Country compliance with WHO-recommended antenatal care guidelines: equity analysis of the 2015-2016 Demography and Health Survey in Myanmar

Multilevel modelling of factors associated with eight or more antenatal care contacts in low and middle-income countries: findings from national representative data

Background

Antenatal care (ANC) is the care provided by skilled healthcare professionals to pregnant women in order to ensure the best health conditions for both mother and baby. Antenatal care provides a platform for important healthcare functions including risk identification, prevention and management of pregnancy-related diseases. Inadequate ANC utilization is a global problem especially for low and middle-income countries. The 2016 WHO ANC model with a minimum of eight ANC visits was aimed to provide pregnant women with person specific care at every contact. However, there are limited studies that investigate the associated factors of inadequate ANC after the endorsement of the WHO 2016 guideline. Therefore, to enrich the evidence in the low and middle-income countries (LMICs), this study aimed to determine the pooled prevalence and associated with eight or more ANC contacts during pregnancy.

Methods

This study used data from 20 LMICs that have a recent Demographic and Health Survey. About 43 720 women aged 15-49 years who had live births within the year prior to the surveys were included. To identify associated factors of 8 or more ANC contacts, we used multilevel binary logistic regression, and four models were constructed. The results have been presented as odds ratios with 95% CIs, and P values less than 0.05 were considered significant factors for greater than or equal to 8 ANC contacts.

Results

In LMICs, the pooled utilization of 8 or more ANC contact was 18.11% (95% CI: 12.64, 23.58), and it ranged from 0.27% in Rwanda to 76.62% in Jordan. In the final multilevel logistic regression model, women with higher education [adjusted odds ratio (AOR)=3.83, 95% CI: 3.32, 4.41], husbands with higher education (AOR=1.98, 95% CI: 1.72, 2.28), women who have access to media (AOR=1.32, 95% CI: 1.19, 1.45), women with decision-making autonomy (AOR=1.52, 95% CI: 1.39, 1.66), women aged 35-49 years (AOR=1.70, 95% CI: 1.5, 1.91), women from communities with high media access (AOR=1.38, 95% CI: 1.23, 1.53), and husbands residing in communities with high literacy (AOR=1.76, 95% CI: 1.55, 1.98) were associated with higher odds of greater than or equal to 8 ANC contacts. Conversely, women with a birth order of greater than or equal to 6 (AOR=0.65, 95% CI: 0.56, 0.76), women who perceive the distance to a health facility as a significant problem (AOR=0.90, 95% CI: 0.83, 0.96), those with unwanted pregnancies (AOR=0.85, 95% CI: 0.78, 0.93), delayed initiation of ANC (AOR=0.26, 95% CI: 0.23, 0.3), women from households with the richest wealth index (AOR=0.45, 95% CI: 0.40, 0.52), and rural residents (AOR=0.47, 95% CI: 0.43, 0.51) were associated with lower odds of ≥8 ANC contacts.

Conclusion and recommendations

In compliance with the WHO guideline, the number of ANC contacts is low in LMICs. Individual-level, household-level, and community-level variables were associated with greater than or equal to 8 ANC contacts. Therefore, implementation strategies should focus on the identified factors in order to achieve the new WHO recommendation of greater than or equal to 8 ANC contacts.

Determinants of early antenatal care visits among women of reproductive age in Ghana: evidence from the recent Maternal Health Survey

BACKGROUND

Antenatal care services play a crucial role in promoting positive pregnancy outcomes by facilitating the early identification of pregnancy risk factors and early diagnosis of pregnancy-related complications. This study aimed to assess the frequency and timing of ANC attendance of mothers in Ghana as well as determine the predictors of early ANC attendance.

METHODS

The data for this study was extracted from the 2017 Ghana Maternal Health Survey (GMHS). The study population was women aged 15-49 years with a live birth or stillbirth in the 5 years preceding the survey. Data was analysed using STATA/SE version 17, using descriptive statistics and multiple binary logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

It was found that 44.4% of the women obtained eight (8) + ANC visits. A majority of the women (66%) initiated ANC visits in the first trimester of pregnancy. Early ANC visit was significantly associated with age of the respondent, education, wealth index, religion, region and reason for first ANC visit. For instance, women between the ages of 25-29 years (aOR = 1.75, 95% CI: 1.31-2.33) had increased odds of early ANC visit compared to those aged 15-19 years. Women with higher education (aOR = 1.83, 95% CI: 1.27-2.64) were about twice as likely to initiate early ANC visits compared to those with no education. Also, women in the highest wealth index (aOR = 2.43, 95% CI: 1.83-3.23) were two times more likely to initiate early ANC visits compared to those in the lowest wealth index.

