Socioeconomic Impact on Maternal Health Outcomes in Nigeria

This study examines the socioeconomic pathways influencing maternal health utilization and outcomes in Nigeria using data from the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS).  While prior studies have established associations between socioeconomic factors and maternal health, limited attention has been paid to distinguishing maternal health utilisation from outcomes and to decomposing the direct and indirect effects of socioeconomic status within a unified modelling framework.  Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to estimate both measurement and structural relationships among latent constructs.  Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and reliability diagnostics confirmed adequate construct validity and internal consistency.  Model fit indices indicated good overall model performance.  The results show that socioeconomic status has a significant positive effect on maternal health utilization (β = 0.41, p < 0.01) and maternal health outcomes (β = 0.32, p < 0.01), with utilization partially mediating the relationship between socioeconomic status and health outcomes. The findings highlight the central role of income, education, and employment in shaping access to maternal health services and improving health outcomes.  This study provides updated national evidence and policy-relevant insights to support targeted socioeconomic and health system interventions aimed at achieving maternal health improvement goals in Nigeria.