Factors Associated with the Continuum of Maternal Healthcare among Young Filipino Mothers: Regional Disparities by Achievement of the Demographic Dividend

Maria Paz Marquez, University of the Philippines Population Institute
Grace Cruz, University of the Philippines Population Institute
Queenie Rose Chico, University of the Philippines Population Institute

Using data from the 2021 Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Study, this paper examines maternal healthcare utilization among Filipino mothers aged 15–24. It assesses completion of the maternal healthcare continuum, defined by the recommended minimum of four antenatal care (ANC) visits, skilled birth attendance (SBA), and postnatal care (PNC) from a health professional. Analysis across regions with varying support ratio levels (SRLs), an indicator of readiness to harness the demographic dividend, shows that the greatest dropouts occur at the ANC stage. Regional disparities are stark: while 71% of young mothers in the National Capital Region (NCR) complete the continuum, only 21% do so in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). The study also identifies stage-specific determinants of maternal healthcare use and highlights factors that shape service uptake across SRL regions. Across all SRL regions, being young (in NCR), being Catholic, and having a higher self-efficacy score emerge as significant sociodemographic predictors. Economic factors such as housework (in BARMM) and access to health insurance are also associated with the continuum of care. None of the identified factors were found to be significant in the completion of care in Medium SLR regions. Findings reveal growing inequities in access, which may hinder efforts to achieve the demographic dividend, a potential period of accelerated economic growth driven by favorable population age structures. Bridging maternal healthcare gaps, especially for young mothers, is thus critical not only for improving health outcomes but also for maximizing the benefits of demographic transition.

Keywords: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, Children, Adolescents, and Youth, Population and Development

See extended abstract.

  Presented in Session 149. Access to and Utilization of Reproductive, Maternal, and Child Health Services