For the study, the researchers interviewed 98 women in Nepal shortly after birth to understand why they delivered their babies at home or in a hospital.
The majority of women acknowledged that giving birth in a hospital was safer than giving birth at home. In fact, 93 per cent of women who gave birth in an institution were satisfied with their experience, while only 32 per cent were satisfied with their home birth.
Researchers also found that lack of transportation resources, gender equity or power to independently decide, and poor quality services at facilities also posed barriers to a hospital or institutional birth.
Despite these statistics, only 30 per cent of women in the study had their babies in a hospital or health post (an "institutional birth"), mentioned the study published in the journal BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth.
"We found that age, income and land ownership were significant factors in predicting whether a woman would have an institutional birth. Nearly all women in our study stated they would prefer an institutional birth," said Sheela Maru, researcher at the Boston University School of Medicine.
Family, partner and societal support were important factors in a woman leaving her home in labour and reaching an institution, the study mentioned.
