Abstract
IntroductionUser'sperception of quality of ANC services crucially impacts continuity of use of these services and hence pregnancy outcome. However in our community, ANC user's perceptions of quality are not known.MethodsAn observational analytic cross-sectional study was carried out amongst pregnant women attending selected government health centres in the Buea Health District. We recruited 385 consenting pregnant women for the study. Demographic and clinical data were collected using structured questionnaires. The data was entered into Microsoft Excel and exported toEpi-Info (Version 3.5.1) for analysis.ResultsGeographical accessibility and perceived quality of care were the predominant reasons for choosing or changing a site for ANC. One third of respondents (30.1%) attended a health centre out of their catchment health area with Buea Town health centre receiving the highest proportion of women out of the health area (56.8% of attendees). Knowledge about antenatal care varied and majority of respondents (96.4%) were satisfied with the antenatal services received. However, there were elements of dissatisfaction with health centre services, poor sitting facilities, amenities, few health education talks and poor nursing skills. High educational level (high school and university) (X2 = 8.714; p = 0.01) and first time pregnancy(X2= 4.217; p= 0.04) were significantly associated with poor satisfaction.ConclusionPolicy makers should implement changes in the health care delivery system taking into account the users’ preferences, more so in the light of increasing female education in Cameroon.
Highlights
User’sperception of quality of Antenatal Care (ANC) services crucially impacts continuity of use of these services and pregnancy outcome
In Cameroon, Maternal mortality ratio (MMR) has risen by 8 %from 680 to 872 deaths per 100 000 in the past 9 years after the initial decrease [3]
In Cameroon, there are few reported studies on the quality of ANC services rendered; the study of consumer perceptions in relation to behavioral outcomes has been on the rise in other countries [8]
Summary
User’sperception of quality of ANC services crucially impacts continuity of use of these services and pregnancy outcome. Methods: An observational analytic cross-sectional study was carried out amongst pregnant women attending selected government health centres in the Buea Health District. Studies on ANC in low income countries have mainly focused on monitoring quantifiable data such as the number of antennal visits during ANC [3, 4] and its effects on pregnancy outcome [5]. In Cameroon, there are few reported studies on the quality of ANC services rendered; the study of consumer perceptions in relation to behavioral outcomes has been on the rise in other countries [8]. This study is designed to investigate pregnant women’s perception of quality of ANC services rendered in health facilities within the Buea Health District area
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