Initiation Of Antenatal Care Visits Research Articles

Socioeconomic inequality in timing of ANC visit among pregnant women in Ethiopia, 2019.

Antenatal care (ANC) remains an invaluable approach to preventive care for ensuring maternal and infant health outcomes. Women in sub-Saharan Africa tend to delay their first antenatal care visits. In Ethiopia, only 20% of women received their first antenatal care during the first trimester of pregnancy. Timely and appropriate antenatal care practices can potentially save the lives of both mothers and children. Understanding socioeconomic inequality in the timing of antenatal care visits and its determinants may contribute to tackling disparities and achieving the sustainable development goals for maternal health. This study aimed to assess the socioeconomic inequality in the timing of antenatal care visit. Secondary data sourced from the Mini Ethiopian Demographic Health Survey 2019 were used for this study. A total of 2,906 pregnant women were included in the study, and concentration curves were used to show inequality among sociodemographic and economic variables. Decomposition analysis was performed to estimate the contribution of each independent variable to the inequality in the timing of antenatal care visits. The estimate of early initiation of antenatal care was 63%. The concentration index was 0.18 (P < 0.001). The inequality in the timing of antenatal care visit was more concentrated among the wealthiest pregnant women with a concentration index value of 0.18 (P < 0.001). Based on decomposition analysis results, the wealth index (81.9%.), education status (22.29%), and region (0.0642%) were identified as contributing factors to the inequality in the timing of antenatal care visits among women. The wealth index, educational status, and region were significant contributors to inequality in the early initiation of antenatal care visit. Improving women's wealth and education and narrowing the inequality gap are crucial for improving the health status of women and their children. We should focus on interventions targeted at early antenatal care visit to address the determinants of socioeconomic inequities.

Mean difference in timing of first antenatal checks across regions and associated factors among pregnant women attending health facilities in Ethiopia: evidence from Ethiopian demographic health survey, 2019

IntroductionEarly initiation of antenatal care visits is an essential component of services to improve maternal health. Conducting a detailed study about the mean difference in timing at first antenatal checks across regions and factors associated with timing at first antenatal checks among women attending antenatal in Ethiopia is essential to ensure maternal and newborn health. Therefore, this study aimed to describe the mean difference in timing at first antenatal visits and associated factors among pregnant women attending different health facilities across regions in Ethiopia.MethodThe Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS) conducted a community-based cross-sectional study in 2019. In this study, data about the timing of the first antenatal check-ups were requested from the Demographic Health Survey in February 2023, and the required variables were downloaded in SAS and SPSS formats from the data set. A total of 2935 women from nine regional states and two city administrations with an age range of 15 to 49 years were included in the study. The mean difference in timing at first antenatal check-ups, its correlation and various factors were estimated using multiple linear regressions to identify factors.ResultThe majority of the 2034 (69.3%) of pregnant women who participated in the study were rural residents. The mean (± SD) age of the pregnant women was 29 (± 6.5) years. Approximately 32.5% of pregnant women visited their first antenatal check after 4 months of pregnancy. The results showed that counselling by health workers during a previous pregnancy (p < 0.01) significantly predicts timing at first antenatal checks in months holding previous delivery, previous antenatal care at both government and private facilities, ever attended school, and highest educational level. Timing at the first antenatal check-in months is expected to decrease by 0.99 months for every counselling session at each pregnancy. The results of the analysis suggested that the regression model significantly predicted timing at the first antenatal check (p = 0.001).ConclusionThe mean difference in timing at the first antenatal check in months among Ethiopian pregnant women relatively significantly varies in two regions. Previous pregnancy counselling by health workers positively influences the timing of first antenatal check-ups for subsequent antenatal check follow-ups in Ethiopia.

Time to initiation of antenatal care visit and its predictors among reproductive age women in Ethiopia: Gompertz inverse Gaussian shared frailty model.

