Use Of Antenatal Care Services Research Articles

Utilization of Antenatal Care Services among Patients Presenting in Ayub Teaching Hospital

Regular use of antenatal care services during pregnancy has a positive impact on maternal and fetal health and serves as a tool to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality. Objective: To assess the utilization of antenatal care services among pregnant women at Ayub Teaching Hospital in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Methods: This descriptive study was conducted in Ayub Teaching Hospital in Abbottabad, KPK province, Pakistan. Data were collected on paper-based questionnaires and analyzed using SPSS. A total of 208 patients participated. Results: Key findings from the study indicated that the average age of participants was 28 years. The majority of women came from lower-middle-class backgrounds. The study also revealed a wide range of educational backgrounds among participants. Most women had prior pregnancy experience. The study found that a significant percentage of women initiated antenatal visits during the first trimester with drop in visits during the third trimester. Understanding the reasons for seeking care is crucial, with various medical concerns and routine check-ups cited. Barriers to utilization included lack of awareness, family issues, and geographical distance. Additionally, only 72% of women reported taking recommended supplements during pregnancy. Conclusions: The study identified that women from middle income group with previous experience of pregnancy seek antenatal care in first trimester with various pregnancy problems but visits were not consistent. Major reason for non-utilization of services was unawareness about the services.

A Cross-sectional study design of risk factors related to antenatal care service use among pregnant women in Sinana district, Bale zone, Ethiopia.

Maternal health refers to the well-being of women through pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. Antenatal care refers to the care that is given to a pregnant woman from the time that conception is confirmed until the beginning of labour. Ethiopia was known in concert of the world's nation with primary maternal mortality proportions. The major goal of this study was to survey risk factors related with antenatal care service use among pregnant ladies at regenerative age. Data were obtained from primary sources. To dissect the information, descriptive and Bayesian multilevel binary logistic regression of random coefficient model was utilized. The convergence of parameters was assessed by Monte carol Markova Chain utilizing Stata 16 and MLwiN 2.31 programming. The descriptive result showed that out of the whole 636 pregnant women considered around 60.5%were obtained antenatal care benefits. The odds ratio of pregnant women living in the rural areas being receiving antenatal care services was 0.206(OR = 0.206, P ≤ 0.05). This indicates that the use of prenatal care by rural mothers has decreased by 79.4% compared to urban mothers. Similarly, the Odds ratio for Pregnant women with medium and rich wealth index are 1.571(OR = 1.571, P ≤ 0.05) and 1.90(OR = 1.90, P ≤ 0.05) respectively. This means that pregnant women who are with medium and rich wealth index level had 57.1% and 90% increased odds compared to those pregnant women with poor wealth index consecutively. Varieties between the kebeles in terms of antenatal care benefit utilize were lessening by 0.9 % in random coefficient model. Generally, the study showed that there was high variation among pregnant women not to utilize antenatal care benefits and the likelihoods of prenatal use were found to increase with the husband occupation, wealth index, age category 25-34, and husband education level.

Interplay of sociodemographic factors and antenatal care attendance with free maternal care policy: a case study of Ghana

IntroductionThe Free Maternal Care Policy (FMCP) was introduced in Ghana around 2008 as part of the government’s efforts to improve maternal and child health outcomes in the country. The policy...

A secondary analysis of the factors associated with women´s adequate utilization of antenatal care services during their last pregnancy in Uganda

BackgroundAdequate antenatal care services (ANC) use is critical to identifying and reducing pregnancy risks. Despite the importance placed on adequate antenatal care service utilization, women in Uganda continue to underutilize antenatal care services. The primary goal of this study is to identify the factors associated with women’s adequate utilization of antenatal care services in Uganda.MethodsSecondary data from the 2016 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey were used in this study. The study sample consists of 9,416 women aged 15 to 49 who reported giving birth in the five years preceding the survey. The adequate use of antenatal care services is the dependent variable. A woman who used antenatal care services at least four times is considered to have adequately used antenatal care services. We used univariate, bivariate, and multilevel logistic regression modelling to identify the factors associated with adequate utilization of antenatal care services. STATA version 14.2 was used to analyze the data.ResultsThe prevalence of adequate utilization of antenatal care services in Uganda was found to be 61.4%. Women with secondary or higher education were 32.0% (AOR = 1.32, 95% CI;1.07–1.63), employed women were 26.0% (AOR = 1.26, 95% CI;1.10–1.44), women who received high-quality antenatal care content were 78.0% (AOR = 1.78, 95% CI;1.58–2.02), and women who belong to the rich category of the wealth index bracket were 27.0% (AOR = 1.27, 95% CI;1.09–1.49), more likely to use antenatal care services adequately. Finally, the study discovered that women from less diverse ethnic communities were 15.0% (AOR, 0.85, 95%CI; 0.73–0.99) less likely to use antenatal care services adequately.ConclusionWomen’s adequate utilization of antenatal care was influenced by both community and individual-level characteristics. Policymakers must use a multi-sectoral approach to develop policies that address both individual and community-level characteristics.

