Abstract
Antenatal care (ANC) is care given to pregnant mothers to timely identify and mitigate pregnancy related problems that can harm mother or fetus. Most of Ethiopian mothers present late for ANC. The aim of this paper was to assess determinants of early antenatal care initiation among pregnant women. Mothers attending Shebedino District Health Centers for ANC between January 12 and February 18, 2015, were invited to the study. Multistage sampling technique and structured questionnaire were used to collect data by trained data collectors. Univariate and bivariate analysis were conducted to study the association between explanatory and outcome variable. Out of 608 women, 132 [21.71%] had their first ANC within the recommended time [before or at 3 months]. Media access [AOR = 2.11 95% CI 1.00, 3.22], knowledge about the correct time of ANC booking [AOR = 4.49 95% CI 2.47, 6.16], and having been advised to book within 12 weeks [AOR = 4.14 95% CI 3.80, 5.21] were determinants of first-trimester booking. Health professionals and care providers should provide full information, advice, and appropriate care about early ANC for every eligible mother.
Highlights
The care that was given to the mother during pregnancy, during delivery, and after delivery is important for the wellbeing of the mother and the child
Multivariate analysis showed that respondents with media access [OR = 2.109 95% CI 1.001, 4.445], who perceived that the correct time of Antenatal care (ANC) booking is within 12 weeks of gestation [OR = 4.499 95% CI 4.470, 16.160], and who received advise on booking time within 12
This might be due to exposure to source of information, as result of the study indicated that prim gravid mothers start ANC timely 1.4 times more likely when compared to multigravid mothers (AOR = 1.038 95% CI 1.02, 1.92)
Summary
The care that was given to the mother during pregnancy, during delivery, and after delivery is important for the wellbeing of the mother and the child. All pregnant ladies are recommended to go for their first antenatal check-up in the first trimester to identify and manage any medical complication as well as to screen them for any risk factors that may affect the progress and outcome of their pregnancy [1]. ANC helps to ensure the well-being of the mother and fetus through early detection of risks in pregnancy, prevention of pregnancy, and labor complications and ensures the safe delivery of mother and child [3]. In Ethiopia, 34% of pregnant women attend antenatal care at least once and 19% of them attend four times and only 11.2% attend early [4]. It needs further improvement to achieve [5,6,7]
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