ABSTRACT

Pregnancy outcome is a strong indicator of maternal vulnerability. ICPD (1994) stated that every 

childbirth and delivery should be healthy. The study examined the determinants of pregnancy 

outcome among rural women in Nigeria. Pregnancy outcomes considered include live birth (low 

weight babies) and terminated pregnancy (miscarriage/stillbirth). The quantitative cross-sectional 

study analyzed the 2013 national demographic and health survey (NDHS) data and surveyed 

77,486 rural women to access the determinants of pregnancy outcomes. A qualitative descriptive 

study (in-depth interview) was also employed with three women interviewed to complement the 

quantitative study. The study shows that while maternal healthcare facilities are available in the 

study area, they are poorly utilized. Some socio-demographic factors that reveal association with 

pregnancy outcomes are maternal age, maternal parity, maternal education, religion, occupation, 

place of delivery, birth interval, and malaria prevention/cure during pregnancy (P<0.05). The 

binary logistic regression result indicated that among other factors that influence pregnancy 

outcomes, delivery assistance (P<0.05), maternal age (P<0.01), and economic status (P<0.05)

strongly predict pregnancy outcome after controlling for covariates. The qualitative result reveals 

that maternal nutritional intake and some cultural practices during pregnancy also influence

pregnancy outcomes. The study results provide reasons to reject the null hypothesis. The study 

suggests that rural women should be enlightened to deprecate obnoxious cultural practices which 

directly or indirectly hamper pregnancy outcomes, and embrace healthy practices that grounds 

favorable pregnancy outcomes.

Keywords: Nigeria, pregnancy, low birth weight, terminated pregnancy, maternal nutrition, 

cultural practices.

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