Comparison of programmatic data from antenatal clinics with population-based HIV prevalence estimates in the era of universal test and treat in western Kenya.

To compare HIV prevalence estimates from routine programme data in antenatal care (ANC) clinics in western Kenya with HIV prevalence estimates in a general population sample in the era of universal test and treat (UTT). The study was conducted in the area covered by the Siaya Health Demographic Surveillance System (Siaya HDSS) in western Kenya and used data from ANC clinics and the general population. ANC data (n = 1,724) were collected in 2018 from 13 clinics located within the HDSS. The general population was a random sample of women of reproductive age (15-49) who reside in the Siaya HDSS and participated in an HIV sero-prevalence survey in 2018 (n = 2,019). Total and age-specific HIV prevalence estimates were produced from both datasets and demographic decomposition methods were used to quantify the contribution of the differences in age distributions and age-specific HIV prevalence to the total HIV prevalence estimates. Total HIV prevalence was 18.0% (95% CI 16.3-19.9%) in the ANC population compared with 18.4% (95% CI 16.8-20.2%) in the general population sample. At most ages, HIV prevalence was higher in the ANC population than in the general population. The age distribution of the ANC population was younger than that of the general population, and because HIV prevalence increases with age, this reduced the total HIV prevalence among ANC attendees relative to prevalence standardised to the general population age distribution. In the era of UTT, total HIV prevalence among ANC attendees and the general population were comparable, but age-specific HIV prevalence was higher in the ANC population in most age groups. The expansion of treatment may have led to changes in both the fertility of women living with HIV and their use of ANC services, and our results lend support to the assertion that the relationship between ANC and general population HIV prevalence estimates are highly dynamic.

Effectiveness of Antenatal Health Education via Mobile Phone Calls Among Women Seeking Antenatal Care Services in Kisii County, Kenya

Knowledge of antenatal care is important in reducing maternal mortality and morbidity. Mobile phones have demonstrated an increase in the use of antenatal care services. However, few studies have indicated the effectiveness of health education on antenatal care via mobile phone calls. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of health education on antenatal care provided through mobile phone calls among pregnant women in Kisii County, Kenya. A total of 160 pregnant women up to 26 weeks of gestation were recruited for the study from 16 sub-county health facilities (clusters) in Kisii County. The women were enrolled in their first visit and followed up until delivery. The sub-county health facilities were randomly assigned to either intervention or control arms. The intervention involved giving health education on antenatal care through mobile phone calls. All the participants in both study arms received routine antenatal care. However, those enrolled in the intervention sites additionally received health education through mobile phone calls. The primary outcome measure was antenatal care knowledge scores. Baseline and end-of-study questionnaires were used to collect data. Women in the intervention group scored highly in antenatal care knowledge post-intervention as compared to those in the control group, 7.87 (SE of the difference = 0.68, p-value < 0.001, 95% CI (6.53–9.20). Health education delivered through mobile phone calls has great potential in improving antenatal care knowledge.

Use of Antenatal Care Services and Presumptive Malaria During Pregnancy in San, Mali

Use of Antenatal Care Services and Presumptive Malaria During Pregnancy in San, Mali

Acculturation Experiences and Preterm Birth in Berlin: Does Acculturative Stress Contribute to Preterm Birth?