Early initiation of antenatal care (ANC) is essential for the early detection of pregnancy-related problems and unfavorable pregnancy outcomes. However, a significant number of mothers do not initiate ANC at the recommended time. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the median time of ANC initiation and its predictors among reproductive-age women in Ethiopia. We used the Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS) 2016 data set. The proportional hazard assumption was assessed using Schoenfeld residual test and log-log plot. A life table was used to determine the median survival time (time of ANC initiation). The Gompertz inverse Gaussian shared frailty model was the best-fitting model for identifying the predictors for the early initiation of ANC booking. Finally, the adjusted hazard ratio (AHR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to determine the significance of predictors. A total of 7,501 reproductive-aged women gave recent birth in the last 5 years preceding the survey. Nearly three in five women [61.95% (95% CI: 60.85-63.04%)] booked their first ANC visit with a median time of 4.4 months. Women who attended primary education (AHR = 1.10, 95% CI: 1.01-1.20), secondary and above (AHR = 1.26, 95% CI: 1.11-1.44), media exposure (AHR = 1.07, 95% CI: 1.00-1.16), rich wealthy (AHR = 1.17, 95% CI: 1.06-1.30), grand multiparous (AHR = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.72-0.93), unwanted pregnancy (AHR = 0.88, 95% CI: 0.81-0.96), small periphery region (AHR = 0.58, 95% CI: 0.51-0.67), and rural residence (AHR = 0.86, 95% CI: 0.75-0.99) were significantly associated with first ANC visit. According to this study, a significant number of women missed their first ANC visit. The education status of women, place of residence, region, wealth index, media exposure, unintended pregnancy, and multi-parity were significantly associated with the time of initiation of the first ANC visit. Therefore, policymakers should focus on improving the socioeconomic status (education, media coverage, and wealth) of reproductive-aged women by prioritizing women who live in small periphery regions and rural residences to improve the early initiation of ANC.

Spatial distribution of delayed initiation of antenatal care visits and associated factors among reproductive age women in Ethiopia: spatial and multilevel analysis of 2019 mini-demographic and health survey

ObjectivesThis study aimed to assess the spatial distribution, wealth-related inequality and determinants for delayed initiation of antenatal care (ANC) visits among reproductive-age women in Ethiopia.DesignCross-sectional study design.SettingEthiopia.ParticipantsA total of 2924...

A mixed-method study examined the reasons why pregnant women late initiate antenatal care in Northeast Ethiopia.

Timely initiation of antenatal care visits is crucial for ensuring optimal care and health outcomes for women and children. However, late antenatal care initiation among pregnant women in low-income countries including Ethiopia is acknowledged in the literature. Therefore, this study examined why pregnant women initiate antenatal care late in Northeast Ethiopia. This study was done using a mixed design approach that included phenomenology and retrospective cross-sectional designs. A retrospective cross-sectional study was deployed among randomly selected 632 medical charts of women who had antenatal care visit in Legambo District primary hospital and health centers. Kaplan Meier curve was used to estimate survival time. Bi-variable and multivariable Cox-proportional hazard regression models were fitted using R-studio-1.2.5033 to identify independent predictors of antenatal care initiation time. Six vignette-based focused group discussions were held with pregnant women who had been purposefully selected. Then, a qualitative content analysis that was informed by the phenomenological theory was done. This study indicated that only 195 (30.9%) of women timely initiated their antenatal care follow-up. In a survival analysis, all 632 women contributed 12,474 person-weeks giving a timely antenatal care initiation rate of 15.6 per 1000 person-weeks. According to the multivariable Cox regression models, late antenatal are initiation was found among pregnant women with an unknown last normal menstruation period, no living children, no bad obstetric history, not accompanied by their partner during antenatal care visit, and who lived in a >5-kilometer radius of health facility. In a qualitative analysis, being uncertain whether the pregnancy had occurred, believing that they have a very low probability of experiencing any complications, negative experience with healthcare providers, negative influence from their immediate contacts such as the mother and mother-in-law, and socio-cultural beliefs like "Qare" were found as major reasons why they started antenatal care follow-up late. Most pregnant women in Legambo district, northeastern Ethiopia, initiate their antenatal care visits late. Based on the findings of this study, strengthening the pregnant women identification program and performing regular pregnant women's conference will help to achieve early initiation of antenatal care visits. To lessen the negative influence of their immediate contacts, it will also good to include these old moms and husbands in the conference of pregnant women.

