Abstract

The direct causes of maternal mortality mostly are bleeding, gravidarum tocsemia and infection, while the indirect causes are delays that are losing time in recognizing the dangerous sign of pregnancy, unclear decision making to refer pregnant women to health care facilities and losing time to reach adequate health care facilities. This study was conducted in Kupang and Belu Districts, East Nusa Tenggara Province to elicit information regarding the decision making patterns of families on maternal health care by health professionals. The study were located in eight villages and the sample size was 240 households consists mothers who had infants. Quantitative data was collected through interview using questionnaires, while qualitative data was collected through focus group discussion among groups of mothers, husbands, and their parents. The result showed that the level of accessibility among mothers to get maternal health careby health professionals was low in regard of delivery attendent 49,9% of respondents was essisted by nonhealth professional, wherecs 70% of respondents delivered at home. The decision makers of health seeking behaviour in families were wives (36,7%) followed by husbands (30,7%) and parents or parents in law (16,9%). The pattern of decision making in the families were influenced by area, the age of mariage, and the bride's winner of the family.