Abstract
Focused antenatal care improves the survival and health of the mother as well as the babies. However, there are real challenges in keeping the subsequent antenatal care follow up in Ethiopia. Hence, the aim of this study was to assess missed antenatal care follow up and associated factors in the Eastern zone of Tigray. Hospital based cross-sectional study was conducted among systematically selected 548 women who came for delivery services from March to April 2016. The data were collected using pre-tested and structured questionnaire through face to face exit interview. Data entry and analysis were made using EPI info version 7 software and SPSS version 20 respectively. Both binary and multiple logistic regression was performed. This study revealed that 33.4% of participants were missing their Antenatal care follow-up. Having no formal education [AOR=1.778 (1.102, 2.869)], attending primary education [AOR= 1.756 (1.040, 2.964)], self-employee [AOR=1.589 (1.030, 2.452)], government employee [AOR=0.503 (0.503, 0.953)], being unmarried [AOR=2.36 (1.11, 5.04)], didn't informed about institutional delivery [AOR=3.34 (1.44, 7.78)], and travel distance more than two hours to hospital [AOR=1.93 (1.08, 3.44)] were factors significantly associated with missed Antenatal care follow-up. The proportion of missed antenatal care follow-up was lessened as compared to local and national evidences. Nevertheless, still a coordinated effort on tracking of pregnant women who missed their antenatal care appointment is required by health policy implementers so as to increase the uptake of four complete visits.
Highlights
Focused antenatal care improves the survival and health of the mother as well as the babies
This study revealed that 33.4% of participants were missing their Antenatal care follow-up
Having no formal education [AOR=1.778 (1.102, 2.869)], attending primary education [AOR= 1.756 (1.040, 2.964)], self-employee [AOR=1.589 (1.030, 2.452)], government employee [AOR=0.503 (0.503, 0.953)], being unmarried [AOR=2.36 (1.11, 5.04)], didn’t informed about institutional delivery [AOR=3.34 (1.44, 7.78)], and travel distance more than two hours to hospital [AOR=1.93 (1.08, 3.44)] were factors significantly associated with missed Antenatal care follow-up
Summary
Focused antenatal care improves the survival and health of the mother as well as the babies. Still a coordinated effort on tracking of pregnant women who missed their antenatal care appointment is required by health policy implementers so as to increase the uptake of four complete visits. To achieve the full life saving potential that ANC promises for women and babies, four visits providing essential evidence based interventions often called focused antenatal care is required[4]. Even though the world health organization has launched a new antenatal care model since 2016 with the aim of positive pregnancy experiences of mothers by increasing the numbers of visits from four to eight contacts, many countries including Ethiopia are not officially implementing this new ANC model so far. Ethiopia will implement the new WHO ANC model soon or later, after the evaluation of the current focused antenatal care model[7]
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