Although postnatal care is one of the major interventions recommended for the reduction of maternal and newborn deaths worldwide, most women in Nigeria do not receive postnatal care. Attempts to explain this situation have focused on individual-level attributes, and the role of community characteristics has received less attention. This paper utilized 2008 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey data to examine the influence and moderating effects of community factors on the receipt of postnatal care. Multilevel logistic regression analysis was performed on a sample of 17,846 women of reproductive age nested within 886 communities. Findings indicate that women’s likelihood of receiving postnatal care in Nigeria is a function of where they reside. There is need for region specific policy and reforms that ensure appropriate distribution of need based resources.

Dr Dorothy Ononokpono has a doctorate degree in Demography and  Population Studies. She graduated from the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, and currently lectures in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Uyo, Nigeria. Dorothy is Caldwell Visiting Fellow and her research interests span Reproductive Health, Gender Based Violence and Forced Migration. She has several publications on maternal health in sub-Saharan Africa. Dorothy has a keen interest in spatial demography.

Please direct any inquiries to Ellie Paige and Rachel Rodney Harison at seminars.rsph@anu.edu.au.