The relationship between maternal mortality rate and maternal health care utilization from 1994 to 2013

Objective: To investigate the trend of Chinese maternal mortality rate(MMR) and maternal health care utilization, and its relation for providing the reference in decreasing the MMR. Methods: The related data from China Health Statistics Year book and China maternal and child health monitoring report were collected to analyze the relationship between MMR and maternal health care utilization using grey correlation. Results: The MMR in 1994 to 2013 year declined from 64.8 to 23.2 each 100 thousand(decline for 64.2%), the decreasing degree of which in rural was higher than that in city. The morrhage and amniotic fluid embolism was the first and second cause of death. The maternal health care utilization increased, the increasing degree of which in rural was higher than that in city, the rise of hospital birth rate was the most quickly. The correlation analysis showed the MMR in rural was significantly negative correlation with 6 items of maternal health care utilization(P<0.01), the MMR in city was significantly negative correlation with the hospital birth rate(P<0.01). The difference of MMR in different area was a problem, the floating population was the focus of maternity care population. Conclusions: The decrease of maternal mortality rate in the last 20 years is significant. With the expanding of maternal health care utilization, the effect of increasing the hospital birth rate on the decreasing the MMR is limit, and new strategies and measures are needed.