Factors Affecting Maternal Satisfaction from the Services of the First Level of Network System in Iran

Satisfaction of health care recipients is always considered by policy makers and implementers as an indicator of measuring the quality and determining the effectiveness of services. This study aimed to determine the satisfaction of mothers from first level of Iranian network system.
This cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the incidence of maternal mortality in six provinces of Iran in 2015. Twenty-four public health centers were randomly stratified and selected. In each center, 15 to 20 mothers who were covered by prenatal care were examined. The data were collected through a researcher-made questionnaire whose validity and reliability were confirmed, interviews with mothers, and their medical records. SPSS version 17 was used for analysis. P values less than 0.05 were considered significant.
Of 2722 mothers participating in the study, 2187 (80.3%) were satisfied with the condition and facilities of health units and service providers and 535 (19.7%) were dissatisfied. The highest level of satisfaction in mothers was observed in the areas of behavior, complete services, training of health professionals, and adequacy of pharmaceutical products while the lowest level of satisfaction was related to the adequacy of the medical education and the distance between the health unit and home. There was a significant relationship between 16 demographic variables and maternal satisfaction (P This study showed that about one fifth of pregnant mothers are still not satisfied with the first level of network systems in Iran and many factors have an impact on their satisfaction. It is recommended to design and implement interventional programs to increase their satisfaction.