CONCLUSION

This study has shown that a majority of women in Ghana start their first ANC visit during the first trimester of pregnancy. A considerable proportion of the women failed to meet the WHO's recommendation of having a minimum of eight ANC visits throughout pregnancy. Early ANC visit was determined by socio-demographic factors. Going forward, it should be a priority for stakeholders to ensure that ANC services are accessible to all mothers in a timely manner.

Antenatal care utilization and its determinants in fragile and conflict-affected situations in Sekota Zuria District, Northern Ethiopia, 2022: A community-based cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Access to maternal and reproductive health services has been one of the most affected components by armed conflict. Understanding how fragility and conflict may restrict access to maternal health services and promoting situation-specific policy options are crucial for reducing the effects. As a result, this study intends to assess the antenatal care service usage and associated factors in vulnerable and conflict-affected situations in Sekota zuria district, Northern Ethiopia.

METHODS

A community-based cross-sectional study design was employed on 593 mothers who had given birth in the past two years preceding the survey in the Sekota zuria district from October 15 to 30, 2022. The data were collected by using an interviewer-administered structured and pretested questionnaire. To pinpoint the determining factors, a bivariable and multivariable logistic regression model was applied. For both steps, variables were deemed significant if they had a P-value of lower than 0.05. We use adjusted odds ratios to measure how strongly the dependent and outcome variables are related.

RESULTS

The prevalence of antenatal care service utilization in the study area was 54.5%, 95% CI: 50.0-58.0%. Considering prenatal visits as routine prenatal checkups (AOR = 2.54, 95% CI: 1.74-3.69), using healthcare providers as a source of information (AOR = 2.30, 95% CI: 1.38-3.81), planned pregnancies (AOR = 1.74, 95% CI: 1.07-2.82), were positively associated with utilization of antenatal care. Whereas, respondents' restricted movement because of insecurity negatively affected the service utilization (AOR = 0.30, 95% CI: 0.18-0.49) CONCLUSIONS: The antenatal care utilization in the study area was 54.5%. Respondents' restricted movement because of insecurity negatively affected the service utilization during the fragile and conflict-affected situation. So it demands designing context and vulnerable group-specific healthcare policies and strategies in fragile and conflict-affected situations. It is also very important to strengthen the availability and accessibility of maternal healthcare services in conflict-affected areas through outreach initiatives and mobile clinics.

The Effectiveness of Adequate Antenatal Care in Reducing Adverse Perinatal Outcomes: Evidence From a Low- or Middle-Income Country

Background and aim Antenatal care (ANC) is universally acknowledged as an essential intervention for enhancing the well-being of both mothers and children. The World Health Organization advises a minimum of four ANC visits. The objective of this study is to assess the effectiveness of adequate ANC in mitigating adverse perinatal outcomes. Methods This cross-sectional study was done at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Delta Medical College & Hospital, Bangladesh, from March 2023 to August 2023. A total of 226 mothers who gave birth at the hospital during this period were enrolled in the study. Results More than 87% of the participants received adequate (≥4 visits) antenatal care from a registered physician. More than 84% of the mothers gave birth via cesarean section. Among the mothers who received inadequate ANC, the proportion of adverse perinatal outcomes was higher (69.0%) than that of those who received adequate ANC (32.0%). A significant association (p<0.05) was noted between inadequate antenatal care and adverse perinatal outcomes. Pregnant women receiving adequate antenatal checkups were 79% less likely to experience adverse perinatal outcomes compared to those receiving inadequate ANC. Conclusion Adequate ANC is a very efficient and economical strategy for mitigating adverse perinatal outcomes.

Inadequate receipt of ANC components and associated factors among pregnant women in Northwest Ethiopia, 2020-2021: a community-based cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Women's health and pregnancy outcomes are directly depends on the extent of ANC components received during their ANC visits. There are limited information about the components of ANC and associated factors. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the magnitude of inadequate recipient of ANC components and associated factors in northwest Ethiopia.