Determinants of early initiation of first antenatal care visit in Ethiopia based on the 2019 Ethiopia mini-demographic and health survey: A multilevel analysis.

Early initiation of the first antenatal care visit provides a critical opportunity for health promotion, disease prevention, and curative care for women and their unborn fetuses. However, in developing countries, including Ethiopia, it is underutilized and most of the pregnant women didn't attend antenatal care visits during the first trimester (early). Therefore, the objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of early initiation of antenatal care visits and its determinants among reproductive-age women in Ethiopia. A secondary data analysis was done based on the 2019 intermediate Ethiopian demographic health survey. The data were weighted by sampling weight for probability sampling and non-response to restore the representativeness of the data and have valid statistical estimates. Then, a total weighted sample of 2,935 women aged 15-49 years who gave birth in the five years preceding the survey and who had antenatal care visits for their last child was included. A multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression model was fitted to examine the determinants of early initiation of first antenatal care visits. Finally, statistical significance was declared at a p-value < 0.05. In this study, the overall magnitude of early initiation of the first antenatal care visit was 37.4% (95%CI: 34.6-40.2%). Women who attend higher education (AOR = 2.26: 95%CI; 1.36-3.77), medium wealth status (AOR = 1.80: 95%CI; 1.17-2.76), richer wealth status (AOR = 1.86: 95%CI; 1.21, 2.85), richest wealth status (AOR = 2.34: 95%CI; 1.43-3.83), living in Harari region (AOR = 2.24: 95%CI; 1.16-4.30), and living at Dire-Dawa city (AOR = 2.24: 95%CI; 1.16-4.30) were higher odds of early initiation of first ANC visits. However, women who were rural resident (AOR = 0.70: 95%CI; 0.59-0.93), household headed by male (AOR = 0.87: 95%CI; 0.72, 0.97), having ≥ 5 family size (AOR = 0.71: 95%CI; 0.55-0.93), and living in SNNPRs (AOR = 0.44: 95%CI; 0.23-0.84) were lower odds of early initiation of first ANC visits. The prevalence of early initiation of first antenatal care remains low in Ethiopia. Women's education, residence, wealth status, household head, having ≥ 5 family sizes, and region were determinants of early initiation of first antenatal care visits. Improving female education and women's empowerment through economic transitions with special attention given to rural and SNNPR regional state residents could maximize the early initiation of first antenatal care visits. Furthermore, to increase early antenatal care uptake, these determinants should be considered when designing new policies or updating policies and strategies on antenatal care uptake to help increase early attendance, which can help in the reduction of maternal and neonatal mortality and to achieve sustainable development goals 3 by 2030.

Correlates of late initiation and underutilisation of the recommended eight or more antenatal care visits among women of reproductive age: insights from the 2019 Ghana Malaria Indicator Survey

ObjectiveThis study assessed the correlates of late initiation and underutilisation of the WHO’s recommended eight or more antenatal care visits among women in Ghana.DesignWe analysed secondary data from 2163 women...

Magnitude and Factors Associated with Late Initiation of Antenatal Care Booking on First Visit Among Women in Rural Parts of Ethiopia.

Early antenatal care visits enhance early detection and treatment of pregnancy problems, resulting in optimal delivery management. This study aimed to assess the late initiation of antenatal care visits among pregnant women in rural parts of Ethiopia. A 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey provided the data for this study and a population-based cross-sectional study was conducted during data collection. Only 3065 women from rural areas were included in this study due to having complete information from all eligible women aged 15 to 49 who participated in the interview during data collection. SPSS-20 and R-4.1.2 statistical software were used to examine the data. The factors associated with the late initiation of antenatal care visits were identified using descriptive analysis and a binary logistic regression model. This finding revealed that only 31% of women visited their initial antenatal care within the first 3months. The distance between the health facility and the participants was a concern for 87.7% of the participants. Our research found that women's education, maternal age, region, media access, women's occupation, distance from the health facility, wealth index, pregnancy complication, and pregnancy plan all had significant effects on the late initiation of antenatal care visits. When compared to the reference group, women with a secondary and above education (AOR = 1.52, p-value = 0.02), women in age group 30-34 (AOR = 1.57, p-value = 0.02), and women in age group 35-39 (AOR = 1.56, p-value = 0.03), women with media access (AOR = 2.4, p-value = 0.04), richer women's (AOR = 1.29, p-value ≤ 0.001), women with pregnancy previous complication (AOR = 1.58, p-value ≤ 0.001), and women who had plan to the pregnancy (AOR = 1.26, p-value = 0.02) were more likely to start visiting ANC service earlier. In addition, private worker mothers, housewife women, and mothers having distance problems were less likely to visit antenatal care service before or at 12weeks of gestation compared to those mothers in reference categories of each variable. In Ethiopia, particularly in rural areas, early registration to antenatal care visits was extremely low. Community-based services such as media coverage, education, transportation, and raising awareness about the need of receiving antenatal care services early are required to encourage expecting mothers to attend their ANC appointment on time.