Acculturation and acculturative stress are potential risk factors for adverse perinatal outcomes. This study investigates whether and how acculturative stress affects preterm birth (PTB) in a sample of migrant women in Berlin. We interviewed 955 women who recently gave birth using standardized questionnaires (Frankfurt Acculturation Scale and Acculturative Stress Index). Multivariable logistic regression analyses assessed the effects of acculturation and acculturative stress on PTB. Women with migrant backgrounds did not have significantly higher PTB rates than German natives. First-generation migrants experienced higher acculturative stress levels than second-generation migrants, 38.8% vs. 13.2%. Acculturative stress could not be identified as a risk factor for PTB in our sample. These results need to be considered in the context of an international city and the wide use of antenatal care services in our population, which could be responsible for similarly good perinatal outcomes and highlights the potential of good access to perinatal care for vulnerable groups.

Association between unintended pregnancy and maternal antenatal care services use in Ethiopia: analysis of Ethiopian demographic and health survey 2016.

Unintended pregnancy disproportionately affects women in low and middle-income countries including Ethiopia. Previous studies identified the magnitude and negative health outcomes of unintended pregnancy. However, studies that examined the relationship between antenatal care (ANC) utilization and unintended pregnancy are scarce. This study aimed to examine the relationship between unintended pregnancy and ANC utilization in Ethiopia. This is a cross-sectional study conducted using the fourth and most recent Ethiopian Demographic Health Survey (EDHS) data. The study comprised a weighted sample of 7,271 women with last alive birth and responded to questions on unintended pregnancy and ANC use. The association between unintended pregnancy and ANC uptake was determined using multilevel logistic regression models adjusted for possible confounders. Finally p < 5% was considered significant. Unintended pregnancy accounted for nearly a quarter of all pregnancies (26.5%). After adjusting for confounders, a 33% (AOR: 0.67; 95% CI, 0.57-0.79) lower odds of at least one ANC uptake and a 17% (AOR: 0.83; 95% CI, 0.70-0.99) lower odds of early ANC booking were found among women who had unintended pregnancy compared to women with intended pregnancy. However, this study founds no association (AOR: 0.88; 95% CI, 0.74, 1.04) between unintended pregnancy and four or more ANC visits. Our study found that having unintended pregnancy was associated with a 17 and 33% reduction in early initiation and use of ANC services, respectively. Policies and programs designed to intervene against barriers to early initiation and use of ANC should consider unintended pregnancy.

Understanding antenatal care use in pastoralist communities: a focused ethnographic study in Kenya

Background/Aims The provision of high-quality antenatal care improves maternal and child health outcomes. Pastoralist communities face unique challenges in accessing healthcare associated with a nomadic, marginalised lifestyle, and have high rates of maternal morbidity and mortality. There is minimal evidence on antenatal care use globally among this group. To develop optimal services for pastoralist communities, there is an urgent need to understand pastoralist women's use of antenatal care services. This study's aim was to explore experiences of antenatal care among pastoralist communities in Kenya, to identify key barriers and facilitators of uptake. Methods This focused ethnographic qualitative study was underpinned by a philosophy of critical realism. A total of 58 participants (women, husbands, traditional birth attendants and nurses) were included. Data were collected using interviews, focus group discussions and observation. Data were collected for 6 months in six villages and five health facilities in a pastoralist region of northern Kenya. Inductive thematic analysis and retroduction were used to identify concepts, structures and mechanisms that influenced antenatal care use. Results Pastoralist women's antenatal care experiences and use were linked to two main themes. The first was government policies that incentivised antenatal care use by linking the provision of the baby's health and citizenship records to antenatal care uptake and encouraging traditional birth attendants to adopt defined referral roles. The second highlighted multiple structural barriers that impeded consistent antenatal care uptake, including the pastoralist lifestyle, cultural barriers, health system constraints and a gap in information sharing. The dissonance between these led to partial, sub-optimal use patterns of antenatal care. Conclusions Government policy created an impetus for the pastoralist community to use contemporary healthcare services. At the same time, multiple barriers impeded access to services. This explains the partial use of antenatal care services among pastoralist communities. The findings throw doubt on the feasibility of antenatal care guidelines that recommend eight contacts during pregnancy. There is a need to work collaboratively with communities to develop context-specific models of care.

