RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE DELAY IN MAKING A TIMELY DECISION TO SEEK MEDICAL ASSISTANCE AND PERINATAL MORTALITY IN LURAMBI AND BUTERE SUB-COUNTIES, KAKAMEGA COUNTY, KENYA

Abstract

Purpose: To determine the relationship between the delays in making a timely decision to seek medical assistance and perinatal mortality in Lurambi and Butere sub-counties, Kakamega County, Kenya. Methodology: A community based retrospective cross-sectional research design was adopted using mixed methods for data collection. A total of 520 respondents were randomly selected from 40 out 830 villages of Lurambi and Butere sub-counties using multistage cluster sampling. The respondents were interviewed from November 2017 to March 2018. Data entry and analysis was done using SPSS Version 21 software. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were used. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were applied and adjusted odds ratio was used to determine the strength of association. A p-value of ≤ 0.05 was considered as statistically significant.