Barriers to Antenatal Care Services Seeking in Africa

Yadufashije, Callixte; Sangano, George Bahati; Samuel, Rebero

doi:10.2139/ssrn.3034150

Cited by 8 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…The absence of support from a partner may be a hindrance to early ANC initiation. Studies conducted in other countries have reported inadequate resources as a hindrance to early ANC initiation [45,57,59]. There is also a stigma associated with unmarried women who become pregnant, and thus they may hide their pregnancy as long as possible.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Factors Associated with Late Antenatal Initiation among Women in Malawi

Palamuleni

2024

IJERPH

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Background Early initiation of antenatal care (ANC) is critical in identifying and mitigating adverse pregnancy-related complications. However, globally, a high percentage of women initiate ANC only at a late stage of their pregnancy. In view of this, the main objective of the study is to establish the prevalence and factors associated with late ANC initiation among women in Malawi. Methods The study was based on the 2015–16 Malawi Demographic and Health Survey (MDHS). The study population consisted of 13,251 women of reproductive age who had given birth during the five years preceding the survey. The data was analyzed using the chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression. Results The prevalence of late ANC initiation in Malawi was 75.6%. The logistic regression modelling revealed increased odds of late ANC initiation attendance among women residing in the Northern Region (AOR: 1.172; 95% CI: 1.021–1.345) and the Central Region (AOR: 1.178; 95% CI: 1.074–1.291), women residing in urban areas (AOR: 1.273; 95% CI: 1.108–1.463), women with no education (AOR: 1.814; 95% CI: 1.13–1.47) or with primary education (AOR: 1.697; 95% CI: 1.13–1.47), women with less than four ANC visits (AOR: 4.155; 95% CI: 4.002–4.814), unmarried women (AOR: 1.478; 95% CI: 1.111–1.985) and those whose last birth was not by caesarean section (AOR: 1.377; 95% CI: 1.179–1.607). Reduced odds of late ANC initiation among women were observed among women in the 20–24 age group (AOR: 0.634; 95% CI: 0.456–0.881), those in the 25–29 age group (AOR: 0.645; 95% CI: 0.476–0.874) and those aged 30–34 years (AOR: 0.634; 95% CI: 0.456–0.881). Conclusions The study found that ANC initiation in Malawi is often delayed, with most first visits occurring after the first trimester. Late ANC initiation is associated with region, place of residence, marital status, and the women’s age. These are significant factors to be considered when designing new or reviewing ANC policies and strategies aimed at increasing ANC utilization and encouraging early initiation of ANC. Earlier ANC initiation among Malawian women can contribute positively towards improving maternal and child health in Malawi. Therefore, government policies and interventions should target women with no or little education, those living in poor families and other modifiable risk factors, such as young unmarried women.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…On the other hand, if the woman had bad experiences during previous ANC visits, then this may deter her from using ANC in the future or it may result in initiating ANC late. Women who received bad treatment at the clinic during their previous pregnancy usually initiate ANC late [59,60].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors Associated with Late Antenatal Initiation among Women in Malawi

Palamuleni

2024

IJERPH

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“…The COVID-19 pandemic posed a severe threat to ANC, one of the core services of mother and child healthcare, considering the low utilization of essential maternal health services caused by preexisting systemic obstacles that the majority of SSA women encounter in accessing ANC and facility-based deliveries. 22,23 Prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, Adedokun and Yaya reported data from the Demographic and Health Survey of 31 African nations, that reported 13% of women did not use ANC services at all, while only 35% partially used the services. 24 Data from 28 other African nations also suggested that facility-based child births ranged from 23% to 66% on average.…”

Section: Findings: Impact Of Covid-19 Pandemic On Mother and Child He...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on mother and child health in Sub-Saharan Africa – a review

et al. 2023

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Prior to the outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, there was a decrease in the maternal mortality rate in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) by 38%. This corresponds to a decline of 2.9% on average each year. In spite of this reduction, it falls short of the 6.4% annual rate required to reach the global Sustainable Development Goal of 70 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. This study reviewed the impact of COVID-19 on maternal and child health. Due to the major challenge of the health systems and lack of strategies in preparation for emergencies, several studies have reported significant impacts of COVID-19 on women and children in SSA. Global estimates of the indirect impacts of COVID-19 suggested a 38.6% increase in maternal mortality and a 44.7% increase in child mortality per month across 118 low-and middle-income countries. The COVID-19 pandemic has threatened the continuity of essential mother-to-child healthcare service delivery in SSA. It is important for health systems to address these challenges as lessons learnt for future health crises and to develop adequate response policies and programs for emerging diseases of public health importance.

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Abuse and disrespectful care on women during access to antenatal care services and its implications in Ndola and Kitwe health facilities

Nyirenda

Choka

et al. 2020

Sexual & Reproductive Healthcare

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Barriers to Antenatal Care Services Seeking in Africa

Cited by 8 publications

References 17 publications

Factors Associated with Late Antenatal Initiation among Women in Malawi

Factors Associated with Late Antenatal Initiation among Women in Malawi

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on mother and child health in Sub-Saharan Africa – a review

Abuse and disrespectful care on women during access to antenatal care services and its implications in Ndola and Kitwe health facilities

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