Impact of the roll out of comprehensive emergency obstetric care on institutional birth rate in rural Nepal

Table 1 Sample characteristics and demographics

Sample demographics	Pre-expansion group (2012)	Post-expansion group (2014)	P-values^i,j
Total (n)	77	133	-
Age, median (IQR)ⁱ	25 (21–28)	22 (20–26)	0.1
Distance (hours), median (IQR)^a,i	2 (1–2)	2 (1–2)	0.37
Income, median (IQR)^b,i	1000 (0–5000)	5000 (3000–7000)	<0.01
Ropani, median (IQR)^c,i	5 (2–12)	5 (2–7)	0.01
Upper caste, n (%)^d,j	41 (53%)	80 (60%)	0.36
Some literacy, n (%)^e,j	43 (55%)	114 (86%)	<0.01
Multiparity, n (%)^f,j	57 (74%)	83 (62%)	0.08
ANC visits Adequate, n (%)^g,j	53 (69%)	115 (86%)	<0.01
Autonomy, n (%)^h,j	25 (32%)	65 (49%)	0.02

^aDistance is defined as the number of hours required to travel from the respondent’s home to the hospital using the fastest mode of transport available to the respondent
^bIncome measured in Nepali Rupees (NRs); regression analysis was done per 1,000 NRs
^c Ropani is a local measure of farming land in Nepal equal to 508.72 m2
^dUpper caste is any non-Dalit (untouchable) caste
^eSome literacy is defined as either completion of elementary schooling or any self-reported ability to read in Nepali or English
^fMultiparity is the number of respondents who had more than one previous birth
^gAdequacy of ANC visits is defined in accordance with the Nepali government’s minimum of four visits
^hWomen who reported themselves as either the primary or the joint decision-maker were coded as “Autonomous” compared to women who reported their husbands, fathers or mothers-in-law as the primary decision-makers
ⁱ P-values for non-normal continuous variables were calculated using Wilcoxon rank-sum test
^j P-values for categorical variables were calculated using Fisher’s exact test

ISSN: 1471-2393