Table 3 Determinants of health care utilization for diarrhea illness from the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health survey (n = 730)

 0–11 month

Ref.

Ref.

 12–23 month

1.44 (1.01–2.07)

1.58 (1.08–2.31)^*

 24–35 month

1.16 (0.77–1.77)

1.38(0.88–2.17)

 36–47 month

0.58 (0.33–1.02)

0.69(0.36–1.28)

 48–59 month

0.76(0.37–1.53)

0.86–0.39-1.87)

 Male

Ref.

Ref.

 female

1.04 (0.78–1.39)

1.03 (0.75–1.40)

 First birth

Ref.

Ref.

 Second birth

1.15(0.68–1.95)

1.46(0.78–2.72)

 Third birth

0.85 (0.51–1.41)

1.27(0.69–2.35)

 Forth birth and above

0.73 (0.49–1.08)

1.32 (0.71–2.48)

 One birth

Ref.

 Two births

1.00(0.74–1.36)

0.88 (0.59–1.31)

 Three and above births

0.97 (0.54–1.74)

0.98 (0.49–1.93)

 Married

Ref.

Ref.

 Divorced

0.61 (0.28–1.26)

0.50 (0.21–1.12)

 Widowed

0.28(0.04–1.15)

0.34 (0.05–1.49)

 Separated

0.16 (0.01–0.95)

0.13 (0.01–0.87)

 No formal education

Ref.

Ref.

 Primary and above

2.32(1.69–3.20)

1.96 (1.34–2.88)^***

 Less than 30 years

Ref.

Ref.

 30 years and above

0.65 (0.49–0.88)

0.84(0.55–1.29)

 No formal education

Ref.

Ref.

 Primary and above

1.52(1.14–2.04)

1.11(0.80–1.55)

 Wants more children

Ref.

Ref.

 Wants no more children

0.74 (0.54–1.00)

0.79(0.56–1.12)

 Poorest

Ref.

Ref.

 Poorer

1.14 (0.76–1.69)

1.05(0.69–1.61)

 Middle

1.45(0.97–2.20)

1.17 (0.74–1.83)

 Richer

1.79 (1.17–2.76)

1.25(0.76–2.05)

 Richest

1.92 (0.98–3.83)

1.19(0.56–2.60)

 No

Ref.

Ref.

 Yes

1.29 (0.92–1.80)

1.18 (0.80–1.74)

 Home

Ref.

Ref.

 Health facility

1.72 (1.25–2.36)

1.49(1.04–2.13)^*