The Effect of Attitudes, Subjective Norms, and Perceptions of Behavioral Control on Pregnancy Check-ups in Bojonegoro

Background: In Indonesia, the use of antenatal care services has not been carried out according to standards. According to WHO, 99% of maternal deaths are due to the lack of information for pregnant women about the importance of regular prenatal check-ups. Objective: This study aims to examine the relationship strength between attitudes, subjective norms, and perceptions of behavioral control regarding antenatal care with the intention of pregnant women in conducting early pregnancy check-ups (K1) using a quantitative approach with a cross-sectional study design. Methods: The population in this study were 234 pregnant women who had their first antenatal contact with K1 at the Dander Health Center in Bojonegoro Regency, which was collected from March to August 2020. Probability sampling utilizing a basic random sample methodology was employed. Furthermore, 129 pregnant women were used as samples for this study. Data is collected in the form of primary data through a questionnaire, while the secondary data were analyzed using logistic regression. The dependent variable is the intention of pregnancy check-ups, while the independent variables are attitudes, subjective norms, and perceptions. Results: The results showed that there was a relationship between the attitude of pregnant women (p=0.001) and subjective norms (p=0.038) regarding pregnancy check-ups with the intention of pregnant women to visit K1 (α=0.05). However, there was no relationship between perceptions of behavioral control regarding antenatal care and the intention of pregnant women to visit K1 (p=0.142). Conclusion: The findings revealed an association between pregnant women's attitudes and subjective norms about prenatal care and their intention to attend K1. This study suggests that pregnant women’s knowledge needs to be improved, including through classes about the importance of good subjective attitudes and norms related to antenatal care to support the intention to check pregnancy regularly especially K1 visits. As a result, early and regular pregnancy check-ups will detect high-risk pregnancies so that they can be handled immediately, thereby reducing maternal and infant mortality.

Determinants of Antenatal Care Access and Utilization in Haiti

Several pregnancy-related complications resulting in maternal mortality in low-income countries may be due to inaccessible or under-utilized antenatal healthcare services. This study aims to assess the sociodemographic characteristics of Haitian women and how these may affect their access to and use of antenatal care services (ANC) during pregnancy. Multi-logistic regression was used to analyze sociodemographic factors associated with ANC access and use among a cross-section of Haitian women (N = 4890) from the Demographic and Health Survey Haiti (2016–2017). Approximately 18.2% of the women had no education, 40.2% had secondary education, and 4.0% had higher education. About 45.6% of women with no education, 95% with higher education, and 76% of urban dwellers made four or more ANC visits. Only 3% of those who used public sector ANC had a higher education, and over 64.2% of those who used private sector ANC lived in urban areas. Rich women (OR = 2.49, 95% CI = 2.02–3.08) vs. poor women and mature mothers (OR = 1.97, 95% CI = 1.42–2.73) vs. teenage mothers both had higher odds of using ANC services four or more times. Women with higher education (OR = 0.19, 95% CI = 0.12–0.30) and those who were rich (OR = 0.67, 95% CI = 0.5–0.89) had lower odds of using public sector ANC vs. private sector ANC. Wealth and education are protective of ANC access and use by Haitian women. As over half the population has home births, public health education interventions targeting traditional birth attendants are recommended. Interventions training traditional birth attendants to provide better ANC during pregnancy and at the time of birth and to access skilled help during emergency deliveries is recommended.

Modeling the spatial patterns of antenatal care utilization in Nigeria with inference based on Pólya-Gamma mixtures

Despite the vast advantages of making antenatal care visits, the service utilization among pregnant women in Nigeria is suboptimal. A five-year monitoring estimate indicated that about 24% of the women who had live births made no visit. The non-utilization induced excessive zeroes in the outcome of interest. Thus, this study adopted a zero-inflated negative binomial model within a Bayesian framework to identify the spatial pattern and the key factors hindering antenatal care utilization in Nigeria. We overcome the intractability associated with posterior inference by adopting a Pólya-Gamma data-augmentation technique to facilitate inference. The Gibbs sampling algorithm was used to draw samples from the joint posterior distribution. Results revealed that type of place of residence, maternal level of education, access to mass media, household work index, and woman's working status have significant effects on the use of antenatal care services. Findings identified substantial state-level spatial disparity in antenatal care utilization across the country. Cost-effective techniques to achieve an acceptable frequency of utilization include the creation of a community-specific awareness to emphasize the importance and benefits of the appropriate utilization. Special consideration should be given to older pregnant women, women in poor antenatal utilization states, and women residing in poor road network regions.