Level of Late Initiation of Antenatal Care Visit and Associated Factors Amongst Antenatal Care Attendant Mothers in Gedo General Hospital, West Shoa Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia.

BackgroundAntenatal care is a care given for pregnant women and is taken as a key maternal care service in improving and keeping health of both life outcomes for mothers and newborns. Countries with low antenatal care coverage are the countries with very high maternal mortality ratios.ObjectiveHence, The aim of this study was to determine the level of late initiation of antenatal care visit and associated factors amongst antenatal care follow up in Antenatal care (ANC) services at Gedo General Hospital, Western Oromia Region, Ethiopia, 2021MethodologyA health facility based cross-sectional study design was conducted from July 10–30, 2021 using primary data review and face-to-face interviews among clients receiving ANC. A total of 347 mothers was selected by simple random sampling and were interviewed while they come to antenatal care follow-up in Gedo general hospital. Data were entered into Epi-data version 4.6 and then changed to SPSS version 23 for the analysis purpose. Those Variables which are P < 0.25 in binary logistic regression were selected as a candidate for multiple logistic regressions to determine independently associated factors. The adjusted odds ratio was employed with 95% CI to illustrate the strength of association and P < 0.05 was used to state a statistical significance.ResultAmong 330 women, about 58.5% of women came for their first ANC visit initiation lately. Being a housewife, having a family size >4, and having a distance from the health facility >1 h were higher odds of late first ANC visit initiation as compared to vice versa. Besides, women aged 20–24 years had 0.18 times and 25–29 years had lower odds of late first ANC visit initiationConclusionMajority of women began their first antenatal care initiation lately. Therefore, the provision of awareness on the significance of attending the first antenatal care early via health extension workers is recommended

Type of occupation and early antenatal care visit among women in sub-Saharan Africa

BackgroundType of occupation has been linked to early antenatal care visits whereby women in different occupation categories tend to have different timing for antenatal care visits. Different occupations require varying levels of commitment, remuneration and energy requirements. This study, therefore, sought to investigate the association between the type of occupation and early antenatal care visits in sub-Saharan Africa.MethodsThis is a secondary analysis of Demographic and Health Survey data from 29 countries in sub-Saharan Africa conducted between 2010 and 2018. The study included 131,912 working women. We employed binary logistic regression models to assess the association between type of occupation and timely initiation of antenatal care visits.ResultsThe overall prevalence of early initiation of antenatal care visits was 39.9%. Early antenatal care visit was high in Liberia (70.1%) but low in DR Congo (18.6%). We noted that compared to managerial workers, women in all other work categories had lower odds of early antenatal care visit and this was prominent among agricultural workers [aOR = 0.74, CI = 0.69, 0.79]. Women from Liberia [aOR = 3.14, CI = 2.84, 3.48] and Senegal [aOR = 2.55, CI = 2.31, 2.81] had higher tendency of early antenatal care visits compared with those from Angola.ConclusionThe findings bring to bear some essential elements worth considering to enhance early antenatal care visits within sub-Saharan Africa irrespective of the type of occupation. Women in the agricultural industry need much attention in order to bridge the early antenatal care visit gap between them and workers of other sectors. A critical review of the maternal health service delivery in DR Congo is needed considering the low rate of early antenatal care visits.

