Factors associated with inadequate obstetrical length of stay

WHO standards recommend a length of stay of at least 24 hours after a normal delivery in a health facility in Senegal. However, nearly seventy-five percent (75%) of mothers leave the maternity hospital within 24 hours of delivery, which is often attributed to various factors such as limited capacity of health facilities, financial constraints, high cost of drugs and additional stay expenses, as well as transportation and accessibility problems.The overall objective of this study is to determine the magnitude, regional variations and factors associated with inadequate length of stay after normal childbirth in hospital settings in Senegal. To this end, data from the 2017 Continuous Demographic and Health Survey were used, and bivariate and multivariate statistical analyses were applied. The results indicate that 57.70% of women leave the health facility within 24 hours of a normal delivery nationwide. In addition, 59.03% of women in public healthcare facilities have an inadequate length of stay.