Determinant of Neonatal Visit Coverage Rate in Serdang Bedagai Regency North Sumatra Indonesia IN PRESS

Abstract

Neonatal mortality is a leading cause of infant deaths, particularly in developing countries. Neonatal visits are crucial for monitoring the health of neonatals and detecting issues early. In Serdang Bedagai Regency, the coverage of neonatal visits remains low, contributing to the high neonatal mortality rate and causing economic losses. These losses stem from the cost of treating complications that should have been preventable, as well as the long-term impact on families who lose potential contributors to household income. This study aims to identify factors related to neonatal visit coverage rate in Serdang Bedagai Regency North Sumatra Indonesia. This study used a cross-sectional design with multivariate analysis. Data were collected from 200 mothers with babies aged 0-28 days in five health centers in Serdang Bedagai Regency. The variables analyzed include age, education, economic status, knowledge, maternal attitudes, culture, family support, midwife attitudes, access to health facilities, and service quality. The data were analyzed using logistic regression. The results showed that the variables consistently and significantly affecting the increase in neonatal visit coverage were maternal education, knowledge about neonatal visits, local culture, husband/family support, and the quality of visit services. In the final model (Modelling VII), maternal education (p-value = 0.004, OR = 14.285), maternal knowledge (p-value = 0.000, OR= 75.920), local culture (p-value = 0.000, OR = 57.105), husband/family support (p-value = 0.000, OR = 77.763), and service quality (p-value = 0.000, OR = 47.474) were the most significant factors. Age and economic status were not significant across all models. Maternal education, knowledge, culture, family support, and service quality are essential in improving neonatal visit coverage. Efforts to increase coverage should involve educating mothers, involving families, and enhancing services while considering local wisdom.