Desire for Birth Companionship Among Pregnant Women Attending Antenatal Care in Debremarkos City, Northwest Ethiopia: Magnitude and Associated Factors.

BackgroundBirth companionship is one of the components of the respectful maternity continuum of care recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). Women's desire for birth companionship needs to be given attention during the antenatal care period to make them ready during labor and delivery. There is a dearth of study about the status of women's desire for birth companionship and associated factors.ObjectiveThis study aimed to assess the prevalence of desire for birth companionship and associated factors among pregnant women in Debremarkos city, northwest Ethiopia.MethodsInstitution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from February 1, 2021 to March 30, 2021 in Debremarkos city, northwest Ethiopia. A total of 423 participants were accessed by systematic random sampling. A face-to-face interviewer-administered questionnaire was employed. The data were entered into Epi data version 4.6 and transformed to SPSS version 25. Binary logistic regression analysis was done, and variables with a p-value ≤ 0.2 on bivariable analysis were taken for multivariable analysis. Adjusted odds ratio with a 95% confidence interval was used to detect the association, and a p-value of <0.05 in the multivariable analysis was used to declare statistical significance.ResultsThe prevalence of desire for birth companionship was 57.45% (52.6–62.2%). Women who were the primary decision-maker for maternal health care services [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) =3.0; 95% CI 1.7–5.6], women with planned pregnancy (AOR = 2.0; 95% CI 1.0–3.9), women who have no bad obstetric history (AOR = 2.3; 95% CI 1.2–4.4), and women whose 1st antenatal care visit starts within the second trimester (AOR = 2.6; 1.6–4.4) were statistically significant with desire on birth companionship.ConclusionsDesire of pregnant women for birth companionship was high in this study. Improving women's decision-making power, emphasis on the type of pregnancy, obstetrical history, and early initiation of antenatal care visit were the suggested areas to increase the desire of women for birth companionship.

Factors associated with the timing of antenatal clinic attendance among first-time mothers in rural southern Ghana

BackgroundPregnancy is an important period to promote healthy behaviors, prevent and identify diseases early and treat them to maximize the health and development of both the woman and her unborn child. A new World Health Organization antenatal care model recommends the initiation of antenatal care visit within the first trimester of gestation.This study sought to examine the timing of initiation of antenatal care among first-time mothers and associated factors in rural Southern Ghana.MethodsInformation on gestational age, timing of antenatal care, demographic and socioeconomic status of 1076 first-time mothers who gave birth in 2011 to 2013 in the Dodowa Health and Demographic Surveillance System were included in the study. The time of initiation of antenatal clinic attendance was calculated. The associations between dependent and independent variables were explored using logistic regression at 95% confidence interval in STATA version 14.2.ResultsThe mean gestational age at which the first-time mothers initiated antenatal care attendance was 3 month. Maternal age, level of education and household socioeconomic status were statistically significantly associated with timing of initiation of antenatal care attendance.ConclusionAlthough more than half of the study participants initiated ANC visit in the first trimester of pregnancy, a high proportion also started ANC attendance after the World Health Organization recommended period. Maternal age is significantly associated with timing of initiation of antenatal care visit among first-time mothers; older women were more likely to initiate antenatal care visit in the first trimester of gestation compared to the younger women.