METHODS

This is a community based cross sectional survey conducted in Dabat Demographic and health survey from December 10/2020 to January 10/2021 among women who gave birth within two years before the survey. This study applied a census method to identify and select eligible pregnant women. A structured and pretested questionnaire was used to collect the data. The data was entered into Epi-data version 3.1 and exported to STATA version 14 for analysis purpose. Adjusted Odds Ratio at 95% confidence interval was used to show the association between dependent and independent variables. Statistical significance was declared at a P value less than 0.05.

RESULTS

A total of 871 pregnant women were identified from the survey and included in this study. Overall, 96.67% (95% CI: 95.24, 97.67) had not get adequate (all components) ANC. The components of ANC services were increased from 3.35 to 32.34%, 2.52 to 46.33% 1.96 to 55.8%, 2.31 to 46.53%, 3.54 to 55.75%, 2.46 to 44.62%, 1.18 to 45.96%, and 2.45 to 54.6% for tetanus toxoid Vaccine, HIV/AIDS testing and counseling, danger sign, place of delivery, deworming, iron folic acid, family planning, and breast feeding counseling, from first ANC visit to fourth ANC visit, respectively. Rural residence (AOR = 4.89, 95% CI: 1.21, 19.86), and less than four number of ANC visit (AOR = 5.15, 95% CI: 2.06, 12.86) were significantly associated with inadequate uptake of ANC components.

CONCLUSION

Only three in hundred pregnant women were received adequate ANC components in the study area. Rural residence and less than four number of ANC visit were factors significantly associated with inadequate ANC uptake. Therefore, the district health department managers and program implementers need to train the health care providers about the components of ANC. As well, increasing community and facility awareness of WHO recommendations on ANC visits focusing on rural women is needed.

Institutional delivery and postnatal care utilisation among reproductive-aged women who had completed four or more antenatal care visits in Myanmar: a secondary analysis of 2015-2016 Demographic and Health Survey

OBJECTIVES

To examine the prevalence of institutional delivery and postnatal care after home delivery and to identify their determinants in Myanmar mothers who received at least four antenatal care visits.

DESIGN

The study used the Myanmar Demographic and Health Survey data (2015-2016), a nationally representative cross-sectional study.

PARTICIPANTS

The study included women aged 15-49 years who had at least one birth within the 5 years preceding the survey and completed four or more antenatal visits.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Institutional delivery and postnatal care after home delivery were used as outcomes. We used two separate samples, that is, 2099 women for institutional delivery and 380 mothers whose most recent birth was within 2 years before the survey and delivered at home for postnatal care utilisation. We used multivariable binary logistic regression analyses.

SETTING

Fourteen states/regions and Nay Pyi Taw Union Territory in Myanmar.

RESULTS

The prevalence of institutional delivery was 54.7% (95% CI: 51.2%, 58.2%) and postnatal care utilisation was 76% (95% CI: 70.2%, 80.9%). Women who lived in urban areas, women who had higher education, women who had higher wealth status, women who had educated husbands and women having their first childbirth were more likely to have institutional delivery than their counterparts. The institutional delivery was lower among women who live in rural areas, poor women and women with husbands who worked in agriculture than their counterparts. Postnatal care utilisation was significantly higher among women living in central plains and coastal regions, women who received all seven components of antenatal care and women who had skilled assistance at birth than their counterparts.

CONCLUSIONS

Policymakers should address the identified determinants to improve the service continuum and reduce maternal mortality in Myanmar.

Factors associated with receipt of adequate antenatal care among women in Rwanda: A secondary analysis of the 2019-20 Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey

BACKGROUND

Every year, antenatal care (ANC) remains a life-saving health intervention for millions of pregnant women worldwide. Yet, many pregnant women do not receive adequate ANC, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. The study aimed to determine the factors associated with the receipt of adequate ANC among pregnant women in Rwanda.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted using the 2019-2020 Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey data. The study included women aged 15-49 years who had a live birth in the previous five years (n = 6,309). Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed.

