Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

10-2025

Abstract

This qualitative study examines how women in Panukulan, Quezon, a GIDA municipality, make decisions regarding childbirth in light of national and municipal policies that promote institutional delivery and discourage home births. Using the Theory of Planned Behavior as an analytical framework, the study analyzes maternal intrapartum health-seeking behavior (HSB) through the following components: a) sociocultural and institutional context, b) intention formation based on attitudes toward facility and home birthing, perceptions of subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control, and c) actual behavior. Findings reveal that while facility births are widely recognized for their clinical safety, women’s preferences for specific behaviors are shaped by emotional, cultural, and relational factors on the side of home birthing. Home births are associated with familiarity, attentive care, and the presence of trusted attendants, not necessarily professional health workers. Despite the mothers’ awareness of the no-home-birthing policy, their compliance remains contingent on both structural access and personal preference. The study concludes that maternal health services (HSB) in Panukulan are shaped not only by institutional access, availability, and quality but also by beliefs, social influence, and emotional factors. To increase facility-based deliveries within this context, future maternal programs must address institutional and structural gaps as well as the cultural dimensions that shape how women define safety, trust, and “good” care. These should include localized birth preparedness strategies that involve family, female elders, and local “hilots” in health promotion, as well as greater continuity of care that bridges both institutional and traditional practices.

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