Trends and Determinants of Antenatal Care Service Use in Ethiopia between 2000 and 2016.

Janette Perz,Felix Akpojene Ogbo,Tensae Mekonnen,Tinashe Dune

doi:10.3390/ijerph16050748

Abstract

Antenatal care (ANC) services are an essential intervention for improving maternal and child health worldwide. In Ethiopia, however, ANC service use has been suboptimal, and examining the trends and factors associated with ANC service use is needed to inform targeted maternal health care interventions. This study aimed to investigate the trends and determinants of ANC service utilisation in Ethiopia for the period ranging from 2000 to 2016. This study draws on the Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey data for the years 2000 (n = 7928), 2005 (n = 7276), 2011 (n = 7881) and 2016 (n = 7558) to estimate the trends in ANC service utilisation. Multivariate logistic regression models with adjustment for clustering and sampling weights were used to investigate the association between the study factors and ANC service utilisation. Over the sixteen-year period, the proportion of Ethiopian women who received the recommended four or more ANC visits increased from 10.0% (95% confidence interval (95% CI: 8.7–12.5%) in 2000 to 32.0% (95% CI: 29.4–34.3%) in 2016. Similarly, the proportion of women who received one to three ANC visits increased from 27.0% (95% CI: 23.6–30.7%) in 2000 to 62.0% in 2016 (95% CI: 60.4–67.3%). Multivariate analyses showed that higher maternal and paternal education, higher household wealth status, urban residency and previous use of a contraceptive were associated with ANC service use (1–3 and 4+ ANC visits). The study suggests that while Ethiopian pregnant women’s engagement with ANC services improved during the millennium development goal era (2000–2015), recommended ANC use remains suboptimal. Improving the utilisation of ANC services among pregnant women is essential in Ethiopia, and efforts should focus on vulnerable women.

Highlights

Over 800 women die each day from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth [1], with Sub-Saharan Africa countries, including Ethiopia, accounting for more than 66 per cent of those deaths [1]
Improving the utilisation of antenatal care (ANC) services among pregnant women is essential in Ethiopia, and efforts should focus on vulnerable women
This study analysed data from the Ethiopia demographic and health survey (EDHS) for the years 2000, 2005, 2011 and 2016, which were conducted by the Central Statistical Agency (CSA) under the guidance of the Ministry of Health (MOH)

Summary

Introduction

Over 800 women die each day from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth [1], with Sub-Saharan Africa countries, including Ethiopia, accounting for more than 66 per cent of those deaths [1]. In 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that 11,000 maternal deaths occurred during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period in Ethiopia, or maternal mortality ratio of 353 (uncertainty interval: 247–575) [2], with substantial variations across regions of the country [3]. Most maternal deaths are preventable, many women often do not have access to evidence-based interventions such as the use of antenatal care (ANC) services during pregnancy, and related services in childbirth and the postpartum period due to poverty, lack of information, and cultural practices [5]. Public Health 2019, 16, 748; doi:10.3390/ijerph16050748 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph

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