RESULTS

Overall, 27.6% of participants received adequate ANC. The odds of receiving adequate ANC were higher among those in the middle household wealth index (AOR 1.24; 1.04, 1.48) and rich index (AOR 1.37; 1.16, 1.61) compared to those in the poor wealth index category. Similarly, having health insurance was positively associated with receiving adequate ANC (AOR 1.33; 1.10, 1.60). The odds of receiving adequate ANC were lower among urban dwellers compared to rural (AOR 0.74; 0.61, 0.91); for women who wanted pregnancy later (AOR 0.60; 0.52, 0.69) or never wanted pregnancy (AOR 0.67; 0.55, 0.82) compared to those who wanted pregnancy; for women who perceived distance to a health facility as a big problem (AOR 0.82; 0.70, 0.96) compared to those that did not; and for women whose ANC was provided by nurses and midwives (AOR 0.63; 0.47, 0.8), or auxiliary midwives (AOR 0.19; 0.04, 0.82) compared to those who received ANC from doctors.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of women who receive adequate ANC remains low in Rwanda. Effective interventions to increase access and utilization of adequate ANC are urgently needed to further improve the country's maternal and child health outcomes.

The magnitude and determinants of delayed initiation of antenatal care among pregnant women in Gambia; evidence from Gambia demographic and health survey data

BACKGROUND

Despite gains throughout the 20th century, maternal health remains a major public health concern. Despite global efforts to enhance access to maternal and child healthcare services, women in low- and middle-income countries still have a high risk of dying during pregnancy and after birth. This study aimed to determine the magnitude and determinants of late antenatal care initiation among reproductive age women in Gambia.

METHOD

Secondary data analysis was conducted using the 2019-20 Gambian demographic and health survey data. All reproductive age women who gave birth in the five years preceding the survey and who had an antenatal care visit for the last child were included in this study. The total weighted sample size analyzed was 5310. Due to the hierarchical nature of demographic and health survey data, a multi-level logistic regression model was performed to identify the individual and community level factors associated with delayed first antenatal care initiation.

RESULT

In this study, the prevalence of delayed initiation of initial antenatal care was 56% ranged from 56 to 59%. Women with age 25-34 [Adjusted Odds Ratio = 0.77; 95% CI 0.67-0.89], 35-49 [Adjusted Odds Ratio = 0.77; 95% CI 0.65-0.90] and women reside in urban area [Adjusted Odds Ratio = 0.59; 95% CI 0.47-0.75] respectively had lower odds of delayed first antenatal care initiation. While women with unplanned pregnancy [Adjusted Odds Ratio = 1.60; 95% CI 1.37-1.84], no health insurance [Adjusted Odds Ratio = 1.78; 95% CI 1.14-2.76] and previous history of cesarean delivery [Adjusted Odds Ratio = 1.50; 95% CI 1.10-2.07] had higher odds of delayed initiation of antenatal care.

CONCLUSION

Despite the established advantages of early antenatal care initiation, this study revealed that late antenatal care initiation is still common in Gambia. Unplanned pregnancy, residence, health insurance, history of caesarian delivery, and age were significantly associated with delayed first antenatal care presentation. Therefore, focusing extra attention on these high-risk individuals could reduce delayed first antenatal care visit and this further minimizes maternal and fetal health concerns by recognizing and acting early.

Timely Initiation of Antenatal Care and Associated Factors among Pregnant Women Attending at Wachemo University Nigist Eleni Mohammed Memorial Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Hossana, Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background. Timely detection and treatment of pregnancy-related or preexisting diseases, health education, and the promotion of adequate care provision improve the health of mothers and unborn children. As such, these factors are crucial within the first pregnancy trimester. However, very few women in low and middle-income countries initiate their first ANC in the recommended trimester of pregnancy. This study is aimed at assessing the prevalence of timely initiation of ANC and its associated factors among pregnant women attending antenatal clinics in Wachemo University Nigist Eleni Mohammed Memorial comprehensive specialized hospital, Hossana, Ethiopia. Methods. A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted from April 4, 2022 to May 19, 2022. A systematic sampling technique was used to select study participants. Data were collected from pregnant women using a pretested structured interview questionnaire. EpiData version 3.1 was used to enter the data, and SPSS version 24 was used to analyze it. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression were used to identify the associated factors at a 95% confidence interval with a $p$ value < 0.05. Results. This study indicated that 118 (34.3%) of the women initiated ANC timely. The factors associated with timely initiation of ANC included women aged 25–34 years ( $\text{AOR}=0.3$ ; 95% CI: (0.1, 0.7)), tertiary maternal education ( $\text{AOR}=3.2$ , 95% CI: (1.0, 9.9)), zero parity ( $\text{AOR}=7.7$ ; 95% CI: (3.6, 15.3)), planned pregnancy ( $\text{AOR}=13.7$ ; 95% CI: (5.5, 34.3)), good knowledge about ANC services ( $\text{AOR}=3.1$ ; 95% (CI: (2.3, 11.3)), and good knowledge about danger signs in pregnancy ( $\text{AOR}=4.8$ ; 95% CI: (2.2, 8.1)). Conclusion. This study demonstrates the importance of making a significant effort to increase the coverage of timely ANC initiation in the study area. Therefore, increasing the awareness level of mothers regarding ANC services given during pregnancy and danger signs in pregnancy and advancing the academic level of mothers are essential to increase the coverage of timely initiation of ANC.

