Abstract
Introduction: Prenatal care is an important component of maternal care worldwide more so in sub-Saharan Africa. Methodology: This work is a cross-sectional descriptive study carried out among 170 pregnant women attending antenatal clinic in health facilities in Ekwulobia, Anambra state. Convenience sampling technique was used in this study. The study instrument was a semi structured interviewer administered questionnaire which was developed according to the objectives of the study. In this study we evaluated patient waiting time, pregnancy outcome, quality of care, attitude of staff and facility neatness as parameters for measuring patient satisfaction, we also evaluated quality of service, attitude of staff, proximity to ANC centre, waiting time and cost as determinants of ANC use. Result: The study showed a demonstration of good knowledge of ANC and its importance in maternal and child health, 65.6% were aware of first trimester has the most appropriate time for ANC booking. A high level of satisfaction was recorded among the participants, 65.6% rated the ANC services as very good and 30.3% rated the service as good. Conclusion: Pregnant women in rural areas in eastern Nigeria receive quality and accessible antenatal care services and majority of the women are satisfied with the quality of service. Efforts to improve maternal and child health status in Eastern Nigeria is yielding fruit especially in rural areas. It is recommended that similar studies studies be conducted in other parts for the country to discover the conditions of ANC use and i effects and compare the factors that influence ANC use
Highlights
Prenatal care is an important component of maternal care worldwide more so in sub-Saharan Africa
Pregnant women in rural areas in eastern Nigeria receive quality and accessible antenatal care services and majority of the women are satisfied with the quality of service
It is recommended that similar studies studies be conducted in other parts for the country to discover the conditions of ANC use and i effects and compare the factors that influence ANC use Keywords: Antenatal care; Childbirth; Pregnancy; Obstetrics complication; Patient satisfaction
Summary
Prenatal care is an important component of maternal care worldwide more so in sub-Saharan Africa. ANC services allow for early identification of pregnancy related risks and complications; it provides beneficial services including health education, vaccines, diagnostic tests and treatments [2]. Other benefits that can be derived from antenatal care include fostering good relationship between pregnant women and service providers [3]. Good-quality antenatal care is crucial for the prevention and detection of potential causes of obstetric complications and to avert newborn deaths and stillbirths [7]. An estimated 515,000 women die of pregnancy related causes worldwide, a rate of over 1,400 maternal deaths each year [8]. At least one woman dies from complications related to pregnancy or childbirth, which means 529000 women a year [8]
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