Table 2.

Health care services use and characteristics of study participants at selected public hospitals in eastern Ethiopia, 2016 (N = 1085)

Variables	Category	Frequency	Percent (%)
Visited units in the hospitals	MCH	594	54.7
	Obstetrics	164	15.1
	Pediatrics	165	15.3
	NICU	162	14.9
Number of pregnancy/gravida	1–3	778	71.7
	> + 4	307	28.3
Number of life birth/parity	1–3	827	76.2
	> + 4	258	23.8
Antenatal visits during last pregnancy	Yes	902	83.1
	No	183	16.9
Number of antenatal visits	1–3	486	53.9
	> + 4	416	46.1
Counseling on BF at antenatal visits	Yes	567	62.9
	No	335	37.1
Birth place of last child	Home	172	15.9
	Health center	235	21.7
	Hospital	678	62.5
Postnatal visits after the last pregnancy	Yes	346	31.9
	No	739	68.1
Number of postnatal visits	1–2	222	64.2
	> + 3	124	35.8
Counseled on BF at postnatal visits	Yes	320	92.5
	No	26	7.5
Currently BF	Yes	253	76.6
	No	832	23.3
Ever visited under-five OPD	Yes	881	81.2
	No	204	18.8
Counseled on BF at under-five OPD	Yes	579	65.7
	No	302	34.3
Ever experienced difficulty of BF	Yes	43	4
	No	1042	96
Condition that limited mothers from BF	Mothers’ illness	20	46.5
	Lack of breast milk	23	53.5
Alterative used for difficulty of BF	Infant formula was used	41	53.9
	cow milk was used	18	23.7
	Soft food made of cereals	17	22.4
Ever experienced BF to others’ baby	Yes	28	2.6
	No	1057	97.4

MCH maternal & child health care unit, NICU Neonatal intensive care unit, OPD Outpatient department, BF Breast Feeding