Levels and determinants of quality antenatal care in Bangladesh: Evidence from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey

BACKGROUND

Assessing the quality of antenatal care (ANC) is imperative for improving care provisions during pregnancy to ensure the health of mother and baby. In Bangladesh, there is a dearth of research on ANC quality using nationally representative data to understand its levels and determinants. Thus, the current study aimed to assess ANC quality and identify the sociodemographic factors associated with the usage of quality ANC services in Bangladesh.

METHODS

Secondary data analysis was conducted using the last two Bangladesh Demographic and Health Surveys (BDHSs) from 2014 and 2017-18. A total of 8,277 ever-married women were included in the analysis (3,631 from 2014 and 4,646 from 2017-18). The quality ANC index was constructed using a principal component analysis on the following ANC components: weight and blood pressure measurements, blood and urine test results, counselling about pregnancy complications and completion of a minimum of four ANC visits, one of which was performed by a medically trained provider. Multinomial logistic regression was used to determine the strength of the association.

RESULTS

The percentage of mothers who received all components of quality ANC increased from about 13% in 2014 to 18% in 2017-18 (p < 0.001). Women from the poorest group, those in rural areas, with no education, a high birth order and no media exposure were less likely to receive high-quality ANC than those from the richest group, those from urban areas, with a higher level of education, a low birth order and media exposure, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Although the quality of ANC improved from 2014 to 2017-18, it remains poor in Bangladesh. Therefore, there is a need to develop targeted interventions for different socio-demographic groups to improve the overall quality of ANC. Future interventions should address both the demand and supply-side perspectives.

Antenatal care utilization and compliance with national and WHO guidelines in rural Ethiopia: a cohort study

BACKGROUND

Antenatal health care utilization has the potential to influence maternal and new-born health. In this study, we assessed compliance of antenatal care utilization with national and World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. We also examined association of antenatal care utilization with adverse pregnancy outcomes as secondary outcome.

METHODS

This was a community-based cross sectional study conducted from July 2016 to November 2017 in rural south-central Ethiopia. We described antenatal care received by pregnant women, whom we followed at three prescheduled visits during pregnancy and collected birth data at time of delivery. Extent of antenatal care content received, timing of antenatal care, place of antenatal care and place and mode of delivery were obtained and computed in accordance with national and WHO guidelines. For adverse pregnancy outcomes, computed as sum of low birth weight, preterm birth, intrauterine foetal death, and stillbirth, the exposure variable used was antenatal care utilization.

RESULTS

Seven hundred and four (704) women participated in the study, and 536 (76.1%) had attended at least one antenatal care visit. Among women who attended antenatal care visit, majority, 421 (79.3%), had done so at health centres and hospitals, while 110 (20.7%) attended at health post. Average number of antenatal care visits was 2.5, which is less than that recommended in national and WHO guidelines. Only 18 (2.6%) women had attended antenatal care in their first trimester, which is low in contrast to the expected 100% specified in the guidelines. Less than half (47%) of the women delivered in a health facility. This is in contrast to the 100% expected health institution deliveries. Low birth weight was 7.9% (n = 48), and preterm birth was 4.9% (n = 31). There were 12 twin pregnancies, three stillbirths, 11 spontaneous abortions, and two intrauterine foetal deaths. We did not find significant association between adverse pregnancy outcomes and antenatal care utilization (COR = 1.07, 95% CI 0.62, 1.86).

