Timing of First Antenatal Care Attendance and Associated Factors among Pregnant Women in Arba Minch Town and Arba Minch District, Gamo Gofa Zone, South Ethiopia

Abstract

Objective. To assess the timing of first antenatal care attendance and associated factors among pregnant women in Arba Minch Town and Arba Minch District, south Ethiopia. Method. Facility based cross-sectional study employing both quantitative and qualitative methods was conducted from February to March, 2014, in Arba Minch Town and Arba Minch District. Data were collected from 409 pregnant women attending antenatal care clinics in nine public health facilities using systematic random sampling. Analysis was done using SPSS version 20. Descriptive statistics and binary and multiple logistic regression analysis were done. Results. The mean (SD±) age of the respondents was 26 ± 5.5 years. The mean gestational age at first antenatal care attendance was 5 ± 1.5 months. This study indicated that pregnant women with low monthly income (AOR = 4.9, CI: 1.71, 14.08), women who did not receive advise on when to start ANC (AOR = 3, CI: 1.48, 6.24), women with household food insecurity (AOR = 4.66, CI: 1.007, 21.59) and women with unplanned pregnancy (AOR = 4.49, CI: 2.16, 9.35) had higher odds of late antenatal care attendance compared with their counterparts. Conclusions. The study showed that majority of the pregnant women attended late for first antenatal care. Hence, providing health education on the timing of antenatal care is important.

Effect of a participatory multisectoral maternal and newborn intervention on maternal health service utilization and newborn care practices: a quasi-experimental study in three rural Ugandan districts

“…Being aged 14–34 years, being in the fourth or fifth wealth quintile and home visits by VHTS in the intervention area predicted early ANC attendance in this study. The association between an inability to attend ANC early and belonging to the poorest (first) wealth quintile is probably related to the fact that financial barriers are one of the factors that hinder early utilization of ANC services [35–37]. The VHTs, on the other hand, are likely to have convinced the women to attend ANC early by providing health education about the importance of early ANC attendance [38].…”

“…The VHTs, on the other hand, are likely to have convinced the women to attend ANC early by providing health education about the importance of early ANC attendance [38]. Ignorance about the importance of attending ANC early, and the gestational age at which women should attend their first ANC, is one reason that has been given for delayed attendance at ANC [35,37]. Moreover, work carried out in Uganda has shown that the main reason that many women give for attending ANC is to collect an antenatal card, which they can use during delivery, rather than to check on their own well-being and that of the baby [39].…”

Late initiation of antenatal care and its determinants: a hospital based cross-sectional study

“…14,19 However, studies conducted in developed countries revealed lower proportions (4.4% to 27.3% % in USA, about 15% in UK and 41% in Australia) whereas some African studies reported comparable or higher values (53% in Ethiopia, 61.1% in Rwanda, 70.3% in Zambia, 81% in Nigeria, more than 70% in Tanzania and Malawi). 5,[16][17][18][20][21][22][23][24][25] Utilization of different cut-off points in defining late initiation of ANC could explain these discrepancies (first trimester or 12 completed weeks was used in USA and UK studies, 16 weeks in Ethiopian, Zambian, Tanzanian and Malawi studies, and second/third trimester in some studies). 5,[16][17][18][19][20]22,24,25 The proportions of pregnant women who initiate ANC before 4 months of gestation among neighboring and ASEAN countries were 40.4% in Bangladesh, 32.2% in Cambodia, 56.9% in India, 78.6% in Indonesia, 37.5% in Nepal, 46.9% in Pakistan, 56.1% in the Philippines and 65% in Vietnam.…”

“…5,[16][17][18][20][21][22][23][24][25] Utilization of different cut-off points in defining late initiation of ANC could explain these discrepancies (first trimester or 12 completed weeks was used in USA and UK studies, 16 weeks in Ethiopian, Zambian, Tanzanian and Malawi studies, and second/third trimester in some studies). 5,[16][17][18][19][20]22,24,25 The proportions of pregnant women who initiate ANC before 4 months of gestation among neighboring and ASEAN countries were 40.4% in Bangladesh, 32.2% in Cambodia, 56.9% in India, 78.6% in Indonesia, 37.5% in Nepal, 46.9% in Pakistan, 56.1% in the Philippines and 65% in Vietnam. 26 Differences in culture or socioeconomic status or health knowledge including awareness on the importance of early booking for ANC or education level among study populations, or differences in time of study or study area whether urban or rural may also be responsible.…”

“…Late initiation of ANC was defined as getting first ANC after 16 completed weeks of gestation. 17,18 Socio-demographic characteristics of both pregnant woman and her husband such as education, occupation and residence, and obstetric characteristics such as gravidity, parity and whether or not the present pregnancy was planned were considered as potential determinants. Age of pregnant woman, perception of pregnant woman on ANC, size and type of family, and per capita household's income were regarded as confounders.…”