Initiation of Antenatal Care and Associated Factors among Pregnant Women in Public Health Centers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Introduction: Antenatal care (ANC) refers to the care that is given to an expectant mother from the time that conception is confirmed until the beginning of labor and also initiation of antenatal care visits is an essential component of services to improve maternal and new born health. Pregnancy related complication can be minimized if antenatal care is received timely or early in the pregnancy, during the first 16 weeks of gestation for the first time and continued until delivery. Pregnancy related complication is preventable. Studies show high maternal death prevalence worldwide and every day, approximately 830 women die from preventable causes related to pregnancy and child birth. Therefore, this study aims to assess initiation of antenatal care and associated factors among pregnant women in public health centers in Addis Ababa. Materials and Methods: Facility based cross-sectional study was conducted among 670 pregnant women in public health centers in May, 2019 in Addis Ababa. Multistage sampling technique was used to select study participants. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 23. Binary logistic regression analysis was computed and variables with p-value ≤ 0.05 was considered as statistically significant to the dependent variable. Results: A total of 670 pregnant women participated in the study with 100% response rate among all study participants, 274 (40.9%) booked for the first ANC early, before 16 weeks of gestation. The result showed that age AOR= 0.20, 95% CI 0.10-0.40) , education status (AOR= 1.26, 95%CI: 1.15-4.60), gravida (AOR= 2.10, 95% CI: 1.06-4.23), history of abortion (AOR= 0.43, 95% CI: 0.21-0.87), types of pregnancy (AOR = 3.14, 95% CI: 1.05- 4.37) and knowledge (AOR= 4.18, 95% CI: 1.06-5.50) were significantly associated with initiation of antenatal care. Conclusions: The study showed that less than half of the pregnant women had early initiation of ANC in public health centers in Addis Ababa. This study indicated that age, educational status, gravida, types of pregnancy, history of abortion and knowledge were factors significantly associated with initiation of ANC. Hence, health education about ANC to enhance awareness is required for pregnant women.

Utilization of antenatal care services in Syrian refugee camps in Erbil, Iraq

Background and Objective: Antenatal care can help in preparing women for delivery in addition to raising awareness about the warning signs during pregnancy. This study aimed to assess the pattern of utilization of antenatal care services by the pregnant women in Syrian refugee camps in Erbil. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the four Syrian refugee camps in Erbil between 1st June 2015 and 1st March 2016. A sample of 470 newly delivered women was included in the study. Data was collected through a specially designed questionnaire. Results: The majority of the women (99.6%) had at least one antenatal care visit during pregnancy with 73.6% having adequate antenatal care visits. About 64% of the women visited both the public and private health sectors. A statistically significant higher proportion of employed women utilized adequate antenatal care services than the non-employed women (84% vs. 63.4%, P = 0.036). There was no statistically significant association between the mothers' age and education with the utilization of adequate antenatal care. Conclusion: A high proportion of women in the Syrian refugee camps in Erbil received antenatal care services during the last pregnancy with a relatively important proportion of them receiving adequate care and having early initiation of antenatal care visits. Further studies are needed to examine the quality of the antenatal care services in the refugee camps and women’s satisfaction with these services.

PROPORTION OF EARLY ANTENATAL CARE BOOKING AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS IN MEKELLE CITY, PUBLIC HEALTH INSTITUTIONS, NORTHERN ETHIOPIA, 2015

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the proportion and associated factors for early initiation of antenatal care visit in Mekelle City, Tigray, Northern Ethiopia, 2015.Method: An institution-based cross-sectional study was employed among 391 pregnant women’s in Mekelle special zone. A systematic sampling technique was used to select study participants. Pretested structured questionnaire was used to collect the data through interview. Data were entered into EPI info version 7 and analyzed using SPSS version 20, respectively. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression was done to see significant variables with p&lt;0.05 at 95% confidence interval (CI).Result: The proportion of pregnant women who initiate early antenatal care (ANC) visit was found to be 41.1%. Perceived correct time of initiation before 4 months (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=3.261, 95% CI 1.391–7.645) and correct time told by others before 4 months with (AOR=6.617, 95% CI 2.580, 16.971) were found to have statistically significant positive outcomes association with early initiation of antenatal care visit.Conclusion: The proportion of early ANC initiation in Mekelle is lower than the World Health Organization recommendation which is &lt;16 weeks gestation. Therefore, providing information to the community, initiation counseling, and providing health education on the benefits early ANC is crucial to improving maternal, neonatal, and child health outcomes.

Why do pregnant women present late for their first antenatal care consultation in Cameroon?