CONCLUSION

This study showed that antenatal care service utilization in the study area was markedly low compared to that recommended in national and WHO guidelines. The obtained antenatal health care utilization was not associated with the registered adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Factors Affecting Nonadherence to WHO’s Recommended Antenatal Care Visits among Women in Pastoral Community, Northeastern Ethiopia: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction. More than half of the pregnant women in Ethiopia do not receive the recommended number of antenatal care visits. In the Afar region, where women have limited access to healthcare services due to pastoral livelihood, evidence on noncompliance to the adequate number of antenatal care visits is scarce. Therefore, this study was intended to examine the level of nonadherence to the recommended antenatal care visits and its associated factors in the pastoral community of Northeast Ethiopia. Methods. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from 04 February to 22 March 2020 among randomly selected 703 women who gave birth within 24 months preceding the survey in the Transform HDR districts of the Afar region. Data were collected using a pretested structured interviewer-administered questionnaire. Data were entered into Epi-data version 4.2 and finally exported to Stata version 16 for further analysis. Bivariable and multivariable binary logistic regression analyses were done to identify factors affecting the nonadherence to the recommended antenatal care visits. Odds ratio with the corresponding 95% confidence interval were computed and the statistical significance of the explanatory variables was declared at a $p$ -value <0.05. Results. Nonadherence to the recommended antenatal care visits was 57.0% (95% CI: 53.3%–60.7%). Attending primary (AOR (95% CI): 0.39 (0.22–0.72)) and secondary education and above (AOR (95% CI): 0.25 (0.08–0.77)), being married at the age of 18 years or older (AOR (95% CI): 0.48 (0.36–0.71)), and attending antenatal care at a health center (AOR (95% CI): 0.46 (0.26–0.81)) were associated decreased odds of nonadherence to the recommend visits. Moreover, a higher likelihood of nonadherence was found among women from households not possessing communication media (AOR (95% CI): 1.85 (1.18–2.88)) and those who initiated antenatal care attendance during the second (AOR (95% CI): 5.23 (3.54–7.72)) and third trimesters (AOR (95% CI): 8.81 (1.88–41.20)). Conclusions. Nearly six in ten women do not receive the recommended antenatal care visits, consistent with the national prevalence. Women’s education, age at marriage, type of health facility, possession of mass media, and timing of antenatal care attendance were associated with nonadherence to the recommended antenatal care visits. Thus, improving women’s literacy, dissemination of information regarding antenatal care through mass media, and strengthening interventions targeted to end child marriage are important in scaling up the level of adherence. Moreover, supporting community-based health education through health extension programs is crucial in reaching women with limited access to mass media.

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

OBJECTIVE

This study assessed the correlates of late initiation and underutilisation of the WHO's recommended eight or more antenatal care visits among women in Ghana.

DESIGN

We analysed secondary data from 2163 women in the 2019 Ghana Malaria Indicator Survey, which collected data on malaria and antenatal care indicators among women of reproductive age across the previous 10 regions of Ghana.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Women of reproductive age across the 10 regions of Ghana.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Late initiation and underutilisation of the recommended eight or more antenatal care visits among women of reproductive age.

RESULTS

About half (49%) of the participants were between the ages of 25 and 34 years; mean (±SD)=30 (±7.10). The majority (57%) of the participants obtained less than eight antenatal care visits, while 32% initiated antenatal care visits after the first trimester. The significant factors associated with the late initiation of antenatal care visits were age, region and parity (p<0.05). Factors associated with underutilisation of the recommended eight or more antenatal care visits were marital status, wealth index, parity, region and place of residence (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION

A majority of the women underused antenatal care services. A significant minority of the women started antenatal care visits late. Socio-demographic factors, parity and socioeconomic factors were identified as the significant factors associated with the late initiation and underutilisation of antenatal care services. Maternal health interventions should prioritise young, multiparous and poor women.

Extent of Received Antenatal Care Components in Ethiopia: A Community-Based Panel Study

PURPOSE

This study aimed to identify the extent of antenatal care content received and associated factors among Ethiopian women.