Effectiveness of the maternal and child health handbook for improving continuum of care and other maternal and child health indicators: A cluster randomized controlled trial in Angola

The maternal and child health (MCH) handbook is promoted as a tool for strengthening continuum of care. We assessed the effect of a MCH handbook intervention package on continuum of maternal and child health care and health outcomes for mother and child. We conducted an open-label, parallel two-arm cluster randomized controlled trial in Angola. We randomly assigned municipalities in Benguela province through block randomization to a group using a package of enhanced maternity care service (which included the MCH handbook distribution and its supplementary intervention) and another using usual care (two stand-alone home-based records). We included women who were pregnant at the beginning of the trial period and attended a public health care facility for maternity care services. Neither health care providers, study participants nor data assessors were masked, but the statistician was. The primary outcome was a measure of service utilization assessed via achievement of maternal behavior-based continuum of care at three months postpartum. We conducted an intention-to-treat analysis in women with available data. We randomized 10 municipalities to either the intervention (five clusters) or control (five clusters) group. Of the 11 530 women approached between June 8, 2019, and September 30, 2020, 11 006 were recruited and 9039 included in the final analysis (82%; 3774 in the intervention group and 5265 in the control group). The odds for achievement of maternal behavior-based continuum of care in the intervention group was not significantly different from that in the control group (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.18, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.46-2.93) at three months postpartum. However, the odds of initiating antenatal care clinic use were significantly higher in the intervention group (odds ratio (OR) = 5.16, 95% CI = 2.50-10.67). No harms associated with the intervention were reported. Distribution of the MCH handbook and its supplementary interventions promoted initiation of antenatal care service use, but did not increase service utilization sufficiently enough for attainment of study defined maternal behavior-based continuum of care. ISRCTN20510127.

The Effect Of New Habits Adaptation Policies Times Covid-19 On The Utilization Of Antenatal Care Services For Pregnant Mothers In Trimester III In Public Health Bandar Baru, Pidie Jaya Regency

The COVID-19 pandemic has an impact on all sectors including Antenatal care and coverage of pregnancy services have decreased compared to before the Covid-19 pandemic. Data Bandar Baru Health Center in 2021 K1 visits as many as 303 people (60%) and K4 visits were 221 people (44%) with a visit target of 90%. Research Objectives: To determine the effect of new habit adaptation policies the Covid-19 period on the use of antenatal care services for pregnant women third trimester at Bandar Baru Health Center, Pidie Jaya Regency in 2022. Research Methods: Using analytic observational approach cross sectional. The research sample of third trimester pregnant women was 69 people, the study was conducted on 7-24 January 2022, data analysis using univariate and bivariate data using chi square statistical test. Research Results: Utilization of antenatal care services the incomplete category was 38 people (55.1%), the application of the new habit adaptation policy during the Covid-19 pandemic in the inappropriate category was 39 people (56.5%), so that there is an influence on the policy of adapting new habits during the Covid-19 pandemic on the use of antenatal care services with a P Value (0.001) Conclusions and Suggestions: There is an influence of the new habit adaptation policy of the future The Covid-19 pandemic on the use of antenatal care services. It is hoped that health workers can provide information regarding the adaptation of new habits during the Covid-19 period regarding standard procedures for antenatal care services

The role of informational support from women’s social networks on antenatal care initiation: qualitative evidence from pregnant women in Uganda

BackgroundEarly and appropriate use of antenatal care services is critical for reducing maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity. Yet most women in sub-Saharan Africa, including Uganda, do not seek antenatal care until later during pregnancy. This qualitative study explored pregnant women’s reliance on social ties for information about initiation of antenatal care.MethodsWe conducted semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 30 pregnant women seeking their first antenatal care visit at Kawempe Referral Hospital in Kampala, Uganda. Recruitment was done purposively to obtain variation by parity and whether women currently had a male partner. Study recruitment occurred from August 25th 2020 – October 26th, 2020. We used thematic analysis following a two-stage coding process, with both deductive and inductive codes. Deductive codes followed the key domains of social network and social support theory.ResultsWe found that the most important source of information about antenatal care initiation was these women’s mothers. Other sources included their mothers-in-law, female elders including grandmothers, and male partners. Sisters and female friends were less influential information sources about antenatal initiation. One of the primary reasons for relying on their own mothers, mothers-in-law, and elder women was due to these women’s lived experience with pregnancy and childbirth. Trust in the relationship was also an important factor. Some pregnant women were less likely to rely on their sisters or female friends, either due to lack of trust or these women’s lack of experience with pregnancy and childbirth. The advice that pregnant women received from their mothers and others on the ideal timing for antenatal care initiation varied significantly, including examples of misinformation about when to initiate antenatal care. Pregnant women seemed less likely to delay care when more than one social tie encouraged early antenatal care.ConclusionsEducating women’s social networks, especially their mothers, mothers-in-law, and community elders, about the importance of early antenatal care initiation is a promising avenue for encouraging pregnant women to seek care earlier in pregnancy.

