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Background: Maternal health services utilization is crucial for ensuring safe pregnancies and reducing maternal mortality.However, factors influencing utilization among women of reproductive age in rural areas of Plateau State remain understudied.Objective: This study aimed to assess the utilization of maternal health services and identify associated factors among women of reproductive age in selected villages of Jos East LGA, Plateau State. Methods:A cross-sectional study was conducted, and 377 properly completed questionnaires were analyzed.Socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge, attitudes, utilization, and factors influencing utilization were assessed using structured questionnaires.Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were performed. Results:The age distribution of respondents showed that the majority (65.7%) fell within the 18 to 35 age range.Regarding marital status, most respondents (68.0%) were married.In terms of educational attainment, the highest proportion (35.0%) had completed secondary education.Traders constituted the largest occupational group, accounting for 45.1% of respondents.Furthermore, the majority of respondents reported modest personal and family incomes.The study also found that 65.2% of respondents demonstrated good knowledge and positive attitudes towards maternal health services.However, there were notable gaps in knowledge, with only 38.4% of respondents aware of danger signs during pregnancy and nutritional requirements.Factors such as age (p < 0.001), marital status (p = 0.001), tribal affiliation (p = 0.005), occupation (p = 0.036), and family income (p = 0.009) were found to significantly influence utilization levels. Conclusion:This study provides valuable insights into the utilization of maternal health services among women of reproductive age in rural Plateau State.Despite generally positive attitudes, addressing knowledge gaps and socio-demographic disparities is essential for improving access to maternal healthcare services.Systemic interventions to enhance service delivery and ensure equitable access are warranted to mitigate challenges identified in this study.
Kaze et al. (Sun,) studied this question.