birth before were 5.594 times more likely to have a preference, AOR 5.594(1.990, 15.724)\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConclusion\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA\u003c/strong\u003e high proportion of mothers have a preference for the gender of the birth attendant. Mothers who have a strong inclination to gender preference are those who have no formal education, who delivered spontaneous vaginal delivery previously, are nulliparous, and who live in rural areas.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Pregnant Mothers' Preference of Health Professionals’ Gender for Birth Attendant and Its Associated Factors Among Women Who Visit for Antenatal Care at Selected Public Health Institutions in Debre Birhan, Ethiopia, 2024","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-02-20 17:31:31","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8577831/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-03-19T07:38:19+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2026-02-24T07:24:32+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"21288575172850613248386837877193987408","date":"2026-02-20T15:52:24+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"284419897059494741047994050458911538663","date":"2026-02-20T13:20:38+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2026-02-18T13:04:02+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2026-01-14T10:25:50+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2026-01-14T10:22:51+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth","date":"2026-01-12T06:05:13+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"bmc-pregnancy-and-childbirth","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"prch","sideBox":"Learn more about [BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth](http://bmcpregnancychildbirth.biomedcentral.com/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/prch/default.aspx","title":"BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth","twitterHandle":"@BMC_series","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"BMC Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"28ca85cb-dc14-464e-8be5-4a47873dcb85","owner":[],"postedDate":"February 20th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-02-20T17:31:31+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-02-20 17:31:31","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8577831","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8577831","identity":"rs-8577831","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}