Correlates of Zero-Dose Vaccination Status among Children Aged 12-59 Months in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Multilevel Analysis of Individual and Contextual Factors.

Despite ongoing efforts to improve childhood vaccination coverage, including in hard-to-reach and hard-to-vaccinate communities, many children in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) remain unvaccinated. Considering recent goals set by the Immunization Agenda 2030 (IA2030), including reducing the number of zero-dose children by half, research that goes beyond coverage to identify populations and groups at greater risk of being unvaccinated is urgently needed. This is a pooled cross-sectional study of individual- and country-level data obtained from Demographic and Health Surveys Program and two open data repositories. The sample includes 43,131 children aged 12–59 months sampled between 2010 and 2020 in 33 SSA countries. Associations of zero-dose status with individual and contextual factors were assessed using multilevel logistic regression. 16.5% of children had not received any vaccines. Individual level factors associated lower odds of zero-dose status included mother’s primary school or high school education, employment, use of antenatal care services and household wealth. Compared to children in countries with lower GDP, children in countries with relatively high GDP had nearly four times greater odds of being unvaccinated. Both individual and contextual factors are correlated with zero-dose status in SSA. Our results can inform efforts to identify and reach children who have not received any vaccines.

HPR2 COVID-19 and the Use of Antenatal Care Services in Côte d'Ivoire, an Africa South of the Sahara's Country

According to WHO Africa, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted key health services in Africa, raising concerns that some of the major health problems will worsen. The objective of this study is to describe the effects of COVID-19 on the use of antenatal care services in Côte d'Ivoire.

Covid-19 Related Factors Associated with Antenatal Care in Rural Bangladesh: A qualitative study

Objective: Available literature reveals that usage of Maternal Health Care Services (MHCSs), including antenatal care (ANC), has been decreased significantly in the developing countries due to Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic. However, the COVID-19 related factors on the MHCSs utilization in Bangladeshi women are yet to be examined. Therefore, this study examines the effect of COVID-19 on the use of ANC services among rural communities in Bangladesh.Method: A community-based qualitative study was conducted from May 01, 2021, to July 20, 2021, among selected pregnant women residing in eight villages of the Kushtia District, Bangladesh. A total of ten focus group discussions (FGDs) was conducted. Open Code 4.0 software was used to transcribe, translate, and analyze the data thematically. Results: Findings suggest that the measures taken by the government against the COVID-19 pandemic have significantly decreased the optimum usage of ANC services. The need to shift the role of the health workforces a vital factor that has a negative effect on women's attitude towards seeking MHCSs. Anxiety, dirty and poor environment of the health facilities, low quality of care, stigma, and risk minimization strategy are among other factors that refrained the pregnant women from seeking ANC services. Conclusion: Undoubtedly, the COVID-19 related factors have decreased the possible usage of ANC services among rural communities in Bangladesh. Additional necessary health workforces are needed to recruit urgently. A special wing for pregnant women in each health facility may be opened as a one-stop service center for the COVID-19 period. The policymakers should take necessary actions to reduce anxiety among pregnant women and motivate them to use MHCSs for safe motherhood.

Male partners' involvement during antenatal care in Ekiti State, southwest Nigeria

Background/Aims Male partners' involvement in the use of antenatal care services has been evaluated as a crucial determinant in the uptake of these services. This study investigated the opinion of antenatal care attendees on male partners' role in the use of antenatal care services in Ekiti State. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted and data obtained through semi-structured questionnaires administered to 600 antenatal clinic attendees at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti. Results Half (51.1%) of respondents attended antenatal care clinics to promote the development and growth of their unborn babies. Over a third (40.6%) of the respondents reported that the decision to attend an antenatal care clinic was made by ‘male partners’, while 82.8% of respondents had their male partners participate in activities that facilitated their use of antenatal care services. Conclusions Male partners play an important role in the uptake of antenatal care services. The authors advocate for policies to be created to increase male partner participation in the use of antenatal care services.