METHODS

A nationally representative Performance Monitoring for Action 2020 Ethiopian data were used. A multistage cluster sampling design was used to select 2855 pregnant or recently postpartum women nested within 217 enumeration areas. Female resident enumerators collected the data using a semi-structured questionnaire. Researchers dichotomized the number of ANC content received greater than or equal to 75 percentiles as adequate. Otherwise, it was considered inadequate. A multilevel Poisson regression was fitted. The result was reported using an incidence rate ratio with a 95% confidence interval and a p-value less than 0.05 was considered for statistical significance.

RESULTS

The study revealed more than a quarter of pregnant women received adequate ANC content (27.8%; 95% CI: 23.8%, 32.2%). Multivariable analysis revealed urban residence (IRR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.21), attending secondary and above formal education (IRR = 1.08, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.16), maternal age 20-24 years (IRR = 1.10, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.19), and partner's encouragement to attend clinic for antenatal care (IRR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.05, 1.24) was significantly associated with receiving higher numbers of antenatal care content.

CONCLUSION

The proportion of women who received adequate antenatal care content in Ethiopia was low. Despite Ethiopia's effort to improve maternal health services utilization, disparities among regions and between rural and urban exist. This study highlights the importance of ensuring high received antenatal care content, which is crucial for reducing pregnancy-related morbidity and mortality. This implies prompt intersectoral collaboration to promote female education, target older aged women, and rural resident women, encourage partner involvements during the antenatal care process, minimize regional variation, and strengthen the implementation of received ANC content policies and programs with the active participation of the stakeholders are priority issues.

The relationship between time spent during the first ANC contact, home visits and adherence to ANC contacts in Ghana

Background

The World Health Organization in 2016 recommended eight or more antenatal care (ANC) contacts for a positive pregnancy experience, however, it is unclear what impact the time spent during the first ANC contact and home visits can have on eight or more ANC contacts.

Objectives

Our study investigated the relationship between time spent during the first ANC contact and eight or more ANC contacts, and between home visits and eight or more ANC contacts. We also assessed the prevalence of eight or more ANC contacts.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 519 mothers with children 12 months old and below attending child welfare clinics in the Nabdam district in the Upper East Region, Ghana. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between time spent during the first ANC contact, home visits, and eight or more ANC contacts, while controlling for potential confounders.

Results

The proportion of mothers who attained eight or more ANC contacts during pregnancy was 31.2%. Spending 20 minutes or more during the first ANC contact was associated with 2.07 times the odds of having eight or more ANC contacts compared to spending less than 20 minutes [adjusted odds ratio (aOR): 2.07, 95% CI: 1.18,3.63]. Mothers who received at least a home visit from skilled health professionals during pregnancy were 2.44 times more likely to have eight or more ANC contacts compared to mothers who were not visited (aOR: 2.44, 95% CI: 1.51,3.94).

Conclusion

Spending at least 20 minutes during the first ANC contact and home visits were positively associated with eight or more ANC contacts. We recommend that skilled health professionals should spend at least 20 minutes during the first ANC contact as well as encourage home visits in order to increase the coverage of eight or more ANC contacts.

Does antenatal and post-natal program reduce infant mortality? A meta-analytical review on 24 developing countries based on Demographic and Health Survey data

OBJECTIVE

This study intended to reveal the effectiveness of Antenatal Care (ANC) and Postnatal care (PNC) services on infant mortality in 24 developing countries by utilizing the recent Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data.

DESIGN

This study utilized the most recent DHS data from 2013 to 2019 of 24 different developing countries. Meta-analysis techniques were was implemented to congregate cross-sectional studies to integrate data from 24 countries to fulfill the study's objective. ParticipantsChildren's Recode (KR) data was used as this study is based on infants aged 0-11 months.

RESULTS

Results of this study uncovered for 24 developing countries that taking ANC and PNC had a statistically significant association in lowering infant death. These two covariates were found to significantly impact all 24 developing countries' infant mortality (OR: 0.356, 95% CI: 0.311; 0.407 for taking ANC and OR: 0.302, 95% CI: 0.243; 0.375 for taking PNC). Additionally, taking ANC was more effective in Asian countries, while taking PNC was more effective for African countries.

CONCLUSION

In this study, taking ANC and PNC services was significant in reducing the risk of infant mortality in developing countries. So, anticipation and advancement in health care services ought to be taken to lessen the chance of infant mortality.