Factors associated with late antenatal care booking among pregnant women in Ndola District, Zambia

Abstract

Background: Many pregnant women book antenatal care (ANC) late and are at risk of poor pregnancy outcomes. Aims: This study aimed to determine the factors associated with late ANC booking among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in Ndola District, Zambia. Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional design was used. A simple random sample of 305 pregnant women attending antenatal clinic at seven systematically selected clinics between May and July 2015 was selected. A pretested and structured interview schedule was used to collect data. Data were entered and analysed using Epidata (2008) and Stata 10.1, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was completed. Findings: The prevalence of late ANC booking was 86.6%. Mean age was 26.4 years (CI 25.7–27.1). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that age, marital status and parity were associated with late ANC booking. Conclusions: Late booking remains high despite the free ANC services available to all pregnant women. Public awareness and health education could help to enhance the value of early ANC booking to pregnant women.