BackgroundEarly initiation of antenatal care visits is an essential component of services to improving maternal and new born health. The Cameroonian Demographic and Health Survey conducted in 2011 indicated that only 34% of pregnant women start antenatal care in the first trimester. However, detailed study to identify factors associated with late initiation of care has not been conducted in Cameroon. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of late booking first ANC visit amongst attendance of first ANC and the determinants of late first ANC in Douala general hospital.MethodsIt was a cross sectional analytic study over the period of 5 months in Douala general hospital. The study subjects were pregnant women visiting the facilities for the first time during the index pregnancy. Data were collected using pre-tested questionnaire. Logistic regression analysis was done to identify factors associated with late first ANC with the level of significance set at 0.05.ResultsA total of 293 women participated in the study; 129 (44.0%) of them came for their first ANC visit late, after 12 weeks of gestation. Most common reasons for coming late for first ANC were financial constraints (34.5%, 45) and long distance to the hospital (34.5%, 45). Factors associated with late start of first ANC after logistic regression were: family size greater than 4 (OR = 2, 95% CI = 1.25–3.19, p value = 0.004), long distance to the hospital (OR = 1.84, 95% CI = 1.1–3.07, p value = 0.02) and low monthly income level less than 200US dollars (OR = 3.2, 95% CI = 1.33–3.54, p value = 0.002).ConclusionAbout half of pregnant women do not start ANC early in the first trimester largely due to large family size, low monthly income and long distance to the hospital.

Are the timings and risk factors changing? Survival analysis of timing of first antenatal care visit among pregnant women in Nigeria (2003&amp;ndash;2013)

BackgroundChild and maternal mortality and morbidity remain among the top global health challenges despite various efforts and multitude of resources directed to improving this situation over time. This study assessed trend of the timings of first antenatal care (ANC) visit in Nigeria and also identified the risk factors associated with it.MethodsThe data obtained from three consecutive Nigerian Demographic and Health Surveys in 2003, 2008, and 2013 were pooled. We focused on the ANC attendance history during the current pregnancies or the last pregnancies within 5 years preceding the survey irrespective of how the pregnancy ended. The gestational age at time of first ANC visit was computed as the survival time, while others who did not attend ANC were censored. Basic descriptive statistics and survival analysis methods were used to analyze the data.ResultsA total of 45,690 pregnancies were studied, of which 70% were from rural areas. Mothers were mostly (45%) aged 25–34 years and 47.1% had no formal education, while only 37.9% were involved in decisions on the use of health care facility. Prevalence of ANC use was 60.5% in 2008 and 65.8% in both 2003 and 2013. Less than one-third (32.3%) of the women accessed ANC within first 3 months of pregnancy, with highest rate (41.7%) among women with higher education and those from North Central Nigeria (42.7%). The hazard of the timing of first ANC visit was higher in years 2003 and 2013 than in 2008.ConclusionInitiation of ANC visit in Nigeria is generally late with most women making first visit during second trimester, with significant variations across the years studied. The increase in coverage of ANC recorded in 2003 and 2013 was not accompanied by earlier commencement of ANC visit. Maternal health stakeholders should do more to ensure that all pregnant women start ANC visit earlier.

Timing of First Antenatal Care Visit and its Associated Factors among Pregnant Women Attending Public Health Facilities in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Early initiation of antenatal care visits is an essential component of services to improving maternal and new born health. The Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey conducted in 2011 indicated that only 11% of pregnant women start antenatal care in the first trimester. However, detailed study to identify factors associated with late initiation of care has not been conducted in Addis Ababa where access to health services is almost universal. The aim of this study was to assess the level of late first antenatal care visit and the associated factors. Facility based cross sectional study was conducted in public health centers in Addis Ababa. The health centers with experience of at least more than two years were selected randomly, one form each sub-city. The study subjects were pregnant women visiting the facilities for the first time during the index pregnancy. The study health centers were selected randomly from each sub-city, and the study women were recruited consecutively until the required sample size was achieved. Data were collected using pre-tested questionnaire. Logistic regression analysis was done to identify factors associated with late ANC initiation. A total of 979 women participated in the study; 411(42.0%; 95% CI of 38.9%, 45.1%) of them came for their first ANC visit late, after 16 weeks of gestation. Wrongly perceived ANC initiation schedule was the strongest predictor of late initiation. After controlling for basic demographic and obstetric factors, the odds of starting the first antenatal care visit late was higher for women who did not know the antennal care initiation schedule correctly compared to women who knew the schedule correctly (AOR6.6; 95% CI 3.03, 14.03). Over 40% of pregnant women do not initiate ANC visit in the first trimester largely due to lack of correct knowledge of the recommended ANC schedule.