Satisfaction with malaria care among pregnant women and mothers of under-five years children in Ibadan, Southwest Nigeria

Abstract BackgroundPatient satisfaction is as an important measure of program assessment and health system performance. In our study, we assessed patient’s satisfaction with malaria care among pregnant women (PW) and mothers of children less than five years of age (MU5) in Ibadan, Nigeria. MethodsA cross-sectional design, patient satisfaction with malaria care was assessed among 1,373 participants (818 PW and 555 MU5) with the anti-malarial care they received in a comprehensive hospital in Ibadan, Nigeria. Data on patient satisfaction was obtained using a validated eighteen-item questionnaire (PSQ-18) and analysed using the standard satisfaction scales and quantitative scores. ResultsMajority of the study respondents were married and within the age group 25-34years. Overall, indecisive satisfaction (mean range of 3.0-3.99) was observed for items 4, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, and 16 in the PSQ-18 tool. From the satisfaction sub-scales derived, lowest mean score reflecting poor satisfaction (mean 2.96) was observed for the domain ‘time spent with doctor’ among the pregnant women, while in mothers of children aged under five years, poor satisfaction (mean 2.95) was observed for the general satisfaction sub-scale. Results of the multivariate analysis showed that pregnant women in the upper socioeconomic class had statistically significant lower odds of satisfaction (OR: 0.29, 95% CI: 0.10 – 0.84) with the interpersonal way malaria care was provided. Among mothers of children less than five years old, education and socioeconomic status were significant predictors of higher odds of satisfaction with financial aspects of malaria care.ConclusionSocio economic status and one of its indicators, education plays significant roles in mothers’ satisfaction with health care access, level of care received and most importantly their prospective health seeking behaviour. Important aspect, such as patient’s perception of being well treated by the health care provider should be a key consideration for formulate a patients’ centred strategy to improve health care for malaria in malaria endemic settings.