Assessment of Timing of First Antenatal Care Booking and Associated Factors among Pregnant Women who attend Antenatal Care at Health Facilities in Dilla town, Gedeo Zone, Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region, Ethiopia, 2014

Abstract

Introduction: Yet in developing regions overall, only half of all pregnant women receive the minimum recommended number of antenatal visits four and lately timing of ANC booking. Objective: The main objective of this study was assessing timing of first ANC booking and associated factors among pregnant women in Dilla town, SNNPR, 2014. Methods: Facility based Cross-Sectional study design was conducted to assess the timing of first ANC booking and associated factors. Study subjects were selected using systematic random sampling. Data were entered onto a computer using Epi-info 3.5.1 statistical program then exported to SPSS version 20 for analysis. Logistic regression model was used to predict timing of first ANC booking and associated factors. Significance of association was declared if p value is < 0.05 and also OR was calculated to determine strength of association. Result: The study finding revealed that 35.4% respondents were booked first Antenatal care timely. The mean gestational age of timing of first ANC booking was 4 + 1.4 months. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that respondents age(OR=0.2, 95% CI, 0.03-0.5, P=0.005), Education (OR=0.4, 95% CI, 0.2-0.9, P=0.04), Parity(OR=1.8, 95% CI, 1.1-3, P=0.01), knowledge on importance timely booking (OR=2, 95% CI, 1.3-3.3, P=0.003), those informed before to book ANC(OR=3, 95%CI, 1.1-9, P=0.03) and past ANC experience (OR=1.7, 95%CI, 1.1-2.8, P=0.022) were found as significant factors that influence timing of first Antenatal care booking. Conclusion and Recommendation: The findings of this study showed that 35.4% were booked timely. Thus, women’s educational status, knowledge of women on importance of timely booking, quality of ANC have to be considered when antenatal care programs are planned, implemented and evaluated to ensure timely booking of first ANC.