Table 3.

Relationships between maternal health policies and high maternal health service utilization in low- and middle-income countries (n = 113)

Maternal health policy categories	ANC4+≥85%, OR (95% CI)*	Institutional delivery, OR (95% CI)*	PNC for mother ≥85%, OR (95% CI)*	All ANC4+, institutional delivery and PNC for mother ≥85%, OR (95% CI)*
Score of national supportive structures, and standards	2.01 (1.25-3.21)‡	0.96 (0.69-1.34)	1.35 (0.90-2.03)	1.94 (1.03-3.63)‡
Score of service access policies in public sector	2.09 (1.37-3.18)‡	1.17 (0.96-1.43)	1.52 (1.10-2.10)‡	1.77 (1.07-2.92)‡
Score of national clinical guidelines and practices	1.17 (0.95-1.43)	0.89 (0.74-1.07)	1.05 (0.86-1.28)	1.09 (0.85-1.41)
Score of national reporting and reviews	1.53 (1.06-2.20)‡	1.05 (0.85-1.31)	1.08 (0.84-1.41)	2.18 (1.09-4.36)‡
Full policy score	1.29 (1.12-1.47)‡	1.01 (0.93-1.09)	1.11 (1.00-1.23)	1.25 (1.05-1.48)‡
Full policy score adjusted for covariates†	1.37 (1.13-1.64)‡	0.88 (0.74-1.04)	1.10 (0.98-1.25)	1.31 (1.07-1.60)‡

ref – reference, ANC4+ – four or more antenatal care visits, OR = odds ratio, CI – confident interval, OR – odds ratio, PNC – postnatal care for the mother

*<85% used as reference.

†Models adjusted for all variables shown and for political stability and absence of violence score, density of medical doctors per 10 000 population, domestic general government health expenditures per capita in purchasing power parity (PPP) international US$, total fertility rate, % urban population, gender development index score, % population with mobile cell phone subscriptions.

‡Statistically significant associations at P < 0.05 or better.