Table 1 Descriptive statistics of maternal health utilisation among primigravidas in Uganda

  ≤ 8 weeks - early

22.60

28.72

31.07

28.70

Derived from question on timing of first antenatal visit during last pregnancy. Coded late or never = 0 for ANC after first 8 weeks of pregnancy or no ANC; and early = 1 for first ANC within first 8 weeks.

  > 8 weeks - late

77.40

71.28

68.93

71.30

 At least 4 visits

57.56

59.42

64.64

61.95

Came from question on number of antenatal visits during last pregnancy. Coded less than 4 visits = 0, and at least 4 visits = 1.

 Less than 4 visits

42.44

40.58

35.36

38.05

 Yes

64.65

78.26

87.02

80.21

Person who assisted respondents during last delivery. Coded nurse, midwife or a doctor as yes = 1, and any other as no = 0

 No

35.35

21.74

12.98

19.79

 Yes

13.40

17.79

23.86

20.25

Cross-reference of all three maternal health services. Coded yes = 1 if had early ANC, 4+ ANC visits and assisted delivery, and no = 0 if otherwise

 No

86.60

82.21

76.14

79.75

 Primary

61.10

50.99

53.35

54.53

Highest educational attainment of respondents coded Primary = 1, No formal education = 2, and Secondary or higher education = 3

 No Form. Edu.

8.28

5.67

3.42

4.98

 Secondary or higher

30.62

43.35

43.23

40.49

  ≤ 20

57.82

49.28

49.92

51.51

Age of individuals at time of survey was categorized and coded as ≤20 = 1, 21–25 = 2, and ≥ 26 = 3

 21–25

33.51

40.58

38.32

37.76

 26–46

8.67

10.14

11.75

10.73

 Married

78.19

67.72

66.53

69.34

Marital status comprised of never married, widowed, divorced and married, coded into married = 1, and single (never married, widowed and divorced) =2

 Single

21.81

32.28

33.47

30.66

 Christian

85.02

84.45

85.13

84.96

Religion was categorized and coded as Christians = 1, and non-Christians (Moslems, traditional religion and no religion) = 2

 Non-Christian

14.98

15.55

14.87

15.04

 Poorest

20.11

17.00

18.96

18.78

Household wealth is a pre-constructed weighted variable in the Ugandan Demographic and Health Survey from household characteristics (e.g. type of house floor materials, wall and roofing), water and sanitation, and electricity availability, household consumption assets (e.g. radio, bicycle, car, etc.).

 Poor

19.19

15.68

20.80

19.33

 Middle

15.51

16.34

15.59

15.73

 Rich

14.98

15.68

18.91

17.34

 Richest

30.22

35.31

25.75

28.82

 Full

37.32

42.69

45.17

42.91

Employment status came a question about the type of employment of responded, coded into full employment = 1, temporal employment = 2, and unemployed = 3

 Temporary

43.63

27.67

32.96

34.14

 Unemployed

19.05

29.64

21.87

22.95

 Small challenge

38.24

57.97

59.58

54.56

Came from the question on how difficult it is getting money to access healthcare when in need, and this is coded into small challenge = 1 and big challenge = 2

 Big challenge

61.76

42.03

40.42

45.44

 Small challenge

48.49

64.56

66.12

61.92

Came from the question on how difficult it is physically accessing healthcare when in need, and this is coded into small challenge = 1 and big challenge = 2

 Big challenge

51.51

35.44

33.88

38.08

 Middle

13.01

55.60

21.26

55.51

Addictive scale of women’s involvement in decision-making on health care service, large household purchases, visit to relatives, and expending husband’s earnings. Coded as male only (low = 1); men+women (middle = 2), and women only (high = 3). Cronbach’s α: 2006 = 0.82; 2011 = 0.77; and 2016 = 0.79)

 Low

86.33

42.95

77.47

43.31

 High

0.66

1.45

1.28

1.18

 Rural

76.61

60.87

72.87

71.07

Place of residence was coded as rural = 1, and urban = 2

 Urban

23.39

39.13

27.13

28.93

 North

19.32

14.10

15.74

16.16

Derived from a question on district of residence. Political regions were reconfigured in 2011 and 2016. For consistency, regions were reclassified to conform to 2006 categories, and coded North (Karamoja, Lango and Acholi) = 1, Kampala = 2, Central 1 = 3, Central 2 = 4; Eastern Central (Busoga) = 5, Eastern (Bukedi, Bugisu, and Teso) = 6, West Nile = 7, Western (Bunyoro and Tooro) = 8, and Southwestern (Ankole and Kigezi) = 9

 Kampala

12.35

16.73

8.84

11.33

 Central 1

9.99

8.30

8.38

8.71

 Central 2

8.67

7.64

7.97

8.05

 East Central

9.86

8.43

6.80

7.82

 Eastern

11.04

11.33

19.57

15.90

 West Nile

9.72

12.91

7.61

9.23

 Western

9.86

9.88

15.07

12.80

 Southwestern

9.20

10.67

10.02

9.98